We’ve Got A Winner!

Hey! Sorry for the long, drawn-out wait to reveal the winner of the free Oikos swag. Just so you know, the results were in at 12:00pm per the giveaway guidelines; I was just a bit preoccupied doing other oh-so-important things that I didn’t get around to making the official report until now.

So…is it you?

 

 

 

Congrats, Runner Forever! Your 5 free coupons + blue tote will be shipped to you shortly! Thanks to all who participated. I think giveaways are a lot of fun, and am more than happy to host them on my blog. That is, if there are others who would like to sponsor them ; )

* * *

Anyway, I had a pretty uneventful SUNday. The sun came out as promised, and as a result, the pools were hopping with happy students, teens, and children alike. It’s interesting how the weather can turn from low 80’s to rain in a day or two…but that’s the plan.

I need to do something about my alarm clock pronto because it hasn’t been doing it’s job all week! Luckily I didn’t have a hot date at 8:00am this morning because I would’ve stood them up. When I awoke from my slumber a few minutes shy of the 9 o’clock hour, I made oats. I know…no ‘extravagant’ weekend breakfasts. You can never go wrong with oatmeal though. I’m sure many of you are just as crazy about it as I am. After all, it is the breakfast of blogging champions [a.k.a. Jenna, Kath, and Tina].

 

1 cup water

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 banana – cooked

1/2 T ground flax

cinnamon

topped with…

1/2 T brown sugar

1/2 T unsweetened coconut

1 T pecans

If you pay really close attention, you might have noticed I’ve reduced my oat measure from 2/3 cup to 1/2 cup. I don’t know why, but I’ve been all about the low and slow, creamy oats lately. I wanted to make another bowl of this sweet heaven – no, Hillary, no.

I’m not oblivious to the fact that the number of breakfast photos heavily outweighs the photos of any other eats, including: my lunches, snacks, afternoon coffee and chocolate attacks, and Iron Chef dinners. What can I say, breakfast is my favorite and gets an unfair amount of attention.

What’s your favorite meal and WHY? I like breakfast the best because 1) it marks the beginning of another healthy day full of delicious eats, 2) I love love love baked goods such as scones and muffins and other traditional breakfast items such as pancakes, waffles & French Toast, and 3) it fuels my body with energy to make the most out of my days!

* * *

Sunday Sweat Session:

• 15 minutes arms & legs
• 1 hr. sprinty spin class
• 1 mi. indoor track run
• abs & stretch

Then there was a fiber-FULL dinner & fro yo with my roomie. Yes, that sums it up.

Night!

Cookie Crumbs & Carrying On

Hellooo and hooray for the weekend! I hope ya’ll have something exciting and/or enjoyable planned. Whatever you do, don’t forget to enter my Greek GIVEAWAY by Sunday @ 12:00pm. You’ve got three chances to win! …and speaking of Greek, I had my free honey Oikos for breakfast today with the last of my homemade granola and half of a crunchy pear. This was too sweet for my a.m. taste buds. It seems as though most of you prefer Plain Jane style when in comes to Greek, too.

After class this afternoon, I attempted to run outside. Key word: afternoon. I should have known…exercise in the middle of day is rarely a success for me. I gave it another shot though, and ran for 20 minutes around campus and our track until I finally listened to the throbbing pain in my upper back and gave in to walking. I added another 10 minutes to my watch as I made my way back to the gym where I did a thorough stretch. My legs are still unusually sore from Tuesday – what the heck! Hello, off week. You’re excused to leave now.

Lunch was an exact repeat of Wednesday’s eats, because 1) today was a lazy day, and 2) why wouldn’t I want a very berry Green Monster & jam-cheddar sandwich again?

Then I turned on Food Network – which I haven’t watched in ages! – while I winded down from the week with cookie baking. I think many of you would agree that the kitchen can often be a place to destress [ahem, Allie & Jenna]. So, I got to making Pioneer Woman’s “Good Ol’ Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies”. [Before you read on, go check out this amazing blog!]

