Gobble, Gobble! :)

You know what I like most about Thanksgiving?  There’s time to reminisce about all the things there are to be thankful for.  And the giving doesn’t require gifts like Christmas.  But there are plenty of hugs, smiles, and food.  It’s just such a simple holiday and I love every last bit of it!

This morning I made the family a bowl a batch of pumpkin spice oats, complete with pumpkin flax granola, walnuts and coconut on top!   It wasn’t as good as my usual version, because I’m just not used to tripling the batch!  I think I need more practice on figuring out the right proportions since I’m so used to just cooking for myself.  It still came out good though, and my parents simply added more brown sugar suited to their taste preferences.

Per person, there was:

• 1/2 c. pumpkin
• 1 c. soymilk
• 1/2 c. oats
• 1/2 banana
• handful of raisins

Then my dad and I headed out for our 4-mile TURKEY TROT!  It was absolutely invigorating.  I love running with my dad, because I always end up pushing myself harder and faster then I do on my normal runs.  Especially on those hills!

When we came home, I scooped a bowl of mixed fruit for a quick snack before showering and getting ready for the rest of the day!

Then it was just time to wait for the family to arrive!  Mom set the table…

Matthew and Kelsy

Dad carved the turkey.

And then we ate!

There were green beans (simply sauteed in water, with S&P,) smashed red potatoes with the skins, homemade stuffing–courtesy of Martha Stewart Living , mashed turnips, homemade whole grain bread, turkey, Nicole’s homemade cranberry sauce, and honey glazed carrots–my contribution!

The honey glazed carrots are from Cooking Light’s recipes, and they were super simple to prepare:

• 5 c. carrots
• 2 T. honey
• 2 T. chopped parsley
• rind from one orange
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper

Steam the carrots until tender, then mix with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.  See?  Easy!  They’re sweet, but not overly so.  And the orange rind adds a nice citrusy zing.

Matthew’s girlfriend Kelsy contributed an absolutely delicious dip.  She said she combined an 8-oz cream cheese, a can of pumpkin, 1-1/2 c. confectionary sugar, and spices to taste (cinnamon & nutmeg.)  She brought along some ginger snaps for dipping.

Major yummmm factor!!

Some more pictures from the day!

By 4 o’clock, we were at my grandparent’s house where we stopped by to visit for a few hours.  Then we headed to my aunt and uncle’s house for a little more socializing.

By the time 6 rolled around, I realized that I was doing a little too much socializing and not enough eating…haha.  I was super hungry, and my Aunt Marie pulled out some crispy ciabatta rolls, turkey meat, lettuce, mustard, pickles, and chopped cucumbers.  It was delicious and I gobbled–no pun intended!–up every last bite!

When I came home, I realized that (A) I was still hungry and (B) I was feeling vegetable deprived!!

I pulled out some more turnips and greenbeans, accompanying my bowl of mixed fruit. 

It was such a fun day!  I loved seeing all the family again, and it was great getting to know Kelsy!   I’m looking forward to taking the trip to visit her and my brother soon!

Nicole and I have big plans for Black Friday shopping tomorrow morning, so there may not be any blogging done tomorrow night depending on how crazy it gets and how intensely we shop…haha!  I’m planning on relaxing a little for the rest of the night, and watching the rest of Chronicles of Narnia.  Then I’ll  journal a little before heading to bed.  

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends!!!!

Thanksgiving Preparation!

Whew…my first day on vacation was a busy one!  But that’s totally ok, because it’s a fun busy.  

This morning I woke up naturally at 7:00, and whipped up my new favorite breakfast.  It was the same as yesterday’s, and I enjoyed it just as much.  I especially love how full this lovely mix keeps me.  I think the fact that I finished off the very last muffin this morning warrants another baking session very soon.

As I was mmm’ing over my breakfast, I suddenly remembered that I had an appointment for my car to get an oil change this morning at 8:00!  Whoops!  I rushed to throw my hair up in a ponytail, guzzled some water, and rushed myself out the door to get there just in time. 

I couldn’t believe how fast the morning was already flying by, and I knew that if I didn’t take advantage of a late morning run–it just would never happen!  Thankfully I fit in a sweaty 4-miler.  I felt really good…probably the best I’ve felt in a long time.  I focused on just being thankful that I was healthy, happy, and able to run these miles.  There’s so much to be thankful for, and sometimes a good run is a nice way to remind myself of all of these things!

Post-run, I showered and grabbed an apple for a snack.

