It's a Wrap!

SUP

2010-08-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

There's something so comforting about a bowl of oatmeal in the morning. In the mix, I added pumpkin, 1/2 a chopped red delicious apple, one egg white, vanilla coconut milk, sliced almonds, and maple sugar. Heated and mixed together I felt like it was November and not August.

I needed some sustenance to go to my Stand Up Paddling excursion on Town Lake!
Seriously, this is the best work out possible for your arms and abs. Not to mention gathering your sense of balance. Do you know what SUP is? It's a mix of surfing/rowing rolled all into one.
Here's the instructor teaching us techniques.

And a beautiful picture of Town Lake in Austin.

Now this was my 2nd time, so I thought I was a semi-pro by now, right? Wrong. No problem getting on the board...
No problem standing up on the board, getting my balance, and rowing....
It wasn't until I started rowing back into shore that I ran into that HUGE tree branch jutting out that I fell off the board and made a might fool of myself! I'm glad I could provide some entertainment for my fellow SUP-pers :)

Only in Austin!

I had a little snack of a little thing called a Cashew Cookie Larabar.

Before hitting up the best lunch ever! A whole wheat lavash wrap with Maranatha smooth and creamy almond butter, cinnamon, and diced peaches.

Grilled it up on the quesadilla-maker

and served with some steamed spinach, 2 chopped egg whites, and nutmeg.

And there you have it...my Austinite experience for the week! As for the dairy experiment, no progress thus far but then again it's only been a week.
Reason for the experiment? I'm heading back up to DFW for a wedding. I have to be someone's date which I have no problem with because he is cute :) and I do know the groom (we went to high school together). But I'm not loving the fact that I'm going to need hell-a make-up to cover up the stress/hormones/whatever it is going on up there.
All I know is I've got my dancing shoes ready so bring it on! Oh, and what the heck should I wear to a day-time wedding? It's starting early with a brunch which is a new concept for me. Formal-wear, casual...?

Dairy and Acne

2010-07-30T04:32:00.000-07:00

Let's talk food first, shall we?
Brown rice tortilla spread with pesto and baked with black beans and spinach. Simple and delicious! Served with baked zucchini squash slices in sea salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Breakfast bowl of the last of my oats, coconut, walnuts, Wallaby plain yogurt, 1/2 a sliced banana, fresh blueberries, and a sprinkling of maple pecan granola.
Sesame seed bread toasted spread with Maranatha almond butter, Crofter's strawberry jam, and steamed spinach with two egg whites sprinkled with nutmeg. This meal was surprisingly very filling :)
2 split mini pitas spread with Organicville barbecue sauce, cubed tofu, creamy Havarti cheese, and steamed mustard greens.
Which brings me to the question of the day: what's your opinion on dairy causing acne? I admit I love me some cheese! Every meal lately has included some form of dairy and lately I've noticed an increase in acne and zits on my face. I have two wedding comings up the first two weekends of August and I'm not about to display my problem skin. So after today I'm committing to cutting out the dairy in my diet as a trial. So again, what's your opinion?

Hope you have great plans for the weekend!!

Holy Crapper!

2010-07-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Crap monkey! I get off work and of course my toilet has to overflow and flood my bathroom 5 minutes after the leasing office closes. I be a dialing...emergency maintenance! Ugh...gross. Not the way I wanted to spend my evening cleaning the floor.

But at least I had a good dinner before the shit hit the floor :)

2 slices of sesame bread spread with sun-dried tomato pesto, cubed tofu, and creamy Havarti cheese melted on top. Served with some not so stellar and bland kale on the side. I think Havarti cheese is making the top of my list of favorites. Goat cheese is hard to beat though.

A great breakfast of Wallaby yogurt mixed with oatmeal, coconut, walnuts, 2 chopped plums, and 1/2 a chopped pear.
Yum, I'm getting hunger pangs looking at this pizza again. Brown rice tortilla baked with butternut squash puree, black beans, fig goat cheese, spinach, the other half of my chopped pear and asparagus on the side.
I met up with some friends at a coffee shop and here's the view of the dock from the patio close to sunset. Sigh....
New discovery: Pitettes whole wheat pita bread. 2 mini-pitas equals one serving so these are not the new base of my pizza creations.
I split them in half and spread with butternut squash mixed with barbeque sauce and lentils. Baked with Galaxy Nutritional cheddar rice shreds with asparagus tips.

Exciting news...well at least for me. I applied to be a contributing writer for Livestrong.com and they hired me. My first article was published today :) and I've been given a second one to write this week. Check it out: How to Lose Weight with a Shopping List on Livestrong. Remember this is just my first one and I promise to get better. Love you lots!

Meals Galore!

2010-07-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the well wishes and good luck. I did get the job and it's so nice to keep my afternoons busy! It's a part-time job being an office manager at a real estate company. The agents are so friendly and welcoming, I can see us becoming and acting like a family already. That's the most important thing to me because it makes work more bearable, don't ya think?

Where do you work?

But at the same time, I know I can't stay here for long. It would be ideal if I was a married woman, on my husband's insurance, and looking to supplement our income. But the reality is I'm a single lady needing to pay my bills with the need for health insurance and a retirement plan. So I'm still hunting for a full-time position that will utilized my degrees.

Since it's been so long, I have some meals I had stored in my camera in no real order so if it's repetitive....sorry!

Here's a delicious breakfast from Rachel Ray's magazine (when am I finally going to meet her!?)

Oats soaked overnight in coconut milk with dried cherries, walnuts, and honey. In the morning, I added fresh berries and more honey. Fab-o!
Meal: Flax bread spread with baba ghanoush, basil, and flaxseed tempeh served with baked zucchini squash and spinach with more baba on the side for dippage.
Meal: Roasted sweet potatoes, egglplant, and cubed tofu with cayenne pepper, sea salt, ground black pepper, and olive oil.
Meal: Brown rice tortilla spread with avocado slices, cooked lentils, goat cheese, and basil topped it off after it baked in the oven for awhile until crispy.
Another good breakfast: Oats, coconut milk, shredded coconut, 1/2 a sliced banana, 2 chopped fresh apricots, chocolate chips, honey, and fat free cascade fresh yogurt stirred in at the end.
This one I'm most proud of! As most of you know, I've been battling an eating disorder for several years. I cannot remember the last time I've eaten pasta (it's been several years for sure). Pasta was a big FEAR food on my no-no list. So for some reason I decided to conquer this one! I made myself a big bowl of pasta that I tossed with some steamed kale and homemade sun-dried tomato pesto I picked up from the farmer's market. Topped it with a little extra shredded cheddar cheese and I ate the whole thing!! I was so happy with myself and resisted the urge to jump on a treadmill to burn it off...

And finally....another version of the 1st meal I showed you. Flax bread spread with baba ghanoush, tuna, spinach and served with roasted eggplant with more baba on the side.

With that re-cap, I'm getting all sorts of hungry and I have to eat something before heading to work. Gotta work hard for the money!! Have a fabulous Thursday! I can't wait for the weekend...big plans to share with you laters.

A Little Nervous

2010-07-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a little nervous today. I have an interview for a part-time job that I really need/want to keep me busy this summer and bring in some moolah. I get so nervous...do you have any good tips for me?

A quick recap of my eats from yesterday...

Breakfast of champions: oatmeal, coconut flakes, carob chips, 1/2 a sliced banana, fresh strawberries, vanilla coconut milk, and spirulina.

Lunch: Gluten-free flaxseed bread by Glutino spread with pumpkin, Organicville barbeque sauce, cayenne pepper, aduki beans, and cheddar rice shreds broiled and served with baked zucchini slices sprinkled with sea salt and pepper.
Snack: Medjool dates with walnut halves
Dinner was a totally random pizza: brown rice tortilla spread with half a mashed avocado, spinach, fresh basil, flaxseed cubed tempeh, and a diced peach. Sweet and savory...a real treat!
And finally a picture of my new pet Bambi, the deer that keeps returning to my backyard to drink from my little creek. Adorable :)
I'll be back soon!

Chick Lit

2010-07-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hello blogland! Another weekend down the drain but I made the most of it for sure. Friday night I attended a happy hour party at a local Mexican restaurant for a birthday! My disordered eating brain was telling me DON'T GO!! That bastard voice has been sneaking up on me more and more lately. I think it's been the extra stress I've been under. But I squashed the inner voice (that makes me sound crazy, doesn't it?) and I forced myself to go out anyways. I managed and ordered fish tacos with black beans. Sure, I felt guilty but I knew I did the right thing by going out.

My morning started pretty simple since I had not done my grocery shopping for the week just yet. Just a chopped peach and sliced banana with Udi's gluten free vanilla granola and vanilla coconut milk. Coconut milk is so refreshing and light! I highly recommend it :)

For lunch I spread a brown rice tortilla with spicy cilantro hummus, cubed tofu, asiago cheese, black kalamata olives, and steamed dandelion greens. This flavor of hummus paired perfectly with the asiago cheese.
And some stellar asparagus tips baked with garlic, salt, and a little bit of EVOO. Who else is loving asparagus being in season right now? Too bad it makes your pee smell....TMI!
This afternoon I met with this great group of ladies for our Chick Lit Book Club meeting at a used bookstore. The book of the month was Confessions of a Beauty Addict by Nadine Haobsh. The novel takes you into the behind-the-scenes of working at a beauty magazine. The book is so well-written, funny, and you really find yourself relating to the main character Bella. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone that loves fluffy chick lit like I do. And it was great meeting with the girls :)
Dinner featured my fave: a Japanese sweet potato. If you can find these at a grocery store buy one. Your taste buds will thank you and me. I baked these as fries with zucchini slices, tofu, salt, pepper, and a bit too much cayenne pepper. Somebody bring me some water please...my mouth is on FIRE!
I'm ready to settle down for the evening and watch The Hills series re-runs I recorded. Season finale on Tuesday!! Anybody else watch this show as a guilty pleasure too? There you have it, my two biggest guilty pleasures in one post. Reality TV and Chick Lit. Hey, it could be worse, right?

Don't Forget About Me

2010-07-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

Please don't forget about me! With moving and job hunting I've been a super busy girl but missing you like crazy!! But I'm slowly settling in and should be resuming a normal blogging schedule soon.

Austin is fabulous....especially with signs like this one and deer crossing signs. Seriously, I have deer that come in my backyard and front porch.

But I have a couple of pictures to share and I promise to take more scenic ones once the rain stops. The environment and scenery is breathtaking and I can' t wait to share more with you.

Here's the front of the new digs....
The name of the apartment complex...
My messy living room that's still missing a couch....
A faraway picture of my apartments...
Oh, la, la.....
The creek behind my sundeck where the deer come to drink water...
The view from my bedroom...which is the Greenbelt where they have hiking and biking trails, cliff diving, rock climbing, etc. I'm at most 3-5 minutes away from entering this gem.
Have you ever moved to a city where you just automatically felt like you belonged? Like you were home? That's how I feel in this great city of mine. I can't wait to share my adventures in this new chapter of my life. And like I said don't forget about me...I'm still here y'all!

All Falling Into Place

2010-06-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Things are falling into place slowly but surely. Like I mentioned in my last post, I have an interview Monday for another Math teaching position in the Austin ISD. I also have a group interview Sunday night in Austin for an International Recruit Coordinator position. Crossing fingers.....

Yummy breakfast ahead: oats, slivered almonds, spinach, half a chopped gala apple, kiwi, and coconut milk with a touch of Chobani Greek yogurt (on sale at Whole Food)!

Lunch was interesting. I tried to make my own tomato sauce out of cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Fail! I think I put too much lemon in this stuff. I spread this on a brown rice tortilla and baked it with spinach, tongol tuna, goat cheese, and zucchini rounds. Goat cheese makes everything better in my book!
Snack: Udi's gluten free original granola with some fresh strawberries and so delicious vanilla coconut milk ( my new obsession).
Dinner was so much fun to eat! Chopsticks my friends....you eat slower and get some good hand coordination skills practice. I ate my steamed spinach, baked Japanese sweet potato fries, and zucchini squash while reading Jane Austen Ruined My Life.
In other news: I've decided to make use of my summer and volunteer at the Tarrant County Food Bank. I'll be attending a one hour training and then volunteering about 3-4 hours of my time everyday. I need to give back to my community and I can set my own hours (unlike part-time work) and I still get to travel in between.
Do you volunteer anywhere?

Bittersweet

2010-06-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

This week has definitely been taxing on me. Friday was my last day of work at the junior high. We had a nice final faculty meeting where they said something nice about those leaving. They also gave me this gorgeous matted framed picture of a black and white front view of the school and all the teachers had signed it for me. The principal told me she had interviewed 10 people to take over my Math position the day before and didn't like any of them. She said no one could fill my shoes. I cried like crazy that last day. It was so bittersweet and I know I must be crazy to leave without having another job lined up in Austin just yet. But I have faith that I will end up where I am needed. Trust. I am ready to start a new chapter in my life.

Saturday was the night of my sister's graduation from high school! Our family took up 20 seats and we made complete fools of ourselves! I think the whole auditorium knew who we were cheering for!!

I'm so proud of my sissy...#8 baby in her class of 600+ students!! She got the brains AND looks!

The whole family.

And of course we had the tacky signs :)

Pre- graduation picture.

We didn't get out till LATE so we ended up at IHOP afterwards. We had a party for her today at the house. I'll have to post those pictures tomorrow so that you're not too bored.

Food-wise these past few days have been routine. Things are so crazy I've been keeping it simple with normal foods.

Hard-boiled egg with oatmeal heated with coconut milk, pumpkin, chopped dry figs, apple, and spinach.
Another yummy breakfast of oats, spinach, sliced banana, kiwi, slivered almonds, and the last of my Chobani greek yogurt.
Lunch: Quesadilla with goat cheese, avocado, basil, fresh ground pepper, and pinto beans with grilled asparagus.
Lunch to go: Spicy veggie tempeh, sweet potato fries, zucchini, spinach, and Organicville barbeque sauce.
And the simplest and best: Ezekiel toasted bread with Maranatha smooth and creamy almond butter, Crofter's strawberry jam, and zucchini slices with steamed spinach on the side.
Have I mentioned how much clearer my skin is now? I think it's due to all the greens I've been eating! Score!! I shouldn't jinx myself though.

How was everyone's weekend? No tears shed like me I hope :)

My Inner Audrey Hepburn

2010-05-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day to everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying time with family and hopefully having some good barbeque. This weekend has been jam-packed with so many events. Most importantly, my sister's prom! I always say it, but I just can't believe how fast she's growing up. Pictures coming up before you ask:

Leila looking like a goddess next to my shortie momma.

The parentals and sis.

Leila and her date: really decent guy. Don't worry I grilled him and my Dad gave him the speech. Funnily, the same one he gave my date 9 years ago.

My sister and her friends at the pre-party.

But of course a picture of me with daddio.

Okay, okay. So excited about this one. Anybody ever seen Breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn? One of my all time favorite movies. My mom always tells me I remind her of Audrey Hepburn. Any celebrity people say you resemble?

Anyways after seeing my sister off to prom, I met up with my best friend who was out of town for my graduation party for dinner at a Mexican joint El Gabacho. She surprised my with a little blue box tied with a white ribbon. You know what I'm talking about...my first ever Tiffany jewelry! A little silver horseshoe to bring me good luck for the new chapter I'll be beginning in my life! I LOVE YOU EMILY! Now I truly feel like Audrey :)
Today I started the morning with swamp oats. Or at least that's what it ends up looking like after adding a tsp of spirulina. Oats, coconut milk, blueberries, 1/2 a sliced banana, egg white, carob chips, and Greek yogurt.
Lunch was an avocado, goat cheese, and spicy veggie tempeh with basil and spinach on the side.
Snack: A new granola which I absolutely loved! Udi's gluten free original granola, 1/2 a sliced banana, and drowned with coconut milk.
I went to a little barbeque that my friend was throwing but didn't stay long because (1) I wasn't hungry and (2) it was freaking hot!

Dinner I was in the mood for something light: Oats, pumpkin, chopped dry figs, 1/2 a chopped red delicious apple, spinach, and Greek yogurt with a hard-boiled egg on the side.

Tonight's agenda is getting ready for my last week of work before school is out for the summer and watching me some Bachelorette. Yah for reality TV! I haven't decided which bachelor I like the most yet but I can definitely say it's a no for Craig the Creep.

Night all!

Hola Amigas!