 I made a couple tweaks to the original recipe:

1 cup real butter

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour & 1 cup + 2 T whole wheat flour

1 tsp. instant coffee granules

1/2 T baking powder

1/2 T salt

2 T ground flax

~2/3 bag Guittard semisweet chocolate chips

Note to self: Do not make cookies while home alone, and there isn’t anyone with whom to share 3 dozen cookies. I ended up eating more cookies than I deserved, but then I thought about Allie and Tina who have admitted to eating 4 1/2 granola bars or half a dozen cookies themselves; then I didn’t feel so bad. How do you handle food guilt?

***

I was surprised that I never got hungry for dinner, but when 8 o’clock rolled around I finally decided to eat something. I threw together a salad [basically a repeat from last night plus a bit a creamy chevre]. I made a smart choice in eating dinner [like I would miss a meal!] because it was nothing short of scrumptious!

I have a quiet, yet BUSY weekend planned. I’m hoping to tackle a few lingering items on my to-do list, fit in a couple worthwhile workouts, and pick up the slack with my studies.

“See you” soon!

Hillary

Spring & Smiles in Sonoma

Hi! Happy Weekend, ya’ll! I am have a wonderful time in Sonoma County; I’ve sure missed my “second home”. Before leaving my apartment yesterday, I packed a few snacks to bring along:

• Carrots & Cucumber
• ~1/3 Chocolove Bar
• Almond Butter
• 2 AllieBars
• Green Tea
• Oats + Oat Bran + Cinnamon

Travel Tip: Pack your own hot cereal for a cheap, easy & healthy breakfast.

My 3-hour drive was easy and beautiful. When I got into town, I decided to stretch my legs by taking a stroll around my old college campus while getting a little Vitamin D on my cheeks. It’s Spring Break for the university, so it was awkwardly quiet – there wasn’t a sole in sight.

My old stomping pad: Beaujolais Village [we are in wine country, after all].

The newest student housing – Tuscany Village – is  very plush.

Spring is blooming!

For diner, two of my original roommates [from freshman year] and I went out to eat at Monti’s Rotisserie & Bar. I had the Baby Beet Salad with Spice Hazelnuts & Humboldt Fog [yay, home!] Goat Cheese. I’m a fan of beets!

Goal #1: Smile more : )   

Afterwards, Tasha [left] took us to an adorable fro yo shop – Ghirardelli chocolate with almonds for me please.

There was a lot of much-needed laughing last night. I’ve missed my gals!

***

After sleeping in this morning, I went for a short 36 minute run and then made breakfast with my oats [above]. I picked up a banana at the store when I got into town, and T had ground flax & soy milk – perfect!

Oats + Oat Bran + 1/2 Banana [cooked] + Cinnamon & Flax + Almond Butter & Soy Milk

We picked up hot soy lattes at Starbucks [1 star to go before I’m a Gold Member!] before hitting up a few stores: Target, REI & Cost Plus.

Although I should really be studying for my Monday exam, my mind is in “vacation mode”. I am headed to my aunt and uncle’s in a bit for Sunday Saturday family dinner. I’m looking forward to meeting their Swedish exchange student and having a home cooked meal…I wonder what the theme is is tonight : ) While going to school in Sonoma, I would go to Family Dinner every Sunday. It was a blessing to have the comfort of family just a few minutes away. I definitely miss that.

Enjoy your evening!

Hillary

The Weekend is Calling

Where has the week gone? I haven’t posted anything since Monday, and boy have I missed you all very much! I did my best to keep up with ya’ll…but blogging wasn’t on the front burner this week – my apologies.

Yesterday was a Hump Day from Hell. I was at school from 9:30am – 7:30pm. There was nothing good about it, but the beautiful sunny weather brightened up my life perspective a bit. Hellooo summer dresses! …and winter white skin : )

Oh, that’s right…yesterday was Waffle Wednesday! How could I forget? The week is just one big blur.

  Van’s Multigrain + Crunchy PB + 1/2 Banana

Fast forward.

Today’s a.m. eats:

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup rolled oats + 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/2 banana – cooked
• 1/2 T ground flax
• cinnamon
• spoonful of crunchy PB + splash of cow milk

Check out that fluffy consistency!

