What I Ate Wednesday #121: Hell Week Eats

I love routine. I crave it. Some people are easily just go-with-the-flow kind of people. I’m not one of them. I guess you could say that’s something I miss about having a 9-5 job.. I could plan my workouts, plan my meal times.. even plan my spontaneity. I’m so fun, right?

This week is anything but routine. Will all of my jobs, today happens to be my latest start.. 7 a.m. Waking up at 3:45, 4:45, and 5:45 are totally throwing my eating schedule through a loop, not to mention, I have to work with when my breaks are scheduled at work. Monday was nuts; I worked one job from 6 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. and another from 4 – 6 p.m. I practically packed up my whole refrigerator to have the option to eat a meal or a snack, depending on my hunger, when I had a break. It was quite interesting.

[Breakfast #1]
I started with a scoop of Chocolate Peanut Butter TastyWHEY mixed with coffee. I even took a video 😉

I also noshed on a bar on my walk to work. These Santa Barbara bars are delicious and you should definitely get some if you can get your paws on ’em!

[Breakfast #2]

Luckily, my oatmeal packs up and reheats well. I’ve been making it the night before so I can eat it either before I leave, or during one of my breaks. And, of course, I have a jar of peanut butter with me at all times!

[Snack #1]
Trust me, I’m saving you by not snapping a picture of my cottage cheese. Ha! I did drizzle a little NuStevia Cocoa Syrup on top for a chocolatey treat.

[Lunch]

Balsamic vinegar, whole grain mustard, and a little EVOO is the best marinade for kale. I’m convinced the whole grain mustard helps with the massaging of the kale and gives it great flavor. I’ve been topping my salads this week with Beyond Beef Fiesty Crumbles and I have to say, it’s pretty darn tasty! It is a touch dry by itself, but I would absolutely use it in tacos, salads [obviously], etc. I’m also interested to try the Beyond Chicken now, too.

[Snack #2]
By the time I got home from job #1, I was super hungry [I don’t know how.. I’d been eating all day!] and feeling pretty snacky so I grabbed some cranberry almond bites from NatureBox and housed a bag of sugar snap peas.

[Dinner]

Thank goodness for easy, quick dinners. I had half of a roasted spaghetti squash and some chicken in the fridge. I tossed it together with some frozen beans, topped with lots of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar and ketchup, and I was good to go!

[Snack #3]
I ended my night early with an apple and was in bed by 9:15.

At least it’s Wednesday and we’re almost to moving day. Just keep plugging along!

Food for Thought

Do you like to eat on a similar schedule everyday?

What I Ate Wednesday #115: Happy Hannuka!

Or Chanukah.. Chanukkah.. Hanukkah? I don’t know, you choose your favorite. Regardless of how it’s spelled, last night it began and I had fun making a traditional-style dinner and lighting the menorah. It was actually the first time using our new menorah that we got as an engagement gift!

But before we get to our Hannuka dinner, there was a lot more food!

[Pre-Workout & Breakfast]

Skoop bites, oatmeal, and nut butters. All day, everyday.

[Mid-Morning Snack]

I was running out the door but wanted a little snack so I decided to give this chia energy drink from Mamma Chia a try. I received 4 flavors to try as part of a FitFluential campaign and the blackberry sounded the best to me. I loved that it wasn’t overly sweet at all. If it were just based on flavor, I’d definitely get it again; unfortunately, as I’m not a big fan of chia pudding because of the texture, this drink didn’t quite do it for me. I’m thinking it would be pretty tasty added to a smoothie though! More on this later.. wheels are turning!

[Lunch]

I was pretty hungry when I got home, despite a couple samples I tried at the grocery store, so I grabbed some leftovers from the fridge and threw ’em all in a bowl. Butternut squash soup with smokey chicken wing chili and toasted pine nuts on top.

[Afternoon Snack]

I think I was craving a crunch after soup for lunch so I attacked that bag of sugar snap peas! A celery stalk also made its way into the almond butter too 😉

[Dinner]

If you know the Hannuka story, you know that there is a lot of frying going on [oh hey, 8 days of oil!] I opted for a healthier option with crispy baked chicken tenders, regular & sweet potato latkes [made with a fraction of the oil!], crockpot applesauce, and some leftover brussels. It was awesome. Even husband-approved and he’s picky when it comes to baked tenders! Not to mention I’d never made latkes or applesauce before. Success!

[Evening Snack]
I’m on a cottage cheese kick lately [you’re welcome for sparing you that picture.] I mixed in a little NuStevia cocoa syrup and cinnamon. Delish.