2010-05-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

Que pasa chicas? What's going on? I hadn't realized how long it had been since I had blogged until I checked posts and noticed it had been ten days! I guess with all the craziness of school winding down, I've been caught up in work. On top of that I'm applying for new jobs (assistant principal anyone?) and giving my 30 day notice to my apartment complex. So I have to find a new place to stay too! And did I mention in another city? Yup, that's right! I'm trying to make my way back down to Austin. Boy, do I miss it! Have you lived somewhere before and would move back in a second given the chance?

In the meantime my meals have been pretty normal.
Breakfast: oats, 1/2 a sliced banana, blackberries, carob chips, spinach, and Greek yogurt.

Lunch was two toasted Ezekiel slices spread with Maranatha almond butter and my new Crofter's strawberry jam. I finally bought some at Whole Foods because they were on sale and I've read about them around the blogs. Delish! And served with zucchini fries.
Snack: Chobani with maple pecan granola.
My fave lately for dinner: Food for Life brown rice tortilla with pumpkin/barbeque sauce spread and baked with black beans, spinach, and cheddar rice shreds.
Busy weekend ahead and tonight is a Texas Hold 'Em and Blackjack tournament party. Here's me all glammed up ready to go out for the night. Excuse my sweaty, Texas face!
See, I can clean up pretty well! Everyone always asks me if I'm glowing because I'm in love and I tell them sadly no. It's just the 100 degree Texas heat that's making me sweat :)
Wish me luck playing with the big boys!!

Returning Back To Normal

2010-05-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all the congratulations! It's so nice having free time now and my appetite is slowly returning back to normal. For yummy things like a breakfast oatmeal bowl with 1/2 a chopped red delicious apple, sliced banana, coconut, chocolate chips, an egg white and Greek yogurt.

And a lunch that began with baked zucchini squash before the star of the show...
the return of my all time favorite pizza. Have you tried this yet? If not, I'm coming over ASAP to make it for you :)
Brown rice tortilla, pumpkin spread with goat cheese, sauteed spinach, 1/2 a red delicious apple, protein choice (this one I used aduki beans), a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkling of cinnamon baked for 15 minutes. Why would I want to starve myself when I can make meals like this? For reals!
And then dinner was spicy veggie tempeh baked with sweet potato fries and zucchini with barbeque sauce.

So many shows and so little time! Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, and Glee. What will you be watching?
On another note, I am not a happy camper. My apartment complex has had no hot water the past couple of days. After speaking to the apt. manager today, she says the boiler is out and they had to order a new one. It will hopefully be fixed by Thursday! What?! I am not enjoying my freezing cold baths :( thankyouverymuch. I have to jump out after about a minute so I'm looking kind of grungy. I might cave and spend the night at my parent's house. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! What's your worst apartment experience?

Graduated and No More Tuition!

2010-05-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

Who's that girl with the Masters degree? It's me, it's me!! Yup, finally no more tuition and giving my paychecks to UTA. Friday night I walked across that stage and got "hooded". I now have my Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. I don't know what I'm going to do now with all this free time in my evenings now. I'm sure I'll think of something ;)

Here are some pics from the night and my celebration graduation brunch with friends and family. What a special day!

Family

The sis and my scholarly self

Cousin, aunt, and uncle

Best cousin ever ...like a brother

Done and happy

They're so proud of me...

Teachers from school...my extended family :)

Friends and great support system

Daddy's little girl

Best momma ever!

Little sis, big sis

And that's how it's done! This morning I treated myself to a yummy bowl of oatmeal topped with chopped apple, butternut squash puree, chopped dry figs, chocolate chips, and Greek yogurt.

Lunch was equally delicious...guacamole, spinach, roast beef, fresh basil, and goat cheese.
My friend got me a gift certificate for a free massage at Massage Envy. I have an appointment soon to relieve this tension brought on by my 4.0 GPA baby! I'm sorry, I had to brag :) Have a wonderful Sunday!

Graduation #1

2010-05-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

I promise I'm not ignoring you! I've just been out of town for the past few days. My cousin graduated from Northwestern State in Louisiana with his Bachelors in Liberal Arts on Friday. I took off a couple of days to head on out there to support him. My parents are actually his god-parents so he's practically my brother.

The graduate and my family....
So proud of my cousin!
The whole familia that made the long drive to Lousiana at the Mexican restaurant we ate at after the ceremony.

The sad thing is that he never thought he would be able to do it. He's actually the first boy on my mother's side of the family to complete college. He had so many obstacles..financially, personally, emotionally but he overcame it all to finish his degree!! Congrats Gordito, this cousin is so proud of you!

After the graduation we headed to Shreveport to do some gambling a la Yasmin-style at the blackjack and Texas Hold 'Em tables. I came out about even so that makes me a winner :)

It felt good to come back today though and resume a normal eating schedule. I felt so bloated and guilty for not exercising in these past 5 days.

Oatmeal was in order: coconut, thawed peaches, sliced banana, and a vanilla Chobani yogurt. Come to mama!!

Speaking of mommas, Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous ladies out there! I spent the day with my fabulous mother watching Sherlock Holmes on DVD and cleaning the house.

Lunch: Food for Life brown rice tortilla spread with pumpkin, barbeque sauce, and goat cheese. Baked with spinach and chickpea and zucchini. Yum, yum, yum!

Dinner: A baked sweet potato, zucchini, and spicy veggie tempeh topped with Organicville barbeque sauce.

Alright, next graduation coming up is mine on Friday! Excited and nervous at the same time but I'm ready for that Masters damnit! Time to get ready for a busy week at school. Love y'all!

One Event

2010-05-04T04:55:00.000-07:00

Has there ever been an event/experience in your life that has changed the course of the rest of where you thought you were heading?
I'm having to make some big changes in my life within the next couple of months and you know how emotionally draining that can be. I'm trying to find hope and faith that with the support of families and friends, I might be able to survive these upcoming events. I pray for strength, forgiveness, and peace within myself as I conquer this new battle.
A dear friend that I met through this blog is helping me through this with her encouraging words and amazing spirit. I promised her that I would not give up and continue nourishing my body bye eating and not starving myself.
I managed to fit in two meals today with a couple of snacks in between so I consider that progress even though the guilt of eating still burdened me.

Meal #1: Oatmeal, 1/2 sliced banana, blackberries, carob chips, coconut, and Oikos Greek yogurt.

I picked up some pre-made salmon burgers from Whole Foods later in the day. This burger was made of salmon, spinach, feta cheese, and various spices. Grilled and served along with sweet potato fries, zucchini, and barbeque sauce.

Normally, I would be jumping for joy for trying something new but today it was just another meal I had to choke down.
In time, my appetite will return I hope. Thanks for putting up with me :)

A Dark Place

2010-05-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

There's a reason I haven't blogged in awhile. I'm going to be completely honest with you and admit that I have been in a dark place. Some things have happened in my personal life that have hurt alot of people and may have many more repercussions/consequences. The stress has been feeding my eating disorder and I'm sorry but yes I have skipped meals.

I have fit in some though when my stomach is screaming at me to feed it.
Cantaloupe half with greek yogurt, blueberries, and pumpkin flax granola.

Food for life tortilla with avocado, chicken, basil, barbeque sauce, and fresh mozzarella.
1/2 an avocado with some almond breeze vanilla milk
And oatmeal with sliced bananas, coconut, blueberries, steamed spinach, rose water, and Greek yogurt.

But everything tastes like dust. Why eat when nothing tastes good? That's what me ED is telling me. How do you shut it up?

27th Birthday Party

2010-04-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

One more day to enter my birthday giveaway and you don't want to miss out I promise! Technically my birthday is not until tomorrow but that didn't stop me from throwing myself a party last night at El Arroyo's. Pretty pictures coming right up...

My cousins

Vogue

Charlie's Angels

Cheesy

High school friends

Best friends

Awwww....

Co-workers

Clearly I was having a good time!

I have to put myself in every picture, don't I?

More co-workers

My chicas

Group shot

One last picture...I had over 100 but you just got a quick re-cap :)

It was fabulous. We had about 40 plus people show up. I loved how my family, friends from high school and college, co-workers, etc.. all got along. Luckily I was able to secure the patio with the live band playing in the background. I am so blessed with these people in my life.

And some food pics to keep you satisfied....chocolate banana oats.

Goat cheese, chicken, avocado, and spinach quesadilla.
Pizza spread with baba ghanoush from a local Indo-European store that I had to try (and very happy with), roast beef, spinach, and baked zucchini.
I am absolutely exhausted but a good night's sleep will have me well rested for my actual day tomorrow. Peace out!

Birthday Giveaway!!!

2010-04-20T05:10:00.000-07:00

6 days and counting until my 27th birthday!! Monday, April 26th to be exact. I've started the countdown...another year down and I like to think another year wiser. So let's celebrate! What better way than hosting my very own birthday giveaway :)

Who's with me? I've put together a little surprise package of goodies. It promises to be good and filled with treats guaranteed to be loved by all food bloggers, book lovers, and fashionistas ;)
How To Enter:
1. Leave a comment on this post. If it was your birthday, what would you ask for right now?
2. Link back to this post if you have a blog.
3. Add me to your reader if I'm not there already!

Contest ends of course April 26th, the morning of my special day. Have a great day and happy commenting!

Be Aware

2010-04-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling like my old self again. Social, spontaneous, living life...trying not to let my food issues rule my life and isolate myself from others. I actually went out two nights in a row (I have the bags under my eyes to prove it). Granted, I'm still an oldie and was pooped and in bed by midnight but still :)

Friday night was a last minute birthday party for a friend. I showed up, chatted, and met a potential date? Hmmmm...we shall see! However, the night was spoiled by my supposed "friend". I try not to drink these days and will usually nurse one drink but my "friend" said to take a shot of vodka for the birthday girl's sake. I took the shot he gave me but vodka it was not. Everclear was the culprit. My eyes started burning and I ran to the sink to wash out my mouth. I was SO PISSED, I left right then and there. Makes me wonder what else he would lie about or put in my drink. My mom always warned me in college to watch my drinks so a warning to all you girls out there. Be aware. I get mad just thinking about it...ass-hole...sorry for my language.

Saturday night was a lot better. It was a girls' night at my friend's house to have a Pokeno night. What's Pokeno? It's like a twist of poker and bingo. Each of us brings a $10 gift and if you win a round you get to pick one. After the first round, you can steal other people's prizes. We played until midnight and someone stole my gorgeous turquoise necklace I had won so I ended up leaving empty handed. It's okay though because I had a fun time with the girls. We meet once a month and they're a solid group of fun. Do you have a regular get together with your girls?

Breakfast this morning was delicious with Chelsea Handler's My Horizontal Life in the background. I can't put this book down!

Half a cantaloupe hollowed out with blueberries, Chobani plain Greek yogurt, and Nature's Path pumpkin flax granola.
So much fun to eat...why do I not add this more often to my routine of breakfasts?
Lunch was amazing as well!! I've always been fearful of cheese and dairy other thank yogurt. I hear all the bad hype about it causing acne, gas, bloatedness, etc...but at a local farmer's market I spied some fresh goat cheese. Goat cheese is my weakness, I'll admit. I can't believe I've cut it from my diet so I had to return its appearance.

Quesadilla goodness of a brown rice tortilla grilled with goat cheese, avocado, grilled chicken, fresh basil, and pepper.
The insides all melted together and served with some red bell pepper strips on the side. Acne and gas be damned! Sometimes food is just too good to pass up so dairy is back on :)
This morning in the Sunday's paper I saw this funny comic. The Food Pyramid....As Tailored To School Cafeterias.
Grains: Pretzel rods, goldfish, crackers, French toast stix, and that coating on corn dogs and mozzarella sticks.
Veggies: French fries, pickle spears, and ketchup.
Fruit: Cherry jello, Scooby Doo fruit snacks, orange popsicle.
Dairy: Pudding, ice cream, mozzarella sticks.
Protein: Tacos, mystery meat, and stuff on stick.
Fats: (Covered)

Where's Jamie Oliver when you need him? Enjoy your Sunday! 8 days until my 27th birthday and counting :)

Last Installment

2010-04-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

And here's your last installment of things to do if you dare. Have a happy Friday night!!

Superstitious Things:
Go swimming less than a half-hour after a meal.
Stay overnight in a house/cave/room building said to be "haunted".
Start your own religion.
Swallaw your gum.
Survive a curse.
Debunk an urban legend.
Throw a hat on a bed.
Walk under a ladder.
Step on a crack.
Shower during a thunderstorm.
Use a homemade contraceptive device or method.

Miscellaneous Things:
Feed a live animal to a snake.
Blow something up with explosives.
Use dynamite.
Undertake a hands-on project involving a field you know nothing about, have no training in, harbor no inclinations for, and generally dislike.
Build a house.
Build a house you intend to live in yourself.
Use a power tool.
Spend a winter in Wisconsin.
Spend a summer in Mississippi.
Run with scissors.
Adopt a pet from an animal shelter.
Steal something.
Steal something of great value.
Hotwire a car.
Reformat your hard drive.
Pick a lock.
Mix household cleaners.
Look down the barrel of a loaded gun.
Put your fist through a wall.

Relationship Things:
Tell someone close to you that you find their opinions utterly reprehensible.
Flirt.
Flirt with someone whose significant other is present.
Flirt with someone for the express purpose of getting something you want.
Tell someone you've had a crush on for a long time how you feel.
Tell a first date you're only interested in kinky sex.
Be stalked.
Stalk someone.
Perform a ridiculously romantic stunt, the kind that would normally only be done by a fictional character, in the hopes of impressing a prospective partner.

Bedroom Things:
Take your significant other to a strip club.
Have a one-night stand.
Try a 3-way where both additional participants are of a gender you're attracted to.
Sleep with a co-worker.
Join the Mile-High Club.
Have sex in your workplace.
Have an affair with a married person.
Have sex in a moving vehicle.
Have sex with an inanimate object.
Have sex in public.
Engage in mate-swapping.
Have sex in the shower.
Have sex in a swimming pool.
Have a surreptitious affair.

Ideological/Philosophical/Intellectual Things:
Read a book that you're supposed to read in high school or college, but found way too boring.
Take a course/class/seminar that forces you to re-examine your beliefs about who you are and what you want.
Find an intelligent person diametrically opposed to one of your fundamental beliefs; carry a rational , calm, logical conversation about that belief.
Go get a college degree.
Solve a mystery.
Play a round of bingo with a host of people over the age of 60.
Sit through someone else's religious service.
Accept-and meet- a deadline.
Learn a foreign language.
Invent your own language.
Learn a purely visual language.
Update to a new technology, even after you've spent your entire life with an archaic form, and are totally unprepared for the change.
Learn higher math.
Learn advanced calculus.
Haze a freshman.
Maintain use of obsolete technology.
Stick to a personal conviction, even in the face of overwhelming public disapproval.
Personally confront someone in power.

Pleasure/Pain Things:
Confront the thing you are most afraid of.
Visit a brothel.
Set fire to something you once held dear.
Undergo an invasive surgical procedure involving full anesthesia.
Walk on hot coals.
Try to re-enact Ben Franklin's famous experiment with lightening.
Stay awake for 48 hours straight, in the wilderness.
Endure a sweat lodge.

Ingestion Things:
Eat an ice cream cone as fast as you can.
Eat something from a street vendor.
Eat an insect Or a bug-like a worm.
Enter an eating contest.
Drink enough alcohol to get you drunk.
Try a keg stand.
Do a beer bong.
Ingest a substance currently prohibited by law in your own jurisdiction.
Become addicted to something; try to give it up cold turkey.
Make a souffle.
Steal honey from wild bees.
Drink the national drink in as many countries as possible.
Raise honeybees.
Go spicy.
Drink Turkish coffee.
Drink Irish coffee.
Drink some tea.

How did you do on this round? I'm keeping mine secret on some of these things obviously ;)
I'm off to a birthday party!! Woot-woot!

Getting My Dance On

2010-04-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday evening! I don't have any food pics from the weekend because I was out of town to attend a wedding and celebrate my sister's 18th birthday in Austin but I can re-cap the weekend with some pics. The night was filled with laughter, fun, and getting my dance on!!

My old college roommate and myself. She still is and will always be my best friend. Everyone calls us cookies n'cream...we just go together like that. I miss her so much :(

Group shot of us all...can you see me? I'm the random head in the pic towards the left. Kind of like a find Waldo picture. Remember those books?
My cousin, favorite aunt, and myself.
My mom and I and the beautiful bouquet. My day will come, my day will come ;)
Another group shot of the ladies. Aren't we gorgeous hot mamas?
The bride was radiant.
The bride and the goofy groom. We're rubbing his head for good luck.
Mi familia.
OMG I totally look pregnant in this pic. It was the dress I promise...I'm not hiding anything from y'all. This dress caused me problems all night because it kept slipping down. Damn the small boobs and not a safety pin in sight.
Me posing with the mariachis.
My x-rated version because we realized in the first pic it looked like I was grabbing his crotch.
I am exhausted with blisters on my feet but totally worth it!!

