Edamame –> Idamommy

Hey Yo! We made it over the hump of the week! I’m super happy that this week is zooming by; it’s just cruising downhill from here.

You can probably guess what was on my plate for breakfast today…yep, waffles it was! I went with an “open-faced sandwich” today – the more PB & banana, the better.

I normally don’t get to eat lunch home on Wednesdays, so it was a treat to have a break in my day to do so. I was dreaming of this lunch all morning.

Green Monster a la:

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 cup mixed berries [strawberries, raspberries, blueberries & blackberries]

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 cup fresh baby spinach 

Sandwich a la:

whole wheat toast

raspberry jam

extra sharp white cheddar

fresh baby spinach

…and because I always have something sweet to polish off a meal:

Remember the box of No Pudge Fudge Brownie Mix my mama gave me?

Mix together:

4 T mix

2 T 0% Vanilla Greek Yogurt

a few bittersweet chocolate chips

+ 1 minute in Mr. Micro = a guiltless decadent dessert.

After my last class, I rushed home to make an early dinner in lightening speed. I guess I should be on Iron Chef because this rushed salad was a victory!

It screamed Spring – fresh color, color, color!

Baby Arugula, Spinach & Lettuce Mix, Carrot, Edamame, Tomatoes, Sunflower Seeds, Feta, Olive Oil & Seasoned Rice Vinegar + Fresh Pepper

I also tested out a new item I picked up at TJ’s yesterday – edamame hummus – with a couple multigrain crackers. As if hummus couldn’t get any healthier, this was colorful too. Edamame makes green hummus – surprise, surprise.

I didn’t have a lot of time to savor my delicious & nutritious dinner because I had to rush out the door to go baby-sit. Edamame –> Idamommy…wow, I’m ridiculous. I wish I had had time to workout today, but making a little extra cash is always helpful. Plus, yesterday’s time at The Resort left my legs sore today:

1 mile indoor track run @ 8:10

strength [arms + legs]:

• seated row: 20 @ 40 lbs.
• bicep curls: 40 @ 10 lbs.
• “weights-to-chin”: 20 @ 10 lbs.
• bicep curl lunges: 20 @ 20 lbs.
• glute press: 40 @ 40 lbs.
• squats: 40 @ 20 lbs.

1/2 mile indoor track run @ 4:15

30-minute spin [11.2 mi.]

1/2 mile indoor track run @ 5:00

stretch

There are my eats for the day [minus a couple post-sittin’ snacks]. It felt good to take photos of my food again. It’s become part of me; the addiction is in my blood : )

How do you like to consume edamame?

Hillary

Give It A Whirl

Hi again! Lucky for you, I can’t complain about a lot at the moment as I am blogging from my comfy bed [which now is bedded…after two days], with the soothing sounds of James Morrison. I enjoyed my Tuesday just like any other Tuesday Saturday. After my banana berry waffle, I was craving a Green Monster for lunch, so I pulled out the blender…and it stayed out the remainder of the day; I ended up using it a total of three times today!

Blender Round 1

Mmm…Dark Chocolate Milkshake. Fooled ya! That would be my delicious Green Monster a la: 1 banana, 1/2 cup frozen berries [raspberries, blueberries, strawberries & blackberries], 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 T ground flax, 1 humongous handful of fresh spinach, and ice.

I then got an intense craving for p.nut buttah:

Whole Wheat Toast a la PB & Raspberry Jam

After lunch and running a few errands via Green Monster energy, I came home and rinsed out the blender for round two.

Blender Round 2

After working for a hummus company [summer 2008] and being spoiled by both my mom and dad’s homemade hummus, I am never amazed by any tubs I bring home from the store. Today I decided to give making my own a go. I basically made the recipe up as I went, so it didn’t turn out to be blue ribbon quality [I’m thinking more tahini, more acidity, more zing!]…but it’s definitely edible : )

Healthy Hill’s Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained

2 T tahini [sesame paste]

1 T olive oil

1 T seasoned rice vinegar

4 T water

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/3 cup chopped parsley 

3-4 minced garlic cloves

salt to taste

I gave my hummus a taste test with half of a huge carrot for an afternoon snack and then I was off to the gym. Today’s time spent at the gym was a complete 180* spin from yesterday’s weak workout:

• 1 hour spin class
• indoor track run [1 mi.]
• arms + stretching

2 x 12 lat pull downs @ 40 lbs.

