Sweet Oatmeal

I had every intention of bloggling yesterday, but by the time I had a moment to sit down, it was past 10, and I was exhausted. As I said below, I'm still catching up on the lack of sleep from this weekend! Rather than recap yesterday's meals, I'm just going to start fresh with today's. It's a dreary day here so when I woke up I wanted a comforting bowl of oats. I made my oats today with vanilla almond milk, half of a very ripe banana, cinnamon, and almond butter. 

The oats were great, but a bit too sweet for my liking. I'm running low on groceries so I tried a new kind of Almond milk. I bought single servings of Pacific Natural Foods, Low fat Vanilla Almond Milk awhile ago so I used one of them for my oats. I tasted the milk on its own and I really liked it. But combined with very ripe banana, it made my oats super sweet. Next time, I'll only use half of a container I think. 

I have to work today for a few hours. I'm going to be assistant managing the coffee & crepe shop where I used to work! This is only a meantime job, while I figure out what I am going to do. I need money though so this works out perfectly. The owners are very sweet and accommodating and I love everyone that works there. I need to pack a lunch and get ready for work. I hope everyone is enjoying much better weather than we are. I keep waiting for summer to come, but instead we have had a lot of rain lately! 

Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Banana & Walnuts

Happy Thursday! Not much to report here except that I had a delicious breakfast this morning. I wanted something different so cottage cheese pancakes it was.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Banana & Walnuts

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2c low fat cottage cheese

1/8 cup unsweetened, vanilla almond milk

1/8 cup egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1 small banana

1 tbsp walnuts, ground

1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup

I mixed together the oat bran, cottage cheese, almond milk, egg whites, vanilla, and half of the banana. I didn't use a blender for this. Last time I made my single serving, it was a pain to get the batter out of the blender. We have a huge blender, so the small amount of batter gets lost in the blades. I just made sure to mash everything really well. I had a problem with the pancakes sticking. I don't know why this happened because I used a nonstick pan AND nonstick spray. The pancakes didn't look pretty, but they tasted delicious. Only four are pictured above. One of the completely fell apart so I ate it while the others cooked. I topped the pancakes with the other half of the banana, sliced, ground walnuts, and maple syrup. Not only was the breakfast delicious, but I am stuffed! That's a good thing because I need this breakfast to hold me over for awhile. 

My flight leaves early tomorrow morning so today is the last day I can get everything done. I need to go to Target, Barnes & Nobles, study, workout, pack, hang out with the boy, and lots of other little things. It's going to be a busy day!

Playing Catch-Up

I was out of the house all day yesterday and by the time I got home, I was too exhausted to post. I haven't exercised since Saturday and I know that is why I have been so tired the last few days. It's so true what they say about exercising giving you energy. Fortunately, I have a long workout planned this afternoon. 

I forgot to take a picture of me and my cousin while she was visiting, so here's an old one. This is one of my favorite pictures of Sofia and I. This was taken last November in Florence, Italy. 

Yesterday 

I've been wanting to try swiss oats but I always forget to soak the oats overnight. Well on Monday I finally remembered to soak my oats overnight. I soaked a serving of oats with 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk, cinnamon, and raisins. I was looking forward to swiss oats in the morning but when I woke up, it was cold and all I wanted was a warm bowl of oats. I added 1/2 cup of water and half a sliced banana to the soaked oats, microwaved it for two minutes, and stirred in almond butter. I didn't get to enjoy swiss oats, but this was a tasty alternative. The soaked oats made the oatmeal super creamy. 

After breakfast, I drove my cousin to the Mexican Consulate so she could get her passport renewed. (She was born in Mexico City). She is distantly related to the head consul through her dad's side so we were able to visit with him and speed up the process. By the time we got done it was well into lunch time. 

