It's the Holiday Season!

As sat down to write this post, the holiday feeling overwhelmed me. My family is not “conventional” in any sense of the word, so the connotation of the words autumn, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, is probably different for me than most. Caribbean music playing in the background; football blaring in the living room; Cuban food cooking on the stove; me sitting in my pjs, a sweater, and my slippers working on my 3^rd cup of coffee; 65 degree weather; and a pumpkin candle burning in my bedroom.  Aaah, the holiday season at its finest. It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy. And super excited for this overly commercialized time of year to start.

The weekend began with Biff and I attending an art exhibition, in which one of our friends was a participant.

Abbey, Egg Art, Biff, and Me

When then took a stroll downtown to a  benefit concert downtown for Invisible Children. Spending time with great friends is priceless. Such a good time. Unfortunately, not many food pics exist from Friday, since I didn’t feel like lugging my giant camera all over the place. I need to get over that, because pics are essential to this blog… 

When I returned home Saturday morning, my family had the bright idea of going to the Barrel of Crackers otherwise known as Hillbilly Central (more commonly known as “Cracker Barrel”). Why would we go to a place crawling with gluten?? Ugh. I sucked it up and got some oatmeal and had a little bit of grits.

 

I did NOT eat both of these bowls of grits.

This was preceded and proceeded by about a million enzymes, naturally. I survived, thankfully. My family, however, ate some ridiculous food.

 

Bacon just disgusts me. I used to love it, but now, not so much. Blegh.

To make up for my carb loaded breakfast, I went for a run later. The weather was amazing. Chilliness makes me feel so festive. Lately, I have been having knee pain again, my fiancé has been concerned. He always tells me to run on the grass, but I hate it. Road running is so much smoother and you don’t have to constantly beware the holes. But, after some convincing, I decided it would be in my best interest long term to start running on grass. Hopefully my neighbors didn’t mind me traipsing all over their yards.

Following my exhausting run (grass-running is way more work), I was famished. Dinner was much more nutrient-dense than breakfast. Later that evening, I found out that Bethenny Frankel had an almost identical meal. I am awesome.

 

Lettuce, spinach, carrots, tomato, cucumber, scallions, garbanzo beans, and quinoa. Sprinkle with a little chili powder, cumin and balsamic vinegar. So incredibly good. And Indian inspired!

I woke up Sunday morning to sore muscles in my ankles and feet (the good kind of sore), which means they are getting strong, and no knee pain. Hallelujah! I guess my pro-athlete fiancé does know what he’s talking about…

While celebrating my lack of pain, I had a filling breakfast.

 

2 over easy eggs on oat bread toast. My mom ended up stealing this banana. I was angry.

For lunch was Arroz con Pollo and Sofrito.

 

This never gets old. And I don’t say that very often.

Dinner was less spectacular, but still tasty.

 

Butternut squash, cottage cheese with garbanzos sprinkled with chili powder and cumin, and broccoli with hummus.

I had a really hard time not letting this wonderful, pain-free, holiday-spirited day get ruined by senior research, but I managed. It’s the holiday season, and I am happy.