By the time lunch rolled around, mom was busy baking bread for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving lunch and dad was in a meeting via phone.  I got myself busy with making some hummus veggie sandwiches for everyone’s lunch.

Love this spinach artichoke hummus!!!!

On top, I added some sliced tomotoes, lettuce, and 1/4 avocado for each of us.  Plus some carrots, cukes, and a glass of milk on the side.

…my dad found his way into the picture.

After a short lunch break, and a short walk with mom, it was back to work with the Thanksgiving prep! 

Mom made the crescent rolls after they had a chance to rise…

…they came out nice and golden!  I wish I could take pictures of how they smelled, because it was simply mouthwatering!  My mom is an awesome bread maker, that’s all I have to say.  I look forward to these buttery rolls every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In the afternoon, in between baking, slicing, cutting, cleaning and ironing, I finally realized that I was getting hungry.  So I whipped up a quick snack that satisfied all the tastebuds in all the right ways.

• kashi crackers
• American cheese
• sliced green olives

…it was fun and tasty!

Can you believe that my family has never made a homemade stuffing?  I took one peak throughout all the stuffing mixes at the grocery store, and was disappointed in the ingredients.  Besides, homemade shouldn’t be too hard to make, right? 

We’re making a vegetarian version from Martha Stewart…right now the bread is just going through the drying process.  Once it’s done, it’s going to get assembled, popped in the fridge, and baked tomorrow.  I can’t wait to see how it turns out!!

After Dad finished up work and went for his run, he chopped up some turnips for tomorrow’s feast…

 

I headed out to the grocery store for a few last minute things, managed to escape alive (it was busy!) and came home to finish up some chopping, sweaping, and other Thanksgiving preparation duties.  Despite all the hard work and running around, my mom and I were still smiling.   This is the first year my family is putting on the Thanksgiving meal, and I’m so excited about it!!!

For dinner tonight, I wanted to go all out with some FLAVE-AH!

I sauteed one onion in about 1 T. butter until they were all nice and caramelized.  Then I added some salt and pepper, and spread it on 1 lb. cod.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

For the brussel sprouts, I heated 1 T. olive oil, and threw in a container of the sprouts that were sliced in half.  About 10 minutes later, they were nice and tender—ready for the salt and pepper!  I decided to go all out and browned a slice of bacon which I crumbled and divided among everyone’s plates.

…just goes to show you that a little bit of something really flavorful goes a very long way.

Now that we’re finally all done the prep work, we can sit back and relax!  Most of the clean-up and prep work was finished today, which means the food just needs to be cooked tomorrow.

Once we finished, dad pulled out the last of my “birthday ale.”  I love this Punkin Ale, so it was a special treat to get it on my birthday and tonight!

I split one with mom. :D

I’m just now watching the special Biggest Loser edition and anticipating all the fun foods that need to be prepared tomorrow.  My sister and her husband + my brother and his girlfriend are coming over, and then for dinner I’m going over my aunt and uncle’s house.   

What are you all doing for Thanksgiving?  And what are you most thankful for this year??  Please share!

He (or she?) is here! :)

Look at what came in the mail!

I’ve been using a Kodak EasyShare on this blog for the entire time that I’ve been blogging.  While I love how beautiful the results are when I’m outdoors, being indoors is a whole different story.  I usually have to resort to using the dreaded flash!  And, although I can change the aperture and shutter speed on the Kodak, I’m pretty limited in how creative I can be.

I’ve been researching different cameras for a while now, and the Canon Rebel XS was screaming my name.   I ordered it off of Amazon (WAY cheaper then everywhere else I’ve looked) and opted for this one over the XSi (mostly due to the fact the XSi was +$100 more…not really worth the extra 2 mgapixels if you ask me ).

I still need a name…preferrably French because I name all my technological stuff (and cars!) after French things.  It’s got something to do with my fascination with Paris.  

On to the EATS!

Last night, April mentioned how wonderful yogurt, muffins and peanut butter were together.  I knew immediately that I was going to make this combination into my breakfast (thanks April! )

• 6-oz. plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. pumpkin
• 1 sliced banana
• 1 c. kashi heart to heart
• 1 whole wheat pumpkin raisin muffin
• 1 T. peanut butter

…it was gooey, carby, smooth, and creamy.  All in one delicious bowl.  Loved.  This.  Breakfast!

I was so excited over the new camera that I ran completely out of batteries by the time lunch rolled around!  So I took back out the Kodak and the flash that comes along with it.