On another random note: my dermatologist has restricted me from wearing any make-up and using any products other than the ones he's prescribed for me. (Obviously made one last exception for tonight.) Completely sucks but anyways I have these products that I don't want to trash so if any of you are interested in these I can send a package your way!! Please, I hate wasting stuff.

Jergen's facial moisturizer, Clarins self tanning gel, Bobbi Brown vitamin-enriched cream and eye cream.
Have a great night!! I have tomorrow off. Thank goodness because I need another day to recover.

Sexting

2010-04-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

What happens when you miss a day of work? Drama and scandal at a junior high. I don't know if you're familiar with the term of "sexting" but here's the definition according to Wikipedia.

Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs electronically, primarily between mobile phones.

Apparently it all started with one little girl approaching a teacher saying that her boyfriend had been pressuring her to send a naked picture of her and she didn't know what to do. The principal pulled the boyfriend down to question and he showed her his phone and the multitude of nude pictures and text messages from the girlfriend. Well, this opened up a case of worms. More investigating has so far exposed 25 7th graders involved in sexting. The kicker is that these kids are all getting kicked out of school and sent to our alternative school.
Parents are livid and hiring lawyers to sue the school and district. They don't believe their child would be involved in inappropriate behavior like that. Why? Because these kids are all Pre-AP and Honors kids. Wait till the media gets ahold of this.

It just blows my mind. Junior high?! What happened to innocence? Childhood? Modesty?
What are your thoughts?

On to meals: Breakfast contained oats, coconut, egg white, strawberries, a baby banana, chocolate chips, and Total 2% Fage.

Lunch was delicious: collard greens, brussel sprouts, cubed tofu, avocado, and plenty of spicy salsa. I want more please :)
Dinner was my standard and pumpkin/barbeque sauce pizza with salmon and collard greens....roasted broccoli on the side.

Well tonight I'm going to alternate between American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. Who's going home?

Outside the Box Challenge

2010-04-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

This week's outside the box challenge is to note my nibbles/food for the day and write how I felt before and after the meal. Interesting because I never pause to consider how I feel so this was pretty eye-opening.

Before breakfast I was a starvin' marvin because my workout kicked my butt. Thank you 30 day Shred. So I was all sorts of excited to dig into my breakfast.

Oatmeal, 1/2 a cup pumpkin, chopped gala apple, an egg white, carob chips, and Total FAGE Greek yogurt.

How did I feel after this? Super full and satisfied. Nothing beats pumpkin oats in the morning. And with chocolate to boot.

By around 11, I started getting that rumbly in my tumbly so I dug into my stash of medjool dates and raw walnuts.
Yes, it curbed my sweet tooth and hunger pangs but I quickly lost my sugar high. So by the time my late lunch came around, I was ready to dig into my lunch.

In layers: turnip greens, 1/2 a chopped red bell pepper, roasted asparagus, marinated artichoke hearts, cubed firm tofu, and a scoop of Sabra's garlic hummus.
Mixed together....it may sound like alot and it was. However, I felt bloated and irritable after eating this. Unfortunately, when I feel this way I tend to take it out on others so I'm sure my students were thinking I was raging bi-atch today! Sorry kiddos :(
Not only that but it left me gassy...tmi :) Is it because of the hummus? In the afternoon, I was more than willing to break into my Larabar stash. PB and Jelly can always make me feel better.
Larabars always do such a great job of keeping me full and energized while I run afternoon errands. A visit with my aesthetician (I was cursed with the Persian hairiness...again tmi), quick veggie groceries, etc.

I was having a major craving for some sweet potatoes tonight. I am a carb-lover, what can I say?

Roasted fries, broccoli, and spicy veggie tempeh on top of turnip greens with a healthy dose of barbecue sauce. Satisfaction guaranteed. Yes, I feel about 10 pounds heavier after eating all day but looking back on my meals, I think I do a pretty good job of keeping things balanced with veggies, protein, fat, etc. What am I lacking? I don't know....enlighten me!

And that concludes my OTB Challenge
Have a great night!! American Idol is calling my name. I've gotten sucked in....

Nature Things To Do If You Dare

2010-04-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

We'll get to the list but first let me catch you up on meals. Patience is a virtue. Or at least that's what they say. I'm the least patient person I know but I'm working on it. I can't believe I'm a teacher sometimes :)

Ezekiel brown rice tortilla spread with pumpkin, bbq sauce from Organicville, black beans, collards, and Galaxy Nutritional rice shreds. Red bell pepper strips on the side is a must!
Snack: 1/2 a chopped gala apple, pumpkin, and Nature's Path pumpkin granola.
Heated and mixed together = satisfaction guaranteed!
Steamed collards topped with roasted zucchini, sweet potato fries, five grain tempeh, and drizzled with barbeque sauce.
Snack: Total Fage 0% Greek yogurt, 1 tsp spirulina, blackberries, and more of Nature's Path granola.
I love, love, love how it turns green although I'm sure if others saw me eating this they'd be wtf?
Dinner began with some roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach.
I picked up some of Wholly's natural salsa thinking if I like their guacamole so much surely I'll love this too.
And I was right! I toasted an Ezekiel pita and topped it with baked cod, lemon pepper seasoning, avocado, and salsa. Fantabulous my friends, truly fantabulous!!
And now we've made it to nature things to do if you dare. Here's your list:

Look into an active volcano.
Outrun a lava flow.
Experience an earthquake.
Experience a hurricane.
Experience a tornado.
Experience an avalanche.
Experience a mudslide.
Experience a sinkhole.
Experience a tidal wave/tsunami.
Experience serious hail. (Finally, something I've been through!)
Experience a flood. (Nothing too serious though.)
Experience lightning. (Remember when it struck my apt. and the firefighters came to check our outlets?)
Let a really big, hairy spider walk across your body. (No thanks.)
Pet a porcupine.
Feed a wallaby. (I actually did this in Australia!)
Milk a cow.
Get stung by a bee. (And it hurt like a bitch.)
Encounter a wolf.
Look at the sun during an eclipse.
Survive a venereal disease.
Build a campfire. (Good memories in Galveston and Padre.)
Build a campfire without using modern tools or accelerants. (Yup.)
Engage in naked fire jumping.
Throw a disposable lighter into a fire.
Run from a dog. (Note my fear of dogs.)
Intervene in a dog fight. (Another reason terrified of dogs.)
Kill the last remaining member of a species.
Survive a disease.

I haven't accomplished much on this list...you?
Happy Tuesday!

Happy Easter

2010-04-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! It amazes me how the whole world seems to shut down on certain holidays. I don't know about where you live, but here EVERYTHING is closed including Target and Wal-mart. What's a shop-a-holic to do? How about eat some delicious food? Sounds good to me.

Morning: Oatmeal with a sliced banana, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, chocolate chips, and Greek yogurt. I've missed bananas so much. I tried to cut them out because of the high sugar content but who am I kidding. It ain't gonna happen.

Pumpkin again for a mid-morning snack with Maranatha almond butter and the butt of my Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread. I heated up the mixture and mashed it all together. Not a pretty picture but I gave you the "pre-mash" pic instead.
Lunch was so, so good! A repeat of tofu, artichoke hearts, spinach, red pepper chopped, hummus and an Ezekiel pita bread cut into wedges to scoop.
Mid-afternoon snack was weird but surprisingly good: cubed tofu with pineapple chunks and shredded coconut. Ha!!
Dinner: I can see the steam rising from this goodie. Ezekiel brown rice tortilla spread with ...yup, that's right....more pumpkin (I went through an entire can in one day. Am I turning orange yet?). I topped it with some barbeque sauce, salmon, spinach, and chopped zucchini and broccoli. Served with more roasted broccoli and zucchini on the side. Can we say major gas and bloatedness?

Are there certain foods that do this to you too? And what do you do to combat that? I heard drinking water but that does nothing for me.

Totally worth it though. And let's not forget yesterday's delicious breakfast too. Gotta clean out my pictures on the camera.

Oats, blackberries, a chopped pear, rose water, walnuts, and Greek yogurt.
Mixed together creates my favorite color...purple!
What's your favorite color? Besides purple I would have to say burnt orange of course! Hook 'em horns!

Swamp Breakfast

2010-03-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Well hello there strangers. The past couple days have been a struggle with my eating disorder I'll admit. I'm not feeling comfortable in my new skin. I know part of the problem is that I'm still trying to fit into my old clothes and it's wreaking havoc in my mind. Yes, I'm gaining weight to be in a healthy range but I want my favorite pair of jeans to fit damnit!! But I persevere and continue to eat without restricting with an inner temper tantrum banging in my head....

My oats look like a standard bowl: mixed berries, sliced banana, coconut, and Greek yogurt but there's something hiding underneath this....

to make a swamp breakfast!! That would be 1 tsp of Spirulina that made the green color. Cool! Read about all the health benefits here. Earthrise is the brand I use and so fun to add pizazz to a meal.
Lunch was a new creation and about to be a frequent flyer in my rotation. You can't really see the layers in the picture but it has spinach, chopped red bell pepper, baked brussel sprouts, marinated artichokes, cubed extra-firm tofu, and Sabra's garlic hummus. I used Ezekiel's pita bread on the side to eat along with my lunch. Very satisfying, I promise!
Snacks: Medjool dates with raw walnuts and a cashew cookie Larabar later in the day.
Once I open a package of tofu, I always feel like I have to use it up quick so it made an appearance at dinner again but this time with sweet potato fries, more brussels, collard greens, and a hummus/barbeque sauce dip.
Because I'm so excited about my summer trip, I'm going to start the travel things to do if you dare list(with my answers):

Travel to a foreign country. (I've been to 14, Spain being my favorite.)
Travel to a foreign country where they don't speak English. (Iran, France, Spain, Italy, plus more.)
Travel to a foreign country where they don't speak English and they hate Americans. (See the first two on my list.)
Travel to a foreign city under siege from terrorism.
Backpack across a country.
Visit all seven continents.
Go into the wilderness. (Australia)
Spend New Year's Eve in Times Square.
Spend New Year's Eve on the Vegas strip. (Yup, but unfortunately it was before I had turned 21.)
Spend Fat Tuesday in New Orleans. (I'm blind from all the boob action.)
Visit Rio for Carnival.
Spend spring break wherever the kids happen to be spending it this year. (Lame, Padre.)
Go on safari in Africa.
Go into the Australian bush. (Last summer.)
Visit the Grand Canyon. (Yes, and almost fell in I swear!)
See the northern or southern lights (aurora borealis or australis.)
See the Southern Cross.
Cross an international border illegally. (Does Mexico count? Although I think it was legal.)
Drive across the continental United States. (When I was little my parents drove us from Virginia to California. Why would they do that to their little child?)
Drive I70, from Denver to Grand Junction.
Drive from Frisco to L.A. on the Pacific Coast Highway. (Road trip with my dad, beautiful scenery.)
Drive from Denver to Frisco in 30 hours.
Drive highway 375 in Nevada.
Swim in as many oceans/seas/lakes/rivers/large bodies of water as possible. (Working on it.)
Take the train from coast to coast.
Ride the rails like a hobo.
Spend 48 hours in a major metropolitan center w/out a home or hotel.
Smuggle something through customs. (Liquor bottles.)
Smuggle a pet through customs.
Circumnavigate the globe.
Be a space tourist.
Walk across the downtown area of a major metropolitan city some time after midnight, and before 5 AM. (Dallas, Houston)
Cross to the other side of town via the sewer system.
Live in the Manhattan sewer system for a week.
Visit the embassy of a foreign country. (Iran)
Visit your own embassy while traveling abroad. (France)
Have sex in all 50 states. (Um....)
Have sex with the same partner in all 50 states.(Ha!)
Go to Colombia.
Hit Amsterdam.
Visit Anne Frank's house.
Go to the Middle East. (Yes and guess where. Duh.)
Go to Jerusalem
Go to Mecca during pilgrimage.
Visit a no-kidding Scottish castle.
Drive a car in Great Britain.
Visit Japan.
Stay in a hotel. (Yes)
Stay in a crummy hotel. (Italy)
Stay in a 5-star hotel. (New York)
Stay in an all-inclusive resort. (Bahamas.)
Visit Death valley. (Drove through it.)
Drive through Death valley during the springtime bloom.
Do NYC.(Junior year of HS.)
Check out Chicago.
Cross any red line painted on the ground of a property owned by Department of Defense.
Break into a secure facility.
Visit an active nuclear reactor.
Explore a geographic area undiscovered or rarely visited by any other human beings.

So how do you measure up on some of these? Surprisingly I did well on my list and see a few I've been wanting to do before I'm 30 (Yes, I have a list :) and still working on.

OTB Challenge Ideal Fitness

2010-03-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

This week's outside the box challenge was SUPER easy for me! We get to create our fantasy workout in choosing what fitness routine, with whom, where, etc. Mine is definitely a no-brainer. I would have Jillian Michaels as my trainer. My ideal spot would be at the beach in the sand (extra-calorie burn baby) with the sound of the ocean in the background early morning every day. If anyone can inspire me and kick my butt it's her. But for now I can re-create the experience my popping in my Shred or Boost Metabolism DVD.

How about you?

I've had some really good food lately. Let's start with this monstrosity. Oatmeal, coconut, walnuts, fresh raspberries, blueberries, pineapples, egg whites, and some FAGE added on top.

Lunch was a faux taco shell made with a brown rice tortilla and topped with spinach, pinto beans, cheddar rice shreds, and barbeque sauce. On the side, I had some major guacamole going on as well with red bell pepper strips. This was eaten at lunch but I plan on re-creating this at home so I can actually bake the "shell" and melt the cheese. Can you imagine?

For tutoring today, I baked us a made-from- scratch yellow cake spread with whipped cream and sprinkled with maple sugar. The kids don't know it but my healthified version had flax, wheat germ, and other secret ingredients to hopefully get their brain going and they gobbled it up.

Dinner was equally fabulous. A baked tortilla spread with butternut squash puree, baked salmon, spinach, broccoli, barbeque sauce, and more roasted broccoli on the side.
Another breakfast to share included oats, shredded coconut, chopped gala apple, raspberries, carob chips, and FAGE.
Lunch: Spinach, mango, red kidney beans, sugar snap peas, and plenty of coconut oil drizzled on top.
Snack: Disappointed with Greek yogurt, cinnamon, kamut puffs, and almond butter. Very bland.
But a dinner of lemon pepper baked cod on spinach with sweet potato fries, brussel sprouts, and hummus dip on the side made up for it :)

For those of you who know me on Facebook, you already know my exciting news of the day...but my parents surprised my sister and I with early graduation presents today (me with my Masters and my sis from high school). They booked us a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a week at a resort on the beach!! How lucky are we?! Thank you Mom and Dad!! I am so grateful to them for understanding my love for traveling and allowing me to have such wonderful opportunities like this.

How was your Monday?

Field Trips

2010-03-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hola, peeps!!

Breakfast this morning: Smore's in a bowl!! Oats heated with vanilla almond breeze and a sliced banana. Topped with 2 graham cracker sheets, dark chocolate chips, and Greek yogurt.
All mixed together doesn't look as good as the top but talk about a party in my mouth!

I also have to share yesterday's breakfast that started with the last of my Chobani tub. I soaked my oats in it the night before with some dark cherries. In the morning I added some coconut flakes, 1/2 a chopped gala apple, walnuts, and maple syrup.
Words can not describe the pure bliss of eating this container....
Back to today...mid-morning snack was the never failing Larabar. Peanut butter and jelly was an excellent flavor to choose.
Lunch was an interesting but satisfying sandwich. I miss cream cheese and found this great vegan alternative. I decided to spread it on some Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread and topped with kidney beans and spinach. On the side, I had some red bell pepper strips. Simple but just what I needed to fuel me through the afternoon.
Another snack during the day: Medjool dates and walnuts. Can you believe I didn't use to like dates? Now I have no problem shelling out $7 for a small container. Nature's candy I say.
Dinner was yummy, yummy, yummy. Whole Foods had the spicy veggie tempeh that I haven't been able to find recently. I baked these strips with baked potatoes and zucchini squash. Steamed spinach, baked veggies and tempeh, and a drizzle of organicville's barbeque sauce. God, how I've missed this flavor!!
Ok, ok. So you want to know how I spent my entire Saturday? Ms. V put together a mini-field trip for her students. Texas Wesleyan University was sponsoring a Math/Science Conference for Girls. I was able to get 35 girls to commit to attending some classes and workshops where women in fields involving Math and Science such as nursing, forensics, engineering, aeronautics, firefighting, etc. had classes and activities. How many junior high kids do you know would give up a Saturday for something like this? I was surprised but the girls had a blast! I loved seeing how excited and interested they were at the end of the loooong day.

