I think I’m finally at the point where I don’t wake up the day after a run sore and waddling like a penguin. Every time I begin my running cycle it takes me about 2-3 weeks to build up my mileage, my endurance and my running muscles! I think I’ve reached the end up that stage now (thank goodness). Hopefully I can keep building up my mileage when the summer heat sets in. If you remember last summer, I had to take a long break from running due to some shin pain and super hot temps.

Soon, the days of perfect running weather will be few and far between…and then later, they’ll be long gone. Enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts, folks!

This afternoon, I ran 4.5 miles and walked 1 mile on my usual loop. It really felt like I ran 10!

~ ~ ~ ~ Crazy wind gusts!!! ~ ~ ~ ~

I know I say this every time but really, today was the craziest by far. I had to stop and walk for a good 1/2 mile because I was pretty much pushing against a wall with my forehead (!!).

I was tempted to quit and walk home but I repeated my new mantra and forged on. Running against the wind will only make you a stronger runner.

***

Post workout, I assembled a tacowrap. I was a little overzealous stuffing my wrap and it became a giant taco .

I was going to hold it together with two shot glasses from our collection (taco style), but I ended up using a toothpick instead.

The Las Vegas shot glass is one of my favorites!

I wanted to make an egg salad with hard-boiled eggs, but the yolks came out a little too runny [bunny]. My patience was dwindling and I took them off the stove early.

I knew it would happen but I just didn’t want to wait 3 more minutes!!

I ended eating a whole egg straight up…love runny yolk.

Then I used another whole egg and one white mixed with Nayonaise to make the egg salad. Stuffed in a habanero lime wrap with tomatoes and spring mix.

I heated the wrap directly on the stove. A trick I learned from my host family in Mexico. The first time I saw my “sister” do it, I thought she was going to burn the house down!

On the side, a banana and toasted pecans.

Soon after, I walked to Harris Teeter with my Uncle where I sampled some pineapple, cantaloupe, bread ‘n hummus and cinnamon buns!

Another 1.5 miles logged for the day.

I tried to hold out for dinner but the juiciest strawberries ever were staring me in the face and I had to eat them. Look at these beauties…

Just in case you think I’m cray cray, the thought process for my post title was…

Run + Runny Eggs –> Eggs –> Easter–> Bunny.

Runny Bunny

I’ve got lotsa work to do tonight! I’ll be back tomorrow with the winner of the Glass Dharma Giveaway to celebrate Earth Day <— Last chance to enter. Do it!

Also, be sure to check out my guest post on Little Bitty Bakes. Coconut Bird’s Nest Cookies just in time for Easter.

<–she wears snow shorts!

This winter, the DC area has escaped snow storms left and right. All of the snow that has hit the East Coast has somehow missed us by just a few miles. Sure, we’ve been getting 2-3 inches here and there (and even a 5 incher), but nothing unmanageable…

…until today!

I’m definitely more than ready for spring to come, but a crazy snow storm is always just so magical.

***

I had a snack of trail mix + chocolate chips before lugging my butt to the gym to catch Ellen’s Birthday Episode (Happy Birthday, Ellen!!). This could only brighten up my day!

And brightened it up it did…

Today’s episode may have been one of the funniest episodes of Ellen…ever. I was hysterically laughing while incline walking on the treadmill. I had to cover my mouth a few times as not to disturb the other gymmers.

My dream job would be to work for The Ellen Show. How awesome would that be?!

I incline walked for 55 min. and did arm weights during the commercials (~15 min). I went from feeling blah and lethargic with a migraine headache, to feeling energetic and lively.

Thank you Ellen, thank you endorphins!

***

While working out the weather went from hail –> freezing rain –> snow. The 0.7 mile drive home was a scary one! This isn’t a blurry photo. The snow was comin’ DOWN.

Not to mention I wore shorts to the gym, as I do everyday. Who wears snow shorts?

For a post workout snack, I had a perfectly fried egg on a piece of toast with avocado. On the side, I had some greens with pasta sauce.

Orange and Greek yogurt x2.

***

For dinner, Peter prepared eggplant, fish and some other dishes. There were 5 plates total…for 3 people.

Scrumpsh!

***

Before I go, check out the comparison shots I took throughout the day.

2 PM

5 PM

7:30 PM

…and it’s supposed to continue for a few more hours!

***

Off to gawk at the snow s’more and then watch some American Idol + Australian Open. Have a great night.

Tell me: One thing that brightened your day. And snow…love it? or over it?

