Trifecta of Fun

Hi guys and dolls! The weekend started off with a Saturday filled with surprisingly enjoyable hard labor. “How is this possible,” you might ask. Well, for starters, it was required for part of my scholarship, so I figured I might as well have a good attitude about it. Secondly, I wasn’t alone in my heart-pounding endeavors, but was instead joined by several good friends. There were choices for which site we would like to volunteer at, and Biff and I chose Hatter Harvest, a student-run organic garden located on campus. We spent the next hour and a half with pitch forks in hand, turning mulch piles. Who needs a workout when you can garden? Note to self: Must have garden in old age. Unfortunately, my camera had mysteriously vanished, making me unable to document this event in photo form. Just imagine dirt, sweat, ripped jeans, and pitch forks. You get the idea.

When I returned home, battered and bruised, I was informed that we would be eating out that evening. Sweet reward. We went out to Carrabba’s. If I ever have to pick a chain restaurant to eat at, you can count on it being this one. Seeing as though they have a sizeable gluten-free menu, I was in Italian heaven.

Cozze in bianco. Steamed mussels with a wine, butter, and basil sauce.

Garden salad

Steamed broccoli, chicken Bryan, chicken marsala, and pollo rosa maria.

Vanilla ice cream topped with caramel and candied pecans.

 My tummy was significantly happier after this.

The next day, I awoke to an antsy Gigantor and a little something in the air. It was a national holiday. Superbowl Sunday. Football is second only to religion in my household and the Packers are our team. No further explanation needed. Our entire day was centered around the TV and the food. There is never any guilt when consuming large amounts of food on days such as this. It’s completely merited.

Scone, Chobani, cucumber, and hummus. Hummus glutened me. Never. Again. Curse you, Sabra!

Mutilated guac.

Toast with cream cheese. No plate. Yeah, that's right.

Huge-mongo salad.

Shrine to Biff for giving me this Newman's Own Organics Dark Chocolate! And wine, of course.

 At 6:00, everyone gathered around and watched as the Packers proceeded to kick steel butt and win the title! C’est magnifique! Happy times.

Monday morning, Mons and I decided we wanted to create vintage looks that we got from http://www.classicretroglamour.blogspot.com/ for our day out on the town. But first, food.

Scone, banana, and black coffee. The yooj.

 It was raining, so we polluted the air with our gallons of aerosol hairspray (like I care). Gotta be authentic, right? We had a super time and looked super cute. I’m loving it. I will be trying on Mons hairstyle next.

Mons not cooperating.

Posies.

Cute little retro bow.

I am a hair genius.

How did you spend your Superbowl weekend? Which team were you rooting for?

My Pop Secret

Friday, by 11:30, I was in desperate need of a snack. Since I am trying to break out of my Food Rut, I tried something different. Ok, so maybe it's not that different, but it's out of the norm as of late (I used to eat this all the time).

I really love popcorn, but I think it's absurd that you would pay $5-6 for 5 bags of it. Seriously? That's crazy. I refuse. Here's my solution:


Homemade Popcorn

You're gonna need:

• a large pot with a lid
• coconut oil (You can use olive oil, but coconut oil is DA BOMB!)
• popping corn

The goods

 Put enough oil in the pot to completely cover the bottom. It should not be deep!! Heat the oil on med-hi (around 6 or 7). Drop a kernel in. If it sizzles, you're ready to rock and roll. Put 3 tsbp kernels (1 serving size) in the bottom of the pan. You can do more if you like, but be careful- 3 tbsp unpopped is 6 cups popped!! Now, just like regular popcorn, let it pop! This is a super quick process (if you can even call it that), so don't walk away! Once it's popped, top with sea salt. Enjoy! 

Riding on the Train of Mediocrity

Thursday, was another lonely day of school. Biff has been sick and at home for the past week, leaving me best-friend-less in this crazy world. Since she is incognito, I had to do her bidding and turn in her community service hours (we are in a scholarship program based upon community engagement, whatever that is…). So I woke up in the wee small hours of the morning (ok, not that early) to leave early. Since I was feeling kinda meh Wednesday (hence the absence of a post), I decided to make glam it up on Thursday.

 ­I started my day off with a concoction of goodies.

Almond milk, chocolate protein powder, banana, strawberries, and GF corn flakes.

 It seemed like a great idea, but it wasn’t as fabulous as I thought it would be. Pretty mediocre. If my food is less than really good, it’s always an extreme disappointment. I’m not sure if that’s normal… Food is supposed to be AMAZING! To me, it’s one of the greatest pleasures life has to offer.

I went about my student duties and snacked on one of Betty Lou's peanut butter flavored Nut Butter Balls in between.

Because this is way too easy to make jokes about this, I won't.

 I got a few of these balls of goodness when I went to the SOHO convention in December (don’t worry, they have a decent shelf life). This was the best food I consumed all day. There are 15 g of protein in one ball and it is incredibly dense. I was shocked at how full it made me. It was a culinary phenomenon. This palm-sized ball filled my tummy right up. And it tasted like peanutty heaven. Incredible. I can’t wait to the other flavors! Thanks Betty Lou’s.

As the day went on, my food continued on my path to lackluster dining…

Lunch=boresville. I think it's so hilarious when people look at me like I'm a psycho when I take pictures of my food.