I had no idea the amount of paperwork, permission slips, liability, transportation hassles, etc. it takes to sponsor a field trip!! But seeing these happy faces:

makes it all worthwhile! School districts are so tight about letting schools go on field trips these days. It's so sad because these are such inspiring and worthwhile experiences that all students should be able to enjoy.

Do you remember your favorite field trip?
Mine was my Sophomore year in high school. My Biology class visited Sea World and we were able to dissect baby sharks. We stayed the night in the aquarium and I thought it was so cool to wake up to the sting-rays, sharks, and fish swimming around me.

Well needless to say I'm pooped! Talk to ya laters!

Curing my Sweet Tooth

2010-03-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Is it really only Wednesday? This week must go faster. On a happier note I received an email today from my college and the official date and time of my graduation. Friday, May 14th at 7PM :) What up?! I get 6 tickets for admission and I need to order my cap and hood (that's right, Graduate School requires a hood for Masters) to walk across the stage. And since I'm in the College of Education it will be light blue. Getting excited....did you walk across the stage for your graduations? Some people skip the ceremony but after the blood, tears, and sweat I've been through you better believe I want my few seconds to shine!

Breakfast: Oatmeal, coconut, blueberries, 1/2 a chopped gala apple, carob chips, sliced almonds, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

My lunch picture does not do it justice. I should have take a better one. A watercress salad with black beans, roasted brussel sprouts, mango chunks, coconut oil drizzled on top for a dressing.
Snacked throughout the day on Medjool dates and walnuts.

Dinner was totally random. I bought some udon noodles at World Market and boiled them for about 5 minutes.

I stir-fried some zucchini, broccoli, yellow bell pepper, spinach, and sugar snap peas in olive oil and garlic while that was going. After rinsing the noodles, I added it to the stir-fry.
Mandatory soy sauce completed the meal. Delicious bowl but sad to say I missed my boring sweet potato dinner :(
Then I got to baking. I'm bored and putting off doing applications.
I decided to try and make some healthified versions of rice krispie treats.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup smart balance butter melted on low
Stir in a bag of mini-marshmallows
Add a bag of Nature's Path rice puffs cereal to the mix

Press the mixture into pan and allow to cool before cutting into the ooey-gooey mess. Not exactly the healthiest thing in the world but definitely cures my sweet tooth!!
Have you ever tried to make a healthier version of one of your favorite treats? I'm thinking of trying Reese's peanut butter cups next.

OTB Challenge Week #4

2010-03-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

Hola! I must share my two latest breakfast creations before I forget my orgasmic experiences.

1st up: Oatmeal, dark cherries, blueberries, coconut, sliced almonds, chocolate chips, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

2nd orgasm: Oatmeal, blueberries, mango, coconut, Greek yogurt (Chobani was on sale this week at Whole Foods, sorry FAGE), and 2 honey graham cracker sheets crumbled on top. Are you feeling it?
Mid-morning snack: I opened my free sample of Bear Naked's maple pecan granola finally.

I added some sliced almonds, chopped dry figs, and some unsweetened chocolate almond breeze to the mix. I had to amp it up a bit. I'm a hungry, hungry hippo as of late.
New lunch = one satisfied teacher...

Cherry tomatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and balsamic vinegar with my Lightlife 3 grain tempeh on the side.
With the last bag of my awesome Pop chips on the side.

Mid-afternoon snack to get me through tutoring. Canned organic butternut squash puree with an Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread with Maranatha almond butter heated and mashed together.

Le Grand Finale: steamed chard with an over-baked salmon and sweet potato fries with zucchini.

The outside the box challenge this week is to do some research on a brand or company that I buy from frequently. Inspired by the movie Food Inc. it's just a way to find out what the company's growing and packaging process is. Basically, what environmental impact is the company having?

I decided to research Pita Pal! I recently purchased some hummus from the company and it actually stands a chance against Sabra's. The company manufactures Mediterranean products; all of which are vegetarian. Here are some highlights from the web-page.

Pita Pal Industries is devoted to a green and healthy world with a sustainable future.

They keep ingredients out of their products that have been genetically modified, contain MSG, trans fat, artificial colors or flavors, corn syrup, as well as other items deemed unacceptable for human health.
They operate under strict kosher, organic, and Good Manufacturing Practices guidelines.
All packaging material is recyclable.
Their offices and manufacturing plant are run on 100% renewable energy.
All lights, equipment, and computers must be turned off at the end of the day therefore lowering utility costs and passing those savings on to the customers.
Pita Pal also started a paper recycling program with a school who didn't have a recycling practice. All money earned goes directly back to the school.

Overall, I was very impressed with the company. Read more about them on their website! I can't wait to try more of their products.

Off to watch American Idol!! I want to try a new oatmeal creation tomorrow morning. Suggestions? Does anybody else think about breakfast the night before or am I just crazy?

Happy Iranian New Year

2010-03-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

That's right my friends! We celebrated our Iranian New Year which is traditionally on the 1st day of Spring. But wtf....it's freaking 30 some degrees outside here in Texas! Anyways our Nowruz was still fun. My family brought in the year 1389 which is according to the Iranian calendar. I am about to head out to have a traditional Iranian meal at my parent's friend's house but I'll do a quick re-cap and wish you a happy new year!

First up, I had to use my free sample of Kashi's summer berry granola. I love trying new products and am so grateful for the free samples I received if I hadn't said it enough!

I had some FAGE left in my big tub so I added the granola to soak it all up overnight with some dark cherries and chocolate chips. In the morning I added a chopped red delicious apple and added some more granola.
Mixed it all up and voila: perfection!
Throughout the day, I munched on my favorite chocolate which is Godiva's dark chocolate bar.
For lunch, I made myself a watercress salad with black beans and thawed wild blueberries.
And of course a cut up Ezekiel cinnamon raisin/Maranatha almond butter sandwich.
Dinner had to be a bowl of oatmeal since I didn't really have it this morning. Topped with bee pollen, coconut, chopped Gala apple, blueberries, rose water, and chopped walnuts. Sweet...
Well I'm off! Back to teaching tomorrow after a nice, relaxing spring break. Only 2 and a half months until summer. Yes, I've started a countdown :)

Chocolate Makes Everything Better

2010-03-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

I'd been having a major craving for chocolate lately so you know I had to incorporate that into my morning.
Oatmeal, berries, 1/2 a chopped gala apple, coconut, 2 tbsp carob chips from Sunspire, and some FAGE Greek yogurt. Oh me, oh my. What better way to start your morning.

Lunch began with my sample of original pop chips dipped in pita pal olive hummus. Perfectly airy little crisps, ideal for dippage. After my appetizer I baked this random mix of lightlife veggie tempeh, red pepper strips, and brussel sprouts with more hummus on the side of dipping.

This afternoon I had a little afternoon comic delight at the movie theater. I went to see She's Out of My League. Funny, but not as entertaining as I had hoped. Another movie I recommend seeing though that I took my sister to see the other day: Remember Me. Although Rob is a terrible actor the story was captivating to me. I never cry in movies but I'll admit I did shed some tears in this one.

Afternoon snack: Kashi cinnamon coffee cake. Interesting. Not what I'm used to but still pretty good for its stats. I had this with a nice cuppa green tea at Barnes and Noble while browsing through the new Shape magazine.
Dinner consisted of some purple kale chips and what's that I see in the background?
Why yes that would be a butternut squash and barbeque sauce pizza with black soybeans and melted perfection rice shreds.
So tell me what's the latest movie you've seen and did you like it?

Lame-O

2010-03-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

Yup, I'm having a lame-o night. No green beer for this chica :(

But fun day...I received a fabulous care package of new products to review from the good people at Formula. What's better than that?

Check out the goods:
Bear Naked Maple Pecan granola
Bear Naked Chocolate Cherry granola bar
Pop Chips: Original and Sour Cream
Kashi Summer Berry granola (dying to try this one)
Kashi cinnamon coffee cake bar
First thing I needed to try because I was craving me some chocolate: Bear Naked Chocolate Cherry granola bar. Check out the stats!

Would I buy this myself? You betcha...I'm thinking the fruit and nut flavor would be next on my list. Alas, where to find these gems?!

Ready to continue with our list of artistic things to do if you dare?

Tag something with spray paint. (Parking lot, but legal I swear. Senior parking.)
Fell a tree with an axe.
Fell a tree with a chainsaw.
Slice up a piece of furniture with a chainsaw.
Light off fireworks. (Galveston)
Hop a fence lined with barbed wire.
Learn to say "f---you" in forty languages, one of which is spoken only in a small village in Africa.
Build your own website. (Does my blog count?)
Try to make money off a website. (I think Craigslist qualifies.)
Watch a foreign film. (My dad and I like to go to Dallas to watch new releases.)
Make an igloo.
Learn to be a sword-swallower.
Read someone else's unedited, unpublished book.
Listen to another culture's music. (Beautiful. You must do this.)
Listen to an hour of music that was written over a hundred years ago. (Yes, and I play them too.)
Listen to an hour of pop music written 20 years after you were born., (This is not meant for you to enjoy. In fact, if done properly, it is specifically designed to annoy the living piss out of you.)
Bathe a pet dog. (I will never get near a dog. Remember my abnormal fear of dog?)
Bathe a wild animal, of any type.
Go on tour.
Shoe a horse.
Build some furniture.
Re-enact a scene from your favorite film. (I always used to pretend I was Kate Capshaw in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and act out all the scenes.)
Go to Tiffany's in Manhattan. (Of course, ever seen Audrey Hepburn and a little movie called Breakfast at Tiffany's?)
Write your name in wet cement. (School. Legal.)
Create your own porn.
Trust your significant other to hold onto the homemade porn. (Do I have stupid on my forehead?)

Ha, what a way to end! Next to come: travel things. Peace!

The Culinista Test

2010-03-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Paddy's day! Even though I'm not Irish, I can still appreciate a reason to celebrate. Do you believe in good luck charms?

Breakfast was a base of oatmeal, flax, bee pollen, coconut flakes, and rose water (the secret ingredient). Add some frozen mixed berries, 1/2 a chopped Gala apple, and one organic valley egg white microwaved and topped with some FAGE Greek yogurt.

This fueled my morning running secret errands all day ;)
Lunch was a fresh salad kind of day. Watercress, chopped Gala apple, aduki beans, and a toasted Ezekiel cinnamon raisin sandwich with smooth and creamy almond butter.
The sandwich cut into bite size pieces and the ingredients tossed together. No dressing required.
The Culinista Test for our Outside the Box Challenge is this week. Using a make ahead approach saves time and money as you prep for the week so the challenge is to prep something that you can use for more than one meal.

My tip for the week is to chop up all your veggies on Sunday and store in containers to use as snacks or fillers in meals for the week.
I also roast my veggies before hand so I can re-heat later for a meal...brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, etc. Another save time approach not pictured is to steam your green ahead of time to throw into meals. Dandelion greens, spinach, kale, collards, and on and on. What are your tips?
Dinner was breakfast: Oatmeal, butternut squash, walnuts, chopped dry figs, chopped red delicious apple, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup. I'm not complaining!
Have a lucky day!!!

My Therapy

2010-03-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

Do you have something you do or someone you talk to that is your own personal therapy?

Mine is playing musical instruments. I've played the piano for about 21 years and the violin for 14. I've tried learning the acoustic guitar but it's currently collecting dust in the corner of my apt. Unfortunately, living in an apt. does not leave room for a piano (my favorite) which means I have to drive to my parent's house to relieve stress. But today I received the best gift from my parents. My old violin!! My sister had taken it over because she's in the Orchestra but she received a new one awhile back and I had forgotten about my old one :) I'm breaking out the rosin and bow after this post!

Food had been a dream as of late. In no particular order...

Oatmeal with an egg white, pecans, pumpkin, 1/2 a chopped red apple, 2 Turkish Figs, and Greek yogurt.
Snack: Lemon bar Larabar. I thought Larabar could not go wrong but enter Exhibit A. Not my favorite :(
A repeat of my pumpkin/barbeque sauce pizza with aduki beans and rice shreds (bought at Whole Foods by the way for those wondering). On the side, I had some baked zucchini with Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning.
Pear-berry oatmeal with chopped walnuts, Greek yogurt, and an egg white.
Weird lunch: Greek yogurt, fresh blueberries, PAPAYA, and my homemade almond granola. On the side, I had some steamed collard greens and more papaya. Mmmmm....
Dinner: Lemon pepper salmon over sweet potato fries and brussel sprouts that I accidentally burned on top of steamed dandelion greens. Oh, and tomato sauce underneath it all with more lemon pepper seasoning.
Had to eat another Lemon Larabar. Yup, still not good the second time around.
And a new creation of whatever was in my fridge: I cut up two portabella mushrooms, red bell pepper, zucchini, and Lightlife's Garden Veggie tempeh. I marinated it all in balsamic vinegar and added some chopped garlic and freshly ground pepper. While that was baking I sauteed some collards with more garlic. (Hey, I'm not kissing anyone tonight :) The finished product was greatness! The veggies soaked up the balsamic vinegar and was very flavorful! Yah, a new meal to add to my rotation!

We're starting a list of new artistic things to do if you dare:

Write a book.
Participate in an open-mic night at a comedy club and bomb.
Participate in improvisational comedy.
Audition for a play.
Act in a play in public.
Learn an exotic dance.
Dance in public. (6th street in Austin)
Sing in public. (Karaoke and I got booed off stage.)
Cut a record.
Paint a full-sized painting on canvas.
Try to sell your art.
Participate in a radio broadcast.
Try to win a contest sponsored by a radio station. (All the time but never win.)
Try out for a television game show.
Participate in a television broadcast.
Participate in a LIVE television broadcast.
Get pierced through your nipple. (?!)
Get pierced through your genitalia. (?!?!?!?!?!?!)
Get a tattoo. (I want one though. The Egyptian Eye)
Get a tattoo on your face.
Be an extra in a feature film. (Man of the House filmed on UT's campus.)
Make your own movie.
Engage in a poetry slam competition.
Attend an artistic display performed entirely by children.
Invent something.
Complete the crossword puzzle in the Sunday edition of the NY Times.
Make your own clothing.
Demolish a structure.
Photograph a wild animal in its natural habitat. (Kangaroo)
Learn to throw your voice.
Learn some magic. (Card tricks)
Learn to eat fire.
Perform some taxidermy.
Write a news article. (I wrote for the Shorthorn once.)
Learn to play a musical instrument. (See above.)

More to come in the next post!

Rock Climbing

2010-03-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

I just had the best time rock climbing at Mineral Wells! Who would have thought you would get me to do outdoors? My cousin was in town for the day so I went to visit her at my parent's house after church. I don't know how it happened but the next thing I know we're road-tripping to Mineral Wells. So much fun! Feeling a little sore but I'm feeling very spontaneous and adventurous. Me!

Eats from yesterday included my maple, date, and walnut oatmeal that has been spotted recently in my posts.

I tried a couple new products I picked up. Mrs. Dash salt-free lemon pepper seasoning (which I am now in love with) and Eden Organic aduki beans. I love me some beans and have never tried these before.
First, lunch yesterday started off with some kale chips and my lemon pepper seasoning.
Then I made this lovely creation: Tortilla spread with butternut squash puree, barbeque sauce, aduki beans, and galaxy nutritional rice shreds baked for about 15 minutes.
The flavors were all fabulous mixed together. Try this one out yo!

Snacks included medjool dates with walnuts (isn't this our basic ingredients in Larabars?) and a pecan pie Larabar later in the day :) Can't get enough of the good stuff!

Dinner was some more kale with almond-crusted salmon and butternut squash cubes and roasted brussel sprouts with some Sabra's roasted pinenut hummus for dip.

I'm about to hop in the shower and relax for the rest of my night. Must decide what to have for dinner after that.

Have you been spontaneous or adventurous lately? Do tell!

Last Chance

2010-03-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

I am too, too excited! Tomorrow's Friday and then we're off for Spring Break :) I think the teachers are more excited than the kids. Even though I don't have any big plans (I'm shocked that I didn't plan a trip somewhere, just shows how preoccupied I've been) I'm looking forward to time by myself and possibly catching up with friends who will be around. Sometimes the best vacations are when you do nothing at all. Agree?

