Going to War

After two days of shenanigans, I deemed it necessary to get back to work on my senior thesis. I figured since it was Spring Break and I had nothing to do this weekend, it would be ok for me to sleep in past my usual 5 AM on Saturday as long as I worked in the afternoon. Now let me explain something. I have said it before and I’ll say it again. I work best in the mornings. By “I work best,” I mean “I work.” Once 1 PM hits, my brain is no longer capable of doing anything school related. The cause of this predicament eludes me.

Here are some Saturday eats: 

Toast with cream cheese and an apple (on top and on the side). What what.

Ke-sah-dill-uh with a turkey pastrami salad beast.

 So, instead of doing work as I had planned, I ended up wasting time by attending the yooj Saturday shopping trip with my mama in America’s Friendliest Hometown. When we returned, we treated ourselves to some hazelnut cappuccinos.

Yumalicious

 Di-Vine. It has been way too long since I’ve had a proper cappuccino, and I fear a reversion back to flavored creamer…

That evening, I had the house all to myself since Mama and Gigantor were attending a friend’s birthday party.

Sauteed greens with sweet potato.

 I had brief intentions of taking advantage of the alone time and doing some work. Regrettably, Netflix lured me further down the path of procrastination with the promise of a beautiful story about “a young duchess who indulges in extravagant vices and begins a scandalous affair with politician Charles Grey to balance her unhappy marriage to the duke of Devonshire.” I’ve been dying to watch The Duchess for weeks now and simply couldn’t resist. Movie trumps thesis.

While watching, I played beauty shop.

Crazy curly.

 Then I indulged in a little chocolate decadence.

Gigantic fresh strawberries with "chocolate mousse" (plain yogurt with cocoa powder and Stevia).

 Toward the end of the movie, I started feeling a little scratch in my throat, which I attributed to the karaoke I was doing earlier in the night (self-entertainment).

 I woke Sunday morning and quickly realized the scratch was not a product of my singing, and that I was, in fact, getting sick. I refused to accept this “problem” and protested by ignoring it and conducting business as usual.

Protein pancakes with 1/2 banana.

Super yummy. Review coming soon!

It melted in my car but still tasted Great ;).

 I planned (again) to work on my thesis after my morning workout (AKA sickness protest), but was “sadly” informed that the fam and I would be going to see The King’s Speech. The Oscars brought the film to my attention and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. We were not disappointed in the least. The movie was fantastic.  I, however, was not. My scratchy throat had by this time become quite painful, and although I was excited about going out for an early dinner, I was also longing for a warm bed and some hot tea. After the movie, we traipsed over to a nice little Italian joint where we were waited on by an extremely rude dude. I was incredibly perturbed by his nasty attitude, but feeling entirely too crappy to do anything about it. Instead, I listened to my family talk and enjoyed my delicious eats.  

Mahi-Mahi with steamed veggies.

 The rest of the night consisted of the Bourne Ultimatum, about ½ a gallon of colloidal silver, and an 8:30 bedtime. I was not about to let this “problem” (I refuse to call it sickness) get me down.

Unfortunately, “sickness” is exactly what it was. I finally did work on Monday on account of me being banned (by my mother) from any form of physical exertion. Pretty much, all I did was thesis, eat, sleep, work on wedding invitations, and eat some more. 

Messed up eggs (didn't have butter) on corn tortillas and a side of grapefruit.

Mexican quinoa: quinoa, salsa, onions, chickpeas, corn, cumin, and chili powder. Topped with sour cream.

Betty Lou's Peanut Butter Ball.

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Incredibly dense ball of peanut-y goodness.

 I ate this ball at 4 PM. It was better than real peanut butter. This Betty Lou's Nut Butter Ball kicked the Coconut Macadamia Nut one's arse. I want to eat them all day 'er day. It's almost 7 PM. I am still full. Enough said.

Here are the stats:

Calories-190
Fat-8g
Carbs-18g
Protein-15g  <-- take a good look people
Dietary Fiber-3g
Sugar-9g

Tonight, I will be taking an entire bottle of Vit C washed down with a cup of colloidal silver and going to bed at a ridiculously early hour again. Immune system, this is war.  