Food for Thought

What holiday do you celebrate?
What’s your favorite holiday meal?

What I Ate Wednesday #104: Restaurant Quality

Nathan can take credit for the title, but I’m taking credit for the meal behind the title! Not all of my eats from Monday might qualify as restaurant quality, but seeing as how I was pretty darn excited when Nathan made that comment about dinner, I say it works. Honestly, though, who’s to say my favorite oatmeal breakfast shouldn’t be served at a restaurant? I’m pretty sure it’s better than any bowl of oats I’ve ever had out!

[Pre-Workout]

I love starting my morning with a Skoop superfood blueberry bite. Don’t be fooled by the color; they’re delicious!

[Breakfast]

I guess if I were serving this in a restaurant I’d have to make it look a little prettier, huh? Looks aside, the banana, cinnamon, and nut butter combo can’t be beat. Knowing that I have this waiting for me is mostly what gets me through my workouts every morning 😉

[Mid-Morning Snack]

I’ve recently decided that it’s a better idea when I’m not working too late at Athleta to save lunch for after work instead of trying to scarf it down in 15 minutes. [Not to mention, it’s less food to pack the night before!] I’ve fallen back in love with these peanut butter ThinkThin bars. They’re just too good and with 20g of protein, they hold me through the next few hours till lunch.

[Lunch]

And speaking of.. snack plates are fun. And even more fun when you have leftovers [even though this is the pork that I gave Nathan a hard time for ordering]! It’s just tastier than grilled chicken and nice to mix it up sometimes.

[Afternoon Snack]

I totally forgot that I have paleo bread in the freezer! I mixed up some of my NuStevia cocoa syrup into plain greek yogurt, crumbled a piece of bread on top, and drizzled a little more cocoa syrup. It was nice and filling with the protein from the yogurt and the fat from the almond meal in the bread. Yum!

[Dinner]

I have a feeling this dinner is going to become a staple. This is my “restaurant quality meal” courtesy of Half Baked Harvest. I subbed turkey for the beef and made cauliflower rice instead of regular rice [still added the lemongrass but not the coconut milk.] It was super easy because I was just using ground turkey instead of having to slice up some chicken breast and it was crazy flavorful! I also used our homemade thai chili sauce which might have kicked it up an extra notch. Yea.. definitely making this again!

[Evening Snack]
The fuji never fails me! I’ve been trying some new apples since the season is upon us but the fuji is still my go-to.

Food for Thought

What’s your most successful meal that you’ve made?
Now that apple season is back, do you have a favorite kind you’ve been waiting for?

Five Things Friday {9/19}

Yesterday was wonderful. It was a quiet day off from work and was able to just relax and take my time getting things together in hopes to grow my personal training business.

1. Speaking of personal training, I ordered my business cards and I’m pretty excited about how they turned out!
   
2. I also got my official business license in the mail. It’s so weird to me that I’m now a business owner. Whoda thunk?! Now I just have to make that baby business grow!
3. I made a really delicious snack. One of my favorite things about staying home during the week is playing with my food, especially when I want a snack. Instead of reaching for a bar, I check out my fridge and throw together stuff like this..
   
   I microwaved 1/8 cup quinoa with 1 tbsp almond butter for 10 seconds, stirred that together and added 1/2 cup greek yogurt, then topped it with a little NuNaturals cocoa syrup. I’ve had the syrup for probably 2 months now and hadn’t opened it until yesterday. Why did I wait so long?! That was a really tasty snack!
4. Wedding pictures came in from Jessie and Adam’s wedding a few weeks ago. Let’s just say I win.
   
   It’s really a shame I had such a terrible time. Don’t Stop Believin’ is my jam.
5. And speaking of wedding pictures, our album proof was emailed yesterday [I know, it took us foreverrr] and I’m in love!
   
   This was one of our favorite pictures and they made it into a full 2-page spread. I can’t wait for the real deal to come in!

The weather’s been gorgeous here lately and I’m looking forward to soaking up on sun this weekend. Happy Friday, friends!

Food for Thought

Any fun plans this weekend?

Foodie Friday: Dark Chocolate Berry Protein Bites

It’s always bittersweet when I finish something, whether it’s a nut butter, protein bites, obviously anything else snacky. I hate to have the last of something, but that just means I get to experiment with new flavors! So when I finished my apple pie protein bites, rather than making more of the same, I decided to see what else was in the pantry. I noticed I have quite a bit of Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter. And you just can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter, am I right? That’s a good place to start..