My new favorite breakfast of oats, coconut, 1/2 a chopped Gala apple, 2 medjool dates, chopped walnuts,

microwaved with egg whites and topped with some Total 2% FAGE and maple syrup :)
Snacks of the day include dried apricots with walnut halves and
a peanut butter cookie Larabar. I have yet to find a flavor I didn't like!
And my guilty pleasure: chick lit novels. I'm embarrassed to say my deep reading right now is L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad. I don't watch her reality show but her book is entertaining so far. Don't judge me :)
I read this during my lunch hour while eating...the return of BUTTERNUT SQUASH! Oh, how I've missed thee. I baked a huge batch last night with Brussels sprouts. I topped this on top of collard greens and 2 slices of firm tofu spread with plum paste. This was so fun to eat because I used the collards to wrap my mix-ins.
And my infamous pizza: Brown rice tortilla spread with pumpkin puree and topped with sauteed salmon, broccoli rabe, red bell pepper, and Organicville barbeque sauce.
Topped with fresh cilantro and served with some more red bell pepper strips. Fabuloso!

Alright, my friends! Tonight is the last night to enter my giveaway before I choose a winner bright and early tomorrow morning. Don't miss out and keep 'em coming with your favorite teacher stories!!

As Promised

2010-03-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's the giveaway post!! But can I just show a repeat of yesterday's oats: Plum apple oatmeal because yes it was just as good the second time around.

So you want to win this swag? A few of my favorite things...

Jillian Michaels in a box: Deck of cards with all her moves and circuit training ideas
Larabars
Medjool dates
Tazo teas
Books: New Moon and The Rating Game
UT Football that plays the fight song (you know I had to!)
Jewelry
Moisturizing Gloves
Organic Udon noodles, Organic quinoa, and Eden Organic Shoyu soy sauce
And many more surprises ;)

Let's see...how to win? I'm new at this but I guess this is standard.

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me about your favorite teacher.
2. Link this contest on your next blog post.
3. Add me to your blogroll if I'm not already on it and leave a comment saying you've done so.

That's it my friends! And I'll choose a winner Friday morning by the random number generator. Good luck!!

OTB Challenge Week #2

2010-03-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

This week on the OTB Challenge is to shock your body by doing an exercise that your body is not used to and that will be new and challenging. Tackled on my first day by introducing...

Denise Austin's 3-week Bootcamp and I have to say she kicked my butt! I think she's my number 2 gal now after Jillian. I loved this workout. It was broken into 3 sections. One combo of strength and cardio, athletic training, and ab work for about a total of 50 minutes. I felt great afterwards so this DVD will stay in my rotation. Wait, I borrowed it from the library dangit! At least for another week and half it will be.
After that I deserved a hearty breakfast. My base: oats, coconut, and wheat germ. Heated up with 1/4 cup egg whites and topped with 1/2 a chopped Braeburn apple and the juiciest plum I've ever had. Oh, and Greek yogurt to round it off.
Salad was another re-makes of Alicia's salad. Watercress, cilantro, basil, cucumbers, mushrooms, sliced strawberries, sunflower seeds, balsamic vinegar, and baked tofu....
that I smeared with this ingredient emphasized in The Kind Diet. Umeboshi paste which is a pickled plum puree. Slightly sweet and tangy at the same time which went well with the strawberries.
Dinner of course featured more of that smeared tofu but check this pre-assembly out.
Mushroom caps spread with butternut squash puree, cubed tofu, black olives, and rice cheddar cheese (vegan).

Broiled and topped with fresh basil and served with some collard greens, blackberries, and balsamic vinegar on the side.

The Rice shreds cheddar cheese did not melt like the bag claimed and the mushrooms were kinda watery and dripped all over the place. Needless to say this was a mess to eat but still a switch from my normal routine.

This week is about to get ridiculously crazy so I'll try to keep up with y'all and I'm still working on that giveaway. It might have to be until next week but it's coming :) Enjoy your night and happy eating!

A Mouthful

2010-03-07T05:03:00.000-08:00

I hope you're ready for a long re-cap of the weekend but I'll try to make it short and sweet for you so....
Let's talk food party people!

Best breakfast to date: Larabar in a bowl...Oats, chopped Medjool dates, 2 tbsp walnuts, 1/2 a chopped Braeburn apple, 1/4 cup egg white, and Total FAGE 0% Greek yogurt.

And of course I swirled in some maple syrup at the end. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Now where did I get that idea from?
The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone which I finally got from the library after being in a wait list since it came out.

Now in no way could I be a completely strict vegan like her. I love my dairy, eggs, and fish too much. She did have some great recipes (see breakfast above) that I am eager to try with a few tweaks of my own. Some of her ingredients I have never even heard of but on my trip to Whole Foods I did pick up some new ingredients to try for the week.

This is Alicia's sexy salad a la Yasmin. Watercress, dandelions, fresh basil, 1/2 a cup of chickpeas, sliced strawberries, mushrooms, diced cucumber, 1 tbsp of sunflower seeds, and 1 tbsp of aged balsamic vinegar. Mmmmm....

Another fabulous breakfast with a twist. Now this may look like my latest favorite bowl of oatmeal.

Oatmeal base that you know by now with a chopped pear, blackberries, egg whites, and Greek yogurt.
But my secret ingredient was POM wonderful juice! The company sent me a box of their products to try out so of course I soaked my oats in it the night before. Makes a world of difference!
Lunch began with some slice cucumbers which were super-refreshing.

But my yummy pizza put those on the back-burner. Brown rice tortilla spread with butternut squash puree and topped with sauteed tilapia, spinach, sugar snap peas, and Organicville barbeque sauce. Baked and it came out nice and crispy.

So last night I planned a little happy hour get-together to celebrate passing my principal exam. Here's me pre-prepping for the party.

I love this one-shoulder top I found at Wet Seal for $5! Paired with some skinny jeans and purple heels I felt super-confident which hardly ever happens :)
I always get so stressed when throwing these things because I'm afraid nobody will show up. Stems from a bad birthday in junior high when I only had 2 friends show up to my skating party. Lame-o! I didn't have another birthday party until my 18th because of that so now you know I'm a loser. But I digress. Anyways here are some pics captured at the party. I had a good turn-out of 20 people.
Gorgeous couple #1: Getting married in July in Cabo and I cannot wait for the wedding!

Two of my good friends from high school and their boyfriends. The couple on the right I matched up at my last happy hour get-together ;)
Vanessa and her husband Homer.
One of my best friends Lily and her husband Tim. I was a little bummed that night because my 5 best girl friends weren't going to be able to come for various good reasons. Don't get me wrong I love all my friends but I wanted to be with my besties too. Anywho Lily ended up surprising me by coming and my spirits instantly lifted!
Rosie and her new husband Carlos.

The teachers of Bailey Junior High...funny story. So we show up and the section we had roped off was right behind two of my students who were there with their parents having dinner. I didn't feel right ordering drinks with them there so I had to pass up at my own happy hour. I think I made the right decision though.
Jered and I. Is my face really that round?!
Justin and myself. Yikes, I had too much blush on.
All in all a fun night out with friends. I felt so incredibly special to have these people celebrate my success with me. They've always been so supportive and I felt my blog friends there in spirit too. I also didn't stress about eating out with people and the menu actually had a decent selection to choose from. I ended up having cajun grilled salmon with broccoli (which was drenched in butter but what can you do?)

Speaking of salmon, I leave you with my dinner from tonight before the Oscars.

Lemon pepper salmon on top of collard greens with sweet potato fries and brussel sprouts. That would be hummus and barbeque sauce on the side for dipping.

Phew, that was a mouthful. You still with me? Did you have a good weekend?

Come and Gone

2010-03-04T05:09:00.000-08:00

Apparently, I missed my one-year blog anniversary!! It came and now it's gone :( It was officially on February 20th. I can't believe I'm still here and there are still some people out there still reading this blog. I heart every single one of you but knew that already. All I know is that 1 year ago I made one of the best decisions in my life and I hope to continue the blog for a long time! Thanks for all the support!

In honor of the monumental day I baked a marble cake today. Baking is so therapeutic for me and I don't get in my kitchen often enough to enjoy my hobby. Since I can't celebrate with my blogging community, I'm going to share my cake with my co-workers tomorrow.

But for you guys I'm thinking of putting together a little giveaway! I'm not sure what to include just yet but I'll put together something over the weekend and post it so that one of my lovely readers can enjoy some of my favorite things! And of course if there's anything you want or suggestions on what to include....comment my way :)

Let's talk food, shall we? Can I just say, fuji apples are the best out there? I bought some massive ones so I chopped up 1/2 and added it to my oats with blueberries, almond milk, and egg whites.

So creamy and delicious! I think the almond milk made a big difference. I bought the Blue Diamond brand at Tom Thumb the other day and you know what? It's not the unsweetened type and I LOVED it! Just proves that just because the blogging world likes it a certain way doesn't mean you have to jump on the bandwagon. I'll take mine sweetened any day if this is what I was missing out on. Even better was that Tom Thumb printed me a coupon to receive a free Silk Almond Milk carton during my next purchase. It's the brand's new product so I guess they're branching out from soymilk now.
Lunch was a hot topic in the faculty lounge today. Everybody was eyeing my new creation. Spinach, a yellow chopped bell pepper, french style green beans, peaches, chickpeas, and honey dijon dressing. Ha, they wish they could have all of this! All mine...back off yo!
Snacks: Homemade granola with almond milk and later a Cashew cookie larabar. Heaven in my mouth two times in one day.

Dinner was my old stand-by. Does it need an explanation anymore?

I'm off to watch The Office! Pam's giving birth, yah! And don't forget to give me ideas for a giveaway: Food? Jewelry? Books? Gift Certificates? Fitness?

The Frontier Girl Test

2010-03-02T04:48:00.000-08:00

Y'all are truly fabulous in sharing my happiness. What a wonderful community we have here. Do you realize how lucky we are that as complete strangers we can celebrate together each other's joys? Soften disappointments? Provide guidance and support? Hugs to everyone.

Lots of good food in the forecast. My new favorite breakfast of oats, bee pollen, wheat germ, blueberries, d'anjou pear, egg white, and Greek yogurt.

I've decided to participate in the Outside the Box Challenge hosted by Shedding It and the Nutritionista. You can check out the details at this website. This first week is the Frontier Girl Test where you make from scratch something you normally buy. My experiment was to make my own homemade granola. Here's the recipe that could use some tweaking.

6 cups oats
sliced almonds
chopped walnuts
coconut flakes
2 scoops of ground flax
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
2 tbsp olive oil
almond extract

Baked at 375 degrees about 20 minutes making sure to mix about halfway through baking time. Watch it carefully because it will burn! I think if I had some raisins or chocolate chips I would add it to the mix.

With vanilla almond milk as a snack = perfection! Apparently I can be a frontier girl and save $ :)

Lunch was delicious and simple: Spinach, chopped pear, pecan halves, shredded chicken, and aged balsamic vinegar to really bring out the flavor. Oh, goat cheese would have been the icing on all this gloriousness.
Another snack: Ezekiel cinnamon raisin sandwich spread with almond butter.
Dinner was a quickie stir-fry of flaked salmon, chopped red bell pepper, spinach, and barbeque sauce.
While that was cooking, I spread a brown rice tortilla with pumpkin for my base.
My stir-fry baked on top about 10 minutes. Have you not tried this yet? I'm about to come over to your house and be your personal chef if I have to.
Our dare list tonight is short and sweet. Political things to do if you dare.

Attend a public demonstration of some sort.
Vote for a candidate who has no possible way of winning whatsoever. (Sometimes, depending on their platform.)
Start your own political party.
Join a political party that is not one of "The Big Two."
Run for public office. (Ha! Never!)
Emigrate from your homeland.
Ask another nation for asylum. (Not really sure about that one?)

I'd like to add another one. Vote in another country! I voted in Iran's first democratic election and the first time women were able to vote. I had just turned 18 and was visiting Iran for the summer. I had an Iranian passport and was qualified to participate. I couldn't write in Farsi so my aunt made me practice in line writing the candidate's name.

On another totally random note: Um, The Bachelor Finale? Really? I mean.... really?!!

Breaking News

2010-03-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

We interrupt our regularly scheduled food blogging program with breaking news......Ms. V received her results from the Principal Exam taken 4 weeks ago and SHE PASSED! I am now officially certified to lead an entire school. Scary thought, huh? Guess who will be celebrating?

That's what I looked like when I received the email :) Unfortunately will not be celebrating until Saturday since all my evenings are full this week but that's okay. I PASSED!! We will return you to food blogging tomorrow. Have a great night! Bachelor finale....

Easily Pleased

2010-02-28T05:04:00.000-08:00

Is it sad that one of the best things to happen this weekend was finding a can of pumpkin at Target yesterday? Well that and celebrating my friend's 30th birthday in her new house but still. All it takes is a can to make me happy? So I introduce you to my old friend: pumpkin oats.

Oats, 2 tbsp of chopped pecans, pumpkin, a chopped Gala apple, egg whites, and 1/2 a container of Total Fage 0%. Party in my mouth :)

Plus, two new teas to try out with my morning meals. Jasmine green tea and Yogi's blueberry slim life green tea. Both my top two favorites besides Harney and Son's Cinnamon Spice Tea in Barnes and Noble.
Lunch was a simple mess of spinach, baked potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, shredded chicken and hummus/barbeque sauce for a dip or dressing.
I'm also going to start taking my Be-Wholesome vitamins from GNC. $60 for a 30-day supply sounds absolutely ridiculous but it has a multivitamin, hair/skin/nails, fish oil, bone strengthening, and flexibility vitamins all in one convenient packet. Do you take any supplements?
You know I had to have a pumpkin pizza for dinner. Brown rice tortilla spread with pumpkin and topped with barbeque chicken, spinach, and a chopped orange bell pepper. Baked and served with celery sticks on the side.

It seems like you're enjoying the daring list of things to do in your life so today is Financial:

Apply for a job for which you have no inherent or learned skills, talent, or disposition. (Yup, it doesn't hurt to try.)
Quit your job. (Quit my HR job.)
Quit your job in dramatic fashion.
Quit your job without having another job lined up. (But eventually got certified to become a teacher.)
Quit your job without having another lined up, move to another country without a visa, and start from scratch.
Fire someone. (Had to when I worked in HR.)
Gamble in Vegas. (Duh, do I need to answer this one. You guys know me!)
Gamble in an illegal setting. (There's a ton of underground poker tournaments in Texas.)
Play at least one game against a pool shark.
Start your own business. (I hope to open my own coffee or book shop one day.)
Go into business with a family member. (Helped my mom open an engineering business.)
Tell the IRS that they're wrong.
Buy a house.
Buy a house in a foreign country.
Sell a house.
Rent a house.
Buy a car. (The day I felt like a true grown-up.)
Buy a used car.
Work in a freelance capacity, for more than a month.
Attend a live auction.
File a lawsuit. (I did and won.)
Negotiate a contract.
While negotiating a contract, make a ludicrously insane request.
Try growing something for a profit. (I know what you're thinking...)
Barter.
Haggle with a vendor at and open-air market. (In the Bahamas.)
Haggle at an American flea market. (During the summer weekends that's what my mom and I do for fun.)
Conduct cold-call sales over the phone. (I had to earn money somehow during college.)
Conduct cold-call sales door-to-door.
Homestead a vacant plot of land.
Homestead in Alaska.
Stake a mining claim.
Squat on a piece of property.
Trespass. (High school.)
Invest in the stock market.
Invest in fine wine.
Buy someone a living thing as a gift.
Invest in fine art.
Invest in commodities.
Invest in foreign currency.
Join a union. (My teacher union but I don't think that's what they had in mind.)
Search for lost treasure.

Let's hear your stories...

Where Was I?

2010-02-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello blogworld! Where have you been?! I'm feeling lonely over here :) But I've been keeping myself occupied with good food and rest/relaxation which is well deserved.

Breakfast...seriously...best meal of the day. How do people skip this treasure? They need to try oatmeal, bee pollen, flaxseed, chopped pear, blueberries, and Greek yogurt. Another addition I've been trying in an attempt to add calories is liquid egg whites which has completely grown on me.

I mean, look at how voluminous it makes your bowl of oatmeal! And a longer, more pleasurable eating experience to boot.
Lunch was so colorful: Spinach, shredded chicken, red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil with raw carrot sticks on the side.
Dinner was the best: First, I sauteed some spinach, mushrooms, red bell pepper, leftover baked salmon, and barbeque sauce.
Plopped on a brown rice tortilla and baked to perfection with more red bell pepper strips on the side. If I wasn't so full I would definitely devour another one.
So catch me up. What's the most exciting thing that's happened to you this week so far?

