A good friend of mine in high school used to call someone a “dorkus maximus” when he/she was having a majorly dorky moment. It was all in good fun (not used in a bullying way!). I mean, let’s be honest here, just by saying “dorkus maximus” you ARE equally as dorky.

The phrase randomly popped into my head while writing up this post. I really let my inner dork shine this morning. In case you thought you were the dorkiest of all, picture me holding floss in one hand, my camera in the other, all while parading around the house looking for a good photography spot.

I win.

There’s a good reason…

Guess what? I’ve flossed every single day this week. That would be more times than I flossed in all of 2010…and possibly my whole life. It’s starting to become a habit and I’m almost to the point where I feel weird going to bed without flossing.

I cry at the thought of getting cavities filled, so why set myself up for even more painful procedures down the line? I take pride in staying healthy and that certainly includes my teeth.

I mean, have you Googled “benefits of flossing” yet? Here’s a good MSN Health article and one on Benefits of Flossing Daily. <–read these if you need convincing!

In less than a week, I go from tricking my dentist into thinking I flossed to being an advocate for daily flossing.

***

I may be flossing, but that doesn’t mean my chocolate consumption has lessened. Last night, while on a yogurt run (did I just say “yogurt run?”), I found Dark Chocolate with a Touch of Sea Salt on SALE.

I’ve had other brands of chocolate with sea salt, but this was my first time trying the Lindt brand.

I die.

The sea salt accentuates the chocolatey flavor to no end. It makes me want to sprinkle salt on my regular dark chocolate bars now.

Pretend I didn’t say that.

***

Onto breakfast. This was more like my pre-workout snack as I am about to go to the gym now.

The last slice of bread #5 topped with Greek yogurt and mashed ‘nana slices.

Frothy coffee. The heat factor really is the key to frothing success.

Quick and digestible.

Breakfast of dorks.

***

I also poured myself a ramekin of Cocoa Roast Almonds

Check out this cluster!!!

Front view

Back view

You may have noticed that I changed some colors and fonts on my blog last night. They’ll make more sense once I debut my new header, which is still in the tweaking phase. I can’t WAIT to show you all what it looks like!

Tell Me: Any dorky moments from this week we should know about? Care to share?

I spent exactly 26 hours in Charlottesville this past weekend (arrived at 12 PM, left at 2 PM). It zoomed by in the blink of an eye, YET with all our shenanigans it felt like I was there for days!

(26 may just be a number that comes after 25 and before 27 but don’t tell that to this girl!)

Sunday morning started off with an oatmeal breakfast….but not just any oatmeal breakfast. We ate the famous KERF oatmeal.

Because really, what’s a trip to Cville without KERF oatmeal?!

Everyone voted for the addition of pumpkin.

Pick your own bowl! This was arguably one of the most exciting parts for me .

We sipped coffee and set up the toppings while waiting for the oatmeal to cook.

Topping choices included: cookies, AllieBars, nut butter, jams, nuts, and granola.

Load em’ up!

My big beautiful bowl.

I got a bit heavy handed with the oatmeal so I had to scale back on the toppings a bit—silly mistake!

Sunflower seed butter, chocolate hazelnut butter, gingerbread cookie, crunchy buckwheat granola, coconut, and cinnamon almonds.

I’m just a bit infatuated with this bowl….and the mosaic table!

Good [early] morning!

The peaceful KERF porch made for the perfect dining spot.

Kath, Cara, Heather, Meghann, Brittany, and Christine

It was great to see Sarah and Josh (my NC buddies) again.

I found this surprise photo on my camera a couple hours later . Looks like somebody thoroughly enjoyed his oatmeal.

During clean up, we all had to do our part licking nut butter knives and spoons. I put myself in charge of licking the Sunflower Seed Butter knife.

The last time I had SSB was back when I wrote my love poem. Far too long if you ask me.

After a few hours of discussing all things blogging-related, we broke out the leftovers for lunch.

The size-of-my-head oatmeal bowl was still sitting in my tummy so I was not the least bit hungry. Holy satiety!

