So much to ketch up on! My mom ran away with my half-written post on her laptop today, hence the delayed post. My laptop just turned 4 years old (which means 80 years old in generation Y/blogger speak) so it’s somewhat dilapidated. Blogging on my mom’s new Macbook Pro is so much easier, especially because it has a built-in camera card reader. That being said, my laptop better last another 80 years because this gal has no pennies to spare!

***

Yesterday was another active day. I started with 60 min. on the elliptical while watching the latest Top Chef DC episode (Go Kelly!!). Later, I played tennis with my dad. I refueled in between workouts with plenty of carbs and protein so I had enough energy to play. If I don’t fuel enough, playing tennis can get very frustrating, very quickly.

Today, I completed another 60 min. on the elliptical and 15 min. of incline walking on the treadmill. I was feeling a bit sore, so I decided to hold off on any strength training.

***

Now for the highlights and lowlights from this past weekend….

Along with Banana S’mores, I had a tasty wrap and some chips.

Leftover Feta Chickpea Tomato Salad with spring mix in a whole grain wrap.

Side of whole grain tortilla chips. The highlight of this meal.

My dad got these from Target and they are fabulous. The ingredients are quite impressive for chips! Quinoa? Brown rice flour? Sunflower seeds?

I also walked over to Target just to browse and of course came back with food…in the form of more carbs!

I got Quaker Oatmeal Squares and Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel English Muffins. It’s been far too long since I last had these. They are about $1 cheaper from Target than Whole Foods….cha-ching.

I gave myself a pat on the back for getting this cereal. This is my absolute favorite cereal in the whole wide world and to be honest, I’m kinda scared of it. However, it was on sale so I figured what the hey. I don’t like to be scared of food. I don’t want to deprive myself of anything, especially if it’s something I love so dearly. The only way to get over my fear is to embrace it.

It sounds like I’m talking about major life goals…nope, still talking about cereal .

High to the frickin’ light.

Proof that we buy more than just carbs in a box…

I also got this SoBe lifewater from Target. I was drinking it on my walk home when something fell from the bottle into my mouth.

Ummm come again!?!!

THIS!!!!

IN MY MOUTH!!!!

WHAT….IS….THIS!?

Oh my oh my oh my. It was slimy and muddy. Ahhhhh!!! @*($&*@#^&@%#!

Not okay!!!

It came out in one round piece AFTER I finished the whole bottle. I tore it into 2 pieces just to try and figure out what it was…no idea!! Obviously, that was a major lowlight from the weekend. Blegh.

***

Another lowlight? I used up the last of my wheatgrass powder.

No wheatgrass goes to waste over here.

Berry Banana Wheatgrass Protein Smoothie

Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel English Muffin w/ pumpkin butter. Highlight.

Guava!! My favorite fruit is back–a highlight for sure.

We got 3 bargain guava and 3 regular priced guava yesterday at the store.

3 bargain=$1

3 ‘on sale’ for $1.99/lb=$4.48

Yikes.

My camera’s highlight…

I snapped this photo from our balcony. You can see the Appalachian Mountains in the distance.

So pertyful.

Tell me: What were the highlights from your weekend? I hope you didn’t have any nasty-slimy-discs-in-your-bottle lowlights!

19 ripe bananas. 3 people. No prob, Bob.

We’ve been consuming bananas like monkeys this past weekend! So maybe monkeys don’t eat banana oatmeal and banana soft serve but you get the idea. With the help of our freezer, Magic Bullet and some graham crackers, these bananas have been disappearing before our eyes.

I’ve got 2 simple and quick healthy dessert recipes to share with you. Are you ready, Freddie?

***

Banana S’mores

I was a Girl Scout for 13 years (that’s more than half my life!). Needless to say, I’ve enjoyed s’mores many many times in my life.

This time, however, I replaced the marshmallows with banana slices and the campfire with a toaster oven.

Watch and learn…

300*F for ~7 min.

Melty banana pillows in pools of warm chocolate, sandwiched between two crunchy cinnamon graham crackers.