My cousin and I both have a love for Italy since we both studied there during college. I knew the perfect place for lunch was Punch Pizza. This is one of the few pizzerias outside of Naples that is certified authentic neapolitan pizza. I love this place. The pizza is phenomenal. I never know which pizza to get because everything on the menu is great. I finally decided on a pizza bianco (no crushed tomatoes). The Cortina has mushrooms, garlic, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, and gorgonzola. The pizza is then drizzled with olive oil. I ate 4 of the 6 slices of pizza. The crust is very thin so it's really not that much ;) I took a picture of my leftovers once I was home. I can't wait to eat the remaining slices for lunch. I really wish I could have taken one at the restaurant but I forgot in my excitement to eat. Also, while we waited for our pizza we split a half order of foccacia. Hot bread sprinkled with sea salt and rosemary, dipped in olive oil. Heaven. 

Needless to say, I was stuffed after our meal but we went to the mall so I was able to walk around a bit. Then it was time to say goodbye to Sofia, so sad. On the way home, my friend called and asked if I wanted to meet at Caribou Coffee. She's the one getting married a month from yesterday, so she's getting stressed with final details and having nightmares about the flowers not showing up. I stopped at home to change into warmer clothes (it was only 50 yesterday and no sun!). I had half an hour before meeting her so I made her a batch of "You Got Peanut butter in my Chocolate Cookies". The cookies are really quick and I knew she would love them. I made them smaller this time and came up with 20 cookies. Of course I had to try a few freshly baked ones. Thank goodness all the cookies are out of the house now. (I gave Sof the chocolate chip and chocolate pb cookies I baked on Monday to bring home to her family.) I planned on getting hot tea at Caribou but the girl at the register talked me into trying one of their new teas blended with real fruit. It sounded refreshing and I knew I was low in my fruit intake so I tried the White Tea & Peach. It was really refreshing and I felt good knowing it was real fruit. Abbey and I had a nice hour long chat. 

For dinner I had the leftover chicken sausage from Monday's lunch on a Rudi's organic roll, and salad with tomatoes and feta. 

Today

It's another chilly morning so breakfast was banana walnut oats, drizzled with a little maple syrup. Along with coffee, breakfast hit the spot. 

I have two days of normalcy before a crazy weekend getaway in Chicago. We leave Friday morning but I have a lot of things to get done before then. Have a great day!

Back to Oats

Happy Friday! 

This morning, I woke up wanting a warm bowl of oats. It's actually pretty warm outside, but I've just been craving a regular bowl of oatmeal. I chose to make steel cut oats because I wasn't very hungry yet and it's been awhile since I've had them. In a saucepan, I brought a cup of water to a boil, added 1/4 cup of oats and stirred. After 10 minutes, I added a chopped apple, cinnamon, and a tablespoon of raisins. After 5 more minutes, the liquid was almost gone but I knew my oats weren't quite done so I added 1/4 c water + 1/4 c soy milk. I turned the heat down and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. I love adding walnuts to the apple-raisin combo, but today I added a twist. I ground a tablespoon of walnuts with a teaspoon of raw sugar to make a walnut meal. I sprinkled this on top of the oatmeal. I missed the crunch the walnut pieces add, but I liked that I could taste the walnuts throughout the entire bowl. By the way, does anyone know if walnut butter is carried in stores?

Breakfast: 320 cals, 10g fat, 8g fiber, 11g protein

I wanted to workout right away this morning, but my whole body is feeling sore from yesterday. I'll have to fit it in later tonight. I'm running a few errands that will include a coffee stop, going out to lunch and to MOA (Mall of America) with my friend before dropping her off at the airport at 4. I really hope I don't get stuck in rush hour on the way back. 

For all of those working, I hope the day goes quickly so you can enjoy the start to the long weekend. For those traveling, be safe. And I hope everyone enjoys their Memorial Day weekend! 

On a side note, I'm watching Alanis Morissette sing Ironic on the Today Show. I know I'm not that old, but this song brings me back to my younger years. She sounds/looks great thought!

Granola Oatmeal

Good Morning! We are one day closer to the long weekend. Yesterday, I found out my cousin, who I'm very close to, is flying into the cities on Saturday. She is staying until Tuesday night. I am so excited to see her. It's going to be a fun girl's weekend since my dad and sister are flying to Denver for a soccer tourney. It'll be just my mom, cousin, and I.