Just realizing I had PB & Banana two mornings in a row – bliss.

Unlike my typical lazy Thursday mornings – sleep in, make brex, and blog blog blog – I decided to use my time more wisely today. I tend to get a little bit of pre-travel anxiety before leaving for a trip, so I sprung out of bed at 7:45am and got right to my to-list. You may call me weird because I realize most college girls don’t wake up to wash their car before doing anything else…but that’s what I did, and I immediately felt a sense of relief. Little Blue was dusty.

My second statistics exam this afternoon was simple [wish I could say that about O. Chem], and my classmates raved about the cinnamon raisin rice pudding I made in lab today. When I got home from school, I busted out a speedy treadmill workout:

5.0 miles in 45 min. [including 5 min. of walking] + 15 min. abs, arms & legs

It must be my lucky week because I got a second surprise package in the mail! I feel so loved. After I told Allie [LiveLaughEat] that I had been having dreams about Heart Thrives, she sent me a package of two different flavors – apricot & chocolate – as well as two of her own, homemade granola AllieBars. I think it is so amazing how the blogging world can connect people from near and far. Mind you, Allie and I have yet to meet in person…but I definitely have found a “virtual friend” in this girl. Her blog posts are nothing but honest, creative, and hilarious reads that I look forward to every day.

THANK YOU, Allie! You are so sweet to think of me all the way over here in Cali. I am excited about my travel snacks tomorrow – you had perfect timing.

Nutrition Nut News

I received my score for my ServSafe certification exam and am happy to say that I am officially [re]certified. My entire class passed the exam, in fact. I am a bit ashamed by the fact that I scored a 90%, while in high school I scored a 95%. What does that imply? Earning a 90% or better does qualify you to teach the ServSafe course. Hah…me, teach?

Well…I’ve still got a ton to do before hitting the road in the morning to Sonoma County. Looking forward to a sunny drive with new tunes.

Enjoy your weekend! I’ll be tweeting about mine.

Hillary

Run This Town

Hi Friends!

Boy oh boy, do I have a lot I want to share with you tonight! First off, as you may notice, we are currently still docked at Nutrition Nut on the Run “Version 1.0”. I know…I know…I said that yesterday’s post would be the last, but I had a busy day today and since I’m basically designing my new blog all by myself, the littlest things are taking me forever to figure out. So…that being said, I’m not going to talk anymore about the new upgrades; it’ll appear from backstage when it’s ready : )

I couldn’t fall asleep last night [dark chocolate + green tea + test anxiety], but when my mom called me bright and early for my wake-up call at 6:30am [yes…I have my mom call me on exam days just in case my alarm malfunctions], I was ready to feed my brain exam fuel:

Oat Bran a la Agave, Almonds, Flax & Fresh Strawberries eaten out of a tea cup… because it’s cuter that way : )

It was nice to get my 3rd chemistry exam out of the way first thing this morning, but I still had a full day of classes ahead of me. By the time I got home, I was so antsy from sitting all day, I literally ran to the gym in my complex.

Treadmill Time!

• 10 min. @ 4.2mph – 2.0 incline
• 10 min. @ 6.2mph
• 10 min. @ 4.4mph – 2.0 incline
• 8 min. @ 6.6mph + 2 min. @ 8.0mph
• 10 min. @ 4.2mph – 2.0 incline
• 8 min. @ 6.6mph + 2 min. @ 8.0mph

Total: 60 min. [ 5.5 mi.] + 10 min. strength & stretch

I was so excited about yesterday’s yum eats, that I forgot to note my moves:

• 10 min. @ 4.0mph – 3.0 incline
• 8 min. @ 6.0mph + 2 min. @ 8.0mph – 1.0 incline
• [repeat]
• 5 min. [cool down] @ 4.0mph – 0 incline

Total: 45 min.

***

Speaking of running, today my BFF Courtney & I registered the random drawing for the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco 10.17.2010! It’s such a popular race that they have to limit the participants to 20,000. This 1/2-marathon is at the top of both our bucket lists. We find out if we get in at the end of the month – cross your fingers!