***

Ready for s’more?

Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches

Banana soft serve in between two graham crackers. That’s it.

It doesn’t get any easier than that.

The creamy texture of the banana ‘ice cream’ paired with the sweet, crumbly graham crackers rivals any ice cream sandwich on the market.

Gimme s’more please!!!

With the move date pushed back a week and 90% of our kitchen already in the new house, I deemed it necessary to stock up on some food. I scored some great deals last night!

In my grocery basket:

1. Amy’s V-Burgs were buy 1 get 1 free. I got California (new to me) and All-American (not new to me). In the store bought v-burg category, I like Amy’s more than Dr. P, Boca and Morningstar.

2. Athenos Feta Cheese for 40 cents (I had a coupon from my HLS swag bag for a free container up to $5.99).

3. Van’s Waffles! I haven’t had waffles in forever. I’ve been missing Waffle Mountains oh so much. These weren’t on sale but you can’t win ‘em all.

4. What’s that blob? Dates! Read on…

Before we go any further, can we stop and appreciate this UPC label?

Last night Harris Teeter won over Trader Joe’s for one reason and one reason only.

The Red Box Machine.

We rented The Back Up Plan starring J. Lo. It was just meh. Cute but not a-must-see in my opinion.

***

Medjool date vs. Deglet Noor date

I picked up 3 organic Medjool dates from a bulk bin at HT last night. I love bulk bins because I can get as little as I want/can afford.

According to Wikipedia, the deglet noor date (on the right) is one of more than 100 varieties of dates but it’s the most known in the world.

Deglet noor dates are not as sweet and moist as Medjool dates. Here’s a comparison chart I found from Brown Date Garden.

The dates I’ve been eating are the deglet noor variety from Costco (I’ve also found Medjool dates at Costco and TJ’s but they are twice as expensive).

Ooey, gooey, soft and chewy.

Now I know why Medjool dates are more expensive than the Deglet Noor dates. They tasted like sweetened pumpkin puree! It took every bone in my body to save the last one for a daylight photo.

…the sacrifices I make for this blog!

***

This morning marked the return of the Waffle Mountain!

Topped with Chobani 0% Greek yogurt, banana, cacao nibs, and chia seeds. There was not a lick of nut butter in the house to swipe on my waffle. I’ll take the blame for that one.

I usually eat these like a slice of pizza but I keep a fork and knife on hand just incase things start to fall apart. That, and to give you a ‘bite’ photo.

The rest of today:

• More packing/throwing out junk
• Workout…?
• Eat mah new food!
• BAKE!?

It’s supposed to be in the 70s here this weekend–a welcomed change for sure! Have a great Labor Day weekend or just a great regular weekend .

***

Quote of the day:

“Mom told me there are people from your website who said they want to marry me….”

~Chef Peter

Sniff sniff.

Something smells like almond butter.

But wait, that can’t be possible….I’m at the gym. Barney and Justin are upstairs in my closet!

Something definitely smells like almond butter though.

Hmmm I wonder why.

I think I’m sweating out nut butter toxins/amazins.

Yep, my nut butter hangover has lasted 4 full days.

***

That was fast.

Really really fast.

I think it’s time I enter a multi-treatment rehab facility.

Eggy oats with banana and Blueberry Chobani

Just so you know, I’m not eating to go into hibernation or anything. There’s definitely something going on with my cravings this week and I’m trying to roll with it. I usually go through cycles where I crave high fat/high sugar foods for a week or so and then have zero cravings for them the rest of the month. Sound familiar?

It just so happens that my week of cravings coincided with my discovery of Barney and Justin at WFs. I know if I try to control or resist my cravings, they will just escalate. Ya gotta give your body what it wants. Apparently, mine wants Barney and Justin.

***

I’m working out too…or should I say sweating out nut butter.

• 60 min. elliptical
• 15 min. upper body strength training

***

The Chobe stash is disappearing before my eyes…

The 2% flavors have been my favorite. It’s amazing what a couple grams of fat can do in terms of creaminess. If you haven’t tried 2% Greek yogurt you must!