I had leftovers from the other night, which tasted even better today then yesterday after all the flavors had a chance to meld and mix.  The bunnies on the side made for the perfect soup topping.

…and literally grabbed this apple as I was running out the door to my Biochemistry lecture!

A fruit and almonds have been my snack of choice during long afternoons of classes…it never fails to keep me satisfied and content while keeping my energy up.

I’m now…officially…on…

THANKSGIVING BREAK!

I’m so happy and relieved to have the rest of the week to catch up on a little homework, a bit of shopping, and a whole lot of relaxing with friends and family!   I’m especially looking forward to a planned father-daughter turkey trot and Black Friday shopping with the sis.

I walked out of my english class completely ready to relax and ended up skipping over my usual Tuesday night yoga session!  Whoops!  I have a fun workout planned for tomorrow though, which will make up for it…

For dinner, I wanted something simple to prepare for my dad and I.  I went with:

• 1/2 a very large sweet potato
• 1/2 c. black beans with about 1/4-1/2 c. red salsa
• 1/4 avocado, diced

On the side I made some garlic sauteed summer squash and zucchini.  It was simple to prepare.  Just spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray, throw in a diced onion, 1 diced summer squash and 1 diced zucchini.  Once it’s tender, throw in some salt, pepper, and lots of garlic powder.  Super simple, super tasty!

Now I’m watching Biggest Loser and eating a bowl of fruit cereal. 

• 1 pear
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1 T. walnuts
• 1 T. flax
• milk

I still can’t really believe I’m on Thankgiving break.  It’s feeling wonderful, and I need to savor every moment!   I hope to crack down on this internship paperwork in between all the fun, since it needs to be mailed in by the next few months…eeks!  It’s coming up so quickly and there’s still so much to do!

Off to chillax…G’night!

Running Goals

I had big plans for a run this morning.  After catching up on last month’s issue of Runners World, I found myself deeply motivated to consider a Half-Marathon for next year.  It’s still too early to be training hard-core, but it gives me reason to focus on good, quality workouts while gradually increasing my mileage.  I love having plans and goals, and this is just the thing I need.  And–going against my typical Sarah fashion–I’m letting everyone know of my plans.  It will keep me all the more on track during my winter training.

For breakfast I had overnight pumpkin pie oats.  It literally reminded me of a spicy pumpkin pie.

• 1/2 c. oats
• 1 sliced banana
• handful of raisins
• lots of cinnamon, a few dashes of cloves and nutmeg
• 1/2 c. milk

I popped it in the fridge overnight and this morning I stirred in:

• 6-oz. plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. pumpkin
• walnuts and granola on top

I love autumn style oats!

In between studying for today’s exam, I toasted a slice of bread and smeared on some peanut butter.  Half hour later, I was off on a brilliant run.  Lately I’ve been stopping after the hills for a quick walking break, but today with the half-marathon in mind, I decided to push through the heavy breathing.  I slowed myself down some, letting it catch back up with me.  But I know that I need to build some endurance for when the runs get tough and I just need to keep moving. 

Besides, after the hill, my breathing tends to return pretty quickly once I’m back on flat ground.  Just in time for the next hill…haha.  

Cooking Light has one of my favorite lentil soup recipes (click on the link for the recipe!)  I love the simplicity of it, and I love, love, love my lentil soups to be nice and tomato-ey.  Which is why I usually double the amount of tomatoes that the recipe calls for.   Without any feta cheese on hand, I sprinkled on a bit of mozzarella and ate some bunnies on the side for the crunch.

Guess which one I ate?

…the pear?

…the apple?

…the almonds?

…all of the above (ur…below?)

…yes, it was all of the above.  Let’s just say I was in class longer then I was expecting, and I ate all the packed snacks that I had for emergency situations.  The exam was excruciatingly difficult and exhausting, but I think I managed to do okay.  We’ll have to wait and see.  But at least she drops the lowest score, and I did okay on the last two as well.  Now I just have to start preparing for the cumulative final! 

Mom made an old family favorite for dinner.    It’s one of those “secret recipes” that I won’t even get until I’m older.  Which means I’m as in the dark as you guys!  I do know that there’s bison meat, rice, onions, tomato soup, and green peppers (obviously!)  The flavor is out of this world, and I’m dying to know what spices are in there! 

Just now I’m munching on a little night-time snack, while reading my newest edition of Today’s Dietitian magazine.  It feels so good to be done all of my major projects before Thanksgiving!  My paper is complete, my lab report is finished, and now I can sit back and enjoy the holiday!

