Friday List Post II

I hope you’re ready for a pretty sporadic post, because that’s all I got!!

Other than my cookie-ventures earlier this week, I haven’t done much blog-worthy cooking/baking this week.   So when I sat down not too long ago to write a post, not much came to mind…sad, I know.

However, luckily I have some photos in the bank that haven’t made it to the blog yet for one reason or another…so here is some randomness for you on a Friday night!

Then I just decided on a list-style post.  I did this a long time ago…similar random Friday post, and you know what?  I like it!

Here goes…

1.  Speaking of those chocolate chip cookies…unfortunately I didn’t win anything, but Brian said he won because I made them :)  Good enough for me!  Not to mention the leftover cookie dough I now have in the freezer!

2.  On Cinco De Mayo I did, in fact, make myself a margarita…while home, alone, on a Thursday afternoon.

I remember it was really nice out and I just wanted a good margarita!  In the end it was just OK…needed a tad more sweetness, but it included:
   - Patron – 1 shot
   - Muddled strawberries
   - fresh lime juice – 1 lime
   - grand Marnier – tiny splash
   - agave nectar – 1 tsp
   - lime club soda – to fill the cup

Refreshing!  But could of used more agave next time.

3. Got a cute new lunch bag from Whole Foods!

4. Took Bromley to a new Day Care!  We use doggie day care once a week, so Brom can get a good day in playing and socializing.  Plus the whole next day he’s wiped out :) 

5.  Got my hair did…the usual, about every 12 weeks I get it colored and trimmed :)

This is pre-colored, after I brush out my dry hair….POOF!!!

 

Color In!

…and leave it to me to not take an “after” photo. 

Don’t fret though, because we are going to a wedding tomorrow and I’ll be sure to get a good picture :)

6. Had a DELICIOUS tuna melt today for lunch, with green juice!

The Key:
BROWN RICE WRAPS FROM TRADER JOES!!!  They are so good!!  However, just be sure to leave them at room temp OR heat in microwave for about 8-10 seconds to make them more bendable.  If they are cold they break easy, but the flavor and texture are awesome!!  

The tuna consisted of:

1 can TJ’s solid white tuna in water
light mayo to taste: 1-2T
1/2 tsp – 1 tsp Dijon mustard
chopped onion
chopped celery
celery salt
cracked black pepper

Melted with American cheese and baby spinach!
 
Green Juice

• romaine
• celery
• cucumber
• few sprigs of parsley
• green apple
• lemon

SO refreshing!!

7.  RUNNING

Half marathon training is still underway, and tomorrow we have our longest run of the training until actual race day.

Tomorrow is 12 miles!!  So crazy to think just a few months ago the most I had ever run was 6.2 miles and that seemed like a lot to me.  It still does, but now I just know I can go farther :)

Still have to admit, I’ve been majorly slacking on my mid-week runs.  I’m mainly just scared of making my foot worse and then not being able to get my long run in.  But my foot IS doing much better!

One thing I’ve been trying is KT tape!

 
(source)

Obviously I got the pink.  I’ve been taping my foot for help with plantar fasciitis, and while the tape does NOT last as long as it says it does, I think it’s helping. 

There are instructional videos on their website, and instructions in the box of how to apply it for a particular area/injury. 

Another big help for me through all this is switching up my running spots!

Last weekend for my 11-miler, I went into Boston…it was great to have the change of scenery, plus just a lot to look at.

I even ran over to Charlestown and back!

Tomorrow we are running our 12 miles in Portsmouth, NH!  The wedding we are going to is in York, ME so we are taking advantage of being up there :)

Happy Weekend Everyone!!  So what are some of your favorite running routes?? 

French Toast is Good for You

It is! It really is! I feel like French Toast is always placed in the “heavy” breakfast category along with stacks of pancakes, big Belgium waffles, and other sweet breakfast classics.

Sure, I mean if you’re using super thick brioche slices cooked on a skillet coated in butter, and then proceed to top it with more butter and a river of maple syrup…then yes, probably should save that for special occasions only.

However, for me, all I need is that egg-soaked bread and a drizzle of 100% pure maple syrup and I am in breakfast heaven! I have a slight obsession with real maple syrup….sooooooooo good!

Think about it. Say I use this recipe:

• 2 slices fresh whole grain bread** (I love a nice soft honey whole wheat…Natures Pride makes an awesome one!)


• 1 egg + 1 egg white


• 2 T skim milk


• 1/4 tsp vanilla


• few shakes of cinnamon (or more if you want!)


• pinch of salt

Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat

Using a fork or whisk, beat egg together with milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.

Spray pan with a canola oil cooking spray

Dip each slice of bread into batter, turning to coat both sides. Fresh bread should not need to soak for any length of time in the batter.

Cook for 2-4 min on each side, keep an eye on it…you just want it nice and golden brown.

serve with your favorite toppings such as: maple syrup (!!), sliced banana, peanut butter, almond butter, jam…you name it!

**NOTE: Some classic French Toast recipes call for stale bread, which will soak for longer and absorb more egg batter. While this can be very tasty, it will obviously increase the calorie count and take a little longer…this is assuming you happen to have stale bread around.

The reason I like this version of French Toast is that it is SUPER FAST, convenient, and healthy!

It’s basically like having 2 slices of whole grain toast and 1 egg scrambled with a little milk. Instead your egg and milk are in your toast :)

A quick nutritional data calculation gave me:

For 2 slices French Toast + 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup = approximately 335 calories, 9 grams fat, and 15 grams protein!! (this was based off using Pepperidge Farm whole grain Oatmeal bread, which is what I used this particular time…just think if you used a higher protein bread!)