***

Thank goodness for some fresh fruit.

I found this in my crap-from-college bag…

Wow, have my eats been lame or what? The food options have seriously been limited in this joint. I held off on grocery shopping thinking we would be moving this week. However, our move got pushed back another week (no complaints here), which means…

It’s time to hit up TJ’s!

(woop woop)
***

I’m glad you enjoyed my dorky posts from yesterday. Did you notice the shrimp dish was plated so that the broccoli sat on the bottom and the other veggies + shrimp floated on top?

Yep, that was all Peter.

By the way, Peter was flattered by all your sweet comments on his cooking .

I kept thinking about the MGD 64 commercial as I was writing up that post. You know, the one where the guy goes ‘How is it that you’re still single?’ while his friend is doing squats to burn off his beer?

Yeah, I wonder that too…about myself.

If you haven’t seen the [most overplayed] commercial ever, here it is:

Barney? Justin? MGD 64 man? I’m single.

***

Tell me: What’s your favorite overplayed commercial?

My life on the blog is still behind compared to my real life! I had way too much fun in Chicago and I’ve been playing major ketch up this past week. Well, after this post I will finally finally be up-to-date. Hopefully, my posts will be a little less random after this one…although I can’t guarantee that .

Live Laugh Momma’s breakfast. P.Brie-nana-dilla.

Peanut butter, brie cheese, and banana in a whole grain wrap. Panini-pressed on a pan. Momma said there was too much banana (she used a whole naner instead of 1/2), but otherwise it was delicious.

She was my guinea pig. I suggested she add brie cheese to make a sweet ‘n’ salty ‘dilla. Now I just have to try it for myself.

I forgot to tell you, I broke my favorite rectangular dish . Life will never be the same. Can we have a moment of silence, please?

***

Last night, I made a big salad to use up some odds ‘n’ ends in the fridge:

• Bargain grape tomatoes (I’m never gonna finish these!)
• 1/2 a leftover sweet potato (from my sweet potato No-Bake Baked Oatmeal)
• The last TJ’s Italian Veggie Sausage
• TJ’s Spring Mix

For the dressing, I used KETCHUP! I love ketchup with veggie sausage and sweet taters. People eat ketchup with lettuce in burgers too, ya know?

It’s really not as weird as it looks….

I also had some homemade Pad Thai courtesy of the line cook at Peter’s Kitchen (my uncle). Do you all want me to find out his recipe? As the sous chef, I suppose I should already know….oops!

***

I had most of this chocolate cupcake from Cinnabon last night while typing up my cover letter for the bakery job. Fitting, no?

My uncle brought it back home for us to try. He said people were lining up to buy cupcakes (and not cinnamon buns) so he had to get one. The frosting was amazing. The cake was alright…average.

….as if I hadn’t eaten enough chocolate already!!

***

This morning, I put the finishing touches on my cover letter while snacking on bread+almond butter+banana. No photo because I was in full-focus mode. On my way out the door, I ate a juicy plum.

If you haven’t noticed, I tend to go crazy with fruits after I find out I’m not allergic to them. Remember my fresh apricot obsession? I sense a plum obsession developing.

***

On my way home from the bakery, I spontaneously stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up some goods (yep, totally spontaneous). I was walking in a danger zone without a shopping list in hand!! I came out alive though….just a few bumps and bruises.

I wanted to get some muffins, but I had a baking project brewing in my mind so I put ‘em back.

The grocery bag:

In the store, I sampled a small salad with bleu cheese, beets, and chicken. I really just wanted a beet slice! Oh and I had 1/2 an amazing chocolate chip cookie. I sampled these when I was there with my Momma over the weekend too. Crispy yet not rock hard–love it!

Pre-workout snack: a smoothie with Vega Shake & Go, strawberries and almond milk. Chocolate ‘n’ Berries is one of my favorite combos, y’all.

