Make Yourself a Flippin' Quesadilla

On mornings when I get up as JT leaves I have extra time to either run, blog, or clean. I already had a run scheduled with the girls this afternoon so cleaning won the time slot. Today, as I cleaned, my thoughts drifted to my mission trip days. 

The first time I ever went to Honduras, I noticed their unique grass-cutting method. Men were on their hands and knees trimming blades of grass by swiftly swinging a machete back and forth. A lawn mower is not a luxury they are familiar with. Mopping our large floor with a small Swiffer reminded me of those hard working men (on a much smaller scale, of course)! 

Really, that shouldn't be a valid comparison, but you get what I'm saying...Small Swiffer, big floor. There must be a better way, right?

I have used a Shark, regular mop, and vacuum in the past, but I think a Swiffer gets the dust up better. It's just so tiny. Any suggestions for more efficient floor care?

An hour later I had worked up an appetite and a hatred for large spaces.  I went to the kitchen for more coffee and a morning smoothie to turn the morning around. Frozen banana + Coconut Chobani (also frozen) + 1/2 cup water + 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, blended to perfection with my Ninja. 

Then, I packed my lunch using yet another wedding gift. One can never have too many containers. Unless one can never find the lids, in which case, one can definitely have too many containers. 

Yesterday, JT just ran to the store to return a Redbox DVD. An hour later we had groceries we didn't know we needed. Great news for me and this delicious watermelon, goat cheese, peach, and Spring Mix lettuce salad combination I had for lunch today. Topped with Newman's Own Raspberry Walnut vinaigrette that I mixed with extra balsamic vinegar to keep at work for the week.

Followed by walnuts (that are too expensive per JT) and the last of my dark chocolate Ghirardelli chips that I keep in the freezer. You know, for emergencies.

Also for emergencies, the soy latte I had after lunch. Much needed caffeine jolt from the coffee cart. Trying not to get used to that.

Afternoon clinic resulted in sharing a small package of Goldfish with a coworker and half a small ice cream sandwich. I'm not proud, but I was in clinic during protein 30 (aka 3:30) so I couldn't have my usual snack. It serves as a nice reminder to always be prepared with healthy food choices so I don't cave at the sight of 4pm chocolate!

We stomped out our usual route after work. I missed this social hour yesterday! It is one of my favorite parts of the day. We noticed the light tunnel today and took advantage of the photo opp. 

Then, we noticed the dark clouds and decided we may need to speed up!

We just might be fast runners after all! We finished the route before the rain started. 

Dinner was quesadillas! Chicken, low carb tortilla, Pepper Jack cheese, roasted corn (Fidel grown!), and onions. I topped mine with salsa and avocado. JT topped his with cheese dip...I'm judging. 

After dinner, I got started on my Thank you cards from the wedding gifts. JT wrote quite a few himself. Every time I cook and use shiny new kitchenware, I am reminded of the kindness and generosity everyone showed us during our wedding season. Then, I feel guilty for not sending the cards sooner and I scurry to write more until my handwriting gets worse than a doctor's and I decide to finish tomorrow night. I actually really like writing them--it gives me the perfect time to reminisce over such a fun time! I'll finish them...tomorrow. Emily Post said I have 3 months post wedding. I like her. 

Back to the floors, how can I clean them??

READ MORE

Mail Call

This morning was a new Body Pump class at Shades Valley YMCA. We met at 5:30 am so the post workout glamour shot was a struggle. Who am I kidding, it's always a struggle! Today, we photographed tennis shoes. Because they don't seem to mind. 

Virginia and Kathleen are brave souls and got ready at the gym. I headed home to eat breakfast, drink coffee, and shower like it was Saturday morning. Ahh, the joys of living so close to work. McCormick's eggs were on the menu. Each spring/summer they bring extra eggs to work and I take full advantage of the cheap, home grown eggs.

Today, I "fried" the egg (without oil), grilled half a whole wheat tortilla, then added avocado and tomato for a delicious combination. A farmer's market peach added a nice, sweet touch. 

Around 11am I ate an apple for a snack. Then, lunch was eaten at my desk while I looked up patient information. Our recent farmer's market trip provided me some pretty great vegetables for the entire day. Today was about as southern as my meals can get. 

Tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, salt and pepper dressed in Red Wine vinegar that would make the Cracker Barrel blush (yes, they have it as a side item!). For protein, I added a mini Babybel light and my favorite Greek Yogurt.