My appetite isn't quite back this morning. I did wake up hungry due to my small dinner last night, but I didn't feel like eating. This never happens! I obviously needed to eat something so I made a small bowl of oats & granola. I've been craving granola the last few days but we don't have any in the house. I bought thick cut rolled oats at the store so I decided to try homemade granola. My Vanilla Almond Coconut Oatmeal was based on a few recipes I found.

Vanilla Almond Coconut Granola Oats

1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 banana
cinnamon
fresh strawberries
1/4 cup Vanilla Almond Coconut Granola

I cooked the oats with the almond milk, cinnamon, and banana on the stove top. (FYI, thick cut oats take longer to cook so it's best to cook them on the stove. I used the microwave and it exploded so I switched to the stove top method.) Sliced strawberries, granola, and a little extra coconut garnished the top.

I loved the combination of textures: creamy banana oatmeal, cool strawberries, and crunchy yet chewy granola. I think after this my appetite is starting to return!

Have a great morning! I'll be working on my class and then be back for a late lunch post after yoga.

Creamy Banana Goodness

Wow, it's another beautiful day out there. I am loving this string of sunshine. 

I wanted something light for breakfast but we're out of granola, and I didn't feel like making a smoothie. I made a variation of yesterday's honey yogurt oats. Today I used multigrain cereal cooked in water with cinnamon, vanilla, and half a banana. Afterwards I stirred in the other half of the greek honey yogurt container. I felt like eating the whole banana today so I sliced the remaining half on top of the hot cereal and drizzled with agave nectar. 

Breakfast: 351 cals, 4g fat, 10g fiber, 16g protein

I've realized my kitchen countertops reflect too much light in the natural sunshine. My breakfast pictures never look as good as the ones at night. 

Yesterday

I love working out earlier in the day because it makes me feel energized and leaves the rest of the day free. However, I do find that when I workout in the morning, I'm hungrier all day! That's how I felt yesterday. My protein & fiber packed lunch should have left me full for a few hours. But while I studied I was starving. I tried to ignore the hunger by drinking coffee but it persisted. I had an apple in my purse but I was trying to avoid it because it didn't look very appetizing. I finally gave in and ate it. It did nothing for my hunger. I got home around 6:30 and decided to have any early dinner. I heated up some of last night's leftover Cocoa-Coconut Chili and served it on top of a baked sweet potato with a little greek yogurt. 

I think I liked the chili served this way even better. 315 cals, 3g fat, 12g fiber, 12g protein

Confession: A few hours after dinner, I ate one too many cookies and dark chocolate m&ms. Had this been a portioned, thought out indulgence, I would have no problem. But it wasn't. I feel disappointed in myself for eating these treats spontaneously and "out of control". I guess it was just one of those days...

Honey Yogurt Oats

My inspitation for breakfast today was a container of Greek Honey Yogurt. I usually don't buy flavored yogurt, but I've been wanting to try this flavor. Initially I thought of a yogurt-granola parfait, but I'm out of granola. Then I thought muesli, but I didn't want to wait for the mixture to soak. Finally, I decided to incorporate it into my oats.

I cooked the oats in water and added banana slices, cinnamon, and vanilla. Once the oats were cooked, I transfered them to a bowl and added half of the container of yogurt, fresh strawberries, and almond slices. The yogurt made the oats super creamy and not as hot. The honey lent a slight sweetness, but not too much. It was a wonderful change for oatmeal, especially in the warmer weather.



Honey Yogurt Oats: 338 cals, 8g fat, 10g fiber, 16g protein

It looks like today will be a nice day. It's only going to get up to the mid 60s, but the sun is shining so that's okay with me. I'm planning on running outside once my breakfast digests. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Strawberry-Banana Multigrain Cereal

I've missed my usual hot breakfast the last few days, so this morning I made a warm bowl of multigrain cereal. I cooked the cereal on the stove with almond milk and cinnamon. Instead of mixing the banana in as usual, I added the slices on top along with fresh strawberries and almonds. This was a great breakfast, but I should have added a little maple syrup or brown sugar to sweeten it up a tad. 

