Packed up kitchen

Limited options here

Limited in selection…

…not in taste

Is it September?

Feels like July!

Or 2003?…oops

Less decaf tomorrow

Look very closely

Lion King anyone?

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Sweaty Betty Workout

• 60 min. elliptical
• 15 min. legweights
• Abs ‘n’ stretch

***

Same ol’ snax…

…in this kitch

Gotta play fair

Nothing But ‘Nut’

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Nothing…

… new ….

…here

Love this girl

Short on time?

Skip to 1:40

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Special post coming!!

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(Catch the pattern?)

I got a little too excited about my new nut butters yesterday. I should have put them away after Round 1. Instead, I sat next to them at the kitchen table as I blogged. Danger danger. My pesky little finger/spoon (okay, fork) went back for more and more mindless scoops.

I had absolutely no desire for anything else sweet for the rest of the night….or anything at all for that matter (isn’t it crazy how filling nut butter is?). I rarely burn out my sweet teeth but they were awfully exhausted by the end of last night’s nut butter-fest.

I didn’t eat any nut butter for an entire week because we ran out. I suppose my body/mind/soul missed it dearly…?

(How I lived the first 20 years of my life without nutz/nut butter is completely beyond all comprehension)

I actually started eating Justin’s almond butter over 2 years ago. Fact: I brought 20 squeeze packs with me to London (study abroad) and savored every morsel.

Imagine if I had started my blog back in August 2008 (!!). I desperately wanted to start a food + fitness blog since I had been reading them for several months by that point but I just never got around to it. I did start a silly little blog that focused on my travels in London. It was mostly just to show friends and family my adventures…and photos of the massive London Whole Foods!

Guess what my blog was called?

***

This morning I had 1/2 of a Chocolate Chip Brownie Larabar and 1/2 an AllieBar as my pre-workout snack.

I loved the real chocolate chips inside. Check out the massive nutz!

I got in a sweaty betty workout to cure my nut butter hangover:

• 26 min. run
• 22 min. incline walk
• 20 min. elliptical
• 10 min. arm weights

My post workout meal had to be FAST because I was rushing out the door to go to the dreaded DMV.

I quickly made an egg white veggie wrap with Laughing Cow cheese spring mix and tomatoes + a side of Chobani Pineapple 2%.

Microwaving egg whites from a carton is a lot less scary than egg whites from eggs. Carton whites don’t *pop*!!

Mmmmmmm!

I needed this table to be larger, so I used my firm placemat and then put the flimsy one I wanted to use on top.

Magic.

Actually this was the real magic…

The Chobani Fairy saw that I bought some Plain Chobani last month and asked if I wanted a free sample (FTC disclaimer!) of their other flavors.

Do I want free Greek yogurt?

Is the sky blue?

Does Paula Deen use butter?

I am not one to refuse Greek yogurt.

Dairy sensitivity or not.

‘Twas like Christmas morning!

I love when shipments come with these reusable ice packs! Perfect for my shins and hip.

I usually don’t buy flavored yogurt because of the higher sugar content so I’ve only ever tried the plain, pineapple and pomegranate flavors. Instead of syrup/fruit on the bottom, I like to customize plain yogurt with fresh fruit and honey/agave/stevia. My body most definitely needed sugar (and protein) post workout today so this was perfect. The pineapple flavor was as good as I remembered it! Greek yogurt is creamilicious ‘n’ delicious, especially 2%.

I am eager to try the other flavors!!

***

I had to dash off to the DMV with my dad so I brought along the other half of the Larabar.

Enter: 3 1/2 hours of sitting and waiting.

***

Upon walking in the door, I made a gigantic smoothie with 1/2 AllieBar crumbles.

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Most of it sunk to the bottom…

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(whey protein, wheatgrass, strawberries, bananas, spinach)

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I also had a piece of toast with my new nut butters and banana slices.

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I just ate some veggies and shrimp from Peter’s Kitchen.