However, I was craving some veggies to balance everything out.

• arugula + spinach
• zuke + squash
• hummus + goat cheese
• and pita chips!

Then it was time to say our goodbyes and hit the road. I miss Cville aka KERFville already!

Mark my words, I will be back.

***

Earlier posts from the weekend trip:

• KERFville Part 1
• Wine Tasting in KERFville
• Celebrating 26+2 Years

I am going to be reviewing a product of my choosing from CSN Stores soon. I’m not sure what I’m going to pick yet–perhaps a new kitchen appliance, a yoga mat or a bookcase headboard….as a housewarming gift, ya know?

Today was quite a productive day. It was a different kind of ‘productive’ though. I got nothing on my to-do list checked off. I only spent about 15 min. Tweeting and reading blogs. I didn’t get my workout in (until just now) and I didn’t get a chance to work on the recipe I was hoping to get done.

Instead, I spent the day cleaning up the condo with my dad and then running errands all over town. I had some leftover junk in my room to sort through and I also cleaned my bathroom. I have a major bathroom phobia. Not just public bathrooms but my own bathroom too. Of course, I’m not above cleaning my bathroom, but I definitely have to hold my breath and scrunch up my nose to get through it. It is by far my most hated household chore. Washing dishes, folding laundry, vacuuming and Swiffer Sweeping, I’m totally okay with, but cleaning bathrooms gives me the heebie jeebies.

Anyways, I feel like I accomplished a lot today even though it is now almost 10 PM and I am just sitting down to check my email, write this blog post, and show you fragments of my eats.

Such is life.

***

This morning, I ate a bowl of pumpkin Greek yogurt mixed with eggy oats. Toppings included pecans, banana slices and cinnamon grahams.

I’ve been noshing on Newman’s Own Organics snacks all day long. I found this huge package at my doorstep last night filled with Newman’s Own Organics products sent to me for free. I’ve been eager to try some of these for a long long looong time.

I’ve already cracked open 6 of the snacks! Two of my favorites have been the Hermits and the Alphabet Cookies.

These Hermits are the bomb. I’ve been thinking about how to describe them all day. They’re a mix between an oatmeal raisin cookie and a Fig Newton (or Fig Newman I should say). They have a strong molasses flavor, which I love.

I’m trying to be smart about my snacking because I could easily go overboard with these snacks running loose in the house and end up completely ruining my appetite for real meals. As an avid snacker, I have to be careful not to snack through my meals.

***

My dad came home from Costco yesterday with this humongous pumpkin pie. Ohhh Peter.

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater.

I’ve had small slivers here and there. It’s daaaarn good!

Allie Allie Kale Eater.

Doesn’t have the same ring to it, huh? I got a huge bunch of kale over the weekend and it’s been the only green leafy veggie I’ve had access to all week. I love that I can wash it, microwave it for 45 seconds and voila! I have a steamed kale.

Tonight, I threw it in a huge Green Smoothie along with spinach, strawberries, bananas, protein powder and almond milk.

My workout was 60 min. on the elliptical and some lower body strength training. It felt good to get my legs moving after yesterday’s run and then sitting in the car all afternoon.

Alright, I’m off to tackle my to do list now. Fingers crossed I’ll be back tomorrow with a recipe.

***

Tell me: What household chore do you hate the most? What are your strategies for preventing your snacks from overtaking your meals? Or maybe you don’t have that problem .

Some people travel to Paris to visit the Arc de Triomphe. Some people travel to Paris to climb the Eiffel Tower.

Some people travel to Paris to go wine tasting. Some people travel to Paris to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa.

Some people travel to Paris to get lucky.

I travelled to Paris to eat crepes.

Two years ago, I took a 4-day trip to Paris while studying abroad in London. I ate crepes day and night….night and day.

I ordered crepes from the takeaway stands on the side of the street. I ordered crepes while dining in restaurants. I ate crepes for breakfast, lunch and dinner….oh and dessert!

I would go as far as saying the banana + Nutella crepe I had in Paris qualifies as the best thing I have ever eaten.