Breakfast totals: 319 cals, 11g fat, 12g fiber, 12g protein

My plan for today is to work on my nutrition class at a coffee shop. I need to get out of the house to study, otherwise I get distracted very easily. I'm planning an afternoon workout. The weather isn't as nice as I had hoped so instead of an outside run, I might do a little cardio at the gym and a strength class. I also need to figure out what I am making for dinner tonight and get groceries for that. Better get moving!

Feels like Friday

I’m writing this draft in Word because I am sitting at the car dealership waiting for my car to get an oil change and brake inspection. I thought they would have wireless internet, but they don’t! Ah it least it’s quick.

Since I had extra time to get ready this morning I made oats on the stove. Seeing apples in Lindsey’s oatmeal the other day made me crave apple oatmeal. I started by chopping up an apple and simmering it in water with cinnamon and a tsp of maple syrup. Once the apples were soft, I added another cup of water and brought it up to a boil. I then added the oats, raisins, and more cinnamon. I finished up the oats with a splash of soy milk and crushed walnuts.

Breakfast Totals: 393 cals, 10g fat, 9g fiber, 9g protein

Yesterday’s Recap

Last night was another busy weeknight. Thanks goodness to day is like Friday for me. On my way home from work I stopped at Target to pick up some things I needed. I need to be banned from that store. I always end up getting things I don’t need and end up spending way too much. I bought a cute summer dress, 2 pairs of workout capris, adorable ice cream bowls, a new dog collar for Brody, and a razor. The only thing I actually needed was the razor.

I didn’t want to be starving for dinner so I ate an orange and a couple of baby carrots when I got home. I don’t know about y’all but baby carrots make me hungrier. We went out to dinner at Bonfire to celebrate a family friend’s birthday. Bonfire is one of my favorite restaurants because it is one of the few non-chain restaurants in Woodbury. There food is always delicious, and while a few of the salads are big, their portions are appropriately sized.

I started off with a cup of their famous (Best in the Twin Cities) Tortilla soup. I don’t know why I get this soup. I’ve had it before I really don’t like it. It has too much meat in it. I had a few bites and gave the rest to my mom. We ordered 2 pizzas- Apple & Brie and Margherita. I had two slices of each pizza. The crust is really thin so the slices aren’t very big. It was a perfect portion. The birthday boy got a free mini cake so I had a little piece of that as well.

I’m not going to post the pictures because they didn’t turn out very well.

It’s my last day of working with my parents so I’ll be training the new receptionist all day. I might not be able to post again until tonight. This afternoon I am doing a double workout. I have an outdoor run planned in this beautiful weather, and a warm yoga class at 7:15. I should be able to fit it all in because I think I’ll be able to leave work early.

Tomorrow I’m driving up to Duluth to visit Chris. He has his last final tomorrow morning so we’ll be celebrating the end of the school year. I hope the weather is nice up in Duluth, it’s supposed to be warm and sunny down here.

Hope everyone is having as beautiful weather as we are! :o)

Productive Morning

I'm already feeling like today is a productive day. I was up early and refreshed thanks to last night's yoga and early bed time. And as soon as I got to the office this morning, I got to work on my nutrition lesson and finally finished the second lesson. Especially since I won't have a job as of next week, I hope to finish the course up within the next month. I think it's possible as long as I focus on getting it done.

This morning I had my usual cuppa joe (x 2)...




This morning I had a little bit of extra time so I made the multigrain cereal again, but this time I cooked it on the stove and only used 1/3 cup portion. Today's combo was made with 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk, 2/3 cup of water, 1/2 of a banana and cinnamon.




I couldn't decided what else I wanted to add. I ended up topping it with sliced almonds, coconut and "vanilla icing" (plain yogurt + vanilla extract).



As always, it was delicious and filled me right up. Breakfast totals: 362 cal, 12g fat, 13g fiber, 14g protein.


I am definitely feeling the yoga burn today in my upper back. I'm hoping to make it to another class tonight, an intermediate yoga flow in a heated studio.

See you all for lunch!

New Breakfast Find!

Happy Monday to all!