I’d say that’s a great amount of protein for a “carb” breakfast, plus a nice balance of carbs, fat, and protein to keep you fuller longer.

If I have one around, I love adding sliced banana with this meal as well…tastes delicious with the French Toast and maple syrup.

Even better with a foamy cappuccino!

My next favorite way to serve this breakfast classic is the “stuffed” variety.

For a change, I may take one of my slices…

• cut it in half


• spread half with a thin layer of whipped cream cheese


• spread the other half with an all-fruit Jam (such as Trader Joe’s Raspberry fruit spread…LOVE!)


• Sandwich back together


• continue devouring your breakfast


• don’t forget the syrup ;)

This combination tastes so much more decadent than it actually is! Delicious.

Of course you could just do both slices in delicious sandwich form, but sometimes I just need the classic with my beloved maple syrup.

I enjoyed both of those beautiful breakfasts while on my holiday break from work last week! Now if only we had a stove in the office ;)

To balance things out, I’d also like to mention a particularly simple yet fantastic lunch I made myself one day after a particularly sweaty hot power yoga class!

Tuna.

Sometimes I just crave some tuna. Such an easy way to add some protein to a salad or sandwich.

I didn’t want the usual mayo this day though. I wanted something a bit more exciting, and I love how this came out.

Tuna with Shredded Carrots on Arugula

• 1 – 5oz. can of tuna in water, drained (I used solid white albacore)


• 2-4 tsp light mayo – to taste (I personally have never liked a lot of mayo.)


• **optional, use half mayo, half non-fat Greek yogurt! (I didn’t have any on hand at the time or I would of done this)


• 1 tsp Dijon mustard


• 1 carrot, shredded


• 1 T chopped bread and butter pickles (I didn’t measure but I used about a heaping forkful of pickles)


• Combine all ingredients above


• season with salt and pepper to taste


• serve over a bed of baby arugula


• squeeze a wedge of fresh lemon juice over greens and tuna!


• Enjoy.

I rounded out this lunch with a microwave-baked sweet potato!

with approx. 1 tsp butter and a tiny drizzle of maple syrup (obviously)

I just made myself SO hungry…

I still need to cover some of the dinners made on break as well. I really did love having all that extra time in the kitchen!

Fitness Check In

I get so wrapped up in the food, I forget to blog about my workouts?!

So lets just start off with the new year!

• Saturday – Jan 1 – it was SO nice out here, so Brian and I took the dog out for a run/walk. I left the boys at some point to get some solid running in, but we covered about 5.8 miles in total (I probably ran for 3.5-4 of them).


• Monday – Kick Boxing. This is the one class I am always determined to make it to every week. It kicks my butt!! Lots of punches, kicks, squats, intervals…best class at my gym in my opinion.


• Tonight – Tonight I had a Small Group Training class at my gym. These are small classes you pay extra for. I am not usually keen on paying extra but this one is worth it…it’s more of a boot camp style class. We do cardio on a step with a medicine ball for a portion, and then various stations around the room working ALL the muscles. I am dead afterwards :)


• Tomorrow – Hoping to make it to Body Pump, haven’t been in over a month!

Happy Wednesday…we’re over the hump!

Lemon Pappardelle

Because of long holiday weekend, my “usual” classes at the gym (i.e. my Saturday morning and Monday evening Kickboxing classes) are cancelled!!! 

Not gonna lie this caused a momentary panic.  The worst part was I didn’t know Saturday’s 8am class was cancelled until I got there!!! 

My workout that day turned into yard work, which was fine because it was hot out and I was sweaty!

Sunday Brian and I did a nice run…about 4.6 miles.

Other randomness:

• Saw Sex and the City 2 Friday night….LOVE!  Went with 3 of my old college roomies, and we used to watch the show alllll the time.  I own seasons 3-6 on DVD.
• First we got soft serve….how is this a KIDDY cone?!?!  That would be vanilla/chocolate twist with JIMMIES!

• Had my first nectarines of the season!  DELICIOUS!  I love fresh peaches/nectarines!

Last Sunday when Mom and I hit up Trader Joes, they were sampling this Lemon pasta + tuna dish.  (They are always sampling something and 95% of the time I end up buying whatever it is)

1. – I’ve always been skeeved out by Tuna in oil (not any more.)
2. – I’ve never added canned tuna to anything besides sandwiches and cold salads.
3. – THIS WAS AWESOME!

Lemon Pepper Pappardelle + tuna + capers

• For 4 servings cook up 1 package of TJ’s Lemon Pepper Pappardelle  (got a big lemon smell when I opened the bag :)

• Once cooked, combine with 2 cans of Solid White tuna in Olive Oil.

The say not to drain the oil as it basically becomes the sauce…but I did drain some of the oil.

• Add half a jar of capers….or capers to your liking WITH their juice!  I am a caper lover :)
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

My additions were to serve over baby arugula for more greens, and to add a sprinkling of fresh parsley on top for color.

This was so easy and DELICIOUS!  The freshness from the lemon makes it so you don’t feel like your just eating canned tuna.  Plus what an easy way to add protein to a pasta dish.

Once the pasta is cooked this comes together in like 2 minutes.

Enhanced my Lemony dinner with lemon seltzer

     

Not to mention the leftovers were amazing cold.

I’d definitely recommend the TJ’s lemon pepper pappardelle pasta, but this recipe can easily be made if you don’t live near a TJ’s. 

I bet you could find another lemon pasta at a specialty store or even just use any other pasta and maybe add some lemon juice and lemon rind to the water you cook it in.  I might try that method with whole wheat pasta next time.