For me it was finally buying/splurging on a Clarisonic brush from Sephora. Don't ask me how much I paid for it b/c you'll think I'm crazy but I'm hoping it's really as good as all the dermatologists, magazines, celebrities, friends, etc. say in cleaning and clearing up your skin. Anybody tried this product before? What were the results?

I'm trying it out because my dermatologist started me on Retin A and Clarifoam about a week and a half ago. Of course, we all know the side effects include flaking and dry skin. It was really gross the first week but I'm hoping it will start to subside as my skin gets used to and with my new trusty Clarisonic. Again, anybody use this or heard anything about it?

Anywho, where was I? Ahh..yes. More social things to try if you dare.

Introduce yourself to a stranger. (Easy.)
Introduce yourself to a stranger while traveling. (Kind of have to don't we?)
Meet one of your heroes. (If only I could meet Rachael Ray.)
Meet one of your fans. (Does my mom count? I have no fans :(
Pick a fight with a neighbor. (My ex-roommate qualifies I think.)
Enter a contest judged solely (or mainly) on physical attractiveness. (Hecks no, I'd be out the 1st round.)
Hitchhike.
Pick up a hitchhiker.
Shave/wax/remove hair from a part of your body where you don't normally shave/wax/remove hair from your body. (Yes.)
Shave using a straight razor.
Radically change your appearance. (I'm boring.)
Radically change your appearance with surgery. (LASIK doesn't count apparently.)
Visit a hospice/nursing home/veterans' hospital during a holiday. (I used to do my volunteer hours at a nursing home.)
Visit a current battlefield/war zone.
Spend 8 hours straight holding a cardboard sign at a busy intersection.
While free from any infestation of your own offspring, baby-sit someone else's.
Create a pilot for a reality TV show.
Cultivate a distaste for something everyone else seems to like. (Tons of things out there in the blog world that I don't exactly agree on.)
Never get married, even though you have a significant other.
Live with a lover.
Go without toilet paper for a week.
Survive a stabbing.
Survive a gunshot wound.
Survive a snakebite.
Live among a culture wholly distinct from yours, with a primitive people.
Attend a Greek festivity.

I'm apparently missing out on some fun things!

Holy Mother Of...

2010-02-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

This morning was a glorious 50 minutes of the 10 minute Solution Kickbox Bootcamp DVD I borrowed from the library. Holy mother of ....this lady can kick me into shape like Jillian Michaels! I am loving a new routine in my workout. After all that I deserved a glorious breakfast, don't you think? Me thinks so!

Oatmeal today consisted of bee pollen, wheat germ, unsweetened chocolate almond breeze, defrosted peaches, blueberries, and Total 2% FAGE. I'm slowly trying to ease myself away from bananas because they've been having a naughty effect on my stomach. Hard but other fruits will help me make this transition.
Mid-morning snack: Carrot sticks with some walnut halves. I just can't get enough of nuts for some reason!
Lunch was a mix of spinach, chopped carrots, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas, 1/2 cup chickpeas, leftover baked salmon, and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.
Mid-afternoon I snacked on these new finds: Doctor Kracker Klassic 3 Seed Snackers. Not as good as my Honey Kashi crackers but pretty damn good! Dipped in roasted red pepper hummus makes these quite tasty.
Dinner was some roasted sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts. I used a dip of hummus and barbeque sauce on the side. For my main dish I decided to be different for once. I bought a carton of 100% liquid egg whites so I microwaved 3/4 cup with some spinach and barbeque sauce for about 3 minutes stirring half-way through. This was a great protein alternative!!

Social Things To Do If You Dare:
Take a loud contrary viewpoint in a roomful of people dedicated to the thing you're attacking.
Teach a high school class. (Middle school is a close second I tell you what.)
Make a public presentation of some sort. If you're really brave, do it in front of your peers, friends, and relatives. (I've had to lead faculty training before. Teachers make the worst students.)
Write a letter of protest.
Take part in a prank that is nothing less than childishly foolish. (TP'ing counts.)
Run from the cops. (High school when our party got busted.)
Get arrested.
Wear an article of clothing that will offend the sensibilities of the majority of people you will encounter.
Bring a pet to a place that is completely in appropriate or prohibited.
Streak. (Part of my UT sorority initiation across campus.)
Tell a lie. (Who hasn't?)
Visit a prison. (Yup.)
Escape from a prison.
Interview a killer.
Attend a rave. (Still trying to recover.)
Crash a party. (College parties all the time.)
Join the military.
Do a ride-along with the police department.
Join a volunteer fire department.
Try to save someone's life.
Intervene to prevent a crime. (We were down in the Stockyards and saw a man in an alley beating this woman. We intervened and one of my friends ran to get a bouncer while we distracted him.)
Make a citizen's arrest.
Cook a meal for 12 or more people. (Enchiladas are perfect for this occasion.)
Participate in a scavenger hunt. (Tons of times!)
Sit in the front row at a rock concert. (I was in the mosh pit of Linkin Park which is close enough.)
Jump into a mosh pit. (Oops, didn't know that was next ;)
Attend a punk concert. (Yes sirree bob.)
Lick a flagpole in winter.
Attend a family reunion. (We are absolutely crazy all together.)
Attend a high school reunion. (Ugh, next year :(
Attend a high school reunion and stay sober.
Act as the witness to an accident.
Provide first aid to an accident victim.
Challenge an opponent to a competitive two-player video game. (Mario Go-Kart)
Challenge a 14-year old to a video game competition. (See above.)
Testify in court.
Testify in court against someone dangerous and vindictive.
Attend a meeting of a local government body. (In Austin because I was a government major so it was part of my class assignment.)
Reproduce.
Reproduce more than once.
Be present during human reproduction.
Throw off whatever yoke your parents saddled you with.
Plot, then exact, your revenge. (Did this to my ex and I'm not proud of what I did.)
Observe/participate in an autopsy.
Start a rumor.

More on the list for later. But ending on that, have you ever started or been the topic of a rumor?

Clearly Outstanding

2010-02-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

That's right my friends: I am a clearly outstanding teacher according to my formal evaluation results from my administrator. Yesterday she came in to observe my classroom and I always get anxious knowing I'm about to evaluated. I always fear for my job that's for sure. I stressed for a couple of weeks which is clear by the looks of my face right now (hello break-outs :) But it all paid off in the end. I had the highest marks in all categories and during our conference today she had nothing but positive things to say. She even said she's going to be sending some teachers my way to observe my teaching methods and that I will be a good model for others. Why thankyouverymuch! Obviously I am floating on a happy cloud right now!

Bowl of champions: Oatmeal, wheat germ, bee pollen, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 chopped gala apple, and 2% FAGE.

Mid-morning snack: Hard-boiled eggs with Kashi honey sesame crackers.
Lunch: Everyone in the faculty lounge was oohing and aahing over this one. Look at all these colors...shredded chicken, chickpeas, chopped carrots, sugar snap peas, red bell peppers, olive oil, and plenty of Italian spices with lemon juice.
Mid-afternoon snack: A hunk of my homemade oatmeal banana nut bread heated up with about 1/2 a cup pumpkin puree.
Mixed together does not look appetizing but oh me oh my was so delish! Take my word for it.
Dinner was a nice end to the day. My standard baked salmon with sugar snap peas and sweet potato fries. For my dip this time, I mixed some Sabra's roasted red pepper hummus with Organicville barbeque sauce.

Athletic things to do if you dare continued:

Learn to throw a bladed tool of some kind.
Throw a spear/javelin.
Walk on stilts.
Throw a bolas(made of strips of leather and heavy weights on the end).
Crack a bullwhip.
Swing on a rope from one place to another.
Roll down a hill in a Zorb (think of those things hamsters roll around in).
Hunt a falcon.
Fire a handgun. (Remember I live in Texas. Been there done that).
Fire a rifle.(Ditto).
Fire a shotgun at trap clays.
Play racquetball. (Gets your adrenaline going).
Fire an automatic weapon, on automatic.
Skip rope.(Oh, childhood. And Jillian Michaels).
Play hockey.
Run with a herd of bulls.(I did get to watch the running of the bulls in Pamplona while I was in Spain but that was in a balcony. No participating for me).
Raft a whiter-water river.
Throw a boomerang. (Last summer in Australia).
Play football. (In high school we had the powder puff team. I kicked butt).
Try to pole vault.
Play water polo.
Play underwater hockey.
Play polo.
Play soccer with Europeans.
Play slamball.
Roller-skate.(Yup, and I have scars to prove it. My 6th birthday a bunch of teen-agers were roller skating backwards and ran me over, knocking my two front teeth out, and cutting my lip so that I had to get stitches).
Play roller derby.
Participate in building a human pyramid.(Pep squad days).
Try sculling (sport rowing).
Engage in a hearty round of dodgeball.(Elementary school and family get-togethers can be brutal and competitive).
Take part in a cardboard regatta (building your own boat out of recyclable material).
Play paintball.
Enter a demolition derby.

Your turn.
And yes, I'm being lame tonight and staying in. I'm pooped and need a break. Can't blame a girl for needing some down time. But go live it up for me tonight!

My Second Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-02-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

Priyanka at The Healthy Diary passed along this gem to my blog! Thanks so much sweetie :) I don't deserve this but I will happily accept and pass it along to all my readers. I've received this before so some people actually love me but here's another 7 facts you might not know about me.

1. I sucked my thumb until I was 12. I'm ashamed of this but I credit this habit for the reason I've never had braces or cavities. Let me keep believing that.

2. My dream job was to one day work for the CIA or FBI which was why I majored in Government and started my Masters in Criminal Justice. Don't ask me how that became a teacher.

3. The best vacation I remember is the summer I spent exploring Spain with my best friend. I fell in love with Sevilla and said I would one day move there. Hmm...why haven't I yet?

4. I used to have an insane fear of peanut butter and all nuts. Over it!

5. My guilty pleasure is watching entertainment shows. ET, Extra, The Daily 10, E News!....

6. Even though I am a teacher, I have no desire to have kids. I keep thinking to myself, "What if that's my child one day?" It's scary to think of bringing a child into this world right now.

7. My standard breakfast all through college was powdered do-nuts and chocolate milk. Thank goodness I've discovered the yummy goodness of oatmeal! I used to think only geriatrics ate this in the AM.

Sadly, I haven't taken any food pictures today and I went out to eat with my family at The Corner Bakery where I order Mom's roasted chicken sandwich with carrots. I LOVE their bread and reminds me of why I could never go on a no/low carb diet. Screw Atkins!

Keeping with the things to do if you dare...athletic things today:

Ski down a double black diamond run in the Rocky Mountains.
Try kite-surfing.
Go bodysurfing in the ocean.
Mountain-boarding.
Swim against the current of a river.
Do a "polar bear" swim. (That means pick a really cold place, during the cold season. Take off your clothes, jump in, get out, dry off, and go home.)
Swim beneath an underwater obstacle of indeterminate length.
Go snorkeling. (Did this in Cozumel and trust me it looks easier than it is.)
Rappel out of a helicopter.
Go barefoot in a wintry setting. (Who hasn't done this? I'm surprised I didn't get frostbite.)
Climb a building.
Run a footrace.
Run a marathon. (On my New Year's Resolution list that I have to check off!)
Juggle sharp objects.
Jump a horse. (I did get to ride one :)
Play pato. (Combination of polo and basketball.)
Joust.
Ride an elephant.
Ride a mechanical bull. (Yes, I am from Texas so of course I've done this.)
Ride an ostrich.
Drive a dogsled.
Race a dogsled.
Ride a BMX bike.
Take employment as a bike messenger in a metropolitan area.
Ride a bicycle across the United States.
Do a triathlon.
Swim with sharks.
Swim with dolphins.
Swim with jellyfish.
Learn to scuba-dive.
Scuba in a cave.
Get punched in the face, at least once.
Learn a martial art. (Purple belt in Tae Kwon Do.)
Fight someone in a competition.
Fight someone obviously far more skilled than you.
Try fencing.
Play jai alai.
Try water-skiing. (Check.)
Luge.
Street luge.
Play Hornussen. (Swiss sport.)
Launch an arrow using a bow. (Did this once.)
Fire a bolt using a crossbow.
Go hang-gliding off a cliff.
Try para-gliding.
Pilot a kayak.
Sail a small (less than3-person) sailboat.
Sail a yacht.
Wrestle an alligator.
Wrestle a bear.
Attempt extreme ironing.
Participate in a rodeo. (I'll stick to watching it and its clowns.)
Fight a bull.
Attempt bull riding.
Do a logroll.
Go deep sea fishing.
Try your hand at commercial fishing.
Go spearfishing.
Go ice-fishing.
Go crabbing.

To be continued....

If You Dare Part 1

2010-02-14T17:16:00.000-08:00

How many of these have you done?

Things to do in public that deal with height, depth, and motion if you dare:

Ride a rollercoaster. Check, I live by Six Flags over Texas.
Drive the Autobahn.
Bury the speedometer needle of a car.
Drive a motor vehicle on a frozen lake.
Put a car up on 2 wheels.
Drive a forklift.
Bungee jump.
BASE jump.
Do a HALO jump.
Sky-surf.
Ride a motorcycle. Best thing ever.
Wing-walk.
Fly a hang glider. I did this once over a lake and it was so exhilarating.
Ride in a small jet with less than 3 seats.
Bail out of an aircraft with an ejection seat.
Crash a vehicle. Not by choice.
Drag race. Does watching count?
Drive the wrong way down a one-way street. All the time in Austin and Dallas.
Drive in a foreign country. France.
Cross a Las Vegas street outside of a crosswalk. Of course all the time. I can't bother with crosswalks.
Enter a highway via the off-ramp (or exit via the on-ramp). I'm a crazy woman driver so sue me.
Learn to drive a tractor-trailer rig.
Ride a riptide.
Go over a waterfall. Went under one. Niagara Falls that's close enough.
Ride a cigarette boat.
Go underwater in a submarine.
Go off-roading. Yup, we get bored in Texas.
Ride a snowmobile. Crazy fun.
Walk on a ledge between two buildings, or two rooms of a building. On a dare during a drunken Texas-OU weekend.
Get shot out of a cannon.
Jump out a window. Sneaking out of my house as a teen-ager.

Which one would you like to try? Me, bungee jumping!!

Pictures from my camera of food the past couple of days:
Breakfast for dinner anyone? Oats, flax, bee pollen, slices of banana, 1/2 a chopped red delicious apple, 1/2 cup of pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and Vanilla Oikos yogurt.

No better way to end your night, I tell you what!

Today I received my homemade Valentine's card that I won from Rose's giveaway at On a Lobster Placemat. M&Ms....mmmm my favorite! A sweet surprise during my day puts a smile on my face :)

Especially with a poem written inside just for me!

Another meal to try: Brown rice tortilla spread with Dijon mustard, chicken, Italian spices, sugar snap peas, and spinach baked for 10 minutes and served with carrots and guacamole.
Breakfast picture: Oats, bee pollen, wheat germ, blueberries, sliced banana, and 0 % FAGE Greek yogurt this time around.
My all-time favorite baked salmon on a spinach salad with roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potato fries served with a sauce made of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.

Finally finished The Nanny Returns which was a big disappointment. However, the book I'm reading right now is making up for this dud of a sequel. Anybody read "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" by Tucker Max? Oh my freakin' hilarious!! The things he has to say! Caution: do not read this book because you will hate all men in general if this is the way they think and treat women! I can't wait to see the movie and see what they did with this xxx novel.

Night all!

First Date Stories

2010-02-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

My first date with the new boy went really well! We went to a restaurant and had a couple drinks together. We had planned on hitting a comedy show at The Improv but the conversation was really flowing and we ended up staying there for 3 hours! Very promising, very promising indeed. I still hate first dates though.

Still feeling good about last night I made this breakfast: 1/2 a cantaloupe scooped out with FAGE 0% Greek yogurt, a handful of blueberries, and about 1/3 cup of Erica's fabulous homemade granola. I'd forgotten how good this cantaloupe bowl is for breakfast and was more than happy to welcome it back.

My fabulous self getting ready for the day...scary close-up!

Lunch was hastily thrown together with the leftovers of my fridge. Spinach, a chopped red bell pepper, Sabra's roasted red pepper hummus, barbeque sauce, shredded chicken, and a brown rice tortilla shredded up like tortilla strips. Definitely hit the spot...
Absolute ridiculousness trying to get a ticket to see Valentine's Day. I thought nobody liked this movie so what's with all the sold outs? We drove to 3 different theaters before finally going in to see it. I personally liked it. Light fun and it definitely had its funny moments. I would recommend it but no duh it's not going to win any Oscars. Snackage was some fresh blueberries and walnut halves.
The search for the great pumpkin has ended! I finally found a can at Whole Foods (paid an arm and a leg for it) but it's the only store that had it in stock. So I was super excited to have my pumpkin pizza once more.