Tuna salad and crackers. Don't worry, about 20 more crackers accompanied the fish.

While running from class to my car, I managed to wolf down a Tupperware full of papaya (not pictured). And guess what, I ate it with my fingers. What (gansta voice)?

I hung with the poops and my bestie for a few hours at Journey’s End and went back home. Let me preface this next comment by saying, spaghetti squash with meat sauce is almost ALWAYS a winner for me. BUT, we have had spaghetti squash about 4 times over the past week. I’m over it.  I am protesting by not posting a picture of it. Apparently, the unremarkable food train was still chugging along.

I followed my dinner up with a chocolate protein bar, which was no match for the Lindt Dark Chocolate 90% Cocao that I’ve been eating lately. Beggars can’t be choosers…

Following this little posty, I will be putting an end to my food rut by making scones and watching BONES! That rhyme was unintentional, but I’m going with it.  It’s my favorite show in the entire world. Well, I have a few favorite shows, but this is my favorite, favorite. I can’t wait. I have high expectations for tonight. The disappointment stops right here, right now. Choo Choo.

If I Were French

Last week, I did a post about my current obsessions. One thing I forgot to include in that list was anything pertaining to or related to France or French-ness. In case you haven't already figured it out, I want to go to France, live in France, and (secretly) be French. Today, I wondered to myself, “How would my life be different if I were a Frenchie?” Well, since you asked…

If I were French…

This bagel and green smoothie would be a croissant and fresh squeezed orange juice.

If I were French, I wouldn't have gotten a $131 speeding ticket, because I would be walking, biking, or taking public transportation to school or work.

If I were French, I would have eaten lunch in an outdoor cafe looking out at the bustling streets of Paris instead of sitting in the school coffee shop.

Ham, turkey, and pepperjack cheese sandwich with a Gala apple.

If I were in France, I wouldn't be exposed to people stuffing their faces with nasty, unrecognizable cafeteria foods.

If I were French, I would have sucked down a few espressos to give me insane energy for my classes instead of watered down tea.

If I were French (or in France), there wouldn't be someone sitting with their legs (not just feet) on top of their desk throughout an entire class (this is not a joke).

If I were French...

Bread and wine would have accompanied this meal. And I would have taken longer than 4.58 seconds to eat it.

If I were French, I would probably enjoy laughing at the English even more than I already do.

Bottom line: J'adore France and all things French (except the politics, but we won't go there...).

One Down, 5,843 to Go

Last week, I got a call from the bridal shop telling me that I needed to order my bridesmaids dresses ASAP to ensure that I get them in time for the wedding. Uh, yeah, that’s kind of important. So Monday, Mama, Mons, and I thought it best we get this knocked out. I woke up bright and early, had my coffee, and did 30 minutes of Pilates. It didn’t feel like much, but I am trying something different. Are you surprised that I am changing things up? Because you shouldn’t be…

After my body lengthening (right…) workout, I had a repeat breakfast of Ban Pan (banana pancakes). I know I don’t need to show you a picture of it, but here it is anyway.

Ban Pan and cantaloupe.

 After breakfast, Mama and I went out for a quick round of grocery shopping. We returned home, unloaded, had a snack, reloaded, and headed out for bridal town. 

Snack/lunch thing. Toast, peanut butter, and apples. Looks cray,I know. I was in a hurry.

 I popped some Stress Shield on the way to ensure that my mood remained stable throughout the day. With shopping, there are no guarantees.

To my shock and awe, Mama, Mons, and I all found our shoes for the wedding in less than an hour at DSW! Talk about efficiency. Here are my sexy wedding shoes!!

Ha. Jokes. Jokes all around. These were completely ridiculous.

 After conquering Shoe Heaven, we psyched ourselves out and marched into the bridal shop. After 4 trips (3? 5 maybe?) to the shop, I put my foot down and was determined to get dresses. To-DAY. And voila! Great success. We got gorgeous dresses for the girls and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. I would post pics of our purchases, but then it would ruin the surprise! I guess you will have to continue reading this fantastic blog until June (preferably after that…).

Because Mons and I did such a great job shopping, Mama took us to Chick-Fil-A for some well-deserved (and necessary) food. A picture (or 5) is worth a thousand words.

Waffle fries

Gotta have something healthy in there.

Mons' sad attempt at taking a picture behind her head.

I dip my fries in my ice cream. Don't judge.

Me+Fries+Ice Cream= Luuuuvvvv

 When I got home, I was pooped, buuuuttt I still made dinner. Girl’s gotta eat! Because no one was ready to eat when I planned on having dinner done, I significantly stretched out the preparation process. I have no idea how I managed to take 2 hours to make/cook this meal. Whatever. It was totally worth it.

Turkey salad and squash with sauteed tomatoes, onions, garlic and Parmesan (again).

 I love the feeling of accomplishment- like you've finally finished something that has been hanging over your head. Such a relief. Unfortunately, my reprieve lasted a total of 3 hours before my mom returned home with wedding décor ideas from the craft store. I am overwhelmed by the possibilities.  One wedding task down, five thousand eight hundred forty-three to go. But, I know it will all be worth it the day I walk down the aisle. :D Wish me luck!