It helped that my travel buddy and I walked over 10 miles a day and I constantly needed fuel. I mean, we walked everywhere. 5 miles to the Eiffel Tower? Okay, let’s walk there…and back!

Not to mention, my travel buddy’s walking speed could pass for jogging…err sprinting! I was so focused on breathing and putting one foot in front of the other, I could barely eat my crepe(s). She was also not a very big fan of crepes and thought I was a bit of a nut case.

Clearly, she was the nut case.

Even though I wasn’t yet a food blogger back then, I did take a photo of my crepe. It was that good.

***

Now, I have a confession to make. Up until today, I had never made a real, authentic, French crepe. I tried once when I was about 10 years old but it turned out way too thick to be a crepe. Meaning, it was more like a pancake. When I found out challenge #2 for the Project Food Blog contest was to recreate a classic ethnic dish, there was no question I wanted to make crepes.

Real crepes.

Authentic French crepes.

Sweet and savory crepes.

I researched online for crepe-making tips. You know, crepe making is an art form. I didn’t want to just combine ingredients and make a flat pancake. I wanted to recreate the crepes I ate in Paris using real butter, whole milk, flour, and eggs. I visited a crepe-load of websites to learn all the different types of crepes out there, namely sweet crepes or crêpes sucrées and savory crepes/buckwheat crepes or galettes de sarrasin.

I copied down about 20 different variations so I could compare them. I even drew diagrams of how I wanted to photograph them (Did you know I painted the Mona Lisa? ). Yes, ‘Julia’ at the bottom right hand corner is short for Julia Child.

***

The first thing I had to do was make the crepe batter. I made it the night before because I learned that it’s best to make the batter ahead of time so the bubbles can settle and the flour can absorb the liquid. This prevents the crepe from tearing when you cook them.

So at 1AM in the morning, I blended the ingredients for my crepe batter in my bedroom as not to disturb my family.

For the savory crepes, or galettes de sarrasin, I used buckwheat flour and oat flour. I learned that in France, savory crêpes are typically made with buckwheat flour.

Galettes de Sarrasin

Adapted from NY Times

Ingedients:

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup oat flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 large eggs
• 2 TBSP butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions: 1) Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 20 min. before cooking. Stir well. Add more milk to the batter until it is the consistency of heavy cream. 2) Heat a large pan and coat with butter. Pour 1/2 cup of crepe batter and tilt pan until bottom is evenly coated. Cook both sides until lightly browned. 3) Wrap crepes in a damp towel and keep in the oven while cooking the rest of the crepes.

For the sweet crepes (crêpes sucrées), I increased the amount of oat flour and decreased the amount of buckwheat flour. I also added vanilla extract and sugar.

Crêpes Sucrées

Adapted from Alton Brown (Food Network)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup oat flour
• 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 TBSP butter, melted
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: Same as above

***

Then it was time to brainstorm the filings/toppings for my crepes.

Crepe Menu:

1. A savory crepe filled with pan-seared salmon, asparagus and an avocado mayonnaise dressing

2. A savory crepe filled with brie cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and spinach

3. A sweet crepe filled with chocolate hazelnut butter and banana, topped with strawberries

I coated the pan with pats of butter before pouring the crepe batter.

Ready, set, go!

I did not have a flat crepe pan, so I whirled my pan around and around until the crepe batter was evenly distributed.

Savory Crepe #1

Savory Crepe #2

Last but certainly not least, the sweet crepe.

Bon Appétit!

Notes:

1. All photos of France and crepes were taken by moi.
2. You are all invited over for crepes. Seriously, we have 80 billion crepes sitting in the refrigerator.
3. Voting for Project Food Buzz Round 2 begins tomorrow at 9AM. If you enjoyed this post and would like to vote for me, you can do so by clicking here. Thank you in advance for your vote!

Tell me: What is the best thing you have ever eaten?

*** Edited to add: check out the outtakes for this post here!

The morning after an indulgent night is never a pleasant one for me. Yesterday morning, I woke up feeling sluggish, parched and still full. I knew a sweaty workout was just what I needed to wake myself up and get my rear in gear!