My afternoon coffee break might have been a highlight. Or maybe I was just asleep before it. Either way, I convinced Kathleen to splurge (financially) on a nonfat latte and she may not go back to plain coffee.

The white wall is seemingly reminiscent of a mugshot, no?

We normally don't work out twice a day but we aren't sure about how much we will get to run together later this week so we took advantage of this bright and breezy social hour. Our usual 4 mile route was a little cooler today so that was a bonus! Ignore the closed eye look. 

I was starving by the time I got home and our chicken was still frozen, so I mixed up some of Peggy's Pimiento and Cheese as an appetizer. Then, I ate so much of it that I wasn't hungry for dinner.

               

JT still was, so we killed time with technology as dinner cooked. I remembered my new Fitbit should be in so I ran to check the mailbox. My current Fitbit was a Valentine's day gift but has since taken a turn for the worse. A plastic piece fell off making it nearly impossible to charge and hard to press the buttons. Fitbit has great customer service and sent me a free, new one within a week of my email. Thank goodness, too because the addiction is real--I'd hate to have to hunt them down for a new one. Mainly because I'd have to walk to find them and there's no point in walking if your Fitbit is broken.

Last Friday, JT and I checked the mail together and I noticed how he patiently held the envelope in his hand until we safely made it to the loft so he could carefully open the marriage certificate. I, on the other hand, can't stand the wait! Even if it's a bill, I tear into it right there in front of the mailbox like it's Christmas morning. Who knew your mail opening method could define your individual personality so perfectly.

On to dinner-- by the time it was ready, I wasn't very hungry so I left off the chicken and went for straight veggies. It wasn't super exciting, but was fresh from (someones) garden!

Now, we are discussing a Netflix system error and contemplating a decent bed time. Which, is 9:30 if you're me and 11:30 if you're JT...and I may or may not be stealing bites of his Snicker's ice cream.

What is your mail personality? Do you wait until you're home or open it right away?!

READ MORE

A Birthday and a Burger

{Kathleen}

Friday started with the usual breakfast of overnight oats (sorry it looks less than appetizing in this picture). I combined 1% milk + oats + very ripe banana + blueberries + walnuts. It was more soupy than the normal mix because I was out of chia seeds and my base was milk instead of yogurt, but it was still delicious. Side note: excuse the tupperware from the 70's.

Snack was a homemade granola bar in the morning, and an apple and some peanuts in the afternoon. 

I don't have a picture of the homemade granola bar but you can find the recipe here. I found the recipe on the blog Sally's Baking Addiction, which I love! This recipe is great because it takes around 5 minutes to prepare. It's no bake, so all you have to do is spread it in a 9 X 13 pan and let it sit in the fridge over night, then cut them the next day. I wrap them in saran wrap, freeze them, and simply take one out when I want it. They stay fresh for a while too!  

Lunch was my usual staple salad. I never get tired of it and it is a great way to get my veggies in when I know my dinner might not exactly be chock full of veggies :)

Spinach + Cherry Tomatoes + bell pepper + pecans + onions+ bleu cheese + vinegarette dressing 

That brings me to dinner. Today is my dads 59th birthday and he wanted to go out to eat to celebrate. We went to the Cheesecake Factory (per his request) and it was delicious, as always! My dad ordered the spicy cashew chicken, which he said was awesome...I'm glad he liked it because I'm the one who recomended it to him since I've had it a few times before and loved it! I branched out and ordered the Mushroom burger and it was probably the BEST BURGERS I'VE EVER HAD!!! 

Rainie will hate me for saying this as she thinks nothing can beat the original burger from Five Guys with the traditional topping of ketchup, mustard, lettuce and tomato (because that's what Americans do! -Rainie). However I am not a fan of Ketchup and prefer the more savory toppings. This burger had lots of sautéed mushrooms and onions with swiss cheese and lettuce on your typical bun. I don't eat burgers that often and really haven't started even eating them at all till the past year but when I do I make sure its a good one :) It also came with either fries or a side salad, since I was splurging on the burger I opted for a side salad. My dad ordered a piece of birthday cheesecake; the traditional with strawberries. He shared with everyone, although I'm not sure we gave him much of a choice. We were all so full none of us really had room for dessert but dad couldn't visit the Cheesecake Factory without ordering a piece. 

I also decided to take today off from exercise. Thursday night we went to Y-cross and I was exhausted by the time i got home, so I decided to sleep in rather than running before work today. I don't regret that decision at all I've been out of my usual routine this week and not gotten a whole lot of sleep. I still walked a lot at work and around the mall some after work so I still got 12,000+ steps which always makes me feel better :) 

With all that said TGIF! 