Hey y’all! (I’m watching Paula Deen on the Food Network right now…can’t help it!).

How was your Halloween? We only had a few groups of kiddos ring our doorbell last night so I’ve got plenty of Halloween pretzels left to eat. I thought we would get more kids now that we live in a neighborhood but NOPE. Good thing I didn’t get a big bag of candy to hand out like I had planned!

This morning, I munched on some Halloween pretzels and Honey Nut Cheerios as a pre-workout snack.

Workout:

• 45 min. elliptical
• 15 min. leg weights

Post Workout:

Pumpkin Pie Wheatgrass Smoothie

• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 banana
• 1 packet wheat grass
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1 scoop protein powder
• water, ice, stevia

Next up, a little something I dreamt up while working out.

2 min. Microwave Pumpkin Pie on Cinnaraisin Ezekiel toast ‘crust’, topped with Greek yogurt ‘whipped cream’ and raspberries

Bread ~ ‘crust’

Greek yogurt ~ whipped cream

I went back for a messy bowl of Greek yogurt, berries, banana, and Cheerios.

***

Then I ran some errands at 2 humongous stores: Super Target and Wegman’s.

At Weg, I picked up an organic Pumpkin Spice tea I’d never seen before and [on-sale] Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea. I plan on buying many many many more boxes of this crack tea as the season progresses.

(I actually have a box leftover from last winter. I hoard SCSR tea like it’s going out of fashion.)

I also got 5 Chunks of Energy and ate ‘em all. One day, I will figure out how to make these.

I got home in time to watch Taylor Swift on Ellen and Portia de Rossi on Oprah.

Taylor was adorable. I’ve only been belting her songs day and night for the past week .

Portia discussed her battle with anorexia and bulimia as well as coming out in the Hollywood spotlight. She had me in tears! What a well-spoken lady. I never knew about her story until today. I want to read her new book now, Unbearable Lightness.

While watching, I snacked on some medjool dates. The ones we got from Costco are great–very soft and moist.

…dipped in hazelnut cream cheese of course.

I also had a few handfuls of Kettle Chips. This is definitely something I only eat because it is in the house…PETER!!

For dinner, I put together a simple salad.

Avocado, herbed goat cheese, diced tomatoes, perfectly fried egg and a slice of Ezekiel Bread.

It was the last of the goat cheese .

I also had a few bites of Peter’s cooking.

Now I am trying to figure out how to satisfy my chocolate craving with no chocolate in the house!

***

Becoming a Faster Blogger: Step 1

I’ve mentioned that it takes me an inordinate amount of time to blog. Part of the reason is that I put a lot of thought into what I write and I proofread my posts at least a dozen times before I press publish. The other part is that my laptop is incredibly slow and it can’t handle a lot of activity at one time. Sometimes, if I drag too many photos into my blog post, I have to restart the computer just to load more. This makes it very difficult for me to blog when I am short on time such as when I am on FUN TRIPS. It’s also just really annoying.

Recently, I’ve been using my mom’s super powerful laptop to blog and I’ve been enjoying the speed with which I can upload photos. However, it’s not practical for me to hog her computer all day and when I go out of town, I need something to speed my ancient laptop along.

Enter, the SD Card Reader.

My mom’s laptop (and most newer laptops) has a card reader on the side where I can insert my memory card directly. My laptop, however, doesn’t have one and therefore I have to use a cord.

With the cord, I have to download the photos before I can drag them into my blog posts. With the SD card reader, I DON’T have to download the photos. Instead, I can drag them into my blog posts directly.

This allows me to sort through the 80,000 photos I take on a daily basis without taking up a lot of my precious and limited computer memory.

I found this at Target for $7.99. I’m sure you could find a similar one online for cheaper but I am leaving for San Fran this Thursday!

OH! Also, with this gadget, I can drag my photos onto a blank CD and burn them there so I can back up my photos without having to take up computer memory space.

I can’t believe I didn’t buy this gadget a year ago!! I could have saved so much time. So long, farewell camera cord!

***

Have a great night and US peeps, don’t forget to vote tomorrow!

Tell me: Got a strategy to help me (and others) blog faster? Do tell!

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!

Truth be told, over the past week my produce intake has been rather low and my packaged food intake has been very high. Bags/boxes of chips, pretzels, graham crackers, cereal and jars of nut butter came and went…oh so quickly. Hormones, emotions or whatever may have been the cause, I’m here to tell you that it all balances out. Sure, I felt guilty at times. I’m human too. (Note: I am NOT saying these foods are unhealthy. I just ate a heck of a lot of them at once!!). However, I reminded myself that my heightened appetite would likely die down within a week or so…I even predicted it in one of my posts.