To my amazement, I had a great workout and I went from feeling like 2 bucks to a million bucks. I originally wanted to go for a run outside but because it was 95 degrees outside I opted to run on the treadmill.

• 4 mile run <--felt like 10!
• 1 mile walk
• 20 min. elliptical
• 10 min. upper body strength training

Whew!

I forgot how much I dislike the treadmill. I have no idea how I ran on that thing everyday in the past. The entire time, I kept trying to visualize where I would’ve been running in my neighborhood had I gone outside.

It was a total snooze-fest. I think I’m gonna call it the snooze-mill from now on!

***

I kept it simple post workout:

Vega Chocolate Shake ‘n’ Go, Frozen Berries, Spinach, Almond Milk

Medjool Dates

I love Medjool Dates. I will always choose Medjool over Deglet Noor now. They are 1000x better in taste and texture. See the comparison chart here.

I probably had about 5 over the course of the day. I love these suckers.

I swear they taste like pumpkin puree!

After all the food I ate at the buffet, I just wanted to stick to the basics.

Brown Rice Bread with Greek yogurt and bananas.

I lava guava!

Then my mom brought back some leftover food from a meeting she had and I got snacky.

I immediately went for the pita chips and hummus.

I hadn’t eaten pita chips in awhile. So so so so good!

At some point I made a small salad to get in some veggies and then ate a huge oatmeal raisin cookie that my mom also brought back.

We’ve got a busy day today, including buying some ingredients for my next Project Food Blog submission. Gots to go go go!!

***

Tell me: Do you use the snooze-mill? What are your strategies for staying awake on it (fighting boredom)?

What do you do the morning after an indulgent night to make yourself feel better?

I just found out that I advanced to the 2nd round of the Project Food Blog Contest. Thank you so much for your votes. Get excited for my round 2 post coming up this weekend!

***

Last night, we went out to Todai Japanese Sushi & Seafood Buffet to celebrate my parents’ 30th anniversary. Romantic and classy, huh? We ate at this restaurant over a year ago for my pre-senior year hurrah dinner. <–click to see photos of the beautiful food display!

When my family eats at a buffet, there is no such thing as portion control. In our minds, eating more food means getting your money’s worth. If you think you’re full after 1 plate, you thought wrong. Keep on going! The more plates the better.

*I sincerely wish I didn’t think this way but it runs in my blood!

Things NOT to do when going to a buffet:

1. Workout right beforehand for the sole purpose of getting hungry

I completely ruined my appetite yesterday afternoon by eating several servings of Kettle Chips. BUT I wanted to be hungry for dinner! Some people eat a snack before buffets/parties to avoid going crazy. Not me. I like to be hungry so I can chow down. Thus, I hit up the gym beforehand to work up an appetite. I’m know, I’m weird.

2. Wear a free-flowing/preggo dress

I thought about wearing khaki shorts to dinner but that would’ve just restricted the expansion of my tummy. Enter: a loose-fitting dress!

Healthy living blog, what?

3. Turn a blind eye to your glass of water and the 2 random lettuce leaves that somehow made it onto your plate.

I reluctantly put some veggies and fruit on my plates (yes, that’s plural) to balance things out but they just got in the way . I think I drank ~1 glass of water the entire time. No room for water when there is so much delicious food.

***

A Healthy Buffet

With that said, this buffet was actually quite healthy. There were delicious salads everywhere, soup, noodle soup, sushi, sashimi, and mini bite-size desserts. It is the healthiest buffet I have ever eaten at.

*Before we begin, I’m gonna say I was mindfully overeating last night. I knew I was eating more than I needed to. It wasn’t uncontrolled though. I mindfully ate everything.

Are you ready? Let’s do this…

Plate #1

Clockwise from the top: 1) salad with soba noodles, tuna and avocado 2) sushi and sashimi 3) tempura kabocha and tempura broccoli 3) calamari.

