Back from chemistry lab!!

I've finally returned from chemistry lab, had my supper, and am feeling quite happy and content now that the weekend is here. :D Even though I have a test on Monday (Geography exam,) I planned out that tomorrow I'll only have to study for a bit and have the rest of the day free for whatever...can't wait! :D

Here's the official day's recap! :)

6:00-6:30---Breakfast
8:30---On the ride to my classes, I munched on the bag of carrots and tomatoes that I had packed. The tomatoes were super sweet and delicious...I already went through a pint of tomatoes just from yesterday and today, through salads and snacking. haha...I also ended up eating my pear. It's much easier to eat and enjoy a whole fruit when I'm sitting down in my car then when I'm in class and trying to avoid making too much noise (not always easy to do with a pear...;)
11:00---I ended up leaving the banana nut odwalla bar that I had taken a picture of at home by mistake, but thankfully I had an extra snack-sized peanut crunch odwalla in my backpack, which hit the spot perfectly. I'm so happy I decided to pack one in my bag...:)
1:00---Lunch couldn't have come soon enough! Although I liked the idea of having a salad for lunch, it was so far off from breakfast that I was definately starting to feel the grumbly stomach coming on! Once I actually got around to eating it though, I decided it was well worth the wait. :D It was jam packed with goodies...orange slices, beet slices, sunflower seeds, black beans, and some really yummy dressing that I just tried: Annie's Organic Raspberry Vinaigrette. I loved the taste of this stuff, especially since I kind of had a "fruity theme" going with the oranges. :) Oh, funny story though...I forgot to bring a fork along, and ended up eating with a spoon. A little awkward, yes, but at least it forced me to eat (very) slowly...teehee! :D
2:00---Right before heading to lab, I ate a yogurt for some extra energy...yum! :)
6:30---Lab was longer then expected, but finally the experiment carried through. Phew...I'm so glad that lab is only every other week! :D Supper was delicious! My dad cooked up some chicken on the grill, using a spice rub that we got for a Christmas gift (my best guess is that it was made with cajun, paprika and garlic salt), and I steamed some asparagus on the side, along with some mashed potatoes and...more beets! :D So tasty...:)

Morning Snacks and Lunch: Pear, Carrots & Tomatoes, Huge Salad, and Yogurt...scratch that odwalla bar out! I ended up eating a snack-sized peanut crunch odwalla instead, which still managed to hit the spot...

Close up of a tasty salad...
Supper: Steamed Asparagus, Mashed potatoes, beets, and grilled chicken...sooo very tasty! :)

I don't know about you guys, but I'm on "relax mode" now that the weekend is finally here...I hope you guys are enjoying your Friday night! :)

Quick and Easy Breakfast...

Sorry for the rushed post and the rushed picture! I woke up an hour after my alarm today because I knew I needed the extra sleep. It resulted in me wanting a breakfast that I could easily pick at without having to worry about it getting soggy fast or getting cold too quickly.

SO, I had 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, about a cup of grapes, and 1.5 cups of Quaker Oatmeal Squares to nosh on while doing homework. I usually make a pact with myself not to eat while doing something else, but I actually rather enjoyed eating this breakfast while doing homework. It meant I didn't have to rush through it, and could take my time. Not to mention all the tasty combinations...:) Yum...

Okay, off to get ready to drive to classes...my day doesn't end until about 6:30 tonight, so I'll see you then...ENJOY your Friday everyone! :)

Thursday's Recap

Another busy day, but there's hope, because the weekend is right around the corner! :D

This is kind of a shorter day's recap just because my breakfast and lunch were already posted, but I'll continue with it anyways...:)

6:30---Breakfast
9:00---Snack
12:00---Lunch
3:30---I just got back from a run, not feeling overly hungry, but wanting something cool and refreshing. Kashi Heart to Heart came to save the day! :) I had 3/4 cup of it along with 1/2 cup of milk, which hit the spot perfectly.
7:00---The typical late Thursday supper came along, and in an attempt to get something quick and easy on the table, I made myself a Black Bean Chipotle Gardenburger with a slice of cheese, a tomato slice, some lettuce, and ketchup...all on top of a whole wheat square bagel. I wasn't going to have a salad since it was my main lunch course, but since I was making one for the family anyways, I decided to make myself a small one as well. :)
8:00---I munched on a handful of grapes, because they're too juicy and sweet to resist. :) Unfourtanetly they didn't make it long enough to get their picture taken...;)

See you all tomorrow...it's almost FRIDAY! :D

Post-Run Snack: Kashi Heart to Heart with milk.