And whattya know? It sure did.

Today I found that my appetite dropped back down…even lower than normal. My desire to munch went away all of a sudden and my overall interest in food lessened. Yes, even with a jar of Sunflower Seed Butter sitting pretty in the pantry!

On the days that I overeat, I remind myself to look at the big picture. I’m not going to eat the same amount every day. Some days I’m going to eat more and some days I’m going to eat less. Some days my clothes will feel snug and some days they’ll fit just right. Some days I’ll eat 8 servings of fruits and vegetables and some days I’ll eat 0.

Regardless, my body manages to figure it all out. I get the nutrients I need and my body is still healthy. Intuitive eating is something I am working on and I am trying harder than ever to listen to my hunger signals. If I am eating more than normal, perhaps I’m bored or anxious or stressed, but it could also be that my body needs the extra fuel. What I do know for certain is that if I deny myself whatever it is I want, I will start to feel deprived. Feeling deprived inevitably leads to trouble.

All this to say, if you are getting caught up on a few days of overeating, try to view your diet in terms of a week (or even 2 weeks) rather than a 24 hour period. Just because you didn’t eat any fruits and veggies one day doesn’t mean the 10+ servings you had the week before disappeared. Chances are a couple days later, you’ll find yourself knee deep in lettuce leaves again.

Have faith in your body. It won’t lead you astray. You just have to listen closely.

***

It is no secret that I love Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel English Muffins. So good. So versatile. So dense.

With Laughing Cow Cheese and a perfectly fried egg.

With Sunflower Seed Butter and cinnamon

With Greek yogurt and fresh figs

Despite feeling super lethargic all day, I eventually made my way down to the gym. I told myself to just give it a shot for the sake of not feeling like a complete blob. I kept it on the light side. I just wanted to get my blood flowin’.

Workout:

• 50 min. light elliptical
• 10 min. arm weights
• 20 min. walk to and from Trader Joe’s

The only downside of living walking distance from TJ’s? The walk back home when it’s just me and my snax! I dug into a classic LLE favorite today: Fiberful Ends & Pieces.

These are the scraps leftover from making Fiberful Bars. They are basically dried fruit, but chock full of fiber from the added flaxseed meal and psyllium husk.

These never last long in my presence.

I walked to TJ’s for 3 things: almond milk, Greek yogurt and Spring Mix to make this…

Beet, Orange, Avocado and Feta Salad.

While browsing through an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine (April 2010), I came across a recipe for a delicious looking Beet, Rhubarb and Orange Salad.

I immediately thought of the leftover beets we had from last night’s dinner, the plethora of oranges we have in our fruit bowl, and the feta cheese I got last week.

Too perfect.

I left out the rhubarb and added avocado. I didn’t go through with making the dressing since all of our sauces/ingedients are in the new house already. The juice from the orange was enough dressing for me given all the flavorful ingredients on top.

I made this gigantic salad thinking I would share it with the ‘rents, but I ended up eating ~90% of it. It was fabulous–even Peter was smackin’ his lips with delight!

I had the Greek yogurt + Fig + Ezekiel English Muffin on the side for some added protein and carbs.

So many colorful fruits and veggies. It all balances out, my friends.

KETCHing UP on posts from the weekend? Here’s what you missed…

No-Bake Baked Oatmeal: Enjoy baked oatmeal without turning on the oven

A Killa ‘Dilla: A twist on my dear bananadillas

Short and Sweet: Munching through my HLS Swag Bag

***

Warning: this post is a bit wordy but I’m gotta get you back in the loopdeloop.

Workouts. I haven’t talked about my workouts in days. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been moving my derriere though! I’ve actually had some great workouts this week including a totally-out-of-nowhere 4 mile run. I’m going to go ahead and thank the large quantities of chocolate I’ve been ingesting every day for the extra energy boost.

Usually by the time I wake up, the sun is out and it is H-O-T. However, last Wednesday it was cloudy and uncharacteristically cool (even at 1pm!) so I took advantage of the weather with an outdoor run. I woke up before 1 pm, thank you very much!

Although there is a 40 mile run/bike trail in my backyard that leads to DC, I chose to run on an asphalt path along the road. It’s sometimes mentally difficult for me to run on the trail because it doesn’t loop around–I have to go out and back. For some reason I find it much harder to run if I am retracing my steps.

