A Lot Going On

Lately I feel swamped! I am working 2 jobs and balancing my home life with my work schedule and Sean's work schedule and let me just say it is exhausting!
Of Course I started my day with the new fave; Breakfast Cookie!!!! Today's cookie is exactly like yesterdays except I flattened it more trying to make it become harder over night. It didn't really work but it is still yummy! I had to eat it at lightning speed because my alarm didn't go off (or I hit the "off" button without knowing:) and I had only 30 min to eat, wash up, pick out an outfit, feed Ella, and run out the door!!

For lunch I had leftover Mac and Cheese with Tuna. My boss bought us all a little treat from the Japanese Market: Mini Gyuudon (beef bowl) with beni shoga (pickled ginger)!!! It was soo tasty, sweet beef over rice! I don't have a picture but you can see what the dish looks like here: justbento.com/files/bento/images/bento_11_640.jpg This is the coolest site! I has Japanese recipes and lists the calories, it is awesome!

I came home WAY later than expected and was sooooo hungry! I went straight to the Bar Basket and grabbed this All Bran bar from Spain!

I bought these for my "go to" snack in Spain! I miss them a lot. I also broke out an Oatmeal Raisins Cookie I brought home from work.

I love comments from you to give the leftover food to a nearby shelter! We talked about it at work today and one of the guys was supposed to look into a place a while ago and has been slackin' so I think I might take over the job and hunt down a shelter! Sometimes we give the goods to the cooking school or art school for kids next door, but only sometimes.

Here is the portion of the cookie I didn't eat : ) I should have microwaved it and put it on a plate but I was rushing to fill my tummy!

They are BIG cookies, but I was still not satisfied. I must have gone too long before eating and nothing was satiating me! So I had some Mrs. May's almond clusters! I love these guys!

An hour or so later I was ready to just have my dinner already!!!! I had another round of Butternut Squash soup and a WW bun! Sorry for the repeats, but I need to go shopping so badly!

So after I ate this meal I left the house and headed to TJ's ASAP! Here are my goods:

I am psyched to try the Dragon Fruit! And for fun I bought 3 single beers to try with my honey!

See ya'll tomorrow for another day of eatz! I have not done a whole lot of exercise of late, I have been so whooped from the job at the cafe and the prepping/shopping for the photo shoot!

Good night to all in blog land!

C

The Best Things in Life Are Free!

This morning was amazing! Thanks to Gina! Her blogfamous Breakfast Cookie was outta this world! I have been meaning to try it but didn't have the protein powder to make it with, well I bought it a couple of days ago and voila! You can find how to make it here: http://www.fitnessista.com/2008/11/something-worth-waking-up-for.html
For mine I used: 1/3 cup oats, 1/2 scoop Whey Protein powder in vanilla, 1 over ripe banana mashed, 1 shot raisins, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1/2 tbsp Pumpkin Butter, and a dash of Cinnamon. It was stupendous!!!!! Mine was a bit soft, maybe because I used a whole banana instead of half or maybe because I didn't let it sit in the fridge long enough, but either way it is good eats! I was full for 3.5 hours! I also had this apple:

I was lucky to catch a bit of the Inauguration on the TV at a prop house and got the chills it is so exciting!!!!! YEA for our new President Obama!

I came home for and early lunch before going into work and had some Annie's WW shells with white chunk tuna and frozen peas and a side salad with a tomato and balsamic dressing:

For my break I was looking forward to this treat all day! And it is so good! My fave Larabar by far! I can't wait to try to recreate this one Home Made Style!

Along with the bar I had a small orange, very refreshing!

I later snacked on these little tasty morsels: Mrs. May's Almond clusters:

I love free food! I think it is the fat girl inside me wanting to eat everything in sight and not waste anything! My mom was the "human garbage disposal" when I was a kid and all the left over bits on our plate would make up her plate and she lived on our discards, hehe! This must have rubbed off on me because I find myself saving everything for the off chance I can eat or use it later. Working at the Cafe is hard because everyday there is food we throw away if nobody wants to take it home! It is torture for me to see perfectly good sandwiches, muffins, pastries and soup go to the garbage can.

Today I got to take home Butternut Squash soup! It is vegan; dairy free, fat free and full of flavor! I love butternut squash soup so much especially when (like this one) has a hint of spice and a hint of curry! I had one container for dinner, along with a WW bun I took home earlier this month and froze. I just heated it in the microwave and boom free, fast and delicious. I had a small salad like lunch's on the side to make it more well rounded!

Yumm what a huge meal! I love when dinner comes together so nicely! I am off to cook, I know, I know, but I am in the mood so I think I will steam some Bok Choy and Red Potatoes for tomorrow and of course I can't resist to make another Bfast Cookie!!! Thanks again Gina!

Also, if you haven’t already check it out, Angela at ohsheglows.com/ is hosting another amazing contest! An Honest Foods prize! Check out the contest , http://ohsheglows.com/2009/01/17/the-results-of-the-honest-foods-contest-giveaway-contest-2/ you have until this Thursday, January 22!