Oh, and this snack was meant to be a 6-oz. container of yogurt, but as I was dripping some of the excess liquid off of the top of my yogurt, half of it fell in the sink!  It’s totally fine though, because my toppings made up for the disappointment:

• plain yogurt
• whole wheat pumpkin muffin
• a few puffins for crunch

To think that I’ve never tried muffins in my yogurt before.  I loved the textures together.  The yogurt was soaked up a little in all of the tiny air pockets of the muffin, and it made for a tasty snack.

I’ll leave you with a few pic’s I took over the weekend.  Sometimes a walk in the woods to view nature is just what a girl needs after a full day of studying.

G’night!

Last of the Leaves

The back yard is looking gorgeous from the past weekend’s “raking party.”  No leaves are in sight.  I think these ones on the porch are the last ones standing.

It was nice getting some fresh air, but now it’s back to the grind I go!  After tomorrow, you’ll be bombarded with photos and blurps from moi. ;) haha

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

 

Tied to the books…

Sorry for the lack of posting!  I’ve been quite literally tied to the couch with my books and lecture notes, fitting in all the last minute studying I can before tomorrow’s big medical nutrition exam.  And I’d also like to finish up some papers that are due before Thanksgiving break too…

I hope you’re all enjoying the weekend and feeling refreshed for the new week…I’m going to be a new person after tomorrow’s exam, I swear…haha.  Then I’ll just be getting excited for all the Thanksgiving preparations.

I’ll “see” you all tomorrow!!

 

Fabulous Fridays :)

I was so tired last night, and didn’t wake up until 7:30 this morning.  And when I did wake up, I just felt so cozy in bed, listening to the rain pouring against the roof, that I almost considered sleeping in!  Until I realized it wasn’t quite Saturday yet, and I needed to get a move on…thank goodness for breakfast cookies and their miraculous power of getting people out of bed.  It’s true.

Today’s breakfast cookie was extra dark and chocolatey…

• 1/2 c. oats
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 T. salted & chunky pb
• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa
• 2 T. milk

Swirl, swirl, swirl…mash, mash, mash…press, press, press.  On to the plate, and into the fridge until this morning when I topped it off with some raisins (chocolate covered raisins, anyone? ) and coconut. 

I then headed to the couch for some studying.  Studying for Medical Nutrition Therapy is 10x more interesting then studying for Biochemistry, so I stayed pretty focused until around 10′ish when I broke out a snack…

…cheese and crackers: “the kids version.”  I used to eat American cheese all the time when I was a kid, but now I usually only like it in grilled cheese sandwiches.  But for some reason, I had the urge to eat it on crackers.

…like so.  It was instant flashback to my childhood.  Except I would have eaten the cheese on ritz or saltines instead of kashis. 

I couldn’t resist another mish-mosh, turkey-day style salad for lunch.  Except I had buffalo style chicken in place of the turkey.  And I don’t think avocados are “authentically” meant for Thanksgiving, but you get the drift…there’s just something about cranberry sauce and poultry that scream thanksgiving to me.  So until the leftover turkey offerings actually do come around, this will do the trick.

• cucumbers
• carrots
• tomatoes
• 1/4 avocado
• black olives, sliced
• green olives
• 3-oz. buffalo chicken
• cranberry sauce
• splash of balsamic and a spritz of orange juice

…urm..yep, I think that was everything!

+ grapes for dessert.

This afternoon was a long one!  My Nutrition professor held a review session directly after the 3-hr. lecture.  Thank goodness for packed snacks (aka, orange and almonds) and good friends who share their snacks (aka, chile mango slices from TJ’s.)  Thanks Jessica!

My snacks did a nice job of holding me over, but by the time I came home, I was 100% ready for dinner.  Especially since one of my favorite Moosewood Cookbook recipes was on the agenda for tonight: Gypsy Soup!  I make it the “cheater way” by using canned, diced tomatoes instead of blanching fresh ones, but you could do it either way you prefer.  The soup is full of sweet potatoes, green bell peppers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, celery, etc.  It’s spicy and sweet all at the sime time, and I honestly could not say enough wonderful things about it.  Mmm….

…oh, and some whole wheat bunnies found their way into the picture too.

Dad was craving icecream a few nights back, and decided upon Ben & Jerry’s Fossil Fuel.  I snuck a tiny bowl tonight to try some, and savored it with my tiniest of spoons…haha.  

Agenda for the rest of the night:

• Study Medical Nutrition Therapy for an hour or so
• Bubble Bath
• TV watching

…and most definitely a snack because my stomach is still feeling grumbly! 

