Um…yeah

Things have been BUSY since my last post. Not only did I start my summer job working at a dentist’s office, but I’ve had to deal with a broken AC in 95+ degree weather, lots of errands, and just general summer break laziness.

But I have also been taking advantage of the lovely kitchen that I now have access to; cooking and baking has really helped me stay sane throughout all of the crazy that I feel has been going on. New recipes have kept me running (and spending lots of money at the grocery store).

Some new things I have made: sweet potato scones, cucumber-avocado soup, “healthy” chocolate chip cookies, chickpea curry, and stuff tomatoes (lots of them).

Also, on the running front, I have been running pretty consistently since the beginning/middle of May. So cooking and running, my two favorite things in the world, have been going fabulously for me.

I’m going to really really try to make more regular posts and put up some lovely food pictures that I’ve taken over the last month or so. I miss having a place to just babble and vent!

Back from hiatus

It’s been quite a while since my last substantial post. But I have to say, I needed the break. As much as I love blogging, it was more important that I regrouped, reassessed, and got through finals both healthy and in one piece.

Thankfully I managed to do that and, after a 2 week trip to visit my grandma, I am revitalized. Thank you so much (everyone) for the wonderful comments. I am back to stay with a completely new (and better) outlook on food and life and running. I don’t think I will be photographing every meal, but there will definitely  be recaps and highlights (as well as occasional photographs)

It’s great to be  back though!

Craaaaaazy

With three weeks left in the semester (before finals), the work is definitely comin’ in buckets and my schedule has been insane…hence the very little posting. I’m going to do the best I can and at least attempt to post about the new things that I try/have tried. Look out for some new stuff this evening

Shopping trip

I completely forgot to take a picture before I put everything away but here’s a rundown:

• Cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Red pears
• Plums
• Skim milk
• French onion soup
• Curry powder
• Hot chocolate
• Green peppers
• Mushrooms
• Firm tofu
• Blueberry tea
• Laughing Cow cheese
• Whole wheat bread

I have some yummy ideas for meals this week

It’s a wrap!

After lounging around for a bit, I decided to hit the gym. Since I don’t trust my knee to run yet, I hopped onto the elliptical for 50 minutes. I’m really not a huge fan of the elliptical but it’s better than nothing and much less of a production than swimming, which I wasn’t in the mood for today.

When I was done with the gym I was walking home thinking about what I wanted for lunch when I realized I haven’t had my lovely veggie wrap in such a loooong time. It feels like it’s been forever! So I decided to stop at the sandwich shop and pick one up for lunch…filled with all my usual and favorite sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato, green peppers, onions, banana peppers, sweet peppers, and mustard (lots…the person making my sandwich had a very heavy mustard hand). I also had a nice juicy apple on the side. I have to say that it definitely hit the spot; it’s hard to go wrong with any type of sandwich.

Saturday!

I’m baaaack. I admit that I fully intended to post yesterday but I was rarely home and I completely forgot to grab my camera on my way out the door…so pictures and posting didn’t happen. But it’s the thought that counts

I’m enjoying a nice slow Saturday because I am excruciatingly burned out. I woke up at 8:00, flipped on the TV, and watched Nigella Express while enjoying a new oatmeal concoction: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 tbsp. wheat germ, and 2 tbsp. chopped walnuts. I was worried that it wouldn’t be sweet enough and I’d have to add in some honey or sugar, but it tasted delightful on its own. I’m sure that has something to do with the fact that I love, love, love walnuts and anything to do with walnuts. I also had a small mug of mango-peach V8 splash; I’m not a huge fan of it and it kinda looks radioactive to me but I bought it a while ago and I need to finish it up before the end of the semester.

Lazy lunch

I had planned on heading to the dining hall for lunch but when it started raining, I decided against it. Walking anywhere in the rain is just not fun so I avoid it when I can. Thankfully I had some lunch-worthy things in my refrigerator so I really didn’t have to worry about going out in the gross weather. I ended up having a veggie burger, Kashi crackers,  a nectarine (which was mealy and not very tasty….blech), and green pepper strips with roasted garlic hummus.

It’s been an extremely lazy day…the complete opposite of yesterday, it seems. I did 35 minutes of yoga this morning and did some reading for psychology but otherwise I’ve just been relaxing and watching the Food Network. I really don’t like being this lazy but I really needed a day like this. I’ve been so stressed out lately that I had to stop and take a rest.

An oatmeal kind of morning

Although I really dislike rain and grey-ness in general, there’s just something about gloomy weather that makes oatmeal so incredibly enjoyable. I made myself some banana-wheat germ oatmeal this morning, which is something that I haven’t had in quite a food days because of my wacky schedule and lack of bananas to make it with. It feels good to be back to normal…despite the fact that I’ve been having to use quick oats rather than old fashioned rolled oats. When I noticed my grocery store snafu I was pretty frustrated with myself but it turns out that quick oats are not that unbearable. They become much thicker and “oatmeal-like” about them when they’re cooked in the microwave. So, not all is lost

Now I’m off to workout and do some homework.

Fraises et fromage

It’s been a heck of a long, stressful day. And to be honest, my eating was quite mediocre. Lunch was a large whole wheat roll, a banana, and chickpea salad (chickpeas, cucumbers, feta cheese, tomatoes, olive oil, and assorted herbs). Afternoon snack was chocolate covered pretzels and some pita chips. Talk about hearty and nutritious eating today My “dinner”/nighttime snack was some sliced strawberries on top of a huge serving of ricotta cheese…so incredibly delish.

Deep breathing

My chem exam is in a little over 2 hours and I am freaking out. I know that being absurdly nervous is only going to hinder my performance so I am trying to calm down, relax, and just be “zen”. I’m confident with 95% of the material and really, there’s nothing more I can do at this point besides review and relax.

My eating habits have been extremely college-like this morning: 2 huge mugs of coffee, 1/2 slice of cheesecake, and some 12-hour Sudafed for my allergies…talk about completely unhealthy. I feel so blah; I’m definitely regretting the caffeine because it’s made me jittery! So now I’m just trying to hydrate (with water of course ) and get some fruit into my system.

 Ok, I’m off to review and “meditate” (aka lots of positive thinking and relaxation). Hopefully I’ll have good news to report back with later this afternoon!