Dark Chocolate Berry Protein Bites

Makes 38 bites Ingredients – 2/3 cup chocolate protein powder [I used PlantFusion] – 1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder – 1/2 cup Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter [You can sub another nut butter.. but why? ;)] – 1/2 cup canned lite coconut milk – 75 drops NuNaturals Cherry Vanilla liquid stevia – 1/4 cup dried goji berries [Dried cherries would be great too!] Directions In a large bowl, add all ingredients except the goji berries. Mix until everything is almost fully incorporated and then add the goji berries. Continue mixing until the granola is evenly distributed throughout. Depending on the protein powder and nut butter you use, you may want to add a little more coconut milk as you’re mixing. Using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out your bites and roll into balls. Place in an airtight container in the freezer. Nutritional Information Per 1/2 tbsp bite 32 Calories / 2g Fat / 2g Carbs / 0g Fiber / 1g Sugar / 2g Protein The stats are pretty darn close to my apple pie bites and they just happen to be the perfect pop-able snack before the gym or when your sweet tooth hits! My Bob’s Red Mill giveaway winner has been randomly chosen. Congrats to Cassandra P! Please email me at Brittany@BarrAndTable.com with your shipping information so you can get your prize!

Food for Thought

What flavor combo do you want to see next?

Five Things Friday

Weird, it’s feels like Tuesday. I guess that’s what happens when you have visitors mid-week. I swear, I never knew what day it was when my parents were here!

1. I had my coffee date with my mom yesterday. We skyped.. it’s certainly not the same as meeting at Peet’s but it’s better than nothing. Mmm those almond milk lattes are tasty..
2. I feel like a normal human being again. After a full day of eating like normal and drinking tons of water, my body only hates me a little bit. Ha! Kombucha and veggies are definitely my friends.
   

   One of my faves.

   

   Gimme all the veggies!

3. A super special email came through my inbox yesterday congratulating me on being accepted into the FitFluential Ambassador program! I’m really excited to have the opportunity to work with such an awesome company and be a part of an amazing community.
   
4. My new favorite way to keep gulping down water all day? A few drops of orange stevia. I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do with so much stevia at first, but now I can’t stop! I probably go through at least 15 travel mugs worth per day now.
   

   Peppermint water, anyone?

5. Meal planning kind of went by the wayside while my parents were here. It’s been a good 2 weeks since I’ve had a solid plan but that’s going to change. Gimme all the sales and fun recipes! I’m making a game plan today for next week and it’s going to be good 😉 If you’re looking for help with weekly meal planning, send me an email!

That’s about it for this gal. I definitely will be taking the weekend to sleep in and relax. We only vacation at one speed and we’re beat!

Food for Thought

How do you go back to “normal” after indulging for a few days?

Link Love #23

Have you entered my Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway yet?

Wow, I don’t even know where yesterday went! I’m so glad we finally got a break from the constant rain. I was able to take a walk to Berkeley Bowl in the middle of the day and it was much warmer than I expected. Good and bad when you layer up like I do.. definitely blasted the fan when I got home haha. I also came home to a wonderful package thanks to Kaila and NuNaturals. Can’t wait to try these out!

Health

Warning: 7 “Healthy” Habits that are Stressing Your Metabolism – Living the Nourished Life

Warning: 7 “Healthy” Habits that are Stressing Your Metabolism – Living the Nourished Life
Confession of a Food Addict – Wellness Today
Renewing Your Training with Recovery – Workout Nirvana
Food Shaming and Comparison – The Real Life RD
The Bloat Cure – Dr. Oz

Fitness

30 Minute Body Pumping Workout – CandyFit via Burnbrae Farms

30 Minute Body Pumping Workout – CandyFit via Burnbrae Farms
Sprinting Vs Running: What You Need To Know – Lifting Revolution
Total Body Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
20-Minute HIIT Workout – Pumps & Iron
Fabulously Fit Friday Treadmill Workout – Treats With a Twist

Food

15 Easy, Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas – Minimalist Baker

15 Easy, Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas – Minimalist Baker
Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa, and Kale Salad – Eat Yourself Skinny
Butternut Squash and Spelt Salad with Goat Cheese and Toasted Almonds – The Lemon Bowl
Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Butter – “Baby Delight Butter”– The Smart Kitchen via Delights & Delectables
Grain Free Chocolate Coconut Chia Bread – Cotter Crunch

Food for Thought

What was one of your favorite posts from last week?