I had never tried tempura kabocha…it was good!

Plate #2

More of the same plus a crab leg.

This sushi had pineapple on top. I loved it. I wish I could remember all the varieties of sushi they offered–they were some really creative ones.

Soba noodle are so refreshing!! I need to make them myself sometime.

Plus, check out those veggies! I tried .

Plate #3

One last plate of nigiri sushi. Eel and some white fish <–my 2 favorites!

Dessert Plate

Chocolate walnut fudge, strawberry cheesecake and some fruit. See how small the desserts are in comparison to the fruit?

Green tea ice cream, red bean ice cream, and strawberry ice cream.

The following were not my plates. I’m just showing you some other desserts….

…but I did have another plain cheesecake sliver. Aren’t these desserts cute? I love that you can try out many different kinds without having to throw anything away.

Peter went to town. Peter has a lightning fast metabolism. We are all jealous of Peter.

Peter thoroughly enjoyed his night off .

Presents

2 freshly baked moon cakes my brother picked up from a bakery in DC. My parents didn’t get to eat any on the actual holiday a few days ago so they were excited.

Plus a bottle of wine.

Afterwards, we walked around the mall to help with digestion. I found an elliptical in a department store and joked that I could hop right back on it after my dinner.

I probably ate twice as much food as I would have at home. However, last night was a special occasion and the food, for the most part, was pretty darn healthy. Much to my surprise/delight, I was NOT overly stuffed. Usually when I walk out of Todai, I am uncomfortably stuffed. Last night, I was just full. Woohoo!

Perhaps wearing a dress helped .

***

Tell me: Do you eat at buffets? If so, do you go all out or try to eat normal portions?

Is finding a job like finding true love? Will the perfect job magically show up one day when I’m least expecting it?

source

Nice try, Allie. It was a lovely [random] thought while it lasted though.

***

No hands?!

I cannot believe so many of you commented that you would rather have NO hands than smell bad. I couldn’t help but think about how hard it would be to cook, eat, type, brush your teeth and forget lathering up with a soapy loofah! I’m suddenly feeling very grateful for my hands right now….as I type this.

***

It’s Salad Week!

The Costco tub of spring mix we got last week is going to be unedible soon….and because a part of my soul dies every time food goes into the trash can, I am eating a salad everyday this week. Good thing I love salads.

Last night, I knew I had to finish off the Fairy Tale eggplant. To switch things up, I made a 1 min. Eggplant Dip out of it. It was baba ganoush-ish minus the garlic and lemon.

I microwaved the previously boiled eggplant for 30 sec. and mashed it up with a fork (I just typed ‘dork’ ).

This eggplant was so gorgeous before it got cooked…now it looks like wrinkly fingers! That’s okay, it’s the inside that counts, right?

Then mix in 1 TBSP of tahini and a pinch of salt.

Stir stir stir

I topped my salad with the eggplant dip, tomatoes, and feta cheese. The 3 random chunks? I will talk about them tomorrow.

Made in 2 minutes flat!

***

My workout today consisted of 60 min. elliptical and some squats and lunges.

Some eats from today included:

No-Bake Baked Oatmeal with Greek yogurt, banana and cinnamon

Green smoothie:

Toasted pecans

AllieBar x 2

Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter pouch

Licked clean.

No. Food. Goes. To. Waste.

***

Have you been able to find pumpkin where you are? I’m still waiting to find it in stores.

Last winter, I used some pumpkin to make a batch of my Pumpkin Pecan Coconut Granola. I saved the leftover pumpkin in the freezer just in case I wanted to make the granola again.

Look what happened!

Frostbitten

I can’t bare to throw this away. Can I can still eat it?

There’s only one way to tell…

***

A friendly reminder to vote for me to advance in the Project Food Blog contest. You only have until tomorrow at 6pm PST.

***

Tell me: What is your [realistic] dream job? Are you currently working your dream job?

Something vintage, something new.

Something borrowed, something blue.