I’m gonna ketch up on blog emails now and then hit up the gym. Are your fingers still crossed?!

***

ALL KETCHED UP!! (feels so good)

Have you seen the Featured Recipes section on the right side of the blog? These are three of my favorite original LLE recipes. I’ll be changing them up periodically so keep your eyes peeled!

***

Oatmeal.

A super food. A whole grain. A great breakfast food to keep your belly full. I just wish I loved it….again.

As I’ve explained before, oatmeal and I have a wonky relationship. I used to be a die-hard oatmeal eater. I ate a big bowl of oatmeal at least once a day, sometimes even twice. However, it was during my stint of restrictive eating and over-exercising when my love for oatmeal blossomed. As a result, I often associate oatmeal with that not-so-awesome time in my life.

I still enjoy oatmeal but I rarely ever crave it. I don’t even eat it enough for it to appear in my tag cloud (located on the right sidebar)! It’s fun to see which foods are the largest font size over there .

I love oats though (hello AllieBars?) so I am always thinking of ways to play around with them to create delicious breakfasts.

For example, I grind up oats to make my 3 Ingredient Oat Flour Crepes

…or cook them on the stove to make Oat Bran Danish Pancakes

…or bake ‘em up to make Quinoa Banana Bread Granola

Well this week it’s been all about No-Bake Baked Oatmeal.

I found myself craving oatmeal the other day. Not just any kind of oatmeal though….I really wanted to make some baked oatmeal. I like that it tastes fluffy like a muffin but it still has the nutty, chewy texture of oats.  However, turning on the oven for one serving of baked oatmeal would NOT fly in this house. Not to mention, it takes a little too long to make for this impatient stomach of mine. Thus, I’ve been making No-bake Baked Oatmeal, which take about 3 minutes to make.

The recipe is similar to oatmeal pancakes but not quite the same. I microwave the batter for 30-40 seconds (key part!!) to cook it a bit and then ‘bake’ it in a pan. That way it’s slightly soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

I’ve made three different versions this week already. Could this be the recipe that brings oatmeal back into my life?

The first version was made with sweet potatoes and topped with banana soft serve. The warm oatmeal combined with the cold banana is superb. Try it for yourself!

No-Bake Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• dash of cinnamon
• splash of water or milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• add-ins of choice (banana, sweet potato/pumpkin, fruit chunks, chocolate chips, etc.)

Directions:

Combine egg whites and rolled oats in a small bowl and mix until evenly distributed. Stir in cinnamon, vanilla and desired mix-ins. Microwave for 30-40 seconds. Stir with a spoon to break up the chunks. Form a patty with the partly cooked ‘batter.’ Pan fry both sides on medium heat until golden brown. Top with fruit, yogurt, nuts, nut butter, maple syrup, etc.

*Makes 2 small servings or 1 large serving

***

I also had a small serving plain topped with yogurt and blueberries

This morning, I mixed the blueberries into the batter.

Topped with banana soft serve and a side of sliced strawberries.

It could be that microwaving them prior to cooking makes no difference but that it takes less time to cook on the skillet. In which case these would just be glorified oatmeal pancakes. I like to think it makes the oats a little more oatmealy though. Perhaps I’ll have to try both methods side by side and compare the taste and texture. Or I could just whip up a batch of real baked oatmeal in the oven!

***

I’ll be back later to fill you in on my recent workouts, other meals ‘n’ snax and updates on the job search.

Tater-nana-dillas.

Um yeah. I went there. I totally went there.

I love my bananadillas. When I spotted an ol’ sweet potato sitting innocently on the kitchen counter, I started having visions of tater-nana-dillas dancing through my head. That’s short for sweet potato banana quesadillas.

A whole grain wrap.

Mashed sweet potato and maple syrup on one half.

Banana slices and cinnamon on the other half.

To quickly make the mashed sweet potato, I pierced the tater with a knife in 3 spots and microwaved it on high for about 4 min.

Easy enough, right?

Without a panini maker, I turned to the stove. The stove never fails me.