Good night and "yes we can"

C

It's Friday I'm in Love!

Yes indeed I feel a lot better and my boyfriend had once again proven to be the best ever! He came home last night after a long hard day of working a 15 hour shift! He saw me curled up on the couch with heating pad and ice pack on my wounds and made me tea and tended to my every need! He is the breast!!! So today went much better. I worked at the cafe from 10am to 6:30pm and was standing and serving all day long! I started my day with my blueberry oats topped with a 3 part shot of Craisins, raisins, and almonds. Also atop my oats was a big scoop of Fage 0% and 1/4 a blueberry Z Bar.
I have a sad story about my French Press; I broke it while emptying out the grinds in the trash :( It cracked and so I tossed it along with my morning coffee's. But I had the next best thing; Chai Tea with Splenda and skim!

Before work I had the rest of my Z Bar and this glorious Apple:

At work I made 2 nonfat sugar free vanilla lattes...yummmmm! I was WIRED! I got to come home for lunch so I made some Whole Wheat Pasta with tomato sauce, Tofurkey and Parmesan cheese! It was nice and filling!

I also had 1/2 a cucumber for some crispy greenness:

For my dessert I had Mrs. May's in Cashew:

For dinner I brought home (for free) a bowl of vegetarian Tortilla Soup, which is nonfat, dairy free, and yummy spicy blend of tomato and tortillas!!! I heated up along with it the last WW tortilla with a slice of low fat Munster cheese!

This meal was soooooo good! I love the soup and will definitely get this again. I dipped my quesadilla in it for a fun "throw back to elementary school days" meal.

For dessert I had 2 figs!

Well Ladies and Gents I am off to get ready for my friend Ben's B-day Party! He lives near my old apt in Hancock Park and I love getting to go into that "Old Hollywood" neighborhood! There will most likely be some wine or beer consumed but I am allowing myself to have a night of freedom! I had a rough week! I will let you all in on the sinning tomorrow with a full recap!

Have a wonderful Friday and yea for the weekend!

C

Larabars and Scrambles and Work... OH MY!

Hello Everyone!
This morning I had cereal to switch it up with 1 cup Kashi Sunshine, 1 cup Heritage flakes, 1 shot almonds, 1 shot raisins, 1 shot Crasins, 1/2 banana and 1 cup skim milk. It was filling for the moment but I really find that oatmeal sticks with me MUCH longer! And the rest of the day I feel fuller.
So having said that I had Mrs. May's Cashew clusters and an apple 2 hours later:

I had some motivation to DO something before my shift at 1pm but I was not sure what! I wanted to run by the 24 Hour to get my pass but felt the need to do some cleaning around the house instead. That didn't last long so I went online to check Self's wed fitness tips. The routine:

-50 reps calf raises (releves)

-50 crunches on the balance ball

-50 crunches on the ball with leg lifts

-40 reps butt leg lifts each side

-40 laying down leg lifts each side

-40 reverse leg lifts

-2 sets 1 min plank

-35 reps seated attitude lift each side

-3 sets of 10 pelvic lifts each side

This type of strength training doesn't feel like much to me and didn't get me sweating or "feeling the burn" but it was something and I feel good about doing it.

Any tips on at home strength training with actual results????

Back to my "filling the time" activities- I then remembered how I have been wanting to make my own Larabars with the dates I bought at Costco- One huge tub!! I also keep raw nuts in the freezer so I pulled out the last of the Walnuts and grabbed the dated and started chopping!

Home Made Larabars:

• 1 cup raw walnuts or any nut of preference
• 1.5 cups dates

Chop dates and set aside, chop nuts and mix with dates on a flat surface. Kneed together until it forms a ball or chunk. Roll out with hands to a flat even square shape about 1 inch thick. Cut into desired shape and package separately in zip-lock bags or Saran wrap. Place bars in Tupperware and into the fridge to harden. Remove and enjoy your very own home made Larabar!!!

I made about 6 with this amount of ingredients! They are so easy and yummy! You could probably do this in a food processor but it might get all sticky so I say use your hands! This is a fresher, cheaper, and more fun way to enjoy this blogtastic treat!!! Here are the steps:

They are a tad smaller than your average pen!

Neat! I also tried a new gum, I don't know if ya'll know this about me yet but I am an avid gum chewer!!! Any one else crazy for gum?

My verdict; nice chew factor, good flavor! Very mangolicious! But the flavor faded way too fast:(

Lunch today was a bit of an experiment. I purchased QucikWhites in the carton from TJ's and have been a bit scared to try them. I am glad I did because they are perfect in every way! I made an egg white scramble pita pocket with

-3 tbsp egg whites

-6 cloves garlic sliced- I love garlic!

-1/4 chopped onion

-1 small green bell pepper chopped

-S&P

-sprinkle of Emeril seasoning

-dab of butter

Saute in pan until lightly brown and peppers are soft:

Pour in egg whites:

Scramble veggies and eggs until done:

I put mine in a WW pita topped with a tbsp of Fage 0% and a side of tomato and broccoli!!