***

Today’s post is going to be a little random (when is it not?), kinda short, and not very foodie. Not only am I racing out the door to see some of my favorite people, I am having a mini epiphany right now and I don’t want to cloud my mind with extraneous thoughts. I’m actually fiercely unleashing my thoughts onto a word document while I write this post so I can get my epiphany down on paper/the screen before it passes. *Edited to add: I just typed it up and I will share it with you soon. I promise.

Okay time is atickin’ and thoughts are aflowin’. Let’s do this thang.

I lied yesterday. I didn’t actually make a grocery list and check it twice before heading off to Trader Joe’s. Ohhh trouble.

…except when it means you come out with delicious impulse buys like Crack Almonds. I’ve gotten these Sesame Honey Almonds once before and there is a reason I waited months before getting a second bag.

Amazeballs. Sweet and buttery to boot!

***

I also got a tub of Greek yogurt….and so did my dad when he went to Costco.

Muahaha. I mean….oops!

Dairy sensitivity? What dairy sensitivity? I have no idea what you’re talking about .

Well, actually the joke is on me/my stomach. Though I must say I’ve cut back on dairy quite a bit recently. I’m gonna go ahead and give myself a pat on the back.

.

Peter: You got yogurt too? I thought I told you I was going to get some.

Allie: I know, but I bought some just incase you forgot. It’s okay, they don’t expire for awhile.

Peter: Well, I’m sure you’ll finish it all waaay before the expiration date anyways.

.

Peter knows me well. Very well.

***

Also, I walked out with a loaf of Brown Rice Bread! I may have had this yesterday as a snack…and dessert…and just now…and I want another!

It felt like it had been forever since I ate a banana. Probably about a week.

Yep, forever.

Juicy sweet cantaloupe

I got my workout in this morning (60 min. elliptical) because I’ve got a fun adventure planned for today. It was actually very very last minute but I’m super excited…and running late!

***

Before I go…

My dad gave me something this morning near and dear to his heart. It’s vintage. Any guesses?

It’s an external flash from his SLR camera (not digital, one that uses real film). He has an old school SLR from back when he was in his 20s.

See? Vintage!

Don’t tell him I said that. I meant, modern!

IT FITS!!!! Just like Cinderella’s glass slipper. I cannot wait to pop a few modern AA batteries into this thing and try it out. I’ve been wanting an external flash for awhile now–I never thought I’d actually get one. Thanks, Dad!

It kinda feels like I just got my grandma’s vintage wedding dress passed down to me or something .

***

I’m OFF!! Have a fabulous weekend.

Tell me: Have you ever received a vintage gift? What are your plans for the weekend?

Sha la la la

SSB How I Love Thee

My beloved Sunflower Seed Butter,

You sure make my heart flutter.

From the moment you entered my life,

I knew I would become your wife. <–(for the sake of the rhyme!!)

Your silky, smooth texture is oh so delicious,

I want to add you to all my dishes.

I’m gonna eat you with a spoon,

While I sing my favorite tune.

After going on one too many dates,

I was forced to enter the rehab gates.

Now that I’ve completed the program,

I’m ready for your love again!

***

1) I am determined to make this jar last longer than a week.

2) I found the post back when I first tried Sunflower Seed Butter. April 9th 2010. The post was titled ‘I Am Now Infatuated.’

Clearly, it was love at first taste.

3) I was just about to buy a jar of SSB when I received a surprise package from a reader, Kim.

Along with the SSB, she sent me this Greens+ Energy Bar and a gorgeous card with a photo of Yosemite. Thank you so much, Kim!

How fitting since yesterday was my half birthday! I’m 22 1/2 now. Ack.

***

After fueling up with some Banana Bread Oat Bites yesterday, I was ready to get my butt in motion.

Workout:

• 60 min. elliptical
• 15 min. treadmill walkin’
• 60 crunches on a balance ball
• 100 jumping jacks

While working out, I brainstormed dinner ideas. For some reason thinking about food makes my workouts fly by. I contemplated hitting up the Whold Foods Salad Bar for some good ol’ veggies, but then Peter came home and saved the day.