What's your favorite burger?

READ MORE

Healthy Bites {and a Magic Cookie Bar}

{Virginia}

It was a grab and go kind of week so breakfast was a Kashi Chocolate Almond Sea Salt bar and coffee with Splenda and hazelnut creamer.

Despite it being a crazy busy week at work, I still got to enjoy lunch with some of my favorite clinnuts Thursday. I had a delicious salad of spinach, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, carrots, mozzarella cheese stick (cut up), Ken's Lite Ranch dressing, and about 2 tablespoons of fried onion crispies.

A magic cookie bar (that magically found it's way into my hand after lunch) ...thanks to my friend Kim. I can never resist these when she brings them to work!  This is one of those irresistible office treats!  

I also had a mix of pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries and a mozzarella cheese stick.

Snack:  fruit (leftover from lunch) 

Dinner was one of my favorite salads:  spinach, strawberries, Apple, almonds, chick peas, Craisins, blue cheese, Ken's light vinaigrette dressing.

I also had a few bites of Cookies and Cream coconut milk ice cream. I bought this earlier in the week just because I was curious about it. Surprisingly, it's really pretty good-- if you like coconut flavor. One interesting fact is that this coconut milk ice cream has 7 grams fiber in 1/2 cup.  

Did you know the average American gets around 11 grams of fiber each day, but the recommendation is around 35 grams of fiber? Most Americans fall well below our recommended intake, which is bad news for us since fiber helps fill us up faster, keep us fuller longer, and stabilizes blood sugar levels to decrease cravings. Look for foods that contain greater than 5g of fiber per serving and fill up on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains!

To stay hydrated all day, I had: 94 oz water, 20 oz Powerade zero, Caffeine Free Diet Coke (12 oz), Regular Diet Coke (12oz), and my morning coffee (12 oz).

As for our exercise:

Kathleen and I went to our weekly Y-cross class (we missed you Rainie!).  We had a substitute teacher tonight.  We missed having Rod teach, but on the bright side, we were actually able to do the whole workout!  I can only speak for myself but when Rod teaches, I can only do about 60% of the class because I have to take so many breaks!  My goal is to be able to do 100% of Rod's class without breaks...one day!  

READ MORE

Short Hair. Don't Care.

{only I really do kind of care...}

But first, breakfast. I ran yesterday morning so I was feeling a savory breakfast. I had baked avocado once before (baked an egg in side half an avocado) but wasn't really a fan. I thought it was because of the eggy-ness of it so I tried it again yesterday sans egg. I added Mozzarella cheese on top and baked it while I showered. Then, decided I don't like warm avocado. Love them cold, but not baked. I ate it anyway, because I don't waste food, but it likely won't be re-appearing anytime soon.

Lunch on the other hand, was delicious. Clinic was really busy so I ended up eating in a rush and missing an in-service I was supposed to attend. I planned for the last of my mixed greens so I just kept it in the plastic container. Added sliced strawberries, goat cheese, and almonds (a winning combination). For dressing, simply Balsamic vinegar. Who needs a fancy dressing container when you've got the Medella 2 oz breastmilk container;). Perfect for dressing portions! An apple and Coconut Greek yogurt rounded out my lunch.

I went to Jasper so I ate chicken salad that my mom made. I was starving after I got my hair done so I didn't take a picture before I ate! Then, I had a banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter while I baked chocolate chip cookies for the fam and successfully avoided eating them! Janey reminded me that as a dietitian, I  should not have a cookie recipe memorized. 

Now for my hair...

I used to really want curly hair to the point where I tried to convince my mom I needed a perm. In high school, scrunching your curly hair was so in, but there is no curl at all to my hair, so I used to french braid it overnight and let it out in the morning to make it look "scrunched". I'm not sure that it was a great idea but I thought so at the time. I loved how my friend Mallory could wear curly hair or straight hair depending on the day. It just wasn't in the cards for me. Life is always greener on the other side, right?

Now, I am actually super grateful for my non-curly hair. It is so easy! I wash it at night, it dries while I'm asleep and viola! In this picture I took yesterday at work, my hair had dried over night, I ran yesterday morning, and threw my sweaty hair into my usual bun. When I took it down, this is what I had. 