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…and dug into 1/2 a carrot cake Larabar and a scoop of Barney Butter. I’m storing them in my closet though so I have to walk at least 7 seconds to reach my stash .

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Plus some cantaloupe.

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Alright, this Clutter Queen has some packing to do!

***
Tell me: What’s your favorite flavor yogurt?

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I grew up loving strawberry banana and vanilla.

Weren’t we just talking about Fall coming soon? Pumpkins, crunchy leaves and apple cider?

NOT.

By the time I woke up this morning it was 80 stinkin’ degrees. I braved the heat and went on a run outside ‘cuz I wanted to take advantage of the carb-fest that went on yesterday (more on that below). I almost always have amazing runs after a day of carb-lovin.’

Even though I found a shady trail to run on, it was quite steamilicious out there. I even tried thinking about my runs in the winter to cool down….like the day I was completely Fooled by the Sun. It was 40* F that day and I was frozen solid running along the WaDuke Trail. Sadly, that mental trick didn’t work too well today because I got tired…fast.

I ran 1.5 miles and then turned back around to walk the 1.5 miles back home. I felt defeated but I wasn’t about to give up just yet. I hopped on the treadmill and ran another 2 miles for a total of 3.5 miles. My goal was 4, but I listened to my body and that was as far as my legs wanted to run today. More on why I had a goal distance later .

I ended with a quick 10 min. of upper body strength training.

***

Afterwards I drank a Cole Dass Smoothie.

Made with vanilla whey, frozen strawbs, banana, wheat grass, frozen spinach, stevia and ice.

I froze some strawberries last week but I forgot to cut off the leaves. FAIL. Good thing I like green leaves in my smoothies, huh?

Eggy Oats with bananas and pecans

***

Did you know there was a Carb Festival going on this past week?

The Chunky Monkey Granola was devoured in just a couple o’ days. Poor thing! On it’s last day I used it as a topping for a bowl of TJ’s Euro yogurt + oatmeal <—really good together!

The base.

Plus banana, strawberry and granola.

And then I finished off the bag!

Abracadabra!

***

That was just the appetizer for Saturday’s main event. I was sent these chips from Boulder Canyon Natural Foods to review (for free). We purchased a large bag of the same brand from Costco a few months ago. Since we thoroughly enjoyed that flavor (Rice and Adzuki Chipotle Cheese) I was eager to try some other flavors.

I thought I wasn’t a big chip person, but apparently I thought wrong. I was under the impression that it was safe to open up a bag. Ummm nope! I chose the Hummus and Sesame Tortilla variety first and ended up finishing the entire bag throughout the day–so good! I really enjoyed the delicate yet crispy texture. It had a hint of hummus flavor but it wasn’t too strong.

Later that night, my mom brought me a couple bites of a dessert made out of dates. Upon eating it, I had an allergic reaction!

So what did I do? I cracked open another bag of chips to make it go away. I chose the Olive Oil Kettle Chips. Whenever I get allergic reactions, crunchy carbs make me feel all better. These chips did the trick. Unfortunately this happened at around midnight. Oof.

I most definitely had a migraine from [delicious] chip overdose and I felt really dizzy. Double oof.

***

Look what happened to my photography spot!

This week is officially moving week!

My worst nightmare.

It seems like we’ve been moving all summer long but this week is THE week. It’s down to the wire now, folks. My crap has either gotta get packed or thrown away!

So if I’m missing in action and/or eating super lame food, you know why.

***

Tell me: What is your favorite brand/flavor of chips? What’s your favorite carby food?

Cheddar Sour Cream and granola for me. Although, muffins are a close second!

This morning was spent cleaning up my room, bathroom and kitchen floor because I have a guest coming today for a short visit (she’s been on the blog before….long ago!).

Two things I have to say about that:

1) There is no bigger motivation to clean than the arrival of a guest. I was scrubbing down my bathroom as if it had been neglected for months. Not that it had been….I said as IF it had been. Yeah.