I had the Greens+ Energy Bar as a post-workout snack while Peter cooked.

Choppity Chop Chop

This bar tasted exactly like the chocolate one I love so much. The ingredients list is always so exciting to read through. Here’s a sample: Hawaiian spirulina, organic alfalfa grass, milk thistle seed extract, echinacea root extract, gingko biloba leaf extract….

…so maybe I’m the only excited one here.

I’m okay with that.

***

‘Twas a lovely night at Peter’s Kitchen.

“Mmmm, you better take a photo of this!” ~Chef Peter

First up, some beets. He peeled, chopped, and boiled/steamed 4 medium sized beets in a pot of water. They tasted very similar to the beets cooked using my roasting method.

Shrimp, zucchini, bamboo shoot and beef stir fry

Okra and onions

Dessert: Sweet as candy grapes

Plus a giant guava

A spoonful (or 2) of sunflower seed butter makes the medicine go down….in the most deliiiicious way!

***

Winner of the Thermos Giveaway:

Congrats Elliott! Email me with your address, please.

I stumbled out of bed this morning and immediately thought of my main man, Mr. Quaker. I opened the pantry door and there he was staring down at me. While I think he’s pretty smokin’ (okay, maybe not), my eyes went straight to that spoon on the box….

I decided to skip the spoon though

Do these really need a ‘best before’ date?

I had ~1.5 cups straight up as a pre-workout snack. Except we all know 1.5 cups of Oatmeal Squares actually means 2 cups. I mean, come on let’s be real.

***

I haven’t gotten a chance to hit up Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Crack Latte yet so I decided to make one myself.

Pumpkin butter and a dash of pumpkin pie spice stirred right into my coffee.

[I add cinnamon/pumpkin pie spice directly to my coffee. I've experimented with mixing cinnamon/pumpkin pie spice into coffee grounds before brewing but I've found that it doesn't add as much flavor and takes a lot more spice.]

Plus almond milk for some creaminess.

I also ate a couple handfuls of whole grain tortilla chips before heading down to the gym.

***

Workout:

• 60 min. elliptical
• 20 min. full body strength training
• Ran up 15 flights of stairs
• 100 jumping jacks

I’d say I put those morning carbs to good use!

***

Post workout I made another Berry Protein Wheatgrass smoothie. I’ve been on a smoothie kick lately. I think it’s the combination of the heat and our fairly empty kitchen.

I wanted to blend in some spinach, but sadly we were all out. I used this Amazing Grass Berry Superfood packet instead along with some protein powder and fruit.

***

Fry Time!

The other day, my dad and I got a huge bag of okra from the $1 bargain bin at the store (yes, bargain loving runs in the family).

I had one thing in mind…okra fries!!

I also got some parsnips to make parsnip fries.

I didn’t know what to expect with this veggie. While I’m sure I’ve eaten it at a restaurant at some point, I’d never prepared parsnips myself before.

I peeled and cut the parsnips into fry-shapes.

Then I roasted the okra and parsnip slices for about 20-25 min. at 400* F in the toaster oven.

The parsnips tasted just like albino carrots–a tad sweet! They were more fibrous than carrots but had they been orange, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.

The okra fries weren’t as crunchy as I had imagined. I guess they needed some more time in the oven?

I also threw an Amy’s Veggie Burger in the oven for the last 10 min. or so.

Ketchup for dipping.

An off-centered bird’s eye view shot. This was taken blindly! The patio chairs are gone so I had nothing to stand on .

A Cold Giveaway

I brought this Thermos insulated BPA-free water bottle with me to the gym today. It was sent to me for free to review. While I am a room-temperature water girl (I know, I know, ew) I do enjoy cold water when I workout. The double wall vacuum insulation is supposed to keep water cold for 12 hours. I didn’t get to test the full time span but it sure kept me cool during my workout.

I love that it has a one-touch pop open cap and a straw! It makes for easy slurping while working out.

Thermos is offering LLE readers a chance to win their very own Thermos water bottle. Just leave a comment on this post. I will randomly choose a winner tomorrow night.