Like I said, easy! But also, hot! And running in 90+ degree weather with a ponytail that's so long it still rests on your neck just isn't going to work all summer. Plus, I always were it up. I just feel like it gets in the way and I tend to run my fingers through it when I'm concentrating (which is fine, unless I'm talking to a patient and playing with my hair at the same time- like, totally profesh, right?). So, I decided to get it cut...

It is definitely going to take some getting used to. It's already flipped out this morning so I'm actually going to have to style it. I don't own a straightener or a hair dryer so I guess I'm in the market for some hair tools. I think my long hair looks better but I think my short hair feels better. Sometimes, you have to choose;) Either way, it'll be grown back by the fall so I will probably survive.

Today, I am skipping the usual YMCA class that Virginia, Kathleen, and I go to because Janey is coming to spend the night and we are going to watch Cinderella at the dollar theater! My legs are a little sore anyway so I am counting today as an off day in exercise. To get a few more steps in though, I am walking to work so here's hoping my hair holds up on day one!

What straightening iron should I buy? Not too pricey, but still good...Any suggestions?

READ MORE

Lasagna + Dalmatians

It's hot outside. Like 90+ degrees. Thankfully, I work indoors, JT however, works in the hot sun all day. I don't know how he does it. Yesterday, I was running downtown by myself and a construction worker, who had obviously just gotten off of work, was carrying a large bucket of supplies and his hard hat. As I jogged passed him, he said in a thick Spanish accent "You're running and I'm barely walking" to which I replied "you worked harder than me today, I'm sure of it!" It really made me think about how hard they all work. Props to JT and all you guys (and girls) working in the summer heat day in and day out! Don't forget to drink water!

Even though I work in the nice air conditioned space of a hospital, I still want cool and refreshing breakfasts and lunches. Yesterday, I started with coffee (of course) and a chocolate, coconut smoothie. I blended one 5.3 ounce of Chobani Greek Coconut (frozen), 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, and 1/4 cup almond milk for a creamy, milkshake-like start to my day.

On to Lunch:

Lunch was quick and easy- fruit, cheese, and an avocado. I always try to make sure I have a carb and a protein, plus some healthy fats when I can. One time I was talking with some friends about how I analyze what I am eating. It's the curse of a dietitian, we can't just eat without thinking about the nutrients (or lack thereof) in the food. Curse and a blessing, I guess. I tried to explain it by saying where someone sees a sandwich for lunch and needs to add chips (because that's a typical side), I see it as my sandwich has carbs, protein, and fat, so no need for additional carbs from chips, I'll add veggies on the side for some vitamins and minerals and fiber. Things I always try to have are protein and fiber at every meal and snack. The two work together to keep us fuller longer. 

I ran by myself after work because Virginia and Kathleen had other plans. It was hot and I really missed having friends to distract me from thinking about how hot it was.

For dinner I made Lasagna. Y'all Lasagna is time consuming! And shouldn't it hold it's structure better than this?

I cooked the whole wheat pasta, made the sauce from tomato paste, tomato sauce, basil, lean ground beef, and onions, made the cheese mixture from freshly grated (in my ninja) Parmesan cheese, 2% Mozzarella cheese, and fat free cottage cheese. Then, layered it into a pan. Seems like I had it all together- right? I was feeling pretty confident until I went to put the lasagna in the oven and found 2 smoking cast iron skillets that had been baking during the preheating sesh. (oops.) So, I grabbed them while absentmindedly turning off the oven at the same time. Only, I didn't know I turned off the oven until 30 minutes later when I checked on the lasagna and noticed it hadn't cooked at all. I told JT I would have dinner ready by the time he got home from playing golf after work. Wife fail. At least it tasted good when we finally got to eat at 8pm!

I am currently trying to refrain from baking. Ever since we got married I have had a blast using all my new kitchen equipment. We have a canister from Pottery Barn that was gifted to us. When I registered for it, I thought it would be a good flour canister. However, the first week I had it, I made cookies and put them in the canister. We now consider that the "cookie jar". I felt like an inadequate home maker for having an empty cookie jar so I'm pretty sure I made chocolate chip cookies (from scratch) every three days the first month of marriage. Needless to say, the baking must come to an end (for now). Dessert was three ingredient banana ice cream. 

2 frozen bananas (peel and freeze), 6 strawberries, and 1/4 cup milk blended until smooth for a delicious treat. JT doesn't like bananas, but he does like this so don't be afraid to try it! It's not as banana-y tasting as you think it would be. We enjoyed our dessert while watching 101 Dalmatians on Netflix and deciding we would like a dalmatian puppy now. 