This morning I tried a new product from Hodgson Mill: Multigrain Hot Cereal with Flaxseed and Soy. This cereal has a mixture of whole grains that include oats, cracked whole wheat, soy, unprocessed wheat bran, untoasted wheat germ, and milled flax seed.

For my portion, I used 1/2 cup of the cereal cooked in 1 cup of water plus 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk. (The serving size is 1/3 cup for 160 calories. My 1/2 cup portion was about 240 calories.) To the multigrain cereal I added cinnamon, half a banana, brown sugar, and walnuts.




I was running behind schedule this morning (darn Mondays) so I had to eat breakfast at work. I hate doing this because I feel rushed and don't enjoy my meal as much. I have to sneak in bites between phone calls. Also, the lighting at my desk sucks, so my food does not photograph well. Regardless of how it looks, it was really nice change from oatmeal. I liked the chewiness and texture of all the different grains. This would be awesome on a cold, blustery winter morning.

Need more proof that Brody is spoiled?

He had a busy Sunday that included playing in the yard, sniffing the bushes, and chasing birds. That's quite tiring for a little pup like him ;)

Hearty Oats

It was quite chilly this morning so a bowl of warm oats sounded appealing. I couldn't decide between oat bran or rolled oats so I had both (1/4 cup of each). Prior to cooking, I added a tablespoon of raisins and half of a chopped apple. The ripe bananas are all gone, so now all we have is yellowish green bananas (ewww). Once cooked, I added cinnamon and almond butter.

Since I used unsweetened soy milk the oats weren't as sweet as when I use the almond milk. I could have used some brown sugar but I didn't mind the oats as they were. I liked that the addition of the oat bran made this breakfast extra hearty and filling.

With my necessary mug of coffee...




The cookies are a hit so far. They are on my desk and smell amazing. The good news is that since I already tried them, they aren't tempting to me. I keep getting lots of compliments and people keep coming back for seconds and thirds. I should have made more because they are almost gone! Maybe I was too harsh on the cookies last night...

Happy Friday :)

Return of the bananas

My bananas were finally ripe enough to use this morning! Oh how I've missed banana oatmeal. My oats today had an entire small banana, cinnamon, wheat germ, and coconut. Whenever I add coconut to my oats, I feel like I'm having a decadent breakfast. They just make everything taste so much better!




I mixed everything together so that I would get pieces of coconut in each bite. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing my oatmeal tasted today. Isn't it weird that even though I make my oatmeal pretty much the same way everyday, somedays it just seems to taste better? Weird, but true.

I'm feeling a little more tired than usual this morning thanks to my late night. It felt funny to be out on a weeknight. I felt like I was in college again, except minus the heavy drinking. I did have one cranberry vodka cocktail, but thankfully it wasn't very strong.

The birthday girl, me, and my best friend

Apple, Raisin, and Walnut Oats

Good morning everyone!

I'm in a great mood again, I think it has to do with the sunny weather. It makes me feel so much better. I hate waking up to a cloudy dreary day, it makes me want to stay in bed. Thunderstorms are supposed to roll in sometime this afternoon so I better enjoy the sun while I can.

I had the same breakfast as yesterday since I had half of an apple leftover. I really like the textures in this combination. You get the chewiness from the oats and raisins, softness from the apple chunks, and crunchiness from the walnuts.

I ate this in the car which is why it's in an ugly plastic container.

Today it's going to hit 80 for the first time this year. Woohoo!

Have a wonderful day! And to all who gave final exams/projects/papers due this week, GOOD LUCK!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

I woke up feeling energized this morning. The sun is shining and I feel refreshed, so the week is off to a good start. Hopefully everyone's week is off to a good start too!

I wasn't very hungry this morning so I waited to eat breakfast at work. What better way than to start the week with a bowl of oatmeal. I made my oats with vanilla almond milk, cinnamon, raisins, apples, wheat germ, and a few crushed walnuts.



I love this combination, it's a nice switch from the creamier banana-almond butter oats.