2 x 12 seated row @ 40 lbs.

4 x 12 “weights to chin” w/ 12 lb. bar

4 x 12 bicep curls w/ 12 lb. bar

2 x 12 tricep extension w/ 12 lb. bar

Dinner was Sunday’s leftovers: stir-fried tofu, brown rice, broccoli & carrot + sesame seeds & sesame oil [sesame 3x in 1 day!].

Blender Round 3

That you might ask is banana soft serve! I know it doesn’t look like much, but holy yum! For those of you ice cream/fro yo lovers, like myself, you must try this ASAP.

To make: Freeze your overly ripe bananas – the longer the better – that didn’t get invited to your most recent oatmeal party. Place however many bananas into a blender – I’d say 1 per serving – and blend away! You don’t have to add a thing! I didn’t freeze the banana for long enough tonight, hence the runnier texture, but with a dollop of PB&Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams, I couldn’t find a spoon fast enough.

Talk about a healthy dessert. This soft serve would be delicious with an encyclopedia’s worth of toppings.

There ya have it…today’s blender excursion. I hope ya’ll will give these recipes a whirl in your blender! Well, my contacts are getting drier by each word I type. Must turn off my light. I’ve got classes a holiday to prepare for!

Night,

Hillary

A for Effort

Hey Guys! I’ve got a little gift for you tonight: pictures! I know I’ve been a slacker lately – the photos I have taken are barely passing quality – but I think I deserve an A for effort today : )

Breakfast #1

3/4 cup Raisin Bran, 1/4 cup Cheery Cherry Almond Granola, 1/2 Banana & 3/4 cup Almond Milk

Breakfast #2

Whole Wheat Toast + PB + [other] 1/2 Banana

Snacks

I packed a couple snacks to eat after my 3 hour lab. I didn’t pack a whole lot since I planned to exercise post-class.

Back to Nature Multigrain Flax Seeded Flatbread Crackers [that’s a mouthful] + my daddy’s homemade hummus & a carrot

Dried Apricots + Dark Chocolate Almonds [6 ea.]

After 3 painful hours of Infrared Spectroscopy – don’t even ask me what that is – I sat outside in the sunshine and savored my snacks. I still had quite a bit of steam to burn off from my overwhelming class, so I threw my books into a locker at the gym and kicked up my heals. I didn’t run for very long [appox. 36 minutes], but I started to feel like my freckly face was getting pink from the radiant rays. It was just enough time to sweat out some of my stress. Running cures all. I finished up with a little conditioning…but should have done more.

While I waited for the bus, I grabbed a smoothie from Jamba. I tried one of their new all-fruit creations: the Five Fruit Frenzy. It was tasty, but nothing I’m anxious to have again. I’d much rather make my own mix…with spinach!

Appetizer

Buttery Smooth Heart-Healthy Monounsaturated Fat [a.k.a. 1/2 Avocado]

Dinner

I traded in my boring plain penne rigate for a more exciting option:

The garlic and basil flavors add a lot to a simple dish. I sautéed a few cherry tomatoes in olive oil with garlic and red onion, tossed the al dente pasta in the skillet with the tomatoes, sprinkled in a little chevre & parm, and poured all that over fresh baby spinach – voila…dinner.

Dessert

…fooled ya! I actually did not eat any Chocolove today, but wanted to show you my new finds:

1. Coffee Crunch! My mom brought their new flavor to my attention as she knows coffee/espresso & dark chocolate sits high on my totem pole of favorite flavors – yummm.

2. MINI Chocolove Bars! How cute, right?

***

There ya have it…I finally managed to show you a day of all my eats…well, 90% of them. What can I say, this girl can eat! I have my very important ServSafe Certification Exam tomorrow. I am actually being recertified. I will be disappointed if I receive a lower score the second time around. [I dominated the test in 2007 with a 95%]. The pressure is on!

Hope you have a happy Hump Day tomorrow!