Pan-pressed to perfection.

How could you forget the almond butter?

I would normally spread the almond butter inside the ‘dilla but I didn’t want it to get lost with both the banana AND the sweet potato inside. When I spread the almond butter on top, I could really taste every gooey morsel.

Very important stuff, people, very very important.

Can you even imagine what this would taste like with Sunflower Seed Butter (SSB)? I’m finishing up my SSB Rehab Program and I’m thinking after my current jar of almond butter, I’m gonna take the plunge and finally get a jar of SSB. It’s been over a month (!!!).

I’m in withdrawal.

Rehab Shmehab.

***

We’ve been loading up on bargain produce from Harris Teeter recently. We usually only go to Harris Teeter for two things: bargain produce and Red Box DVDs. Oh and lotto tickets. Okay, so three things.

The other day, I picked up a huge bag of grape tomatoes for $1.59. Cha-ching!

I’d say there are about 3 pints worth in there.

I also got a bag of ripe bananas (half of which got sliced up and thrown into the freezer). Perhaps I’ll be making some Avocado Banana Bread this week?

The best bargain was on strawberries–buy 1 get 2 free. So 3 cartons for $4!!

These strawberries are fresh and oh so sweet. Double cha-ching!

Unfortunately, these strawberries aren’t organic. However, we got this Environne Fruit and Vegetable Wash from TJ’s, which we’ll be trying out on these strawbs!

Ingredients: purified water, natural cleansing agents (derived from plant oilts), polysorbate-20 (derived from sorbitol/berries), grapefruit seed extract and lemon-orange extract.

It claims to safely remove chemical residues including pesticides, waxes, and oils. I won’t be able to report if it’s effective or not (since I won’t know!) but I figure it’s better than nothing.

Tell me: Do you wash your produce with anything other than water? You do wash your produce, right!? Please say yes.

***

I’m laying low tonight to recuperate from my Chicago adventures. We were invited to a potluck dinner at a family friend’s house but I decided to stay home to get some peace and quiet and work on yet another cover letter. I’ll be back tomorrow with an update on the job sitch.

(I’m almost done with these Chicago is for ____! titles, finally ).

We’re going from the ‘Burbs –> city today for some exciting culinary adventures. The best kind of adventures, dontcha agree? There’s actually a boatload of things to do out here but I’m flying back home tonight and I still have some unfinished business to take care of in Chicago!

The last 5 days have truly turned my frown upside down. Stay tuned for a reflective post later this week.

***

I am still catching up to real time slowly but surely…

Sunday morning (the last day of HLS), I went back to the XSport Fitness gym for a quick workout. I slept in a bit (8:30 AM is now sleeping in?!?) so I missed the HLS group run/walk. The extra sleep was much needed though. I had one of those hop-around-the-gym workouts:

• 3 min. run to gym
• 12 min. Arctrainer
• 12 min. elliptical
• 10 min. stairclimber (whew!!)
• 10 min. full body strength training

I walked back to the hotel and immediately hit up the buffet breakfast sponsored by Thomas’s. I had to get it to-go though because I still had to shower and pack up all of my swag + sweaty clothes before the clock struck 12 noon!! I felt like Cinderella racing around my room.

There was a make-your-own cream cheese station and I chose strawberries, almonds, honey and raisins as my mix-ins.

I also got some eggs and asked for smoked salmon from the cream cheese station for some added protein.

Along with berries, honeydew, coffee and a banana, which I saved for later. What a beautiful air vent tabletop, no?

After checking out, I sat in the lobby for 30 min. to catch my breath and chat with Tina and Diana <–photo credit. Freya raced off to Whole Foods after the photo .

After storing my luggage with the hotel, I was off to do some exploring…solo!

One of my favorite things to do is to walk through cities by myself. I find it incredibly relaxing. After a hectic weekend, it was just what I needed to unwind. I walked for about 3 hours. I think I covered ~5.5 miles.