ABOUT THE NIKE WOMEN’S MARATHON
The Nike Women’s Marathon caters to female runners like no other event. Between the lavish treatments at the three-day Expotique, our iconic chocolate mile, and that little blue box waiting at the finish, no detail has been overlooked in delivering the best experience possible to all participants.

I heart San Francisco!

***

I decided to check the mailbox after my workout, and to my surprise there was something other than the PG&E bill – a package addressed to me!

It was from my mama. The ironic thing is that today is her birthday and I was the one receiving a gift. Inside was the cutest Easter “basket” I have ever received. For all I know, my mom could be Martha Stewart. She decorated an egg carton with photos appropriate for Spring, and inside were a dozen pastel plastic eggs each filled with a different treat. I had so much fun opening all 12 of ‘em!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few of the many reasons why I love my mama:

1. She knows me better than anyone else in this world.

2. She is one of the most generous people I know, always always doing little [and big] random acts of kindness.

3. She gave me the best upbringing I could have asked for.

4. She’s positive, creative, and strong!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! XOXO

***

Giddy from gift-opening and high on endorphins, I threw together a big ol’ salad for dinner while my metabolism was still kicking and before the last bit of daylight turned to dusk.

I love my greens!

Mixed Baby Lettuces, Avocado, Dr. P’s California Veggie Burger,Pumpkin Seeds & Tofu Tahini Dressing [locally made in my hometown]… new favorite meal!

Well, my week has started off on the right foot…wouldn’t ya say? Here’s what’s to come:

Tuesday: Chem Lab + NFSA Meeting

Wednesday: Class x4 + Stats Review

Thursday: Stats Exam #2 + Food Lab

Friday: Leave for Sonoma County

Saturday: Friends + Family Dinner

Sunday: More Friends + TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT!

Hope you have a healthy, delicious & active week!

Hillary

Morning Food

Mornin’!

Boy, oh boy… I think a quiet Sunday morning accompanied by an extra scrumptious breakfast is deserving of a spot on my Top 10 Favorite Things list…if there was such a thing ; ) The fact that one of my roommate’s guests was asleep on our couch wasn’t going to stop me from getting into the kitchen to make waffles at 9:00am. I made a variation of Sinless Saturday Sunday Waffles:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 T ground flax

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups 1% milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 mashed banana

1 egg

…topped with a dollop of 0% Greek, coconut, toasted pecans & real maple syrup.

***

In other news, I made enough bread to end world hunger in my Elementary Foods lab Thursday. I got a few puzzled looks from passengers as I rode the bus home with a backpack full of Honey Whole Wheat Bread, perspiring the scent of sweet yeast.

Speaking of Elementary Foods…I have my second exam in that class tomorrow. I feel like all I ever talk about is test, after test, after test – story of my life. Monday is going to be a killer day:

10:00am: Organic Chemistry

11:00am: CA Cultural Landscapes

[Lunch + Study]

2:00pm: Exam

4:00pm: Food Safety & Sanitation

7:00pm: Required lecture about safety I must attend before registering for classes – ugh.

Doesn’t look like there’s going to much time for exercise, so I better get in some moves today. Just 4 days remaining of my Move It in March CHALLENGE!

Let’s talk breakfast!

1. What’s your favorite breakfast?
2. Do you have savory or sweet a.m. taste buds?
3. Coffee? Tea? Juice?
4. Little meal? Big meal?

Shower me with visions of sugar plums pancakes and pastries dancing in my head…

Hillary

Simply Sweet Signs of Spring

It’s official…Spring 2010 has SPRUNG! It seems as though we’ve all been enjoying lovely weather lately – I sure hope it sticks around. I know that sunshine can make any day better, which is why I’m looking forward to spending the rest of the semester in sunny Chico. I can’t wait to be able to read poolside…with ‘screen and a hat, of course.