Routine Adjustment

Repetition and monotony are two of the things that I despise most in life. What fun is life if you don’t change it up, right? Sadly, I will admit that having a very set school schedule gets me wrapped up in a sometimes boring routine. To remedy this problem, I have been really trying to consciously do things differently every once in a while, just for the heck of it.

Over the summer, I was cooking, or at least helping, with every meal, while I spent time with my soon-to-be family in South Africa. Unfortunately my cooking skills these days have been stifled by my sometimes hectic schedule. So, my “variety” has been consisting of different flavors of the same protein bar, cooked vs. raw carrots, and reheated left-overs. Don’t worry; I make sure to wait a day in between the cooked meal and eating it again to keep it interesting... I know, I know, you can’t handle my living on the edge. I’m getting crazy. Another rather strange thing I do is repeat foods that I discover/“rediscover”, get sick of them, “re-forget” them for a while, and then “rediscover” again (redundancy is necessary here) hence:

Blueberry Bliss

Scones Galore

Muffin Posts

Tuesday was a day for such conscious deviation from the norm…

About 3 months ago, I found out that Bisquick now comes in GF. Not surprisingly, I freaked out and went straight out to buy some. Since then, I have eaten pancakes approximately 25 times. Ok, so maybe I am exaggerating, but still. I have had them with bananas, blueberries, chocolate, apples, and pretty much anything remotely tasty. 

This morning, I was feelin’ some cakes, but instead of busting out the Bis, I headed for fitnessista.com to check out her recipe for protein pancakes.

Pro-cakes with a nanner.

 They were absolutely delish. The only problem I found was that the batter was a little runny, which called for more protein. My suggestion: start out with ½ the almond milk and add more if needed. Nevertheless, these pancakes were the shiz. Usually, at exactly 11:15, I nosh on a little snackie of some sort, but not today. I stayed full until 1:00 pm. That NEVER, I repeat, NEVER happens. Breakfast that lasts me until lunch? Yes, please.

A little side note that I would like to share: On my way to school, hit occurred to me that I have exactly 73 days until I see my love for the first time in 9 months and am living in another country. The idea exploded in my brain and hit me in the chest like a ton of bricks as I felt my heart rate rise and a squeal well up in my throat. What followed was a series of wacky dance moves, laugh/screams, and uncontrollable smiling. I am sure the people next to me thought I was nuts. I have a feeling that this is going to become a more common occurrence and might increase in intensity as the time draws nearer. Pray for the  people in surrounding cars on my daily commute.

Ok, back to the task at hand… Even though I stayed full on pro-cakes for a long time, I will say that I was super ready for lunch once it arrived. I spread out the goods for a photo-op.

Cottage cheese with chick peas (relatively yooj), papaya (also yooj), and celery with peanut butter (not-so-yooj). Success.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see a giant cow standing behind me. Even more weird, he was wearing a t-shirt and beckoning me toward a table centered in the middle of the school quad. I am not one for participating in school spirit of any kind, but remembering my commitment to keeping things fresh, I reluctantly followed the ridiculous-looking creature.

Bombarded by other students mindlessly grabbing for cheap plastic knick-knacks on the table, I quickly spun the prize wheel. I needed to get out of there ASAP. I crossed my fingers as the wheel slowed. Free dessert at Chick-Fil-A! 

Posing with my free ice cream card. Chick-Fil-A ice cream is my all-time fave.

 I was super excited. I happily returned to my lunch, having accepted that the strange encounter with the large bovine was totally worth it.

Me, strange man-cow, Biff.

 The next class dragged by, and then I was off to better the community. But first, I had to have a snack. I went for one of Betty Lou’s Just Great Stuff bars. I chose the Organic Cocao Acai flavor. 

