in the groove

I never set the alarm last night, as I was hoping to either (a) wake up naturally or (b) sleep in, thereby skipping my anticipated morning workout.  I had a doctors appointment at 8, so either way would have worked out just fine and dandy. 

I wasn’t expecting to wake up at 6 though.  But I did.  And I took advantage of this fact by pulling myself out of bed and staying true to my workout plans. 

Starting with a whole wheat bagel.  And topped with PB&Company Bees Knees peanut butter and almond butter.

And dipped and dunked into a mashed, warmed banana with cinnamon for a sweet bite.

I can’t think of anything that works better in my body for prerun fuel than a bagel with nut butter and a banana.  I cranked out 4 miles without the slightest hint of a cramp or side stitch.  And my legs felt fresh and rested from not running yesterday. 

Felt.  So.  Delicious!

Post-run snack: 6-oz plain yogurt with crushed flax and granola

The leftovers were pulled out of the fridge for a delightful, deckside lunch. 

Minestrone soup. 

Whole wheat bread, toasted, with a pat of butter.

A side salad, drizzled with olive oil.

Deliciousness!

Afternoon Snack: kashi crackers and almond butter

Sometimes I want to spend hours in the kitchen.  Simmering, sauteeing, blending, and whipping.

Other times (ahem…today), I simply want something…well…simple.

I literally spent all morning, afternoon and evening doing homework.  It was fun and interesting, but by 5:30, I was so ready to step away and get my mind back to normal.  Most of the homework right now has to do with carbohydrate exchange counting, for patients with diabetes.  I realized that I had been focusing on this for too long, when I started to count the carbohydrates of my own meal in my head.  Time for a break? 😉

Dinner came together in a breeze, thanks to leftover pasta salad, a lonely veggie burger, and some raw veggies (most of which are fresh from the garden!)  Simple.  Delicious.  Exactly what I wanted. 😀

Upcoming Weekend Plans:

• Homework! Homework! Homework!
• Yoga on Saturday, Run on Sunday
• Finish a presentation that’s due for Monday
• Cookout at Nicole’s house
• Local craft fair!

 Let’s do the FRIDAY DANCE!

Question: You have one word to describe your personality.  What is it? 

Advertisement

it’s the sauce

New month.  New beginnings.  New goals. 

Goal #1: Create a strength training workout routine (at least 2 times a week) and learn to enjoy it.

Goal #2: No tv for the entire month of July.

I’ve got to be honest with you guys.  Goal #2 is going to be tough for me.  And it’s not that I watch a lot of tv, but it’s always on after 9 o’clock as a brainless source of entertainment.  What would life be without that, I wonder.  And now I’ll find out.  The hardest part will be nixing my regular Tuesday night fix of Jillian Michaels.  Ah well.  Maybe I’ll go out for a run instead. 😉

Any new goals for the month of July?

Breakfast

Hot apples ‘n’ oats just felt right this morning. 

I love this combination of flavors.  It feels very “autumn” which fit with this morning’s chilly 58 degrees.  YES!  58 degrees.  July seems to already be full of surprises.

• 1/4 c. oatbran
• 1/4 c. wheatbran
• 1 c. milk + 3/4 c. water
• cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1 pink lady apple, diced small
• toppings: 2 T. Galaxy Granola Maple Pecan Quinoa and a dollop of Justin’s Honey Peanut Butter

Morning Snack: A HUGE Grapefruit and a Handful of Almonds

And so my strength training goal has begun.  I spent 15 solid minutes of working out my arms, but I think I need a more structured plan.  And more ideas!  So if you have any strength training tips and tricks that you’d like to share, I would definitely love to hear them. 😀  The workout didn’t leave me begging for more (the goal is to learn to enjoy strength training too, after all ) but it did leave my arms sore and happy.

• 3 sets of 20 one arm dumbbell rows
• 3 sets of 15 bicep curls
• planks…lots and lots of planks + side planks (for some strange reason, I love these )
• 3 sets of 5 push-ups against the stairs
• 3 sets of 10 chair dips

Lunch

Hummus sandwiches used to be my staple, go-to meal during college.  I love how convenient they are to make (as easy as pb&j!) and I love all the different hummus varieties out there.  Today I chose a garlic lover’s hummus which completely lived up to its name. 

I also scooped on some spicy black bean & corn salsa, along with two large tomato slices and some lettuce.  Hummus and salsa.  It’s a winning combination.

On the side, I added in some raw produce for c-r-u-n-c-h! 

Garlic.  Hummus.  Veggies.  Yum.

+ a square of 90% dark Lindt chocolate with a smear of Teddy chunky, salted peanut butter

Afternoon Snack: 6-oz. plain yogurt, 2 T. crushed flax, 1/2 banana, scoop of Pb&Company Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Dreams

Dinner

Here’s a confession: I’ve never been a pasta fan.  I’ve tried and I’ve tried, but to no avail.  And I consider this to be a downright shame.  After all, how can I consider myself a foodie, when I have such a deep dislike for something as innocent as a noodle?  What ever would happen if I visited Rome and left without ordering a giant plate of pasta?  *gasp* It’s basically a sin, and I know that full well.

But I can’t help it.  Pasta seems so boring to me.  Tasteless.  Stringy.  Nothing special.  It’s the sauce that people remember.  It’s the sauce that makes people bring their hands to their lips with a loud “smack”—mwuahh!—as they indulge with a deep sigh of pleasure.  It’s the sauce that makes an Italian restaurant famous.

It’s the sauce! 

And maybe the meatballs.

My mom is an expert at both, and she keeps her recipe tucked away like an ancient treasure.  It’s thick, it’s chunky and it’s top secret. 

As an aside, I’m sure some poor Italian would be crying right now if they saw that I used this sauce to top my sauteed zucchini and vidalia onion, along with some steamed baby lima beans.  What can I say?  It’s the sauce!  And the meatballs. 

Side Salad

+ two slices of homemade bread for dipping

Question: When it comes to spaghetti, is it all about the sauce, the pasta itself, or both?