My goal for this week is to eat super clean so that I can continue to feel better. I'm going to have to be strict about no dairy at all. Sometimes I let a little cheese or milk slip in here or there, but my body feels so much better when it's completely avoided. So for this reason I am making great effort to avoid it. I don't love cheese but I do like it in certain dishes...I've been wanting to try a vegan cheese but honestly I'm a little scared. I'd appreciate any suggestions!

In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, tonight I'm making a mexican dish out of Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan. The recipe calls for vegan cheese...help me ;)!

Sunny Day at Last!

Good Morning! I'm in a cheery mood this morning because the sun is shining :-)

My parents made it safely home after a wonderful birthday celebration week in Acapulco. Although from their stories, I can't say it was a relaxing vacation. They brought home yummy Mexican treats that I'm excited to have. Oh! And aside from scrubbing the kitchen countertops this morning, I think my mom found the house looking clean. Whew!

To warm me up on another chilly morning, I made the usual bowl of oats. Today's oats were made with soymilk, cinnamon, banana, raisins, wheat germ, and almond slices. Another great combination of flavors and textures. I LOVE the chewiness of raisins in oatmeal.




I'm not sure what lunch will be like today. I was too exhausted last night to pack a lunch so I grabbed a couple of snacky things this morning. I'm thinking Panera might be a good choice...

By the way- I am feeling the burn from the toning exercises I did yesterday. I underestimated that dvd!

Coconut-Banana-Almond Butter Oats

This morning I made my favorite oats with banana, cinnamon, wheat germ, and almond butter but added a little extra something on top...

Coconut!

This is such a delicious combination. Yum Yum Yum. A delicious way to start the week.

Sorry for the short post but I have to get to work. Have a wonderful day everyone!

Black Bean Chili topped Sweet Potato

When I'm in the mood for something comforting and filling, this is my go-to meal.

I bake a sweet potato in the microwave, split it open, add a cup of chili and finish it off with a dollop of plain greek yogurt. This meal is not only super satisfying, but full of fiber and protein. This should keep me full through my run in a few hours.

If I don't have homemade chili in my fridge, I use a store bought vegetarian chili. I usually use Trader Joe's but today I tried a new one : Health Valley's Spicy Vegetarian Black Bean Chili. My only complaint is that it's really not spicy! It has a slight kick, but not spicy enough for me.

Morning Snack

This morning I had another one of my favorite comfort foods, a bowl of oatmeal, as a snack. A serving of oats made with water, half of a pear, cinnamon and a few sliced almonds.

What are some of your favorite comfort foods?

Coconut Almond Oatmeal

Today is the kind of day where you want to stay in bed all day and watch tv. It's pouring rain. To lift the gloomy mood, I think I am going to just work for a few hours and then go to Vinyasa Yoga at noon. I haven't been able to make it to class these last few weeks, and I miss it.

On a brighter note, my breakfast this morning was delicious.
I started with my standard base of oats, cinnamon, almond milk, and banana. Once cooked, I sprinkled wheat germ, sliced almonds, and coconut on top.

I love coconut.

These oats weren't creamy because the wheat germ dries them out. I've found that only happens with almond milk, so maybe I just need to add extra liquid?

I hope the sun is shining where you are!

PB Granola and Banana Oatmeal

From the moment I found out Peanut Butter granola existed, I have been wanting to try it. The only problem is that I can't find it at the grocery stores near my house. I love Whole Foods but the closest one to me is about 20 minutes away. I was spoiled during college when I lived close enough to walk there. Anyways, my office is somewhat in the area so yesterday, I stopped at WF on my way home and found the PB granola! Yay, so exciting! By the way, I picked up several "new" products that I can't wait to try, so watch for those reviews in the coming days.

I knew I wanted Peanut Butter granola for breakfast this morning, but I wasn't sure how to prepare it. I don't think it would keep me full as long as oatmeal so I decided to use the granola as a topping. I prepared a serving of oats with almond milk, half a banana, cinnamon, and a tablespoon on peanut butter. On top, I sprinkled half a serving of the granola.

Delicious, creamy, peanutty goodness.

It is another gorgeous day. I really hope I can spend time outdoors today.