It was an unusually beautiful warm day in HumCo yesterday…warm enough to get an afternoon ice cream cone with my mama. I could not turn down a scoop of organic Honey Vanilla Lavender ice cream on such a day : )

Arcata Scoop – could you be any cuter?

The preview of Spring weather inspired my mom and I to make something light and fresh for dinner. Where else do we look for inspiration? …none other than, In Praise of Leftovers.

We made Sarah’s Moroccan Grains & Greens Salad, adjusted slightly to our own personal tastes…and with the ingredients we remembered at the grocery store.

Barley [grain], Chard [greens], Sweet Tomatoes, Sunflower Seeds, Salty Feta, Parsley, Green Onion, Olive Oil, Garlic, Dash of Dried Herbs, a Lot of Lemon

…and a few wild prawns

***

For some reason it feels like Sunday today, and since Sundays are designated for big, hearty breakfasts, I made waffles after my 7-mile run.

Sinless Saturday Waffles

1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 T ground flax

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups almond milk [unsweetened vanilla]

1/3 cup canola oil

1 egg

[serves two]

I forgot the 2 T of sugar, but it wasn’t missed topped with plain 0% Greek, toasted almonds, strawberries & drizzle of agave-honey ‘syrup’.

Spending my last day at home facing the reality of homework. My ServSafe certification exam is Wednesday, and I’ve yet to memorize each and every detail about foodborne illnesses. It is an important topic to me, though [unlike the bonding of organic chemical compounds]. Have you read about my E.coli experience? Perhaps I’ll elaborate on the story sometime here in the near future.

Anyway, hope you are welcoming Spring into your life today. I’m going to take a stroll downtown and get an afternoon latte.

See you soon!

Hillary

Third Time’s The Charm

After a 4.5-hour drive of fog, rain, ice, and SNOW…home has never felt so good! I mentioned yesterday that I was a bit anxious about the weather forecast for today and driving “over the hill(s) and through the woods”. I had the right to be anxious alright. Let’s just say it was one white-knuckled drive. I thought it was Spring Break, no? Well, I guess since it’s technically still Winter, it means that Mother Nature is allowed to SNOW! It honestly took me a minute or two to realize the sticky raindrops on my windshield were in fact snowflakes, as I can’t remember ever seeing snow fall [true story]. I know this can’t be entirely true because I have been in snowy weather various times – I’ve even been snowboarding – but I am a California girl…what can I say?

Of course now I wish I had stopped to take a few photos of my drive through Winter Wonderland, but at the time, all I could do was concentrate on keeping Little Blue on all fours.

I relaxed with an extra long, hot shower as soon as I got home before getting ready to go out to sushi with the ‘rents. Sushi, oh how I’ve missed you.

Press Rewind.

I woke up at the [butt] crack of dawn today – 6:00am – in order to get everything packed, top of my tank, grab a ‘Bucks, and get to O. Chem on time. Since Operation Empty Fridge was in effect, I decided to utilize every last bit of my $6 jar of PB by making OIAJ [Oats in a Jar]. I’ve claimed that I do not like nut butters in my oatmeal, but I just may have to take that back. I believe today was Trial #3 for OIAJ, and I think I hit the jackpot!

Humboldt Honey OIAJ

1 cup water

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 T ground flax

1/2 banana – cooked

PB&Co Bee’s Knees

splash of 1% milk

***

I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a long appointment with the pavement in the morning. Come back tomorrow for a RACE UPDATE…

Hillary

Forever Full

Hey Guys! I’m really excited to be able to have time this afternoon to write a post…but even more excited about Spring Break when I will have all the time in the world to blog, blog, blog! Hope you’re ready for some ch-ch-changes around here, because Nutrition Nut on the Run will be getting a face lift!

Until then…let’s talk food.

I made the BIGGEST bowl of oats today! Seriously, folks…it was enormous. The pictures don’t do it justice. It wasn’t on purpose that I made oats for army – I didn’t even wake up hungry, stoked about breakfast, like I usually do – it just happened.

