I Can't Wait For...

My Barney Butter to arrive!!!!!!!!!!!!
A BIG Thank You to Heather!! She managed to get the lovely people at Barney Butter to make a new free shipping code! Not only that, I learned that the infamous Almond butter will soon be available in Massachusetts! It will be sold at the new Fresh Market that is opening in 2010...hence I ordered some, there's no way I could wait a YEAR!

In other news... Angela at Oh She Glows is doing an Honest Foods give away! This is another product I've been wanting to try but just haven't gotten around to it. I'll be anxiously awaiting the winners!

Finally, I would like to thank all of your for your supportive comments relating to my thoughts/questions about my parents! I agree, that the best thing is to just be supportive...I can't make her change her eating/exercise habits...I can only try to be supportive and inspiring. She's definitely gotten better, and I have introduced her to many new products...Larabars, other bars, new cereals, lunch and dinner, ideas, oatmeal!! So I know I have been influential.

It's also funny because my dad was VERY health conscious!! He used to be compete in professional power lifting competitions, was a personal trainer for a while, and was always into nutrition...although also was a self proclaimed ice cream connoisseur:) When I look back, he was so far ahead of the latest nutrition trends...he knew all about the low carb stuff WAY before I ever heard about it from anywhere else, the same goes for trans fats he taught me about how bad hydrogenated oils were a looong time ago (he was a big Dr. Weil fan). When I think about this now, it's so interesting that he was so ahead of the general public...and I'm sure my mom and I didn't take it too seriously at first, but I always trusted his opinions on most everything :) I guess I know where I get it from :)

Anyways...onto the eats:

Breakfast Switch Up

Yesterday my boss asked me to go to this breakfast meeting for this morning...sweet! So instead of saving half of my banana for today's planned oats, I ate the whole thing yesterday. Well, he messed up...breakfast thing is tomorrow. So I go to buy a banana after work...nothing ripe enough. So I thought about it...and just bought bfast at Dunkin Donuts (I have a gift card).

Medium skim milk Latte, and a DD egg white flatbread!Egg white, turkey sausage, spinach, low fat cheese (forget what kind)
I like their latte's because their coffee beans aren't as strong as, say, Starbucks so it's more mildThis was delicious, however, I usually eat breakfast about an hour or so after arriving at work...but this was hot out of the "oven" so I ate it right away...not very hungry at the time. I have a feeling my eating is going to be thrown off...oh well!

Yesterday's Lunch

Morningstar Farm Spice Black Bean veggie burger, with lite sour cream, salsa, on a mini pitaServed with carrots, dipped into some lite veggie cream cheese found in the fridge from last weeks bagels.
Sargento Colby Jack snack!I'm excited for tea today...I bought a couple new ones last nightOne being...Almond Biscotti Tea!

I also got a blend of two teas suggested by the people at Teavana: Rooibos Chai and Sweet Oolong Revolution. I had a cup of this blend last night and it was delicious! Subtly sweet without adding anything to it. I love going into that store and having them help me choose a fun new tea blend :)

Finding the time...

I don't like the feeling when I go too long without a good sweaty workout session! My workouts tend to go like this:

• Monday - Gym after work, usually 40min of cardio, and 10-15 min strength training
• Tuesday - Dance class, 1.5 hours...sometimes really sweaty, sometimes not...depends on what we are doing that day
• Wednesday - I usually stay at my fiance's apt, and go to his wed night soccer games. In the summer I like to wake up early Thursday for a run before work but def. not in the dark and COLD! So lately this means no workout for me unless its some ab work and arm work with my weights I keep there.
• Thursday - Gym again if I don't have anything after work
• Friday - usually nothing...I like to relax after my work week
• Weekends...are hard. I can go to a dance class from 11-1 on Saturdays, but there are very few Saturday's that this time frame is open to me. Sometimes I'll do a gym trip first thing in the morning (have been doing that more lately). Most of the time I have full weekend plans which make it difficult to do anything.

Then there are weeks like this one. I had a great workout Monday, no dance Tuesday (Bruins game = no parking, I had no ride, and had enough work so I stayed late), last night was a Brian's soccer game night and I did some ab work at his apt but that's more bonus stuff than actual exercise to me, tonight I have a bday dinner gathering, so that leaves tomorrow.

I really would prefer to have 4 great workouts but I just feel it's so hard!!! A 40min gym trip involves: getting ready, 10min car ride, workout, drive back, then shower and get ready for the day...so its like you really need to leave about 2 hours for this.

Ahhh...now I feel like I am just complaining...SORRY!!!!

Better things...yesterday's eats!

This breakfast is a Favorite! Underneath that pile of deliciousness is 0% Chobani plain yogurt. Then I top with sliced bananas, strawberries, and a Nature's Path Flax waffle. This is all drizzled with REAL maple syrup!!

I ususally buy Kashi waffles, or the WF's 365 brand...but I had a coupon for the Nature's path waffles so I gave them a shot. I'd say they are pretty good, but not my favorite. I much prefer the Kashi heart to heart waffles...they just taste yummier, more waffle-like! Still you can't lose with this breakfast combo!