Happy Friday and enjoy the WEEKEND!

 

Running without a mission

I had one mission for my morning run: run without a mission.  My last few runs from this past week have left me feeling frustrated.  Running is supposed to be energizing…invigorating.  It’s supposed to slow things down.  So today I made up my mind to keep my pace slow and just enjoy the run without any knowledge of time.  That’s exactly what I did, and my morning 4-mile run was a lovely reminder of why I run.  It felt really good to be back in the groove.

Maybe my pre-run oats had something to do with the energizing run??

Banana-Berry Oats

• 1/2 c. oats
• 1/2 banana
• 1 c. milk
• handful of raisins
• cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

On the side I heated 1/2 c. frozen blueberries in a small frying pan over medium-low heat.  I don’t like it when my oats turn blue on me, and this little trick prevents that from happening.   After the oatmeal is cooked, I simply fold the berries right in, and top with walnuts and granola. 

I made a quick dash outside, snapped the picture, and ran back in…there was another frost last night, so I don’t think I’ll be eating breakfast outdoors any time soon!

After my run, I felt so refreshed and energized for the rest of the morning.  A good run has a way of perking up the rest of the day.  It’s amazing how much less I procastinated during today’s early morning hours compared to yesterday!

In between finishing my paper, I had a yogurt snack consisting of plain non-fat yogurt, 1/2 a bosc pear, 1 T. crushed flax, and a heaping spoonful of homemade cranberry sauce.

I love leftovers…usually I’ll change it up or make the meal into something completely different.  But this time I stuck with the same ol’, same ol’ for the white bean and squash saute that was made a few nights ago.  All the flavors had a chance to meld, so it was even more delicious.  Simple meals are oftentimes the tastiest.

+ a cup of tea to-go.  I’m a little obsessed with Twinings herbal teas right now.  It’s the epitome of coziness.

For some reason, this afternoon I could not keep my eyelids open in chemistry lecture.  It was probably due to my late night last night, as I finished my literature review paper.  I managed to stay awake, but it was hard trying to focus on glycolipids when my eyes were feeling so droopy.  I hate when I feel that way, because it totally defeats the point of going to lecture in the first place!   Thankfully, I’m normally much more energetic and awake.  I think last night’s late hours of writing papers had something to do with it, so tomorrow I should be back to normal.

By the time chemistry was over, and I was in my writing in nutrition class, I broke out my snacks: some orange slices and a handful of almonds. 

And, I have to say, I really do realize that my dinner is completely unphotogenic.  But at the time, this may as well have been gourmet.  It was late, I was tired, and I just sort of threw a pile of various favorites into one pile of goodness…haha.  Let’s see if I can remember what was in this giant bowl:

• cucumbers
• carrots
• tomatoes
• red onions
• black olives, sliced
• 1 salmon pattie
• 1/2 c. black beans
• 1/4 avocado
• spoonful of cranberry sauce (who would have known it would be so delicious on top of the salad?)

…and a slice of homemade wheat bread on the side.  Despite the randomness, it was exactly what I was in the mood for.  My hungry belly and tastebuds were both pleasantly satisfied.

When dad heard I was out of dark chocolate, he broke out his stash of 60% cacao ghirardelli squares. 

I ate mine in the usual sort of way.

+ a night time snack of strawberry all-bran medley cereal with milk.

My eyelids are again drooping…hopefully I can actually sleep in a little tomorrow morning!  I have a big exam coming up on Monday, so I’d like to fit in at least 2 hrs. of studying tomorrow morning before classes so I can potentially have the night “free.” 

Oh Friday, you always come at such a good time.  

G’night!

 

Back to the original. :)

I kept looking at the new title, “A Balanced Life,” and couldn’t decide if I liked it or not.  I mean, yes, that’s kind of the point of the whole blog, but the subtitle already pointed that out.  But I just couldn’t get over the fact that this blog is and always will be titled ”Running to Slow Things Down.”  So it’s back to the original, for better or for worse.

While contemplating such things, I sat down to a nice hot bowl of oats.  I wanted to finish off the last of the canned pumpkin, so I went with an oldie but goodie (same as the last two mornin’s) and topped it all off with a big spoonful of homemade & very tart cranberry sauce. 

Mmmmm….

This morning I could not focus on homework!  I wasn’t at all concerned for the exam, which was making me worried.  I kept telling myself that I should be worried and feeling nervous, but I just wasn’t.  It was such a strange feeling!!

