Running in the Rain...

crazy crazy crazy...my days are spiraling out of control lately...work is NUTS home is good but goes too quick and my exercise has been sporatic.  Tonight we were supposed to walk but I think we'll end up bailing b/c of the rain...not sure yet :)

The only thing that has been consistant and pretty good...is food.  Today:

My sushi was a rainbow roll...my fav!  It is a california roll topped with tuna, salmon, white fish and avacado.  It is really yummy and loaded with protein since my protein was a little light yesterday.  I also had a salad in there (greens, strawberries, walnuts, bluecheese and balsamic vinegrette). 

We are gonna do this run in the rain...wish us luck :)
TTFN

Baby Bella Risotto

 Breakfast

 Monster

 One of the perks of my job are the lunch outings.  We were treated today to a lunch meeting at Chiapparelli's in Littler Italy.  This is one of my very favorite places in little italy.  Lunch started with fresh baked bread (and alot of it)  They have a garlic dressing that works amazing as a bread topping...Mmmmm

 When you go to chips, you have to have their salad...Mmmmmm

 I got the Shrimp Nicola pasta dish but only ate about 1/3 of it.  It was linguine with a white wine lemon garlic sauce and shrimp...It was pretty good!

 Everyone enjoyed a bite of a flourless chocolate cake but due to my Lenten promise I didn't partake but came back to the office and one of my muffins. 

 Around 3 I had some Chobani

 Then came home to a mad house...DJ and Dom had to head out to a birthday party (on a Tuesday Night...weird right?!)  Anyway...as a result they didn't eat with us and I just made some pasta for Livie and Mason.  After I put Livie to bed, I decided I was hungry so I made some mushroom risotto.  I LOVE risotto mostly b/c it is creamy and rich, without an ounce of cream...it's like magic.

Here is what I did:

Baby Bella Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

2 tsp EVOO

1/2 yellow onion

2 C. baby bella mushrooms (protabella)

1 C. arborio rice

3 C. veggie stock

1/4 C. grated parm cheese

How?

First I saute the EVOO with the onion and mushrooms until they are soft.

 Then add the rice and allow to saute for 2-3 minutes

 while that is happening, I measure and heat the veggie stock in a separate pot.

 then comes the tricky part.  You have to add the stock to the rice mixture one ladle at a time.  Then you have to stir and wait until the broth is absorbed before adding another ladle.  Continue to add broth and stir, wait, add broth stir and wait until all the broth is gone.  This could take 10-15 minutes. 

 stir in the parm cheese, serve and enjoy! 

Seriously look at this dish...can you believe there is no butter or cream?  The starches in the rice create the rich texture and this is SO EASY to make!!!

It made 4 servings, I froze the other 3 for later.

No exercise b/c of the crazy schedule and now I'm sitting here on the couch in a carb coma...I think my protein was too light today but I'll step it up tomorrow :)

Time to sleep

TTFN

Vita Muffins

I don't know that I've talked about them on here but I absolutely LOVE vita muffin tops. 

Google Image Thief

You can find them in the organic freezer section of your grocery store.  They are OUTSTANDING but why am I writing about them?!?! 

Remember the muffins from yesterday??  I wasn't too happy for them????

WELL THAT CHANGED TODAY

For some reason the normal muffin sized ones (I ate mini muffins last night) were OUTSTANDING!

It took me almost all day to figure out what they reminded me of.  Then on my way home from my run, it hit me!!!  THEY TASTE JUST LIKE A VITATOP!!!

Since they weren't so good yesterday I didn't tell you what I did to modify the recipe. 

Here is what I did (from this recipe): 

Ingredients:
2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3/4 C. Granulated Sugar
2 tsp baking powder
and accidentally 2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C. milk
1/3 C. plain greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/3 C. unsweetened apple sauce (edited: I totally forgot to list this ingredient)
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix the dry ingredients
Mix the wet ingredients
Combine the two but don't over mix
scoop into muffin tins (with liners)
bake for 15-18 minutes
allow to cool completely
ENJOY!

Make them
Eat them
Love them

Alright...

Now onto my other food

I got the shakes this afternoon before I ate the pb pretzels so my picture was blurry...clearly I didn't eat enough for lunch.  Oh and I ate 2 of the muffins.  One this afternoon and one after my run.  Mmmmmmm

Great Day!!!

TTFN

Sunday Funday...

Egg's for breakfast??  Sure :)

We were having a hard time getting Livie to take a nap so I decided to take her shopping. It is funny b/c when she is being a little rotten (when most parents would stay home) I take her to a store b/c SHE LOVES TO SHOP.  I've been blessed by a girly girly girl...and I love it!  We came home from shopping, ate some lunch (reheated taco bake) then she finally took a nap.

 She woke up early so my little lady ended up joining me for a little 31 party at an old friend's house with my mom and sister.  If you've never hear of 31 bags...you need to check them out.  I'm obsessed...and I spent WAY TOO MUCH MONEY $$  Oh well...I can't wait to get my bags...I'll share a pic when they come in.

On the way home I picked up a pizza for the kiddos and enjoyed 2 peices myself :)

 I did 3 miles with Lynn and Julie joined us...I was so happy b/c Jule never gets to come and we had a great walk.  It may not be the BEST part of my Sunday but walking with the girls is certainly on the list :)

When I got home, the boys wanted me to make cookies but I didn't have any butter so I found this recipe using google and ...

 although these look AMAZING...

They only tasted, O.K...

That doesn't mean I didn't eat one (or two)...it just means I probably won't make them again :)

Now I'm sitting here watching the Academy Awards and contemplating going to bed.