2) How the heck do I still have hair on my head?! And a lot of hair too. I swear I shed more than any species on this Earth, Labrador Retrievers included.

Beautimous, huh? Just don’t zoom in too closely .

**

Okay, I have one more thing to say about cleaning. Who would’ve thought, right?

I used these homemade glass + surface cleaners (Three Citrus + Lemon Lavender) that I got in my YumUniverse Launch Party goodie bag. It’s made with all natural and organic ingredients and made everything *sparkle.*

Ingredients: Organic white vinegar, organic lemon rind, organic lavender, organic lemon an/or lavender oil.

You can make your own too. Here’s how:

Fill glass jar halfway, or almost full, with lemon rind. Add 2-3 Tbsp lavender. Fill jar with organic white vinegar. Seal and soak for 3 weeks. Strain. Use and be amazed. <–their words, not mine.

The scent of vinegar lingers for a bit but I’d much rather use vinegar than harmful chemicals!

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I made a Strawberry Lemonade Protein Green Smoothie to get me energized to scrubba dub dub.

(don’t be fooled by the angle of the shot…this glass is a biggie)

I used the same ingredients–protein powder and energizing green powder–as the first time. However, I left out the yogurt today.

I used extra ice  this time to make it super voluminous and refreshing. This protein powder sure makes smoothies F-R-O-T-H-Y! I had to grab a 2nd Magic Bullet cup because the smoothie kept growing and growing!

Kinda like Jack’s Beanstalk, if you will.

You can really see that beach chair I was referring to in my last post .

***

Of course, some Chunky Monkey Granola.

Hmmm where did all the pecans, chocolate chips and banana chips go?

…don’t look at me!!

I think we’re gonna have to consult the detectives working on The Case of the Missing Bread .

***

Workout: 50 min. elliptical + 15 min. incline walking +15 min. upper body strength training

***

Post workout: With dinner only an hour away, I kept my post workout snack on the light side…and high in protein to rebuild my muscles.

Arnold Sandwich Thin with scrambled egg whites, smoked salmon, and tomatoes on my new Relax plate.

Smoked salmon is not cheap, so I usually get the small TJ’s 3 oz. pack and use it for two different meals/snax. I’m still working on those bargain grape tomatoes. I’m amazed they’re still fresh.

When I got out to my dining spot, I noticed it was directly in the sun. See?

As I mentioned in my last post, it makes for very harsh lighting.

Thus, I transfered my photography spot to a shadier section of the balcony.

Ahhh much better. It even makes for a no-chair-needed Bird’s Eye View shot.

Thanks for the reminder to relax, dear plate!

I microwaved the egg whites in a bowl for 45 seconds and voila! an egg white patty. It doesn’t get any easier/simpler/faster that that, my friends.

I was sent these Arnold Sandwich Thins as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program.

My dad has been gobbling these up faster than you can say ‘sandwich thin.’ He likes them a lot and uses them to make peanut butter sandwiches almost every morning. Funny since he is all about hearty bread. I wonder if he knows they are 100 calories .

Note: I was also sent the multi-grain flavor but my dad ate them ALL before I could photograph them!

As for me, I think they are just okay. I like doughier bread so the thinness of it isn’t that appealing to me. The taste is pretty standard for whole wheat bread. If anything, it has a softer texture, which I like. In the end, it makes for a good round sandwich bread/bun.

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2do 2nite:

At 8pm there is a Cold Matters Twitter Party to celebrate the launch of their new series. You can participate using the #ThermosCold hashtag. Sadly, I won’t be there [virtually] since we are going out to dinner.

***

Tell me: What kind of cleaners do you use in your house?

Okay, off to eat and play with my GUESTIE!!