Oatmeal Overload

In the mix:

1 1/4 cup water

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup oat bran

1/4 cup pumpkin

1/2 T ground flax

cinnamon

Top with:

1/2 banana

1 T walnuts

brown sugar & cinnamon

Although my normal ratio of oats to water is 2/3 cup: 1 cup, oat bran expands a lot more than whole oats and pumps up the volume! In the future, I plan to reduce the portions to 1/4 cup.

With a barrel of oatmeal in my stomach I was ready to head to campus and not have to worry about any hunger attacks. When I got home around 1:30pm, the oats still hadn’t thoroughly digested. I know I didn’t need any more food energy [calories], but I ate a light lunch anyway.

Mini GM: 1/2 Frozen Banana + 1/2 cup Almond Milk + 1 Huge Handful of Fresh Spinach

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese + Avocado, Cucumber & Tomato

TJ’s Chocolate Chunk Cookie [times two]

One of my least favorite feelings is that of continuously feeling full. I’m certain my calorie intake was way more than necessary this weekend and am feeling the lasting effects. The late night snacks aren’t helping either. I like going to bed and waking up “comfortably hungry”. I’d ask if you have any advice, but I’m pretty sure the answer is simple: don’t eat as much! Easier said than done, right?

Well, if you’re a reader of Skinny Runner, you know today’s Running Tuesday! I’m hoping a heart-pumping run/spin sesh will sweat out some of my excessive sugary treats [a.k.a. box of TJ’s cookies]. Then I am hopping on over to my bi-monthly Nutrition & Food Association meeting.

Are you participating in Running Tuesday today? If so, share!

Later,

~ Hillary

No Pain No Gain

Hi Ya’ll!

Woo…it’s already 8:30pm and I’m just now finishing up my dinner and beginning to blog [it’s quite the process]. I must make it quick tonight though, as I have to study for my 1 exam & 2 quizzes that I have tomorrow [surprise surprise].

Breakfast, oh Breakfast…if only you knew how much I dearly love you.

A reader suggested I try mixing my regular rolled oats and oat bran, so that’s exactly what I did. Oh, and props to me for trying new combinations and going outside of my [food] box lately.

In the mix:

– 1 cup water

– 1/3 cup rolled oats

– 1/3 cup oat bran

– 1/2 T ground flax

– cinnamon

Toppings:

– 1/2 d’anjou pear

– 1 T walnuts

– drizzle of agave

– big splash of 1% milk

***

I was dreading today’s 3-hour organic chem lab – as we had our first lab exam + 2 labs to finish – but it wasn’t as horrific as I was anticipating, and I came out alive the full 3-hours later. I ate a late lunch after class, including half of a succulent orange and leftover mac & cheese. FYI, Annie’s + Avocado = A-mazing!

Then there was some time wasted before I headed to the gym to get my March move on! I had a fabulous workout:

– 40-minute spin [15.0 mi.]

– 20-minute treadmill run [10 minutes @ 6.0mph (incline 2.0), 6 minutes @ 6.6mph, 4 minutes @ 6.8mph]

– 2 x 20 lat pulldown @ 40 lbs.

– 20 side dips each side @ 10 lbs.

– 2 x 10 bicep curl lunges each leg @ 20 lbs.

– 2 x 10 squats @ 20 lbs.

– 2 x 10 “weights-to-chin” @ 20 lbs.

– 2 x 10 “toe-touches” @ 20 lbs.

I can’t believe I didn’t look at the treadmill to see how far I’d run – my guess is around 2.5 miles. I definitely pushed myself tonight, especially with the faster treadmill speed. I know I am strong, but rarely push myself to my maximum potential. They only way to get stronger is by exerting more effort. No pain, no gain!

Dinner: steamed TJ’s Vegetable Gyoza + broccolini with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil & seseame seeds.

You think a few potstickers are going to do it for me after burning all those calories? You’ve got to be kidding. Next was some 0% Greek & Humboldt Honey Granola. I think I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner : )

I’m outta here…

~ Hillary

Question: If you are a blogger and also a college student, as I am, how do you manage your time between studying and keeping up with the blog world? Where and how do you find the discipline to keep yourself away from the screen?