"Ice-Cream" for Breakfast

One of my new favorite obsessions right now is to throw a whole bunch of stuff into my "ninja" and make smoothies. I find the BEST smoothie recipes on one of my favorite blogs...Peanut Butter Fingers.  I made this smoothie the other day, but made a rookie blogger mistake...I ate the entire smoothie and did not remember to take any pictures! How rude of me right?? So here we go, I was not as big of a pig this go round...and woke up with an instant craving for something "cake-batter", so I decided to go for PBF's "ice-cream" smoothie (round 2)....here is my spin (By the way, if you make this you will then understand why I say "ice-cream"..trust me.)

Ice Cream for Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 bananas cut up into bite size pieces, place in freezer for one hour
• 1 scoop of protein powder (I used cake batter)
• 1 tbsp or drizzle of honey
• 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)

Directions

• Blend everything in smoothie until it is smooth (imagine that!)

                                               

Make sure you cut the bananas into pieces...do not try to freeze an entire banana with peel and all. The outcome will not be easy or helpful in making this creation. Clearly I have made this mistake;) What one doesn't realize is that the peel will freeze and it will become a "tightly sealed" banana and you will have to defrost the banana. (yes, you can defrost a banana).

Best protein flavor I have tried so far! Also, only 2 points + if you do weight watchers!

I love almond milk...but you can use whatever milk product you like!

The end result, which was devoured in about 50 seconds while watching an episode of"How I Met Your Mother"...also known as "procrastinating instead of doing grad work"

Last night RR and I had some friends from college visit! We headed to The Cellar Door and grabbed some drinks and had a ton of laughs. It made me miss the Bloomsburg days.

                                              

We love showing friends around our cute little town!

This afternoon RR and I decided to try out the bagel shop down the street. We decided to walk there and we were glad we did because it could not be more gorgeous out on this Sunday! Too bad mine will be spent inside staring at my Abnormal Psych book:( Don't you feel so sorry for me. 

This little gem here is the "Veggie Bagel" and it is something that will now be a weekly or at least bi-weekly must have. It is so bad when I get introduced to good food places, especially when it is literally a 3 minute walk down the block! ah! In this sandwich there are (by no particular order): Portobello mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, sprouts, Swiss cheese, raspberry vinaigrette and the most amazing veggie cream cheese. A major plus to this meal were those crispy little garlicky bread chips. RR got her sandwich first and I was a little jealous that she had those chip things, so imagine how excited I was when mine came with them too! I always find a bagel is just not always enough to make a meal complete so the pickles and chips were a great addition. RR and I left feeling full, and ready to take on the grad work! Bring it.

Have a favorite smoothie you like to make?

What is your favorite Sunday ritual? Maybe you are normal and actually turn on your TV to watch this thing called football....

English Muffin Factories and The World's Best Blister

My Friday nights are becoming a lot like my Friday nights when I used to swim in college...minus the 12 other roomies I had who were also swimmers. At least I still have RR (runner roomie). My low-key Fridays usually consist of one beer at happy hour after work to have a nice little vent session before the weekend, then some grad work, and prep for the long run to come (17 miles to be exact)! (If you are having troubling commenting on my blog, please email me)

 I am generally a pretty "happy person" but this ginormous Shock Top made me even happier on a Friday afternoon. 

It is always so hard to watch co-workers munch on chips, con queso, nachos, wings etc. although I would like to indulge, if you have ever run more then 6 miles you know that grease is not your GI tracks friend. So of course while everyone gorges themselves I sit and decide what I will eat when I get home, what I can throw together to give me energy for the run. 

I threw together the rest of that spinach I had from breakfast, cut up a chicken breast that was starting to stare at me in the fridge, and whole wheat spaghetti (a runners best friend). I sprinkled Parmesan cheese  and it was delicious. (I have a very serious addiction to Parmesan cheese, just ask my mom the "Parmesan" and black boots story). 

Also a trick I decided to try was to cut the chicken breast into bite size pieces with a scissor instead of cooking and then cutting...it turned out perfect and was so much easier then cutting after it has been cooked. It is not a "mama" trick, it is my original trick that I am sure no one has ever thought of before !

This is what I do on Friday nights, take pics of myself for this blog...aka I have the attention span of a 2 year old when I do grad work. By the way, that Gorgeous tee I am sporting was ONLY given to me at Victoria's secret when I spent more than $50...only me. That's right. I was sleeping shortly after this, come on it was already 8:30 guys.