I woke up bright and early this morning because I had a a meeting with the bakery owner. She was out when I dropped off my application on Monday, so I called to see if I could go back and chat with her for a little bit (proactivity!). I started off my day with a cup o’ [72% decaf] Joe in my AIM mug, while Google-reading and Twittering.

I swear AIM taught me how to type

…and gossip with friends.

Everyone eats with their Garmin next to them on the kitchen table, right?

***

Before I knew it, it was time to GO! I can be such a slow poke in the morning. Thus, I had to whip up breakfast in a NANA-second (Ha. Ha.).

Strawberry-Nana No-Bake Baked Oatmeal with yogurt.

For this batch of No-bake Baked Oatmeal, I added 1/4 of a mashed banana to the batter. I also experimented with egg whites from a carton. I got worried because the egg whites weren’t as goopy (compared to egg whites from whole eggs), but it worked well.

I tried microwaving them a little bit longer before transferring to the pan (~45 seconds). That way they would be more ‘cooked’ on the inside –> a more baked-like finish product.

Looks peaceful. Unfortunately, I had to wolf this baby down.

My please-hire-me outfit. A headless shot because I was too nervous to smile for the camera (or maybe I was too ashamed of my dirty mirror + room!).

Okay, here it is…my eeps-I’m-so-nervous face.

The bakery. So duuurn cute.

I know your fingers and toes must be cramping by now but you’ll have to keep them crossed for another week or two…or three? Hmmm.

***

On the way home, I stopped by HomeGoods (AKA Wonderland) to make good use of the trip and to soothe my soul. If you are not familiar with HomeGoods, it’s a store by the same company as Marshall’s and TJ Maxx (name brand products for much cheaper) but it’s all home stuff!

….like dishes and cookware!

I found some leaf plates <–my favorite!

Halloween stuff already!? Look at this precious little guy.

Could I brush my fruits ‘n’ veggies with this?

A tea pot on clearance for $5!! Doesn’t it kinda look like my tea pot from Target?

Londontown.

Mmm hmm! Tell it sistah!

The murmuring of ‘I want…I need…I must have‘ went on for a good 50 minutes as I weaved in and out of the aisles.

I wasn’t planning on spending a whole lotta money but I just couldn’t walk away empty handed. I just couldn’t.

So? What did I buy?!

A good reminder to eat mindfully .

Okay, duh! I wasn’t passing up on this deal. Oh no siree.

It even comes with a plate. Two birds with one stone.

A leaf bowl.

And the adorable cupcake/muffin holder. I think I can bake with this too, although I don’t think I will!

Guess how much I spent?

$21 buckeroos. Not too shabby, right?

***

Also, speaking of leaf plates, pumpkin, and all things FALL….who remembers my obsession (<–one of my most favorite posts ever) with Starbucks Pumpkin Spice [Crack-Laced] Lattes? I think that’s what I’m looking forward to most of all this fall.

If you weren’t around back then…long story short, I would get a venti P.S. latte/coffee every time I made the trip to and from school.

Speaking of school, boy am I glad I’m not going back there this week! I smile every time I remember that I graduated and will not be making the trek back to Durham this year.

HALLELUJAHHHH!

I had a temporary freak-out yesterday when I updated my Thesis theme to the newest version. I didn’t save the old version correctly and some of my settings got lost. My blog went completely bazerk for several [heart-attacking] minutes–eeks!

I’ll admit that I usually have no clue what I’m doing when I work on my blog. I clench my teeth and hold my breath as I click around. Then I close my eyes and hope my blog doesn’t explode. I’m all about trial and error. After all, it’s worked for the most part thus far.

I’m taking advantage of my unemployed status to work on my blog. Maybe someday, LLE can be my job. Wouldn’t that be fun? Sadly, there is still a looong way to go before that is even a remote possibility .

New…

Rotating Photos: Luckily, most of the settings were still in tact. I just had to reload the photos in my rotating multimedia box on the right hand side. In doing so, I added some new photos to the mix. Do you like them?