 Two words: Freaking Amazing. I have a feeling that all of the Betty Lou’s stuff is going to taste like heaven, so I will probably have to make a top 3 list down the road…

The cocao nibs in this bar were delectable and the berry offset the flavor perfectly. I really can’t complain about this bar in the least. On top of it, I got a little burst of energy about 20 minutes after eating it, which is quite rare for me. Not even coffee gives me a jolt. This bar is packed with anti-oxidants and tons of fruit. I could become addicted, real quick-like. I suppose if I do, I would be one healthy girl!

Interesting info:

Organic Certified

Vegan

Gluten-Free

With organic goji berries, organic freeze dried acai and raw cacao nibs

Protein from Organic Rice Protein and Cashews

ORAC Antioxidant Value of 34,100

Calories-180

Fat-8g

Carbs-22g

Protein-5g

Dietary Fiber-5g

Sugars-11g

I feel like my day was a little off the usual course making it super great.

Are you a pretty routine person? What do you do when you want to change it up?

There's No Place Like Home

I’ve recently come to the realization that it is virtually impossible for me to have a bad weekend at home. Being home recharges my batteries after a stressful week or a long drive from school, and it's the only place where my over-active brain can focus.

The house I currently live in was my grandparent’s house. My family and I have lived here four separate times in between moving, but now, we're here for good. This is the house where every holiday is spent. It’s the place birthdays are celebrated and get-togethers are hosted. Sleepovers, golf-cart rides, make-believe adventures, bonfires, tennis matches, Jet Ski races, long walks, and long talks have taken place here. People have been raised here, grown up here, moved in, and moved out. Fun, food, and laughter are non-negotiable here, and whether coming or going, you can always be sure to walk through the door with a smile on your face.

Home is…

Cozy

Open and spacious

My dream work environment, but also the perfect place for chillin'

Full of delicious food

Healthy taco salad

Blueberry overnight oats

Toast with cream cheese and tomatoes, rots, and pickle (Snookie-style).

Spinach salad, sauteed spinach, Ener-G gluten-free macaroni with Italian dressing, and roasted chicken.

Plain yogurt with crumbled Ener-G Ginger Cookie.

The place where packages of gluten-free goodness arrive just for me

Betty Lou's gluten-free bars, Nut Butter Ball, Fruit Bars, and whey protein.

 Betty Lou's Inc. sent me a package of good stuff to try and share my review with you! I first found out about Betty Lou's at the SOHO convention in December, and fell in love with a few of their products. When they arrived, I was so excited about trying them. I ate a Coconut Macadamia Nut Butter Ball right away.

Coconut Macadamia Nut Butter Ball

 These Nut Butter Ballz are protein-packed and pack-able. They are perfect for keeping in your bag when you're on-the-go. The ballz are palm-sized and are super dense. I was shocked at their fairly heavy weight.  The Coco-Mac Ball has shaved coconut on the outside, giving it a really nice, macaroon-like texture. I could have stood for a little more coconut, but then again, I am a coconut fiend! I devoured this delicious ball for an afternoon snack and was amazed that it kept me full for the next few hours. I am super excited to try the other Betty Lou's Products! They all look so good, I am going to have trouble deciding which ones to eat first.

Here are the stats:

Calories- 150
Fat- 7g
Carbs-17g
Protein-10g
Dietary Fiber-5g
Sugars-8g

Sort of egg-shaped, but I'm ok with it.

Shared with three of my favorite people

Typical: Everyone on the computer with the TV on. We are a techno-family.

Mons wondering why the Hades I'm taking random pics of her.

Inhabited by 7 strange and psychotic, yet lovable creatures

Action shot

Photo shoot

This is my grandfather. He hates dogs...Max and Oscar like him.

Mizzer protecting his squeaker hot dog

Priceless

Tiki (the cockatiel) looking conspicuous, as usual.

The place where memories are made (the following pics were taken the day before my love left the U.S. almost two years ago)

 As I watch the last school year of my life fly by, and the beginning of real life drawing nearer, I’ve become mindful of everything that I may have neglected or taken for granted. Home is one of those things. To put it simply, there’s no place like home.