Ezekiel tortilla spread with pumpkin, barbeque sauce, spinach, and sugar snap peas baked in the oven about 15 minutes and served with guacamole. Oh yah....
Do you have any bad first date stories? And Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Chinese New Year a day late :)

Making Texas History

2010-02-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

We made Texas History y'all! 8 inches of snow and all classes canceled. We are such babies down here and I'm sure everyone up North is making fun of us but it was so exciting to see snow. It was like a postcard or greeting card scene. Me being the dumb butt that I am couldn't handle staying in the apartment all day so I ventured out and made it back still alive.

Eats for the day: Breakfast was some overnight oats and wheat germ in vanilla hemp milk. In the morning I topped it with 1/2 a chopped Fuji apple, blueberries, blackberries, sliced bananas, and FAGE 0% Greek yogurt.

Lunch was the return of my favorite salad: Spinach, the other 1/2 of my chopped apple, shredded chicken, baby carrots, and a toasted Ezekiel cinnamon raisin sandwich spread with almond butter.
Of course, you have to cut the sandwich into bite size pieces and toss it with your salad ingredients...no dressing needed.
And I received my wonderful package from my secret Valentine blogger, Erica from Itzy's Kitchen. Home girl hooked a sister up!! Along with the cutest card ever she sent me some homemade granola, sweet bread, OPI nail polish, measuring cups shaped like hearts, and a Valentine's bowl filled with some of my favorite bars! Best Valentine ever...thanks Erica!!

Side note: Picture of the loot was inserted here and I accidentally erased it while typing. That pisses me off! But you can check out my stash here.

Being bored, I put my measuring cups to good use and attempted to bake my own granola protein bars. Basically, I just threw a bunch of stuff together in a mixing bowl:

2 cups oatmeal
1 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup chocolate protein powder
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp baking soda
lots of cinnamon
3 mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
splashes of olive oil to mix it thoroughly

I pressed it on a baking sheet wrapped in aluminum foil and sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Baked at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. After cooling I cut it into bars. Not too bad...kind of dry tasting but I think it would be great with some almond butter spread on top next time :)
Dinner was another mish-mash of random stuff in my fridge: spinach, sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, carrots, tilapia, and Organicville barbeque sauce sauteed.
Plopped on a Food for Life brown rice tortilla, baked a few minutes, and served with guacamole.

All in all a great snow day. Now advice: going on a first date tomorrow night to a restaurant and comedy show. What do I wear?!

Making the Ride Worthwhile

2010-02-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

You've heard it and read it before but overnight oats are the best! I had about 1/2 cup of my 2% FAGE left in my tub of yogurt so I added oatmeal, bee pollen, flax, and some hemp milk to soak overnight. In the morning I added 1/2 a chopped Fuji apple and fresh berries.

It may look disgusting but don't let looks fool you. What's the saying? Never judge a book by its cover, right?
I've been making every effort to add that extra snack during my day to increase my calories. Although uncomfortable and my mind screaming at me to do more exercise, I'm still pushing myself. Great snacks like this help though. Cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread with Maranatha almond butter and 1/2 a sliced banana.

Snack #2 after lunch: The other half of my Fuji apple with raw walnut halves and some chocolate Godiva hearts.

Ooops, and yes I did have lunch. Spinach salad with chopped cucumber, red bell pepper, chicken, hummus, and BBQ sauce. Mmm, mmm...good!

Quote of the day: "Love may not make the world go around but it sure makes the ride worthwhile."

Which brings up so many questions:

Have you ever been in love? How did you know? Did it end and how did you recover? Or are you still with that person? What makes them special to you?

Suckers

2010-02-06T18:08:00.000-08:00

Hello, strangers! Taking a five hour exam on a Saturday morning is not my idea of a fun weekend because there goes your Friday night to studying and most of my beautiful early Saturday. I'm just saying I better have passed by Principal Certification Exam because I do not plan on taking it again, no thank you. My feelings about the test? I'm about 80% sure I passed but I wish I was more confident about it. We'll find out in 3-4 weeks though!

By brain fuel for the morning: Oats, flax, bee pollen, mixed berries, 1/2 a naner, 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder, and Unsweetened Vanilla Hemp Milk. Something new did you catch that? I tried drinking the hemp milk on its own and just about gagged. But I was not about to let the whole thing go to waste and this combo masked the blandness of it all.

During the test, I took a mini-break and snacked on a hard-boiled egg and honey sesame Kashi crackers before carrying on.

Lunch: 2 slices of Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread, 2 tbsp Maranatha almond butter, the other half of my banana, and a drizzle of brown rice syrup. Baby carrots on the side and you can't go wrong with that.
After running multiple errands and just chill-axing with the sister I tried something new for dinner too! Asparagus! I've always been intimidated by these suckers but I attempted to re-create one of my favorite restaurant's(Blue Mesa Grille) side dishes.

I washed and snapped off the stems and tossed these babies in a plastic bag with olive oil, garlic, and pepper. Roasted for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees. No, I did not eat all of them at once. but I did....
serve them with baked lemon pepper salmon on spinach with sweet potato fries. Not quite like my restaurant (they serve the best sweet potatoes and asparagus with these chicken spinach enchiladas that in no way am I going to ruin by trying to make those myself). I still ended up satisfied.
How about you?

What would be your idea of the worst way to spend your Saturday morning?

And is there a food or dish that you've been too intimidated to try or taste?

Appreciation

2010-02-01T18:17:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...it's been forever since my last blog. It feels like a part of me is missing if I haven't written down about my day or feelings. I haven't had any exciting or thrilling new eats as of late. Just your standard breakfast of oats, wheat germ, bee pollen, fresh blueberries, blackberries, and part of my jumbo tub of 2% FAGE Greek yogurt. But the key ingredient? Rose water adds a nice kick to the berry flavor.

My weekend was a blur. Was it just me or was last week the longest ever? I had planned a happy hour party for Saturday night at a local Irish pub/restaurant. I had a blast despite being out of my comfort zone. About 25 people showed up so we basically had the back room to ourselves. But with that many people and alcohol flowing you know there was bound to be a little drama but we still had a blast! I needed it after the week I had had and being surrounded by friends who love me made my horrible week disappear.

Found another picture of a recent meal: Ezekiel tortilla with sauteed broccoli, red and yellow pepper strips, chicken, and barbeque sauce.

In an effort to figure out where my allergic reactions might be coming from, I decided to cut out certain foods I had recently introduced in my diet to see if there was a difference. Results?

Safe: Berries, bee pollen
Not Safe: Oranges (who'd have thought?)
Still Unsure: Tomatoes (I know they make me bloated but are they causing a reaction is the question)

In other news: for the first time after my surgery I didn't have to wear a hat or scarf over my head today. Yippee!!

Today's theme: "And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more."

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thank to those who have rekindled this inner light." -Albert Schweitzer

Shut your eyes and think about someone who at some time in your life has rekindled your life. Remember the joy you received from the appreciation of someone when you needed it the most. Write down the name of that person and commit to yourself to your own act of appreciation and call them, send them a note, or say a prayer for them if they are no longer alive.

Never forget...it is not the things you get, but the hearts you touch that will determine the success in your life.

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments; but what is woven into the lives of others." -Pericles

Interview with Ms.V

2010-01-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

Que pasa blogging world? The theme of my night tonight is procrastination. Once you get a class you are not interested in (cough, cough...Technology course...) the less likely you are to do the work. Now I see why some of my students refuse to do their math homework.

Recap of food for the past couple of days:
Breakfast goodness of a chopped pear, blackberries, oats, flaxseed, and some FAGE Greek yogurt.

Another delicious bowl: Pumpkin oats, wheat germ, 1/2 a chopped red delicious apple, 1/2 a sliced apple, and FAGE Greek yogurt again.
Sometimes a good almond butter on cinnamon raisin bread is all you really need to satisfy those hunger needs. With some cucumber and red bell pepper slices.
And my pumpkin pizza that hasn't been around in awhile. Brown rice tortilla spread with pumpkin puree, BBQ sauce, chicken,and spinach. Baked for 10 minutes in the oven.
Up close and personl served with some yellow bell pepper slices and 100 calorie pack of guacamole.
Any my fave meal: Baked salmon on spinach with brussel sprouts and sweet potato fries with balsamic vinegar/olive oil/Dijon mustard sauce.

Today I was interviewed by some students for the school newspaper. Questions to ponder:
1. Funniest Moment.
2. Most Embarrassing Moment.
3. 1st Date.
4. A Phrase You Use Every Day.
5. Biggest Fear.

What are your answers?
Back to the books!

Forgiveness

2010-01-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

Once again the weekend flew by and unfortunately I spent most of it in the UTA library working on my first module for my technology class. Even though I have a blog, I really am lacking in the tech. department. So this is a REALLY difficult class for me so far and I've only started. Anywho....

Breakfast was soooo delicious! I love having fresh berries available at the farmer's market right now. Steel-cut oats, wheat germ, flaxseed, bee pollen, 1/2 a sliced banana, and fresh blueberries and blackberries. I don't know if I mentioned but since Thursday I had some sort of allergic reaction to either something I ate or put on my face. Remember how I got one like that last month too? I'm at a loss here. I'm thinking maybe it could be the bee pollen I just started using for this time around? I don't know but it best be going down soon! I hate going out in public looking like this....

You guys had some great suggestions for coping with the issues going on in my life right now. Thanks to some yoga, journal writing, thinking, and just breathing (you know...taking a step back and looking at the whole picture) I decided to try and tackle one thing at a time. The most important to me was mending things with my Dad. My family means the world to me so today's post is about forgiveness.

Have you ever forgiven someone or asked for someone's forgiveness after something done wrong? How did that go for you?

I began by writing him this note...and finally went to visit him. We talked things out and are on speaking terms again :)

From The Dash:

"And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more."

Our emotions are powerful motivators, and more than anything else in our lives they will drive our behavior. Sometimes our greatest challenge is to get inside our own heads to understand what makes us tick. Why do we feel and behave the way we do?

"Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the handcuffs of hate." -William Ward

Those are powerful words, and I know from personal experience....forgiveness works. A few times in my life I've been greatly wronged and taken advantage of. My first reaction, of course, was anger and resentment. I held it for awhile and felt my stomach tie up in knows, my appetite wane, and the joy slip out of my life.

Life is too short to stay angry...even for a day.

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." -Paul Boese

Alright I'm done....moving on to dinner.

Me love veggies! Spinach, baby carrots, a hard-boiled egg, shredded chicken, big glob of Sabra's original hummus, and BBQ sauce drizzled on top. Oh...my :) Glad to know I'm getting my appetite back.

Getting ready for the week....have a wonderful night!

I'm Not Going To Lie

2010-01-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie. I've having a tough time right now with fighting my ED demons. I've spoken to a couple of bloggers about it but I have no one close to me I like talking my feelings out with about this with. Typical things: because doctor's orders say not to work-out I want to stop eating. Food makes me nauseous and I've started to dislike all my favorites. I'm back to wearing baggy clothes, stopped keeping up with my appearance to match my mood. I hate looking in the mirror right now. But I force myself to go out there and go through my day.

Health: Tomorrow I have to go in to see my doctor and get my sutures removed. Still have to wear a hat/scarf to work and people are curious why I am an exception.

School: Grad classes started this week and I'm already feeling stressed.

Family: My dad is super mad at me and I can't blame him for something I did. He sent me a nasty email that made me cry so I don't know what to do with that. We've always butted heads all my life b/c our personalities are so similar but I hate being in this position again.

Career: Maybe the one good thing right now. Our campus was recognized by the state as having one of the highest Math scores on the standardized test last year. State representatives, superintendents, etc. had an award assembly and the principal was allowed to bring one other person from campus. Guess who was nominated to represent our Math department? Yours truly.

Breakfast: Massive bowl of FAGE Greek yogurt, 1/2 banana, 1/2 a chopped Gala apple, blackberries, and Kashi Go Lean cereal.

Mixed together and of course I felt uncomfortably sick after all that.....
Lunch: Ezekiel tortillas with almond butter and chicken. Yes, that's FAGE Greek yogurt on the side for dipping....
with a little of this new product I found:Organic brown rice syrup. Pretty good, pretty good. Also had some carrots and sugar snap peas for some veggies.
Snack: Unpictured cashews with an orange while driving to class and the bookstore to pay ridiculous amount of $$$ for books.

Dinner: I've been too lazy to cook and after my 1st evening class today I just heated up Amy's lentil soup.
Added with the last of my spaghetti squash (dang, one made alot!) , kale, and sugar snap peas. Beans were probably not a good idea for my weak stomach right now.

I had no intention of bringing you down and if I did I'm sorry. I hope you have some sunshine in your life so share something going good for you so I can live through your happiness :)

True and Real

2010-01-18T05:17:00.000-08:00

"If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real..."

Knowing yourself, finding yourself true purpose in life, is the essence of true and real. You have to be, before you do, to have lasting inner peace. In other words, making a living is not the same thing as making a life. Find what makes your heart sing and create your own music.

Many people work all their lives and dislike what they do for a living. In fact, a recent USA Today survey said 53 percent of people in the American workplace are unhappy with their jobs. Loving what you do is one of the most important keys to living a "true and real" Dash.

I've been lucky enough to truly have a passion for teaching. Are you happy with your career? If you could do anything, what would it be?

You can't fake passion. It is the fuel that drives any dream and makes you happy to be alive. However, the first step to loving what you do is to self analyze, to simply know what you love. We all have unique talents and interests, and one of life's greatest challenges is to match these talents with career opportunities that bring out the best in us. It's not easy-and sometimes we can only find it through trial and error-but it's worth the effort.

If I wasn't teaching I would probably want to travel or work for some magazine doing free-lance articles. The simple life.

Breakfast: Basic oats, wheat germ, bee pollen, flax seeds, 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1/2 chopped gala apple, 1/2 a banana, and 1/2 0 % FAGE Greek yogurt.

Snack: The other half of my Greek yogurt with an orange for dipping.

Today's lunch features Amy's Organic soup (Light in Sodium) Cream of Tomato.
But it didn't end there: I added 1/2 a cup of black beans, chopped sugar snap peas, spaghetti squash (who needs Shirataki noodles anymore?), spinach, and Italian seasoning. OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS!!

I'm about to head to Borders and a walk around the neighborhood. Packed snack of cashews for later but enjoy your Monday afternoon!

"Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow." - Norman Vincent Peale

A Family Now

2010-01-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

A beautiful, relaxing Sunday that I'm going to spend writing letters to friends around the country and world. I miss the good old days of personal communication so if you want I can add you to my pen pal list: Email yasser189@hotmail.com :) Seriously, I would love to send you guys cards on holidays, birthdays, celebrations, or for no reason at all. We're family now!

Let's talk food now!

Breakfast: Steel cut oats which are much chewier than regular old rolled oats. Wheat germ, bee pollen, flax seed, blueberries, blackberries, and 0% FAGE Greek yogurt. Note to self: don't eat berries by your computer because the juices squirt all over your keyboard. Oops!

Lunch: Mixed romaine salad with 1/2 a chopped red delicious apple and a toasted Ezekiel cinnamon raisin Maranatha raw almond butter sandwich toasted.
Added some shredded chicken, cut up the sandwich, and tossed it all together.
Snacks: Raw cashews, hard-boiled egg, and my new addiction of Kashi honey sesame crackers. Seriously, cannot get enough of these babies.

Favorite veggie of the month: roasted brussel sprouts with cumin and sweet potato fries. Baked salmon and spinach to round out the meal. And if you haven't tried the dressing: 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp olive oil, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard goes with everything!
Golden globes are calling my name! Last night of medicine makes me even happier :)

Slow Down

2010-01-16T05:31:00.000-08:00

I am so tired of this drowsy feeling caused by this medicine/painkillers/antibiotics I've been taking. I feel like I'm a walking zombie floating on air. The first day back at school was like a dream. I really have no clue how I made it through but thank God for half days for finals and 4 day weekends to really recover some more. I am so missing working out though. I miss my Jillian Michaels and I feel like my body is just wasting away not being used.

But I have been trying some new food combinations and I'm sure glad I did. First up, spaghetti squash. A little iffy at first but good recommendations. I cut the baby in half, scooped out the seeds, rubbed the halves with olive oil, baked at 400 degrees and let them cool for 15 minutes. After cooling, I scraped the spaghetti like strands into about 4 containers.

Call me crazy but I used the first batch in breakfast. Oats, wheat germ, flax seed, spaghetti squash, 1/2 a chopped apple, a few slices of banana for sweetness, and FAGE Greek yogurt. This took me an hour to eat! But definitely an interesting flavor combination. Now how to use the rest?