Dinner: Black Bean Chipotle Gardenburger on a whole wheat bagel.
And a side salad to complete the meal...:)

Thursday Productivity...:)

This morning turned out to be super productive. I stayed focused instead of procastinating, and...you know?...it's amazing how much that actually helps. ha...I'm queen of procastination, but as long as I make an effort to get work done in the morning, the day usually follows through pretty smoothly. :)

This morning I had a bowl of plain, low-fat yogurt with an orange, while enjoying the warmth of the sun and studying. :)


For lunch, I ate the rest of the salmon from last night's dinner. I love cold salmon, placed on top of a bed of mixed greens and spinach...makes for a very tasty and satisfying salad. Thank goodness it's shopping day...I literally finished off all the veggies in the house (a few celery spears, a carrot, a few tomato chunks, and about 1/2 c. chic peas), and added 2 T. balsamic vinagaigrette on top. The kashis on the side, of course, were a must. :)

For dessert, I started with 1/2 a banana...but after realizing how super sweet and ripe this guy was, I couldn't resist and ate the other 1/2 as well. :D

The sun is shining, and it's supposed to reach 40 degrees today...if that's not the perfect excuse for a good afternoon run, I don't know what is!

Plans: homework, run, grocery shopping...so I should get moving and get started..I want to keep this productive day on a role! :)

Breakfast of Champions...or at least of busy, normal, everyday people...:)

This morning I woke up knowing I had a ton of work to be done, so I contemplated between having a fast breakfast or a stovetop bowl of oats. What to do?

I finally decided on the oats...I find that I function better throughout the day when I have a breakfast that carries me through, and oatmeal has always been perfect for that. :) Definitely worth the extra few minutes it takes to heat it up and chop the fruits.

I increased the cooking time from 8-10 minutes to make it thicker and softer, and ended up liking this Arrowhead Mills brand much better then the first time I made it. I also added in a heated pear, lots of cinnamon, and a handful of raisins when the oats were half way done cooking.

At the very end, I added on the walnuts and a drizzling of maple syrup. This bowl was so amazingly delicious; I think I'll be having pear spice oatmeal more often. :D I think the secret is having a pear thats super sweet and juicy...

Off to get some work done...looks like a sunny day over here, and hopefully it is for all of you as well!! :)

Day's Recap

Whew...what a crazy day! I feel as if it kind of flew by, without me even realizing it. The good news is that the bulgar breakfast held me over really well! :) I had a bag of carrots to-go as I drove my way to classes, and drank a ton of water along with it. I'm finding out the right amount of water that helps me feel hydrated and energetic all day long...:)

So, here's the day's recap, aside from supper which I'm getting ready right now...:)

5:30am---Breakfast
8:30---Carrots
11:15---Lunch was a bit quirky, in that I wanted to finish off this week's pita pockets rather then opening up a new loaf of bread from the freezer. I wasn't sure how I'd end up liking pb&j and a banana on a pita, but it was actually really good! I like how the pockets kept it all contained, and I could stuff it with a whole banana. I also decided to up the amount of peanut butter I typically use from 1 T. to 2 T., and I found that it held me over so much better. Not to mention the flavor boost...:D
1:30---The pears in the picture look a bit off-colored, but that's as "bad" as they get when I cut them up the night before and pack them to-go. Not too shabby for a nice portable snack. :D Next time I'll cut them even smaller, because I ended up adding them to my bowl of plain, low-fat yogurt that I also packed along. Simply delicious. :)
4:30---I'm currently snacking on about 7 kashi crackers to keep my tastebuds happy while preparing supper. I really don't feel too hungry, which means my breakfast, lunch, and snack combinations have been a success today. hehe...:) Hope you all have had a great day so far! :)
**Edited to Add:
6:00pm---Supper! :)

LUNCH: Pb&J and a banana on a whole wheat pita pocket...its a keeper combination! :)

Lunch and Snacks, all combined in one picture...carrots in morning, pb&j for lunch, yogurt and pear for snack. :)

The snack I'm currently munching on...7 kashi crackers to keep me happy while prepping supper. :)

**Edited to Add Supper! :)

Supper was absolutely delicious. I love a meal like this, because it just seems so well balanced with proteins, carbs, fiber...and flavors! :) The salmon was cooked with the quick and easy method of just salt, pepper, and onions on top. On the side I had brown rice (a bit longer to make, but not bad if I start it right when I walk in the door,) mixed frozen veggies, and some sauteed mixed veggies (last of the celery, zucchini, carrots, and onions.)

All in all, a wonderful and tasty day, and I feel full and satisfied. :)

Need a Bigger Bowl...

My breakfast bowl was a bit too small for my breakfast this morning! I decided to make an apple cinnamon bowl of bulgar, and little did I know how much it was going to be overflowing with goodness. haha...

I made it using 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of bulgar...bring to boil, and let simmer for 12 minutes. In the microwave, I heated up 1 medium/small apple with 1/4 cup of vanilla hempmilk, lots of cinnamon, small handful of raisins, and 1 handful of walnuts. When the bulgar was halfway cooked, I added the apple mix in, stirred, and kept heating.

The result? SOOO good! It has a bit of creaminess to it, from the hemp and regular milk. And once I let it cool a bit, the flavors of the apples, raisins, and walnuts really melded together. You could even add some heated apple juice for a bit more "apple" flavor, but really...letting it cool just a bit helps a lot...:)

Oh, and last night's Biggest Loser snack while reading some books. :) I actually didn't end up starting either, but I did browse around in the cookbook for a while. :)

Happy Wednesday! :D