The 17 Miler 

RR and I decided to wake up at 5am and head out for our usual Saturday morning long run by 6. We try to eat ASAP when we wake up, then let our oatmeal sit it in our bellies for an hour so we have time to digest. I have decided that since I am putting my body through a 17 mile run I am allowed to eat my breakfast of oatmeal, PB, banana and raisins in bed. So yes, those are my sheets and comforter. Whatever makes you happy:)

This picture makes me seriously laugh out loud. This was taken before our eyelids were barely open. We always say it is good we do our long runs so early before our bodies know what the heck we are doing to them. RR and I decided to do a "muscle" pose and this is how it turned out. Don't you love my new Nike Dry Fit?? Runner roomie surprised me with that after my race last week! She is the best. It was the perfect shirt today because we truly ran in the wild. We did a nice long country run and saw cows, deer, dead snakes (RR did NOT like this), and best of all we discovered where the English Muffin Factory is! This is no joke...I could see RR in front of me (she is always in front of me:) starting to sniff and I looked to the left and there was a Thomas's English Muffin factory! This would've been fantastic if we were finishing our run..but I think we still had about 10 miles at this point...whomp whomp. 

Our Post Run Meal

Tie-Dye Pancakes

I have told many people when they ask "what do you think about for 17 miles?" my answer is food, food, food, and more food. RR and I tried Chobani pancakes the other weekend after a long run so we decided to give them a whirl again. We put a little spin on it this time and made them "Tie-Dye" pancakes. 

Here is my flipper! 

They turned out delicious. Here is the link to Chobani Pancakes. Then all we did was add Peanut Butter M&Ms (because Rite Aid didn't carry chocolate chips...but I was glad, the substitution with these guys was AMAZING!)... then we added two chopped up bananas. Bananas are a runners second best friend. I chopped up some mango as well because I read in Runners World 108 Best Foods for Runners that Mango's are also a great thing for runners to eat as well as maple syrup...don't worry we fulfilled that need!

They are a little gooey...but that gooey means GOOD

We did have leftovers...but not many! RR wants to share with our visitors that we are having tonight...and I was being rude and said " NO WAY!" I get very territorial over our Post-Run Meal. Good thing RR is nice. 

Tie-Dye pancakes a success! 3 pancakes did me in, I was so stuffed, but it was soo worth it:)

The Best Blister in the World

I am sure you couldn't wait to read about blisters. This post is dedicated to Sessy who thinks my feet are so repulsive she literally yelled "ew" for an entire hour straight last weekend.

So I decided to go get a nice pedicure today to reward myself for a long run, and a delicious pancake concoction. Well I want everyone to know that the nice little man doing my feet (he is now my new BFF) told me " I have seen blisters many times, but NEVER have I seen them this bad." So...I officially have the worlds BEST blisters. Pretty. Don't worry I will spare you a pic of the blisters. 

This is a very flattering picture of my thigh! 

The end result! Didn't he do a great job? I sure hope he is able to eat dinner tonight. I swear no color on these sausage toes makes them look any slimmer. God gave me chubby fingers and toes, gotta accept it! At least I have the World's Best Blisters:) Okay enough for now, people are staring at me in Starbucks for taking pictures of my feet. 

What are you doing on this beautiful fall day? Did you run too???

Have any funny pedicure/manicure stories to share?

How To Know If A Recipe Is A Keeper

This afternoon was quite different from the norm. Because it was a teacher work day, we were allowed an hour for lunch. I didn't realize that lunch was at 11, which is an hour earlier then I usually eat...so I was pretty pumped about this considering I am starving by 11 for lunch (is that normal??).


I decided to make a recipe from my favorite cookbook at the moment from the Weight Watchers Points Plus program called the "Power Foods Cookbook". I do try to follow the Weight Watchers program, and find that many of their recipes are simple and delicious! I was excited to be able to have a fresh cooked meal at lunch time instead of my usual packed lunch which can tend to get boring as we all know.

Me with my favorite cookbook! My hair is always so pretty on Fridays :) 

Brussel Sprouts with Chickpeas and Grapes

Ingredients:

1 pound of Brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved (I completely missed this part and ended up not cutting mine in half, it made for a nice big mouth full of a full on brussel sprout...this is what happens when I am starving and try to follow a recipe)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large shallot, minced (I didn't have this so I subbed in a half of a red onion, use what ya got!)

2 garlic cloves, minced (see below my favorite "Mama trick")

1 tablespoon fresh thyme (I didn't have fresh, but the dry kind worked just fine)

1 1/2 cups halved seedless red grapes (plus about 1 cup extra to munch on while cooking:)

1/2 cup canned chickpeas (I used the entire can...I have having left over beans, don't know why but it is a pet peeve of mine)

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1/4 teaspoon salt (or just a little shake shake shake)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (this seems like a not so important ingredient but it is a MUST)

How to Make It:

1. Steam brussel sprouts, I put mine in a microwave safe bowl with 4 tbsp of water and put plastic wrap on top with a little venting, pop in microwave for 5 minutes...walaaa

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and thyme and cook for about 2 minutes.