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

Tasty Saturday Eats

Saturday, why do you always zoom by? How cool would a 48-hour Saturday be? I don’t know about you all, but my Saturday to-do lists are always a mile long and rarely do I ever get everything done, leaving me one more thing for Sunday: stress.

– EATS –

Every single bite of food I ate today was entirely delicious, starting with my last two Cappuccino Chip Muffins. It’s kind of ironic that I happened to have these particular muffins today because this weekend is the annual Super Sale at my dad’s bike store, and my mom originally made these for the customers way back when in 1992. What a coincidence.

I’ll definitely be baking another batch of these soon!

I went to The Resort in the a.m. for day 5 of my challenge. My [other] roommate joined me for my usual 1-hour Saturday spin class. I did not have a terrific workout; though, perspired enough to call it exercise.

Lunch was KERF-inspired:

1/2 Sandwich on Toasted Whole Wheat with Raspberry Preserves, Sharp White Cheddar & Organic Baby Spinach

Mini Green Monster: 1 Huge Handful of Spinach, 1/2 Frozen Banana & 1/2 cup Almond Milk

The sandwich combo was to die for. Thanks for the jam & cheddar idea, Kath!

***

Then it was back to campus. School on a Saturday – ewww.

After two hours of carbon, carbon, and more carbon, I refueled my brain with the snack of all snacks.

I bought 1 6-oz. container of Fage yesterday – such a treat!

Add 3T Humboldt Honey Granola & 1T raisins and you’ve made magic.

***

My roommate and I picked up Chipotle for dindin. My second experience was just as tasty as the first! I ordered a Veggie Fajita Burrito Bowl. I had mine piled high with: black beans, cilantro-lime rice, fajita veggies, cheese [jack + white cheddar], lettuce, roasted chile-corn salsa, fresh tomato salsa & guac! I seriously have a Chipotle baby in my belly at the moment – so full!

Well, I’m off to cram cram cram…and find a recipe for a scrumptious Sunday breakfast. Good night!

Let The Countdown Begin

I think someone needs to splash some cold water in my face, and say, “Hello, Hillary…you do have a blog, ya know!” Sorry. I certainly have not been maintaining my blogging efforts the past few days. What can I say, the Nutrition Nut has been on the run. I feel as though I spend way too much of my time connected to the World Wide Web, and it is so refreshing to put away my camera, ignore the Internet, and live a life of normalcy – not capturing every move I make – like I did a mere five months ago.

I had a lovely and busy day yesterday away from the web. I slept in [I don’t have class ’til 12:30pm on Thursdays], made a creamy bowl of banana oats, and enjoyed having the house to myself for the morning. Sunshine was seeping through my windows, I had Grooveshark Popular playing, and before I knew it, I was shaking and twisting all around my room. Heck, I probably got a better workout than any 30-minute exercise DVD could give me ; )

After an afternoon of classes, I jetted over to the gym to squeeze in a workout before having to get ready to see Colbie! My roommate snatched the last bike for the 5:00pm spin class, so I was left to pedal alone.

• 45-minute spin [16.2 mi.] — a little slow?
• 1.5-mile run — I was cruising!

We rushed home to  scarf down a few bites of food and pretty up before heading back to campus for the concert. Although a small and casual concert, Colbie Caillat was 100% uh-mazing!

Isn’t she just gorgeous?

She sang all my favorite songs flawlessly. Her tour stopped in my hometown today, so my mom and her girlfriends are going to the show tonight. Speaking of home, I am really ready to go home for a week. One week from today, and that’s where I’ll be. Let the countdown to Spring Break begin!

Finally…today: I had a repeat of Tuesday’s delicious oat combo for breakfast before sitting through my final two lectures for the week.

Surprise surprise I went the gym this afternoon — it’s becoming my 2nd home, no? Every Friday I tell myself I am going to go to yoga, but then talk myself out of it. Well, today I made it happen! My body is a tad sore from this week’s previous workouts, so I figured I could use an hour of quality stretching and strengthening. I don’t know why I don’t talk myself into going to yoga more often. I left completely at peace; it was a blissful hour of exercise and wonderful way to end the week.

***

I ate a quick lunch before heading out to run errands, and consequently it missed the camera’s eye. My grocery bag was extra light today since I like to leave my fridge clean and empty upon leaving town.