TTFN

The Diner and Black Bean Taco Bake

I LOVE our diner...the boys love it too :)  What do I love about the Bel Air Diner??

• it is crowded enough that you know the food is fresh and yummy, but not so crowded that you have to wait for a seat.
• the service is OUTSTANDING...we can do the whole meal in under 30 minutes (from sit down to check).
• the food is really delicious
• the price is right!! (our check for family of 5 is never more than $25)
• and much more...

Saturday morning I got my usual...eggs with potatoes and rye toast...as usual :) 

lunch was tuna salad and some multigrain pretzels :)

dinner was a

Black Bean Taco Bake...

it was SO GOOD!

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can black beans

Half a packet taco seasoning

1 Pillsbury seemsless reduced fat crescent rolls

Salsa Fresh

reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese.

Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt

I pre baked the crescent dough (flat on a baking stone) for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. While it was baking, I heated the rinsed beans in a skillet with 2 tbsp water and the taco seasoning.  I pulled out the crescent dough, layered the bean mixture, salsa and cheese then baked for another 10 minutes, until the crust was golden brown...  I ate it with some fat free plain greek yogurt (in place of sour cream)

 I obviously made a meat version for the boys b/c they hate beans...their loss :)

After dinner I met my cousins out for a drink (or 3) LOL...Melissa, Sandy and I met at the Lodge in Bel Air for some drinks.  We were supposed to have our monthly get together with a bunch of girls but everyone bailed so we decided to just get a drink instead...

I drank beer (which is unusual for me)

 Then I ordered sweet potato fries...God knows why I did that.  I ate too many of them and paid for that all night with an upset belly...

Oh well...we had a great night! 

I did end up taking a walk with Mason yesterday afternoon and it was down right FREEZING..not because of the temperature but because of the wind...we did a mile and a half and called it quits.

That's it for now...more later

TTFN

Bento Box

Fridays in lent mean you should abstain from eating meat.  For me?!?  It didn't matter it was Friday because I'm meatless until Easter :)  The weather today was gross so that meant I felt sluggish all day...

Food?

I was treated to lunch by some GREAT friends and colleagues, whom I really miss :)  We went to the new sushi place near UA.  It is called the Red Parrot and I'll have to eat here 100 times before I end up trying repeating.  The menu is outstanding, huge and the food is amazing...

Yesterday I opted for a Bento Box.  It started with Egg Drop Soup, Mmmmmmm

I got the tarriaki salmon which came with jasmine rice, perfectly steamed broccoli, a ginger salad...

and a california roll

It was really delicious.  A Bento Box is like a combo meal but at a sushi restaurant and WAY healthier than your standard combo meal.  Instead of fries you get a salad and sushi :)

The traffic was horrible so we decided to eat out *gasp*.  We went to my favorite italian restaurant, Enotria in Bel Air.  There is nothing better than fresh pasta (in my opinion).  DJ got some pasta with his eggplant parm and I stole a few bites.  I got the shrimp bruschetta which was OUTSTANDING!

don't forget the wine and bread

Food was GREAT!  Exercise not so much...

I think I'll take a walk with Mason today...

TTFN

I confess...

I have access to an amazing cafeteria and I steal condiments every day...

some salad dressing, ketchup for my eggs or the below for my veggie burger.

 It is nice to have access to grey poupon, YUM :)

Work was NUTS but that isn't news.  I did take an amazing walk today down by the harbor and since it was 65 degrees it was GORGEOUS!!!  I plan on doing that regularly! 

Food?!?

Then I met a very dear friend out for drinks at Outback

I chose this one...

and this is what it looked like...

The mango flavor was DEF my favorite! and I had a camera shy bluecheese chopped salad b/c I LOVE IT!

Now onto more important things...

While talking last night we moved onto the topic of dieting and eating and food and the lifelong battle.  I swear my conversations always end up on food.  It is very overwhelming to follow diet after diet after diet and track everything you eat and deprive yourself of this or that still to end up in the same or worse shape then when you started.  Oh and don't forget the emotional scars that come with the failure.  I was this girl...  I did the diets and actually had success with extreme weightloss until I stopped following said diet and then I ballooned right back to where I was (PLUS SOME). 

This is why last year I made a decision.  No more dieting!  No more tracking!  No more stressing!  I am only going to make a healthier choice and eat as clean as possible.  Now...April, what does that mean?!?! 

When given the choice of:

Steak or Cheeseburger, I choose Steak

Pasta or Wholewheat pasta, I choose wholewheat pasta

Low fat dairy or full fat dairy, I choose lowfat dairy

cupcake or fruit, I choose fruit

chips or pretzels, I choose pretzels

Bagel or Yogurt, I choose yogurt

etc....etc...

Now onto clean eating.  I try to eat foods with as few ingredients listed on the back of a package as possible.  If it is fresh baked bread, fruit, meat (without preservatives), fresh veggies, yogurt, whatever...  If it is a food with ingredients on the package that I can't identify or pronounce, I don't eat it.  It is amazing to me some of the things I used to eat...thinking they were healthy but they really weren't b/c my body didn't know what to do with the chemicals.  Clean eating has helped me to make healthier choices naturally b/c most of them are the healthiest choices available..

My philosophy??

 - Don't deprive yourself, if you want it - have it just not ALOT of it

 - Everything is fine in moderation.  you don't have to eat the whole cake, just have a small slice

 - Eat mostly vegetarian, whole/clean foods

 - ENJOY LIFE!!!

 - Exercise most days

Oh and one of the most important things I've learned this year?!?  When you are full? - STOP EATING! 

Alrigth ya'll I could go on and on about this stuff but...I have to get to work :)

TTFN