I decided to follow this path, not knowing where it would lead me. I didn’t have my Garmin with me so I didn’t know exactly how far or how fast I was running. I just ran and before I knew it, I looped back home. Based on my time, I figured I ran just over 4 miles.

I love running loops! I miss the WaDuke trail at school like you have no idea (a 5K loop). Once you start running a large loop, you don’t have to think about when you’ll turn back around or how much longer there is to go. You just keep running until you’re done. Although this loop has views of the highway and various office buildings (rather than a gorgeous golf course), I can’t wait to run it again.

Since coming back from school (where I was running 5-6 miles regularly), I haven’t run more than 3 miles and I think it’s been 99% mental. Okay perhaps more like 60% mental and 40% oppressive heat. Needless to say, I’m pretty pumped about this loop. I’m just going to ignore the fact that we’re moving soon.

Yesterday I played tennis with my dad. The rest of my workouts this past week have been the usual strength training and ellipticalling.

***

A selection of eats from this past weekend:

Perfectly fried sunny side up egg using this method along with Arnold Flax and Fiber Bread

My uncle bought two loaves of this bread WITHOUT using the boatload of coupons I got in my HLS Swag bag. Oops.

This bread is soft and doughy. I like it!!

Bargain strawbs

Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai, homemade by my uncle. Perhaps he needs a promotion from line cook .

Salad with bargain grape tomatoes, tempeh, and balsamic vinaigrette.

A giant plum. It’s confirmed….I’m not allergic!

I demolished yet another pack of TJ’s Just Mango Slices in less than 24 hours. Surprise surprise.

Okay, time for the J.O.B. sitch…

If you follow me on Twitter, you know a little bit about what’s been going on. Okay, so nothing really has been going on. I had a 2nd interview scheduled for Thursday of last week. After mulling it over for a few days, I decided the position was not a good fit for me and called off the interview. It felt weird to walk away from an opportunity when I had been waiting for something to come along but it just didn’t feel right. It really didn’t help that the commute would’ve been over an hour from our new house without traffic…and there is bound to be traffic going into DC. Also, before 9 am, the highway into DC is restricted to cars with 2+ passengers. So what would I have done if my shift started at 8 am? Uhh yeah. In the end, I just couldn’t see myself working there. The commute was just icing on the cake.

On the same exact day, I found an opening for a part-time baker at a scratch bakery just a couple miles from our new house. The bakery seems like a place where I would fit in really well so I am going over there today to drop off my resume and cover letter (!!!). Fingers crossed they take a chance on someone with no professional baking experience/training. Ohhh what I would do for a pastry degree and not my Psychology degree right about now…

You’re crossing your fingers for me, right? Cross them. Now! I need all the crossed fingers I can get!

…cross your toes too if you can.

I woke up Monday morning to breathtakingly perfect weather. The sky was a perfect shade of blue with not a cloud in the sky. The sun was shining but the sauna-like heat that we experienced over the weekend was surprisingly absent. To top if off, there was a cool breeze and I couldn’t help but close my eyes and smile.

I started off the beautiful day with a short run around the neighborhood. I ran 1.5 miles and walked 1.5 miles. Pre-workout, I had some of a TJ’s Carrot Ginger muffin with half caf coffee. Lauren even bought TJ’s decaf coffee for me!

Post workout I made a small parfait with two more of my favorites. Look at these familiar products–did I even leave home?!

I kept it light because we were heading out the door to brunch. Yogurt, kefir, berries and more crumbled muffin.

After brainstorming a whole bunch of possible things to do, we decided to visit Geneva, a cute town that reminded me of the South! I kept thinking I was in Charleston, SC.

Lauren insisted on eating at Egg Harbor Cafe, with good reason!!

There were a thousand cute signs hanging on the walls.

The menu had a plethora of healthy options. To give you an idea, these were the items that caught my eye: Portobello Benedict, Banana Bread French Toast, Swedish Fruit Roll-Up, Berry Granola Steel Cut Oats, Mediterranean Roll-Up, Key West Crepes, and the Dynamite Veggie Omelette.

Seriously? Seriously. Check out the menu for yourself!

I ordered the Chicken Pesto Egg White Frittata without pesto and cheese (allergic!!). It had artichokes, red peppers, and spinach. I subbed portobello mushrooms for the chicken.