My one and only must-visit in all of Chicagoland was Starfruit, a frozen kefir shop! I made it my life mission to visit this place when I discovered it back in September 2009 while writing up my post on kefir.

CLOSED!?!?!?

I’m pretty sure I had my face pressed into the glass for a good 15 min. as I hoped and prayed for a leprechaun to come out from behind the counter. But alas, there was not a single soul inside. My roommates and I looked for this place for about 2 hours on Thursday but never found it (it’s hidden underground in a basement of a mall). We were circling around on the street level the entire time thinking we were blind!!

I settled for an AllieBar and a massive 1/3 caf iced coffee. I got chewed up by the Starbucks lady for absolutely no reason while waiting for my drink. I once wrote a paper for my sociology class on Starbucks’ excellent business model of hiring and training employees who are knowledgeable and kind. I guess someone skipped out on said training or perhaps fell asleep during the ‘don’t have a frickin’ cow’ session. Good grief!

As a result, my coffee was poorly photographed. I didn’t want the lady to come rip my camera out of my hands and stick it in the blender or anything.

Speaking of cows…or pigs….

Moo-ving along . I spotted a Garmy store!

And some Chi-town pieces of art.

Then it was back to the hotel to grab my bags. I snacked on a Liberate Glo Bar that Angela graciously gave me. I am allergic to all the Glo Bar flavors except this one because they contain peanut butter.

I really liked the texture. It was like a tough yet chewy piece of dried fruit with almonds and seeds throughout. I mean, it has dates…what’s not to love? I got to chat with Ange on Sunday morning too about granola bar baking as a business. It was nice to get an insider’s perspective–lots to consider!!

Then I took a cab to the train station. I would have walked the 1.4 miles with my suitcase but I didn’t want my precious SWAG to melt. Lucky for me it was only a $5 ride.

Off to the ‘burbs!!

I snacked on some Cheddar Potato Pop Chips on the train ride.

‘Burbs? You mean, farm country? Just wait ’til you see what a gem this place is!

***

I gotta leave you again! I feel like my posts have been much like a soap opera this week, constantly leaving you hanging. It’ll be well worth the wait though .

I’m leaving for Chicago tomorrow morning and I haven’t started packing yet–eeps! I’m actually staying a couple extra days after the Healthy Living Summit to explore (I’m coming back late Tuesday night), so I’ve got quite a bit to pack in my teeny tiny suitcase. I have to somehow get these to fit in my suitcase as well….

(Does anyone know if I can go through airport security with baked goods? Or should I check my suitcase?)

Last night I cranked out 8 batches of AllieBars in just 3 hours–a new record for # of batches made in one sitting (standing?). I finished at 1:00 AM….much sooner than expected.

I ate about 2 bars while baking and went to bed with a full stomach. However, they worked their magic this morning because I had an outrageous amount of energy during my workout, completely out of nowhere. Usually, when I workout in the morning, I am dragging and my stomach grumbles the entire time.

Well, not this morning! I was bouncing off the [gym] walls. I did 30 min. of Insanity (Pylometric Cardio Circuit), 30 min. on the elliptical and 30 min. of full body strength training. I’ve been slacking in the strength training department lately. I usually just do one set of my usual exercises but today I changed it up and was even going back for seconds. I did some stretching afterwards too, which I’ve been pretty bad about lately.

Out: 5 Hour Energy Shots

In: AllieBars

***

Post Workout:

I had zero appetite after my workout but I knew I needed fuel. Whenever this happens, I turn to smoothies! They’re easy to make, easy to drink and easy to digest.

I made a Blueberry Banana Kale Smoothie. The photo shows strawberries because I borrowed it from an old post. The smoothie I drank today had yogurt, protein powder, ice, and stevia along with the blueberries, banana and kale.

Topped with an AllieBar, of course. I’m tellin’ ya, The combination is unbelievable!

Later this afternoon, I met up with a friend from high school at Starbucks. I hadn’t seen him in awhile and it was nice to catch up. I got an Iced Passion Tea that I guzzled down in record speed.