3. Add grapes and cook for about 3 minutes.

4. Add brussel sprouts, chickpeas, sherry and salt. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add lemon zest!

Serves 4, Serving size: 1 cup, Points + 4

Result/My Critique:

My first bite made me think of Thanksgiving. It was delicious and hit the spot. I also felt really full from just one cup, usually I need more then the serving size to feel satisfied (maybe thats my problem:). I would suggest making as a side with some chicken or great to take and heat up for lunch!

The way I know a recipe is a keeper.... is if you "pick" and eat more before you put away in a Tupperware:) I definitely did that with this one!

Dessert:

If you know me, you know I cannot go a day with out a dessert of some sort. Heck, I can't go a MEAL with out dessert! So today I had a Chobani Apple Cinnamon Yogurt with a sliced banana...it was delightful or as my Mom would say "lovely"...she is probably just now eating her "Cottage Cheese and Pineapple"...She is usually eating breakfast when I eat dinner:) love ya mom!

 

A Mama Trick:

 I will try and share "Mama Tricks" when I think of them. My mom is a pretty smart lady when it comes to cooking and she always shares little "tid bits" with me when I am in her kitchen. Sometimes I like them, and sometimes I have to tell her to "back off"...but what she doesn't know is that I always listen to the tricks (I just may act like I'm not). You can find these little Gourmet Garden herbs in the Herb Section (go figure)...but it is right near the dry stuff. It is awesome because it stays fresh in fridge or freezer so just pull it out and it's like you have your own herb garden in your fridge! OKay, Okay it may not be as good as the fresh garden stuff, but close enough! They have all different kinds...cilantro, basil, parsley...you name it. That is your Mama Trick for the day:)

What do you like to have for dessert at breakfast, lunch or dinner? Or maybe you are normal and don't do this:)

Have you learned any tricks from parents, aunts, uncles to help make you a better cook or baker?

Go Green

Today is a rest day...if you are a runner or have trained for a race where you are "warranted" a rest day...you know how wonderful it feels! I was able to sleep in until 6:00 (with a few snooze button pushes). My goal recently has been to sit at the table while eating breakfast as opposed to sitting on the couch in front of Matt Lauer. I may still sit at the table, but don't worry The Today Show is within earshot...girls gotta know whats going on in the world!!

Breakfast

I had some spinach that I had bought and totally forgot about! I call this a "Fridge Surprise"....I sauteed the spinach for a bit in the pan, then pour in one egg yolk and one egg white. Put that little omelet onto a flat out and wham, bam! 

It is very rare that I get to enjoy a cup of coffee while sitting and not on the go, so I was pretty pumped about that! I also dug out a kiwi that was at the bottom of the fruit bowl. I always find I crave something sweet in the morning, so fruit is always a good choice (or a handful of M &Ms if I really want to start the day off right!) This made my breakfast extra green! (the coffee mug and placemat were not planned!)

The students are off today, so it is a "teacher work day"....what a great way to start the weekend!! 

What will you be up to this weekend?

My Mac

Going to give this blog a second, third, or whatever number attempt this is! I am so pumped, finally got a Mac book today. Makes it a lot easier to blog when you have ummm a COMPUTER!

Here is a pic of me with my Mac! Aren't I gorgeous?? I have to laugh because my sister (Sessy) and I have been making fun of my Mom recently because she calls all of her apple products "My"...My iphone...My Mac...My ipad....well this is now MY MAC mom:)

It is amazing how you much I can act like a child on Christmas with electronics...I drove 30 minutes to the UPS site  today to pick up MY MAC. Pathetic, I know...but so totally worth it! You would do it too!

Three things you can count on in this blog:

1. I will share a lot of food pics (aka food porn)

2. I will share a lot of running stories (I am training for a marathon)

3. I will share a lot of jokes, funny stories...they may not be funny to you...I apologize for that.



Today was our (runner roomie and I) 4 mile run day...we do a long run Saturday...up to 16 miles. Amazing how my body has adapted to the mileage....we shall see how this one goes!

Dinner tonight was my fav Oven Roasted Cauliflower recipe from Pinterest! So easy and so delicious...recipe is posted at the bottom. Followed with a salad with raisins, cucumbers, red peppers and my new fav salad dressing Boathouse Olive Oil and Vinaigrette...yum!

Tonight I will be dreaming about this.....

Yes folks that is Cake Batter Protein powder!! get it get it!!