I did buy a bag of my favorite chips and dug into them while my dinner was taking a turn in the oven.

Love these!

Tonight’s meal featured the last quarter of my free butternut squash. I told my professor that the squash was used to its full potential : )

Butternut Squash + Brown Sugar, Cinnamon & Real Butter

Organic Baby Spinach, Red Onion, Pepitas & Sweet ‘n’ Tangy Balsamic

Since dinner was so healthy and all, I thought a little Friday treat was in order. Insert Starbucks ice cream and gooey Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chippers – mmm! I don’t know what’s with me and boxed food lately – bad bad bad – but it was rather nice to be able to enjoy warm cookies right after dinner without making havoc in the kitchen.

You know I couldn’t resist a miniature Starbucks carton of ice cream. There’s just no way : )

Alright, friends…now that you have a rough outline of my life since Wednesday, I’m going to go catch up on what ya’ll have been up to.

Namaste,

~ Hillary

Real Food Reigns Supreme

Evening Readers!

Hope you had a refreshing Saturday. I sure did. I whizzed through my to-do list, and somehow skimmed over my homework ; ) After our last “chat”, I got to baking — my favorite way to procrastinate. I asked my mom to send me her recipe for Cappuccino Chip Muffins that I’ve grown up on. She started making these in 1992! This is the first time I’ve actually made them; they are super simple and definitely a crowd pleaser.

espresso

semisweet chocolate morsels

a hint of cinnamon

I most certainly ate not one, but two warm muffins & a homemade iced latte for an afternoon snack…you betcha! Not long after, I was back in the kitchen attacking the monster of a butternut squash that I brought home in my backpack Thursday. This is what it turned into:

Not bad, eh? It was scrumptious with a capital S.

I roasted the squash with olive oil, real maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt & pepper at 400* for approximately 30 minutes, until the edges were caramelized and the house was saturated with sweet air. Then baby spinach was washed, creamy avocado was chopped, chevre was crumbled, and pepitas were sprinkled on top…a drizzle of balsamic was the finishing touch. I definitely need to thank my teacher for this one.

Overall, I had a very scrumptious Saturday! I am so thankful to be able to fill my belly with nutritious and delicious eats. I really, really am.

Check It Out: My Green Monster recipe is featured on Green Monster Movement. Thanks, Angela!

Take it easy,

~ Hillary

I Like It Green

Hello, how goes it? I got up nice and early this morning and have been crossing things off my to-do list right and left.

First thing first…breakfast! Today’s inspiration came from Miss Caitlin. She is sort of famous for her pumpkin yogurt, and even though it’s no longer “pumpkin season”, she still enjoys her orange yogurt bowls on a regular basis. I love pumpkin, so yesterday while on my grocery quest, I bought a huge 30 oz. can of pumpkin. I was really excited adding another item to my breakfast possibilities list, but was so disappointed when I did not like it [icky texture]. I maybe ate half of what is pictured, and then resorted to a piece of toast. Dang it! Now I’ve got a life-supply of canned pumpkin that I need to figure out what to do with. Ideas?

1/3 cup Pumpkin, 1/3 cup 0%  Plain Greek, 1/3 cup Humboldt Honey Granola + a few raisins & drizzle of agave

Whole Wheat Toast with Real Butter, Cinnamon & Sugar

…sometimes you just need the real deal.

Next on my list: SPIN! I went to my usual 10:00am class at The Resort and left an hour later after a rockin’ ride. I think that makes three hard rides for the week – yippee!

After running a couple errands, I refueled with a Green Monster. Oh, how I missed these. It’s been far too long.

In the mix:

1 banana

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup rolled oats

1 T ground flax

1 cup fresh spinach

Ice

…polished off with of hunk of 73% dark chocolate, of course!

I am hoping the addition of the oats to my smoothie will make it stick to my ribs a little longer than normal, so I can keep moving on down my Saturday “chore” list.

What are ya’ll up to today? Anyone have a kick-butt workout to share?

Peace Out,

~ Hillary

***

Your Questions Answered

What’s your workout schedule like? Do you plan it out or just do whatever you feel like doing that particular day?