***

I was more than ready for dinner when I got home (read: I was hangry!). I have no idea where the inspiration for this meal came from. I basically opened up the fridge and pulled out whatever I could get my hands on.

I made an Eggadilla (work with me here!) using 1 egg + 3 egg whites, veggie sausage, diced tomatoes, almond cheese, and avocado.

A peak inside…

An Eggadilla? Do you mean an omelette?

No. It’s an eggadilla (like a quesadilla) because I cooked the egg patty on both sides and folded it in half (like a tortilla) with the ingredients inside.

To cook the patty, I used my trick for perfect sunny side up eggs and covered it up with a pan. That way the eggs cooked evenly. I still had to flip it halfway through but it was easier to flip with the top partly cooked already.

We rarely turn on the oven in this house (to save energy), so I ‘roasted’ my broccoli in a pan.

A whole grain spelt sweet potato waffle (the last one!!).

Don’t forget the ketchup!

I was planning on watching Top Chef DC tonight but I think I’m gonna have to catch a rerun sometime next week instead. I’ve got a million and one things to do before I leave for The Windy City. Aside from packing my clothes and such, I still need to…

• Download and back up the photos on my memory card
• Delete my entire camera memory card (Ahhhhh!! I hate doing this.)
• Pack up AllieBars
• Charge all my gadgets–Garmin, phone, computer, camera, etc.
• Respond to emails
• LAUNDRY!!

I’m currently munching on an AllieBar, hoping for a magical burst of energy .

***

Tell me: What do you eat/drink/do for extra energy?

It’s not me it’s the air!

20 minutes into my workout today, I nearly called it quits. My legs felt sluggish and I wasn’t finding Giada very entertaining. However, I stuck it out for another 10 minutes and I suddenly got a burst of energy. So much so that I hopped on the treadmill and ran sans shin sleeves! I didn’t run for six miles (not even close) but it felt good to just run again.

I stopped running several weeks ago when it got super hot outside and my wheezing became a problem. All along I thought my wheezing was because I was out of shape. It occurred to me today that my breathing problems were because of the air and not my lungs! I think I might start running again on the treadmill to build back my endurance. I’d much rather prefer running outside but right now the heat and my wheezing make for quite a miserable experience.

Today’s workout:

• 40 min. elliptical
• 20 min. treadmill run
• core exercises

The Parfait Plate

The best way to eat granola, in my opinion, is with fruit and yogurt. I’ve had this timeless combination in my head for weeks now and the opportunity finally presented itself today. While I enjoy eating parfaits in bowls and glasses, I also like to eat them on a plate. That way I can scoop them up however I like–fruit + yogurt OR granola + yogurt OR all 3 at once.

I topped my scoop of cinnamon-spiked Greek yogurt with banana soft serve to change things up.

Served with none other than the Quinoa Banana Bread Granola I made last night.

This afternoon’s snacks included a fresh apricot, dates w/ coconut butter, and several unpictured french fries that my dad brought home from Costco.

I got this jar of coconut butter back in September but because it was freezing cold in my apartment at school (meaning rock hard coconut butter!), I only ate it every so often. I just recently started using it again and have found that it’s excellent with dried dates!!

***

Dinner:

My only requirement for dinner tonight was that it had to be lickety split! I was one hungry hippo post-workout. The fastest thing I could come up with was a Veggie Sausage + Spinach + Goat Cheese Patty (made using the same method as the ‘meatballs’).

Note: The Gimme Lean Veggie Sausage freezes well!

On top of a slice of whole grain bread and avocado. It hit the spot!

On the side I made a salad with organic spring mix, steamed carrots and diced mini peppers.

For the dressing I used this TJ’s Cilantro Salad Dressing that I found in the fridge. I loved it–very creamy and flavorful!

Dessert: Butter Pecan Ice Cream with Quinoa Banana Bread Granola and coconut butter. Do I even need to tell you it was delicious? I also had a bowl of blueberries.

***

Tell me: What’s your go-to lickety split meal?