This meal was super tasty and full of nutrients!!! I had a small glass of Peppermint Chocolate Soymilk! I love how thick and creamy it is! Next time I will try microwaving a cup for a hot chocolate!

I left for my shift after lunch and returned home 3.5 hours later for my snack! I live across the way from the Cafe I work at- convenient huh? I of course had to try my Larabars and they were much better than the store bought ones in my opinion! You gotta try this!

After work I came home to eat a few veggies to tied me over until Sean came home.

Sorry for the bad lighting! For dinner I had the leftover Kale and Tofu!!! With lots of microwaved brown rice:

Well I am off to snuggle on the couch with Ella and Sean and watch the new Top Chef! Man I gotta stop typing- my wrist is killing me! I hope it goes away so I can keep up with comments for ya'll!

Gnight!

C

When cookies come to work.....

Hello Bloggeristas!!!!

I will start with what snacks I had last night after I blogged, here are the goods:

Yogi Licorice tea, again!

The wise mantra:

I totally agree! Moving right along to this morning. I had a cup of coffee accompanied by the one and only straptastic Strap Perfect! My dad of all people saw this on tv and bought it for me, my sis and mama- hehe! I also had a bowl of oatmeal, with 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, 1/2 shot Craisins, 1/2 shot raisins, 1/2 shot Bare Naked Granola, sprinkle of Cinnamon, 1 med banana with 1/2 smashed in and 1/2 on top:

Thanks to everyone who checked out my blog for the first time!!! I love ya'll for taking a liken to the Kale and Tofu and my handy dandy shot glass measuring tool! It really works! And a special shout out to my girl Meghann at graduatemeghann.com/. Her blog is great for recipes and tips on staying fit! She is a marathon runner and is such an inspiration to me!!!

Continuing right along. On my way to work I had a few of Mrs. May's almond clusters:

They are super good! Toasted nuts are so yummy and crunchy! As I said I would I wore my HRM for test #2- a day on set.

The totals:

Time- 5:40

Calories- 1058!!!!! Heck yea!
As I assumed I burned more calories on set versus at the coffee shop due to the vigorous work. Today was an unusually short day so I am sure with a regular 14 hour day the numbers would be outrageous!

For my mid morning snack I had a Luna Bar in yummy Lemon Zest- an old time fave, this was the first Luna bar I ever tired oh so long ago! It is sitting foggy on a pile of MDF that we broke down today.

MDF is very expensive and so is the Chroma paint. We usually have no use for it when the show is done and it usually gets trashed :( This show we aimed to be more GREEN (no pun intended) and put an add up on a free recycler website! We got a ton of replies to pick it up! We gave it to a girl doing a low-budget music video who offered to bake us cookies!! They were Sea Salt Oatmeal!!! Strange, good and crispy! I had a few bites of this cookie:

I prefer chewy cookies to crunchy so it was not my fave, but free cookies hey why not! For lunch today we went back to Grub! This was the lunch menu only so the table goodies were not sugar cereal but VEGGIES, pretzels and ranch dressing! I had a few cucumber spears, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes-yumm.

For my meal I had the Mediterranean w-RAP! Here is the description: No, this ain’t a Greek Fisherman singing about his woes…It’s a yummy combo of Couscous, Spicy Lemon Hummus, Kalamata Olives, marinated Artichoke Hearts, French Feta, Tomatoes, chopped Romaine & Basil in a Spinach Wrap…”My baby left me for the sea, she, she, she…

I ate half at lunch and rest for my afternoon snack! It was sooooooo good a tad bit too salty for me (I rarely use salt in my cooking) with the feta and the kalamata olives, but very filling! The best part......Betty was there today and when she served us she called me pumpkin!!! I was star struck for sure. That woman can cook!

I had a minor disaster tonight! My wrist has been super sore from Saturday's painting and lifting and it has only gotten worse since-yikes! So tonight after work I decided to go check it out. I went to Kaiser and waited for a good 2 hours before I was diagnosed "a strained wrist to be medicated with ibuprofen and try to not use it for a few days" Hello! I could have told you that! GRRRRRR! A waist of time and moola, but at least I know it's nothing serious.

For dinner I planned on eating my left over Kale and Tofu but wanted to change it up so I could have it tomorrow! I microwaved a huge Yam cut it in half and topped it with a dab of butter and pepper. On the side I had Romain, cucumber, a Roma tomato, broccoli and a heaping spoon of Eggplant Hummus! It was satiated!

For dessert I snacked on some more of my popular dried fruit medley:

I am going to get to all your blogs tomorrow because I am a dork and want to watch the premier of American Idol!

In honor of my fellow blogger's in colder climates I am leaving you with some pics from my Spain trip:

"ooo la la whole wheat pasta!"

Good night everybody! And have a great hump day tomorrow!

C