I munched on a pear and a cheesestick while (sort of) studying.

Back to the c-h-i-l-l-y morning! 

I know it will become even cooler before it gets warmer (hellloooo winter!) but I wasn’t quite prepared for the sharp, cool morning breeze as I headed into my morning run.  There was a thin layer of frost on the ground.  Each leaf and blade of grass glimmered and sparkled with winter’s warning of the snow to come. 

I have to admit, my morning run was not glamorous at all.  Yet again, I had the pounding syndrome of clodding the ground with my presence.  Why are some runs so blissful and relaxed, while others are so challenging?  I guess it makes the good runs so much more appreciated.    Tomorrow’s run will hopefully be one of those blissful runs!

I put together a snacky-styled lunch after I came home from the 4miler.  There are a ton of avocados in the house that need to be used before they go bad, so I decided to fit that into my lunch.  It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

• 1/2 avocado
• 3/4 c. garbanzo beans
• cumin
• parsley
• garlic powder

This mix doesn’t get old, I love it so much.  It tastes like a giant, heaping portion of creamy guacamole.  Mmm…on the side I had carrots, cucumbers, and some kashi crackers.

+ a cup of tea-to-go as I was heading out the door to my Nutrition in the Life Cycle exam.

Classes seemed unusually long today, partially due to the fact that I had an exam and 2 TA sessions.  Each had a 1 hr. block in between, so thank goodness for the packed snacks I had brought in order to keep my energy up…

Orange slices and almonds…a tasty, healthy combo.  I found myself nibbling on them throughout the afternoon.

Still, despite the snacks, I’m used to eating dinner by 5 o’clock.  Fast forward 2 hrs, and you have a very hungry girl.  I was super happy to see that mom had prepped the salmon patties and broiled some whole wheat TJ buns.  I only took one flash photo before devouring the entire plate (well…not the plate itself, but I considered it at this point…hungry? just a little.)

Still feeling hungry, I made a yogurt mix with shredded spoonfuls and raisins.

+ dessert.  The dark chocolate reserves are officially depleted, so I’m thinking a trip to whole foods is in order very soon.

I have a literature review paper due tomorrow.  I’m writing about the Mediterranean Diet and Type 2 Diabetes, and it’s been so interesting to see the positive associations.  I’ve always enjoyed reading about the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, so reading about the current research and reviews is super interesting. :D

I’m planning on getting up early tomorrow morning to finish up the paper, fit in a run, and hopefully begin studying for a medical nutrition therapy exam on Monday.  Whew…busy morning = early bedtime.  

G’night!

Tuesday = Long Day

Tuesday is the busiest day of my school week.  I usually will try and get up at least 1 hr. before I have to leave to make sure I can have time to enjoy breakfast and apply a touch of makeup.  But today I slept until 6:30…a mere 45 minutes to get myself fed, ready, and out the door. 

That’s why a pre-made breakfast cookie came in might handy.  It was quick, easy, and incredibly delicious.   I’m on a roll with the chocolate & oats combo…

• 1/2 c. oats
• 1 mashed banana (very, very ripe!)
• 1 T. peanut butter
• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa

I mixed all the above in a bowl, squished it all together with a fork, and formed into a cookie on the plate.  It spent a night in the fridge, and this morning I topped it with:

• raisins
• coconut

…and a glass of cold milk on the side for a boost of protein.

Tuesday is also the day when I pack a lunch.  I was getting tired of the standby pb&j sandwiches that I typically pack week by week, so I went with a fun autumn mix:

• sweet potato: microwaved, refrigerated & diced
• 3/4 c. garbanzo beans
• mesculin mix
• 2 T. walnuts
• cayenne, cumin, and a splash of balsamic

…+ an apple and a cheesestick.  I ate it while studying in the library book stacks.  The only thing missing was cranberries.

I packed a grapefruit and some almonds to munch on during my writing class…

…and snagged a carrot that was about the length of my arm for a snack when I got home. 

Dinner was a family favorite vegetarian meal: summer squash and white bean saute.  It takes less time to prepare then the brown rice, so if you precooked the rice ahead of time, this meal could come together pretty quickly and easily.

Dessert was an old time fave: 80% dark chocolate with a big glob of peanut buttah!

+ night-time snack!

Sorry for the lack of words tonight…I’m completely exhausted from a long day of classes and studying.  Tomorrow is a big exam, along with finishing a literature review paper, so I’m ready for an early night.

Off to catch the rest of the Biggest Loser!