So many options, so little time…

I had three options this morning:

1. Sleep in.
2. Go for a short 2-mile run before showering and heading off to volunteer at the hospital.
3. Make a nice meal for breakfast and relax.

I toyed with all three of the above for a good 10 minutes, while lying in bed.  When it came right down to it, I finally decided that I wanted to go for a run and I also wanted a nice breakfast.  That was probably a mistake to pick both, but I did. 😉

I jumped out of bed, got dressed, grabbed my running gear (aka, pair of sneakers…I’m just sooo high tech! 😉 ) and made myself a quick snack: toast with a blob of peanut butter and strawberry slices.

I also guzzled some water, but not too much.  There’s nothing worse then a jostling belly full of liquid on a morning run. 😀 

The run was a short 2-miles but it was well worth getting up for.  There was a thick fog rising up off the ground, which created a breathtaking view along the farm fields.  I always take my morning runs to just have some quiet “me time.”  It helps me refocus, gives me time to pray, and just really sets my day out the right way. 

Since I had decided early on that I wanted the best of both worlds–a morning workout and a hearty breakfast–I couldn’t get oat cakes out of my mind.  I had about 10 minutes to prep, cook, and eat it, BUT it was definitely worth it and I really enjoyed it. 😀

I made the oat cakes my usual way, and added some strawberries to the side which I promptly dunked into the warmed, mashed banana and ate with my doughy cakes.  Yes, doughy.  They were undercooked due to my being in a rush, but I find that the less I cook them, the more I love them.  These babies are meant to be doughy, I think. 😀

I grabbed a coffee-to-go in my tea tumbler–along with a splash of soy–and headed off to the food service department.

This lab requires me to fill in 40 hrs. of volunteering in the kitchen, and so far I’m only up to 15.  I’ve definitely spent more time in the nutrition department then I have in the kitchen. haha…hopefully after the 4th of July, I can really crack down on this assignment though, and get everything all completed.

Lunch came around 12’ish…much better then yesterday’s 3 o’clock lunch. 😉

It was the exact same thing I had yesterday, minus the avocado…I’m lovin’ these sweet potato chips. 

The sun has been going in and out all day.  I’ve been trying to take advantage of the sun whenever I can, and was excited to see the daisies popping up in the backyard.  They always remind of the movie You’ve Got Mail.  😀  They’re definitely my favorite flower.  If flowers had personalities, daisies would be one of the happiest, optimistic ones. 😀

This afternoon I made a smoothie that wasn’t worth writing home about.  Unfortanetly I ate the last banana for breakfast, which made this smoothie lack some necessary sweetness.  I don’t want to post the recipe because I really don’t want you guys to try it and be disappointed. 😉  But I will create a much more tasty version, because it has potential for greatness. 😀

Dinner was a plate of many colors. 😀  I decided tonight that it’s one of my favorite meals.

We rarely have salmon because it’s just so expensive for the wild caught variety (unless you buy it canned, which is a nutritious and tasty option.)  But on the occasion that it goes on sale, I become one of the happiest girls around. 😀  It’s by far my favorite fish.  It’s almost sweet tasting, and the dark, red color puts the farm raised salmon to shame.  Oh my…love it!

I kept it simple by sprinkling the salmon with salt and pepper and throwing it on the grill for 5 minutes on each side, for a total of 10 minutes.  Sometimes marinades and sauces are great, but sometimes you just gotta stick with simplicity. 😉

On the side, I made a blend of whole grain rice too.  The veggies were super easy to prepare, by the way.  I sprayed a cookie sheet, threw some chopped zucchini and beets on to it, and drizzled 1 T. of olive oil over the whole thing (for about 3 small zucchinis and 1 small bunch of beets.)  Then I sprinkled on some salt and pepper to again keep things simple, and popped it in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes—stirring halfway through the cooking time.

They get all caremalized and delicious… 😀

Oh, there were also some sauteed beet greans on the side too…can’t let those go to waste!

I wanted something sweet for dessert, while also still feeling a little bit hungry.  This hit the spot…a toast with pb and swirly chocolate chips. 😀

I felt really productive today, finishing up some homework, going for a run and a walk, blogging, and volunteering at the hospital…it was a full day but now I can just relax!!  I need to remind myself that it feels good to be productive instead of procastinating. 😉

Can you believe tomorrow is already Hump Day???

Exercise: 2-mile morning run and a 4-mile afternoon walk with mom… 😀

(p.s. I can guarentee you there will be a bowl of cereal later tonight…my stomach is already starting to rumble again.  I swear, I have an insatiable appetite sometimes! 😀 Have a great night, everyone!!)