Lunch was created from a leftover tray of wraps from a meeting some people had here at the office. There was 1 half of a turkey wrap left...I took out the insides and placed them on a half slice of Great Harvest 9-grain bread...I still am obsessed with how good this bread is!
The wrap filling was: sliced turkey, a slice of bacon, lettuce, tomato, half slice of cheese (I think provolone), and some spread...I think it was like a dressing of sorts...yummy. I also grabbed two pickles and a tiny serving of pasta salad...and I may have ripped off a little corner of the GH bread and topped with Pb for a little extra snacky :)Since this was sort of a "free" lunch, I brought my packed lunch to Brian's since I figured he hadn't hit the grocery store in a while...I was right! Hahha.

I used half of a pita, some of my grilled chicken, some of mom's homemade BBQ sauce, red onion, and a little shredded cheddar jack...toasted!
Eaten with a little side salad...eaten out of a mixing bowl haha!

After his soccer game we hit up Panera so he could eat and I could use the free wi-fi to work on the guest list for the wedding...the knot.com is a great tool for all your wedding planning needs! We are making a big list then it will be time to weed through it..oh the joys. Our venue has a max capacity of 175, but I am hoping to be closer to 150-160 to save more money.

This morning I broke my usual coffee tradition and hit up Dunks!! I have a gift card so I figured I'd save the $3 that I would of used at Starbucks.

I got a DD Latte...they are pretty good in a pinch because I really don't like Dunkin Donut's hot coffee.

As I said before I am going out to dinner for a friends bday at my FAVORITE Mexican place in Harvard Square....Fajitas here I come!!!

Baby It's COLD Outside!!

Maybe I've been listening to too much Christmas music already...BUT I am just not ready for these FREEZING days we've been having here in Boston lately. I think I need some new mittens :) However, I am VERY excited for the upcoming holiday season...I LOVE CHRISTMAS! Yipeeee!!

I've been in an exceptionally good mood this week, so there is really not excuse for my lack of blogging. I'm trying not to blog as work (as I sit here blogging at work) if possible, but even at home I feel like it takes so long to...upload pictures, re-size them, add them into a post 5 at a time, format them within the text...etc. Does anyone have any tips or tricks for blogging that I'm just totally missing???

Because of the frigid temps lately I really wanted a nice hot bowl of oatmeal on Tuesday.

This was a simple bowl of:

1/2 cup oats1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 cup water

salt and vanilla

1/2 banana (ate the other half while waiting for oats to cook)

after cooking, added a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar (I keep a little Tupperware of cin. sugar at work in case I want it for toast, or sweet potatoes...or oatmeal!)

topped with the last of my maple pecan granola

spoon of White Chocolate PB!!!

The PB really makes it!

I was rushing that morning and didn't pack myself a lunch. I decided to head to WF's and see what would hit me. The WF's near my work was recently re-configured from a Wild Oats into a Whole Foods...they kept it open during this transformation THANK GOD! However, this is still my least favorite WF's. I don't know what it is, but I feel like they never have as good of a selection of prepared foods.

After walking around for what seemed like hours I decided to make a mini salad, and also chose something from the cold food case.
This was a basic salad of spinach, carrots, roasted veggies, a little balsamic chicken salad and a little regular chicken salad.

I also got a Roasted Veggie and Pesto Cannelloni, which I ate a small piece of with my salad..
This looks way better than it tasted...just nothing that great.

Wednesday morning I was packing for two days, but already knew my bfast because I had to bring Donuts into work... You see, when you go to a town/city meeting for a job your working on and it gets approved you bring in donuts the next morning. I don't know how this got started as a tradition but I HATE it! I work with mostly guys so they love their donuts, but all it is for me is a temptation I don't need. I usually end up cutting a little piece off but still don't need it.

When I picked up my dozen donuts at Dunkin Donuts, I decided to try one of their new egg white flatbreads! This was AWESOME!! I loved the bread it was on. It was egg white, veggie, and cheese...yum! I also had a plethora of things for lunch from what I could find in the freezer and cupboards. Yesterday I had a bowl of this butternut squash soup that I wanted to try out...
It was great!! I added some frozen veggies, a tiny drizzle of maple syrup and a little dollop of sour cream I had packed for today's lunch. I don't have a pic as I was ambushed with chit chat while prepping and didn't want to whip out the camera...but I would recommend this soup!

Along with the soup I tried another new thing...
The Spinach Artichoke bites from Morning Star farm! I cooked them in the toasted oven...LOVED them!!! Melty little bites of goodness. I think I want these for lunch tomorrow too...probably with the soup again as well :) The black bean burger is for today's lunch!

Today's breakfast was a classic cereal medley....Autumn Wheat, Go Lean Crunch, Honey Bunnies!With banana and skim...mmmm.

We'll I have to get back to work, but I'm frequently being distracted by wanting to look up recipes. On Sunday I'm hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for my friends...we started this tradition Junior Year in college, and I've kept it up ever since...hopefully this will be a tradition for a long time. Actually I can't WAIT to have it next year in my HOUSE! (well that is if the house hunting goes well next year). With my roomie as sous chef, we make everything...Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, squash, green beans, carrots, gravy, and desserts! I love every minute of it. This year I'm trying to switch up some things...except stuffing! That forever will be my family recipe...its SO SO GOOD!!

Tonight I'll post more about Apartment Thanksgiving 2008 and maybe get some ideas from you all :)