Mixed together = massive bowl for breakfast!

Another new favorite breakfast thanks to Clean Eating Magazine: Steel cut oats with 2 tbsp wheat germ, flax seed, bee pollen, blueberries, blackberries, 1/2 a sliced banana, and 2% FAGE Greek yogurt.

Snack not pictured: Orange with Honey Sesame Kashi crackers

Lunch: Spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup black beans, 1/2 of my leftover baked salmon, 1/2 cup blueberries, one hard-boiled egg and for my dressing a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. Wowza!

Another interesting snack combination: 0% FAGE Greek yogurt with 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder and half a sliced banana. For next time, I think I'm going to freeze it a bit to make a "faux" ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Dinner was fun to eat: I sauteed some kale, leftover salmon, frozen Chinese veggies, and Organicville barbeque sauce.
While that cooked, I baked two Ezekiel corn tortillas spread with tomato sauce and Sabra's pinenut hummus to cut into dipping wedges. Of course I also had baby carrots and yellow bell pepper strips with a 100 calorie pack of holy guacamole!

Did I really just eat all of that? I am a hungry, hungry hippo apparently lately. Guess that's what happens when you have to sit on your ass all day recuperating with nothing to do but rest.
"If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real...."

I once heard someone say, "We don't remember days; we remember moments." However, at today's hectic pace we often forget to savor small pleasures while we make big plans.
In the race to be better or best, we sometimes lose sight of "just being". And just being, just soaking in and savoring a beautiful moment, can provide some of life's greatest pleasures. A crackling fire on a cold winter night; a good book; a love letter from a spouse; a spectacular sunset; a great meal; or a timeless moment with your child or a friend...these moments, if we stop long enough to enjoy, are the essence of life.

"Every hour of every day is an unspeakably perfect miracle." - Walt Whitman

Me? Beautiful Blogger?!

2010-01-14T05:32:00.001-08:00

Check it out: I received the Beautiful Blogger Award from one of my fave bloggies: Betherann from Kitchen Courage. I get to share 7 things about myself and pass along this wonderful honor to 7 others. So here goes with my random thoughts:

1. I am absolutely terrified of dogs! I don't care how sweet and cute your dog is, do not get me near it or I will run from the room screaming :)
2. I want to get a tattoo of the Egyptian eye somewhere on my back but don't know if I can handle that threshold of pain.
3. I have a slight addiction to grocery shopping (don't all bloggers?) I'll buys stuff but probably won't eat it like that spaghetti squash sitting in my cabinet.
4. I love shoes and dresses....I am such a girlie girl and love dressing up.
5. I am definitely a home-body and love going to the movie theaters to watch movies alone. Call me crazy and weird.
6. Loving all Bobbi Brown products right now but have been too lazy to apply the full face during recovery after surgery.
7. I am in love with the blogging community and hope to meet with all of you one day for a blogger meet-up!

And of course it's always hard to choose just 7 to pass it along because we are all beautiful and special in our own way but I'd like to hear more from these inspiring ladies.

1. Iowa Girl Eats
2. More To Life Than Lettuce
3. Orange Truffle
4. Peanut Butter and Jenny
5. The Actor's Diet
6. Taydor Tott
7. Snack Face

Happy Thursday!

Recovery

2010-01-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind these past few days. As you know I had to undergo some surgery this past weekend. My surgeon had to relocate the operation to Houston so my dad drove me up Saturday for an early morning procedure. Long story short I was under anesthesia for about 9 hours but all seems well. I am recovering back at home in Arlington thanks to vicodin and valium so you can imagine how loopy I'm feeling. I hate being out of work for so long but I need 5-7 days to recover.

TMI Details: I had to get a small tumor removed and to replace the parts of the head that were shaved and cut, I was given about 250o grafts to my scalp. I will have to wear a scarf/wrap around my head for the next couple of days and have specific instructions to help the healing process. Not fun, not fun at all but a necessity. Thanks for all your well wishes!

But enough about my pain threshold. Here are some random pics I had on my camera in no particular order.

New breakfast of sorts: Steel cut oats with 2 tbsp each of wheat germ and flax seed, 1 tsp of bee pollen, blueberries/blackberries, 1/2 a slice banana, and a dollop of FAGE Greek yogurt (currently on sale at Tom Thumb for 99 cents!) Bet your ass I stocked up on 12 containers.

Snackage: Ezekiel toast with sunflower seed butter, sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey.
More snacks: Hard-boiled egg with honey kashi crackers

What started off with Oikos Greek yogurt with 1 cup of Nature's Path Banana Almond cereal and blueberries and blackberries...

All mashed together into a delicious bowl of yogurt mess....
Lunch: Spinach salad with chopped celery, cherry tomatoes, pinenut hummus, boiled chicken, egg white, and the last of my Organicville sun-dried tomato and garlic dressing.
Another snack: Kashi Go Lean cereal with unsweetened vanilla almond breeze.
Bowl of goodness: Oikos Greek yogurt, 1/2 a sliced banana, cup of blueberries, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp of chopped walnuts and that's all it takes to make my tummy happy!
I am just on a snacking rage right now. Is it the medicine? I just bought a spaghetti squash so need some ideas on how to cook and eat the delightfully huge thing a ma bob! Talk to you soon bloggie friends and I'll be back to normally scheduled blogging soon :)

Big Game For My Boys

2010-01-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

As you well know I bleed burnt orange and tonight is the Big Game. The National Championship to be exact versus Alabama. I hope my boys have been practicing this past month after that horrendous game against Nebraska. Alabama has a good defense and Ingram but I think the Longhorns will pull it off.

In other news: my computer has died. I am currently typing on my parent's computer so no pics of some good eats :(The computer technician at my school's campus is currently trying to fix my baby so I will not know the verdict on it's life until Tuesday which leads to my next announcement....

My surgery has been moved to Houston due to circumstances. I will be going under on Saturday at 8:30 AM. I am terrified to go under anesthesia for 8 hours but hopefully I'll be alive and kicking when I wake up, brand spanking new! My dad's going to drive us to Houston tomorrow and hopefully the roads won't be iced up like they were today. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I will be taking off work because unfortunately my surgeon says it will be about 5-7 days of recovery time. Blech....thank God I'll have vicodin and codeine.

Talk you to you soon...hopefully on Tuesday!

The Dash

2010-01-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

Like starting work on a Monday isn't hard enough. Starting work on a Monday after a 2 and 1/2 week vacation is even worse! Waking up to the alarm clock, re-adjusting my eating schedule for my late lunch, talking/teaching all day...blah! To unwind, I came home and did about 40 minutes of beginners yoga. Great way to end the day I must say. I think I'm getting ready to find a new yoga DVD and branch out. Anybody have old DVDs they want to send :) or where I can get cheap ones to try?

Speaking of trying new things, today was a day of firsts. No oatmeal for breakfast!? What?! I know. Today I had a cup of Nature's Path Optimum Banana Almond cereal with 1/2 a sliced banana, 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, and about a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond breeze. The milk has absolutely no flavor but the breakfast switch was kind of nice and refreshing to break out of routine.

Another first: adding another 200+ calorie snack to my day. My endocrinologist suggested I add another nutritious snack to increase my weight. I told him I would but in truth, it has been sporadic. The days I have another snack I feel guilty and try to compensate for it the next day. No more my friends, I need to step it up. Enter: Kashi honey sesame crackers with a navel orange.
Lunch: Spinach salad with 1/2 a chopped gala apple, chicken, hard-boiled egg whites, chopped red bell pepper, chopped celery, and sun-dried tomato basil dressing.
Snack #2: Raw cashew with some chopped dates coated in oat flour. Not a fan of the coating but the rest was satisfying.
Dinner after yoga: not so new but still good. Baked salmon with sweet potato fries and roasted brussel sprouts on spinach. Dressing was a mix of dijon mustard, red wine vinaigrette, and olive oil.
I'm reading this great little book called The Dash that is based on a poem by Linda Ellis. I want to share with you first the poem. I'm thinking that in following blog posts I'll post the mini-lessons as well because we can learn so much about ourselves and our lives.

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth and now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars...the house...the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard; are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real and always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile...remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?

Much love,

Yasmin

Save the Drama For Your Mama

2010-01-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Where did my vacation time go? Tomorrow I have to go back to teaching my junior high kiddos. I don't wanna (in a whining voice)....and the following week my last semester of graduate school. Can we slow time down? I did spend my last day browsing Borders (I could spend HOURS there) and going to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Squeak-qul. So cute....oh those chippettes :)

Last night was crazy drama but I guess that's what happens when you have a large group of people, alcohol, and exes (thankfully none of mine) involved. You might remember that I won a free Happy Hour party at our school's holiday auction which I finally decided to cash in last night at BlackFinn American Saloon.

Basically we had free food and 1/2 price all the drinks at the bar. My poison of choice for the night was several Patron tequila sunrises. I figured at least I was getting some Vitamin C from the orange juice, right? We had a pretty good turnout of about 16 people....

Me and the bestie Emily who had been MIA for such a long time! I told you life gets crazy.

Rosie and her hubbie Carlos

Crystal, myself, and Barbara

Leila, my head, and Reuben

More peeps

Matt, me (check out my fabulous leather bomber jacket I received for Christmas making its debut), and Nat

Justin and Cat (causes of stupid drama)

All in all it was a fun night. We ended up staying later to watch the Texas Tech bowl game but I wasn't as into it because they weren't my Longhorns (that's Thursday). Even though I was surrounded by friends I still felt somewhat awkward and uncomfortable being out in that social situation. I've tried for so long to avoid bars/nightclubs because of the insecurity I end up feeling. And note to self to myself and everyone: don't get a facial a couple of days before an event. Maybe it's just me and my sensitive skin but I had a major flare-up in the center of my face which no amount of make-up could cover...adding to my insecurity. It never fails to break out after a deep cleansing.

Food for thought: Oats, 1/2 a chopped red delicious, 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1/2 a sliced banana, pumpkin seeds, flax, and FAGE 2% Greek yogurt.
Amy's Organic soups are on sale at Whole Foods for 2/$4 so I stocked up on the light in sodium line. Today featured the minestrone soup with some add-ins. I heated it on the stove-top (so much better than the microwave in my opinion) and threw in 1/2 a chopped apple, some pumpkin, spinach, and a baked tilapia cut up.
On the side (but later crushed as a topping for my soup) these new crackers I also picked up: Kavla's golden rye crispbread.
Fantastico!!!! The pumpkin made the soup thicker while the apple added a tinge of sweetness. Tilapia increased the protein count and I am one happy full tummy :) Perfect for a chilly day like today.
I'm off to prepare for work tomorrow...grrr. Have a restful night y'all!

Fresh Start

2010-01-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

That's how I feel about the new year. I'm ready for a fresh start and new challenges so I say bring it on baby. Hello 2010!
Me rocking the tiara and 2010 glasses last night.

I was so tempted to make the typical excuses to stay in last night. I didn't want to be around food, drinking, and staying up late but I forced myself to go out and enjoy myself. No more solitude!

And I'm glad I did because one of the best parts of getting out there is meeting new and interesting people. Like these two...he is a pro bono lawyer in New Orleans that helps battered women escape abusive husbands. She is studying to be an anthropologist at LSU and is absolutely fascinated obsessed with Africa and my country Iran. We had great conversations throughout the night.

The hosts: Becca and Matt. Matt and I have know each other for 11 years and he's been there for me through it all. Do I detect a slight crush forming? Hmmm...crossing the friends line...good or bad idea?

I don't know how I managed to make it through UT and not played this drinking game. I think it was called cup flip? Two teams against each other. The first person has to drink their cup of beer and flip it to land perfectly upside down before their next team member can go. First team to completely flip all their cups wins. Dangerous for competetive people like me. I chose to play photographer instead.

Is a lot harder than you think.

Ringing in the new year with some champagne!

We had a good crowd going definitely...

All in all, I'm glad I kicked myself in the butt to spend the evening with friends. It was filled with laughter and good times. No better way to start the new year.

I can't help but remember how my new year started last year with some idiot rear-ending my brand new car at the mall. I thought my year would be filled with bad luck after the accident but I was wrong. I'm hopeful and feeling positive about this year. I have some good goals set and I know with the support of my family, friends, and blogging family (yes, you're my family now :) this will truly be a joyful and successful year. Here's to 2010!

2010 Goals

2009-12-31T16:16:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve people! I have dinner to run to and a friend's house party after that so I'll be quick with the re-cap of food and then my 2010 goals!! I'm curious about yours too :)

Breakfast: Oats, walnuts, coconut, mixed berries, 1/2 a banana, and FAGE Greek yogurt.

With a cup of my new favorite tea of the moment: Yogi Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life. It pairs perfectly with this breakfast.

Another newbie: Sunbutter which is a sunflower seen nut nutter. Hmm...interesting....

I used two mini Ezekiel tortillas spread with the sunbutter and topped with sauteed chicken and spinach.

Grilled this up in my quesadilla maker. For my dip I used FAGE Greek yogurt mixed with a tbsp of honey. Pretty genius if I do say so myself but I missed my almond butter :( This didn't compare.

So for my snack later in the day, I had a mini-quesadilla with almond butter and the other half of my banana from the morning.

And of course here are my 2010 goals that I hope to accomplish so help me out and hold me accountable this year:

1. Finally get my surgery done for my emotional and healthy well-being.
2. Continue trying to reach my healthy goal weight.
3. Train and participate in my first 5K or half marathon.
4. Join a new club/group/organization in my area to network.
5. Organize monthly get-togethers with my circle of friends. It’s so hard to coordinate with our busy schedules and I’m determined to change that.
6. Plan a BIG trip for the summer to another country.
7. Graduate in May with my Masters in Educational Leadership with a Principal Certification.
8. Re-locate to a new city in the summer and obtain a higher position for my career field.

What do you think? Have a good night and I hope to have some good pics for you tomorrow!

Starting With Number One

2009-12-29T15:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I have survived the Christmas holidays without any nervous breakdowns like usual when it comes to social situations involving food. Score one for me and conquering my lingering eating disorder thoughts. Did you have any breakthroughs?

It's another crazy snow day here in Texas. I do not like cold weather or snow. Hello! That's why I live in Texas so stop already....but the eats have been good as of late. It feels good to eat normally again on schedule and preparing in my own kitchen.

Brown rice tortilla with tomato and barbeque sauce topped with stir-fried veggies, spinach, chicken, and almond rice jalapeno cheese.

Oats with coconut, walnuts, a chopped red pear, mixed berries, and FAGE Greek yogurt.
Baked tilapia with sweet potato and sugar snap pea fries on a bed of spinach with the best sauce ever: 1 tbsp of aged balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Very flavorful!

Another tortilla but with just chicken, spinach, and tomato sauce with a 100 calorie pack of guacamole and sugar snap peas.

Spinach salad with 1/2 a chopped red delicious apple, chicken, and a cinnamon raisin almond butter sandwich to be cut into "croutons".

So I'm starting to make my 2010 goals and today I've taken the first step in checking off number one on my list. I finally committed myself and made an appointment with a specialist to get my much-needed surgery done January 8th. I've been putting it off for some time because it is quite pricey...no numbers please or I'll have a heart attack. I'm trying not to stress about the financial concern but my health should come first. I'm not sure if I want to share the details just yet but I'm glad to finally listen to my body and get it "fixed".

Anywho I don't want to go on about it but I'll share my other goals in a later post. Enjoy your night...I have a row of The Office reruns to watch.

Christmas Part 2

2009-12-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

As promised, part 2 of Christmas 2009 pics! First up, pics of the girls in front of the festive Christmas tree.

A pic of the beaded necklace my friend made me for Christmas. The theme of the Las Vegas trip according to my sister..."Yasmin...um...TMI". Apparently there are some topics that are off limits. And of course the UT picture...past, present, and future Longhorns. We bleed burnt orange.

Ho, ho, ho!

Maysa and I before dinner. We met when we were 5 at a McDonald's playground and have been friends ever since. I've known her the longest out of all my friends. Our parents starting talking and realized we were both Iranian and the rest is history. They are all part of the family now.

Maysa, myself, my sister Leila, Kiana, and Tara before the Christmas feast. Yum, yum. We're talking the traditional turkey, green bean casserole, corn cream cheese casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, rolls, fruit salad, dessert and more dessert. The whole shebang!

What did Santa bring me? I received lots of gift certificates, jewelry (including my fave designer Betsey Johnson), clothes, CDs and DVDs, a new feather down comforter, a black leather bomber jacket, Victoria's Secret swag, and much much more. I was a good girl this year...were you?

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!