Font: The new Thesis theme has s’more fun fonts now so I picked out a new font for my titles, posts and sidebars. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

To come…

A Header Image: They finally came up with an easier way to add in a header image. I wanted to put one in decades ago but figuring out the CSS code (jibber jabber) gave me serious migraines.

Finally my blog won’t look so naked up top! I just have to figure out what I want it to look like. I may or may not have spent hours last night brainstorming header image ideas. Feel free to make suggestions!

New pages: I’m in the process of writing some new pages. I’ll let you know when they’re up.

***

Before my workout last night, I ate this monster sweet bread.

It was fabulous–oh so sweet and oh so so buttery. It melted in my mouth like a Krispy Kreme donut. I would rather not know the ingredients in this hunk o’ deliciousness .

I started with half but when my blog freaked out, I went ahead and ate the other half. Inside was a sweet paste made with adzuki beans.

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I woke up this morning to cloudy skies and 67* temps. Dare I say it felt a bit chilly? For a second, I could hear leaves crackling and children chatting on their way to school. I could smell pumpkin cider and baked apple pie. Can you believe we are only a week away from September!?

Okay okay, who am I kidding? I woke up far too late to hear any children chatting on their way to school.

source

The point is, the weather was perfect for running. While I had exercised the night before, I had to at least venture outdoors. Even if I didn’t have the energy to run, I could squeeze in a relaxing walk. I just couldn’t pass this up….

I ran my new favorite running loop: 3.5 miles with 0.5 miles of walking interspersed. While the loop wasn’t as fun the 2nd time around, it was still enjoyable. I did notice some more hills this time. Perhaps my legs were tired from the night before…?

I ran with my shin sleeves again, finally.

I thought I wouldn’t sweat given the temperature….

….silly me. It was a nice thought though.

(I’m almost positive that shirt belongs to my dad. No wonder it felt so loose. Oops. Sorry, Pops!)

I did some strength training afterwards to round out my workout. Yeah, that’s Paula Deen’s house on the elliptical TV. I mean, who doesn’t watch Food Network while working out?

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Post workout, I had a smoothie using a (new to me) protein powder that I got from TJ’s.

French Vanilla Designer Whey.

I usually go for pea/rice protein powders (i.e. Alive! Shake) rather than whey/soy but well…you’ll see why soon enough .

In the mix:

• 1/2 scoop protein powder
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• Strawberries + banana
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1 packet Amazing Grass Lemon Lime Energy

It tasted like strawberry lemonade!!!

This packet contains all sorts of fun stuff including greens (wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina, etc), Antioxidants (acai berry, maca root, carrot, beets, etc), flax seed, probiotics, and for the energy–yerba mate extract and matcha green tea.

The lemon lime flavor was lovely. Not too tart, not too acidic, just right. I want more!

Extra extra….drink it all up!

I also had some oatmeal! I was actually craving oatmeal. Craziness.

Perhaps my love for oatmeal really is coming back. I’m turning into Goldilocks!

I added some cinnamon, honey, egg whites and a splash of water.

I got a carton of egg whites from TJ’s yesterday. I almost always eat oatmeal with egg whites mixed in. It makes the consistency much more creamy and thick. Plus, it provides a little boost in the protein department.

Call me crazy, but I like to eat oatmeal plain with no toppings.

Allie (or Goldilocks), you’re crazy.

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In other news, I think we can safely conclude I am taking my calcium supplements.

Thanks to those who chimed in on the calcium overdose question. Don’t worry, I’m not eating more than 3 chocolates per day.

Okay, maybe I had 4 one day but I swear it was only one day! I had just finished my [regular] chocolate stash and my chocolate cravings were in full force.

***

Man oh man, I’ve been quite a chatterbox lately. I promise, my next post will be less talk and more food.

Tell me: What are you most looking forward to this Fall?

I’m getting excited for pumpkin and muffins!!

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?

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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!

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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!!

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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.

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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)

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.