My workout schedule is fairly random. It changes depending on whether or not I am at school [where I have a “free” gym], or at home where I do not belong to a gym, but have friends to run with/make me run a million miles =] I currently exercise an average of 5 days per week. I would probably prefer 6, but my school schedule makes that difficult. With the luxurious recreation center on campus [a.k.a. The Resort], I am able to switch up my workouts…as there are numerous types of cardio machines and fun classes, such as Zumba. The majority of my gym workouts usually include some sort of strength training as well. While at home, my workouts consist of running and DanceFit classes [run 3-4 days a week & dance 3 days].

Sweet Surprises

Hello. How goes it? It’s been another extremely longgg Wednesday for me. As if Wednesdays weren’t rough enough – I have class from 10:00am – 5:00pm (plus an hour commute) – I woke up with a chest cold. Great! I also had to be out the door half an hour earlier in time to drop of my O. Chem lab from yesterday’s 3-hour class from hell – that’s another story.

I made a waffle sandwich for brex in honor of (the recently engaged!) Janetha’s Waffle Wednesday:

2 Van’s Low-Fat Waffles + PB&Co Bee’s Knees + 1/2 mashed bananer

…and a jam jar of skim milk

***

I chugged along – “choo choooo” – from one class to another, and finally arrived home around the 6 o’clock hour to find a package waiting for me! After a long day at school feeling crappy and turning blue at the bus stop in the freezing February weather, it couldn’t have been a better day to recieve a surprise via the USPS.

Somebody loves me:

Can you guess who?

It’s someone that knows me really well…

Pink Socks, Pink ‘n’ Orange Thank You Notes, my favorite Bare Escentuals Rosie Pink Lip Gloss, and Pink Dark Chocolates

Homemade Granola Bars

Pineapple, Coconut, Macadamia Nuts & White Chocolate

Cherries, Almonds & Dark Chocolate

…and a fun ‘n’ fruity kitchen towel.

There’s only one person that it could be…and that person is my mom! Thank you, Mom! You never fail to show me how much I am loved. Infinite X’s & O’s.

***

My mind did not even consider exercising today, so after opening my sweet surprise, I slipped on my pink pajamas and fixed dinner.

Comfort Food Made Healthy

Grilled White Cheddar Cheese & Spinach Sandwich on Whole Wheat

with a bowl of Organic Creamy Tomato Soup

It’s just about time for a cup of tea and piece (or two or three) of chocolate…

~ Hillary

***

Don’t miss my V.DAY GIVEAWAY!

Recess Is Over

Hey there. Hope your weekend was a good one. I’m still in denial that today was my last day of freedom from homework until mid-May! My 5-week-long recess is over.

After a relaxing, quiet morning unpacking & organizing, I made myself a Green Monster for lunch before heading to campus to play at the indoor playground (also known as the g.y.m.).

1/2 banana, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 cup fresh spinach

+ 1/4 cup Humboldt Honey Granola

There was a bunch of new “jungle gym” equipment, including 10-15 more cardio machines – there is certainly plenty for all us gym monkeys to play with.

Today’s play date included:

Cardio

• 30 minutes Elliptical (10 minutes each at incline 5, 10 & 15 @ resistance 5)
• 1.5 miles interval running around indoor track

Conditioning

• 20 lat pulldowns @ 40lbs.
• 20 seated rows @ 40lbs.
• 20 glute presses (each leg) @ 40lbs.
• 2 x 15 squats @ 15lbs.
• 45 bicep curls @ 15lbs.
• 15 “pull weights to chin” @ 15lbs.
• 15 tricep dips

Sweaty and pink-cheeked, I went to Target for my “odds & ends shopping”, and resisted stopping by Starbucks for a warm pick-me-up. Instead, I saved a few extra dollars and made myself a soy cafe au lait in my own kitchen, courtesy of my new Aerolatte milk frother. If you’re curious, a cafe au lait (or misto at Starbucks) is made with coffee, while a latte is made with espresso. Unfortunately, I do not have an espresso maker; hence the not as gourmet beverage.

***

I had an early dinner tonight of leftover pesto pasta:

I can sense there will most likely be some snacking later tonight. Not too late though…it’s a school night! ; )

~ Hillary