The side of fruit was so elegantly displayed.

Whole wheat English muffin.

Lauren ordered The Harvest Salad, which we renamed ‘the hugh jass salad.’ It had chicken, dried cranberries, apple, avocado, Bleu cheese, slivered almonds, cucumber and raspberry vinaigrette.

Geneva has a bunch of old homes turned cute shops and bakeries. We started with The Little Traveler, a mansion filled with home goods and food.

Tea

I was worried about fitting the HLS swag into my suitcase, otherwise I would have bought one of everything!

We fell in love with the ginger snaps there.

We got to sample some candy too.

Fact: the pumpkin malt ball fell on the floor after I took a small nibble. I picked it right back up, blew on it for 2 seconds and finished it off. You know me…no shame.

I think I said “I want this!!” at least 956 times throughout the store. That is not an exaggeration.

LEAF PLATE!!!

Placemats galore!

The cutest tea spot, located in the courtyard of the house.

We stopped by Graham’s, a chocolate and ice cream shop just to take a peak.

A bunch of bakeries were closed since business is slower on Mondays . I guess I’ll just have to go back someday and check ‘em all out.

The “I want this!!” continued and continued…

Live LAUGH Eat

All these blocks are so ME .

Bumble bumble

More cute shops…

This bag was made out of plastic grocery bags.

I had no idea broccoli grew like this.

With the perfect weather and lovely company, I felt like I was walking through Pleasantville. For the first time in a long time, there was absolutely nothing in the world that could wipe the smile off my face. Nothing at all.

***

A preview of The Princess Adventures Part III…

(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 .

Hello!! My name is Allie. If you’re a newbie reader (perhaps from this past weekend) here is a little blurb about me…

I just recently graduated from Duke and I’m still figuring out what I want to do with my life. I’ve had a relaxing summer filled with reading for pleasure, baking AllieBars, a little bit of traveling, and plenty of job/soul searching (mostly on Craigslist ). However, it’s also been a confusing last couple of months trying to figure out the direction I want to head in with my career/life. Farming? AllieBar Biz? Wedding Planning? Flight Attending? Bartending?…and now having talked to Tina all weekend….Book Writing?

Along with Craigslist, I love Trader Joe’s, eggplant, baking, Andy Roddick….the list could go on for hours. You can read more about me on my About Allie and My Story pages.

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I’m having an incredible time in the ‘burbs of Chi-town so far, and I’m trying to enjoy every second before I return home tomorrow evening. The weather today was breathtakingly perfect….74 degrees, clear blue skies, and sunny with a slight breeze. After sweating all weekend long, today’s weather was a dream come true.

I’m still behind on posting, so allow me to backtrack to Saturday night after the HLS Conference…

After a much-needed and incredibly refreshing heart-pumping workout (and a shower!!), we walked downtown about 1.4 miles to have a nice farewell dinner.

We had reservations at Brasserie Jo, a swanky yet reasonably priced French restaurant. I won’t lie, the last French restaurant I went to wasn’t exactly my cuppa tea so I was slightly nervous about this place.

The menu had all sorts of options including warm and cold appetizers, tartes flabees (thin crust pizza), salads, seafood, etc.

As soon as we sat down (after snapping shots of the restaurant, of course), we were presented with some carrots and a warm French Baguette.

While some shared small plates, I ordered a huge Salade Nicoise.

Fun Fact: I love a good ahi tuna salad. It is always my go-to menu item. I love seeing how different restaurants prepare the dish.

When I found out the tuna was seared rare, I was sold! I was also in need of some good ol’ protein.

The tuna steak was seared perfectly. It tasted incredibly fresh.

The dressing was a standard vinaigrette.

I also had a slice of this tarte flambee. It was topped with heaps of goat cheese and rocket, a cousin of arugula.

…and a little bit of smoked salmon off another tarte flambee.

Our waiter took a [super dark] group photo for us….

…so we also got one outside of the restaurant as well.

Dessert was in the hotel room! I had an Alliebar, chocolate and macaroons .

On the walk back, I quickly snapped this photo while crossing the bridge. It came out great, huh? I took almost the same photo the day before but in the sun.

Then it was time to pack up the swag and hit the hay. I miss everyone so much already!!

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If you missed my other posts from the weekend here they are:

• Chicago is for Bloggers!
• Chicago is for Foodies!
• Chicago is for Photographers!
• Chicago is for Partyers!
• Chicago is for Healthy Livers!

Enjoy!!

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

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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 .

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