Would you rather work inside or outside? And how do you stay cool in the summer heat?

READ MORE

Friday Food and Fun

{Virginia}

I have had more energy this week despite getting the same amount of sleep. I attribute this to getting back on track with eating a balanced diet. Even dietitians fall off the wagon sometimes...my weakness is desserts! 

Since I exercised everyday this week I took today off but I did get a lot of walking in at work so... I guess I did get some exercise in today after all. 

Breakfast: Kashi granola bar and coffee (Splenda and hazelnut creamer) 

AM snack: Baby Bell Light cheese (2) with everything pretzel chips

Lunch: mini sweet peppers and cucumbers dipped in hummus; 

assorted berries (strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries)

Afternoon snack: Noosa blueberry yogurt 

Dinner: BBQ chicken salad with house vinaigrette dressing (Moe's BBQ in Lakeview).

Snack (at game night at Rainie and JT's, such a fun night!): snacked on goat cheese with crackers, fruit, Greek yogurt Ranch dip with celery, popcorn and caramel dessert bars (2). Kathleen (Blue Eyed Baker strikes again) made Carmelita dessert bars and they were amazing! Like I said, desserts are my weakness but I did manage to steer clear of the store bought cookies. I try to make the dessert worth it by going with homemade! 

Share your favorite game night game below!

READ MORE

Food and Fitness Thursday Recap

{Kathleen}

Naturally, I started my day the right way. No coffee...no workee...

Breakfast: My usual staple breakfast: Overnight Oats ( oats + almond milk + chia seeds + walnuts + what yogurt was left in the bottom of the container) 

I love using the peanut butter jars or the actual yogurt containers when they are empty as it less dishes to wash at the end of the day! 

Lunch: Spinach Salad with shredded chicken + Bleu cheese + bell peppers + tomatoes + balsamic vinaigrette dressing 

I enjoyed eating lunch with some of my favorite #clinnuts! Some days work is too crazy and I end up inhaling my lunch in clinic or at my desk but I try to eat lunch with my fellow RD's at least 1-2 times/week. Its nice to take a break in the middle of the day! And it also helps that my coworkers also happen to be some of my best friends which makes my job that much more enjoyable. 

Snack: I've gotten into the peanut butter and banana snack in the afternoon. I've just got to make sure if we are running after work that day to not eat it too late to avoid any GI mishaps while running. All you runners out there know what I'm talking about I'm sure :)

I also ate an apple on the way to the gym. Here she is:

And that brings me to the workout for the day. Rainie, Virginia and I have recently started attending Rod's "Y-cross" class at the YMCA on Thursday nights from 5:30-6:30, and let me just tell you it kicks my butt! Every time I leave there completely exhausted. The class to me is a mix of "Insanity" type moves and "cross fit" style workout. We do each exercise for a minute straight, and If I'm honest I have to take at least one quick break, usually 2 or 3 to make it through that minute. Rod is an awesome instructor too, I'm not sure how he comes up with some of the moves but I just know its always hard to walk the few days after. Hopefully it will get easier the more we go! While Running is still probably my favorite way to exercise, this type of class/workout definitely challenges me more than running on a typical day. Rod took advantage of our post class photo opp and joined the fun!

Then I headed home for dinner, my mom cooked as the whole family was going to be home for dinner, which seems like that never happens in the summer with different work schedules. And, of course, I forgot to take a picture because I was so hungry my plate was polished off before I remembered... But we had baked chicken with a pesto sauce on it + black eyed peas + roasted potatoes + broccoli + coleslaw (yes coleslaw seems odd and really didn't go but we had some that was going bad and needed to be eaten= resourceful!).

Dessert: 2 of my sisters were complaining of a sore throat and cold earlier this week so naturally that meant my mom bought 3-- 1/2 gallons of ice cream. We had mint chocolate chip, double chocolate , coffee, and of course I had a little sampling of all three. We also had some  of "the original" brownies in the freezer we took out to go with them. 

After all the dinner dishes were done I put my baking skills to work and made Carmelitas for the first time. Rainie and JT are hosting a game night at their loft Friday night and I said I would bring dessert so I experimented with a new recipe. I typically always default to brownies of some variety but I felt like mixing it up a little.  I used the Pillsbury recipe and they seemed to have turned out pretty good. I guess I will let everyone be the judge of that Friday night. Check back for a Be Well post from Virginia tomorrow!

We are always looking for new exercises to try...Share your favorite way to switch up your exercise routine with us! 

READ MORE