Gosh.. i can’t remember the last time i had honey stars!

Gosh.. i love honey stars.. only that they’re not all that healthy. But recently, they added some whole grain.. so it’s up the health meter.. hehe.

Had me some boysenberry oats today..

Overnight oats made with 1/4 cup Yoplait boysenberry yoghurt, 1/4 cup soy milk, 1/4 oats.

This morning topped with honey stars and flax and some nuts (not much left!!)

and of course.. a coffee to wake me up.. Didn’t get up to run cos was still tired and i ran last evening..

BPC + AFA… wow.. brain exhaustion..

Had me a Kashi Chewy trail mix.. sorry no pic.. and a nescafe.. My college charges RM1.70!! Eeessh..

Another round of VERY confusing Current Cost Accounting from AFA..

Came home..

Couple of Wheat Thins and one Honey Maid.. and a prune.. Honey Maid + PB, GENIUS!

hehe.. i’m off to run soon

Loves,

And…she’s back!! Hello everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving! The holiday is officially 10 minutes away and at this moment, I couldn’t be more joyous or content (the holiday season gets me in the habit of saying joyous, cheery, jolly, etc….you understand).

How is everyone’s week going?! I’ve now been home for almost 15 hours and am lovingg it!

To put it lightly…Jeany babes and I did some major grocery shopping this morning. We hit up, oh…4 different places. I justify such actions with the need for things that cannot be eaten at school/new blog-inspired finds/cooking ingredients for tomorrow night’s dinner. Fair enough, right?

The day started with a standard bowl of quick oats + soy milk (new addition/obsession?), some cinnamon, a banana and cinnamon raisin swirl peanut butta. The flight was quick and easy, and within minutes of  landing I was out the door and headed to Whole Food’s with Jeany.

After a few hours of grocery shopping, we were equally starving and ready to feast. Soooo, we promptly assembled lunch!

A la snackface…

Let’s call this the….jalapeno popper, remix.

This had the suggested:

• tofutti cream cheese
• mustard
• spinach
• (trader joe’s meatless meat-) balls
• Tj’s chile sauce (love!)

Plus the addition of….hummus! I know this lady would approve of that last minute decision. It was everything you’d expect and more. I obviously adored it, since we all know I like it hot…I mean, er, SPICY!

+ obligatory post-lunch apple w/ cinnamon

Between lunch and some Glee-catch up, I actually took a nap! This never happens, so clearly I needed it.

And since sleeping works up such an appetite….I woke up to another new, lovely snack! Umm, THANK YOU AMY for recommending this cereal. I legitimately ate Honey Bunches of Oats every morning my sophomore year of high school. Was absolutely obsessed. But finding the Whole Food’s version?!! Even better.

As per her suggestion…I had it with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and some pumpkin pie spice. The perfect mid-day snack (or even dessert), in my opinion!

After proclaiming my new-found love for the 365 Honey Crunch & Oats , I took a nice walk with my mom and Ginger. California’s weather is perfection right now! Warm during the day, and crisp, but bearable at night.

Dinner was another bloggie-inspired affair:

Started with a salad

And ended with a burrito (inspired by this girl), lots of salsa, some steamed broccoli and chips. GOOD chips.

I’ve been craving the FSTG lime chips ever since seeing them on Sarah’s blog, a few weeks back. They were lime-y, crunchy, a little salty and goood. As they should be! They reminded me of those Tostito lime chips, but better-tasting and better fo’ you!

A post-microwaved, oozing, delicious shot:

After my mom and I decide to creep her friends & colleagues on facebook, dessert was had with a side of more Glee (had to catch up!). Mama’s offish obsessed.

Microwavable pumpkin pie, anyone??

In the bowl: 1/2 a cup Whole Food’s organic pumpkin, 3 tablespoons liquid egg whites, pumpkin pie spice & cinn microwaved for 3 minutes, topped with crushed grahams and sunflower seed butter. Mmm!!!!!! Make this. Or try jeany’s version, and top it with granola!

But now, it’s time for bed. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone, and be thankful!! I just know that you are all loved so much, by so many people. So appreciate that, leave the guilt behind and do whatever makes you happiest. Thanksgiving’s about family and good food. So remember that!

I must ask:

Of what are you thankful for?? And, what shall you be feasting on today/tonight?! I’m thankful for my loving, supportive family who always knows how to put a smile on ma face! Looooove them. And you know i’m excited for my pop’s (vegan) mashed potatoes, my mama’s butternut squash casserole and whatever else my bros and their wifeys whip up!

XOXO, Jess

]]> http://frenchfriestoflaxseeds.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/getting-my-bake-on/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:49:24 +0000 Marianne http://frenchfriestoflaxseeds.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/getting-my-bake-on/

Today did not start out well. I was having the WEIRDEST dream ever, and must have turned my alarm off during said dream, because when I actually woke up and figured out where I was, it was 6:15 am, and I had to be out the door in 15 min! ACK!

I threw on some clothes, washed up, and put some food in containers and was out the door. I even made it to class on time, but had to wait until after class to dig into breakfast. Boy was I hungry!

In the thermos I had yogurt, the last of the quince, and pomegranate arils. The other container was just some Kashi Honey Almond Flax cereal to combine with said yogurt & fruit.

Yogurt close up!

It was horrendous weather all day. It just rained, and rained, and rained. Good thing I had my new fancy boots – they kept my feet dry and warm! But to warm the rest of me up, I had to hit up the Sbucks.

Do I even have to say what’s in there?

My last volunteer shift at Agora later, and I was on my way home. First thing on my mind when I walked in the door? What’s for lunch?

I made a grilled ham & cheese sandwich with baby spinach and red pepper jelly. Too bad my cheese didn’t want to melt.

I also heated up a bowl of broccoli soup my sister had made on the weekend.

Topped with a little more cheddar. What’s better than broccoli & cheddar?!

Rainy day food, for sure!

With a Werther’s Original candy for dessert

I spent the afternoon at home, expecting an important phone call. Of course, my mom then ended up on the phone all afternoon, and we don’t have call waiting, so I figured they called and got a busy signal. But, low and behold, and 5 pm I received my call. Looks like I’ll be working with a dietitian on a project at Children’s Hospital. Alas, it is only volunteer, but still – it’s all about boosting that resume, right?

Dinner was served way too early for my hunger, so I only had a bit.

Meatloaf, green peas, and apple/craisin/pecan salad. There were baked potatoes as well, but I wasn’t feeling it. And wouldn’t you know it, all my close ups turned out poorly. So this is all you get!

I made a quick trip up to the store to get a couple things (I was all out of good peanut butter), then had a sweat session with the dvd’s. Then it was time for me to satisfy my baking desires!

I had a hankering for muffins. I thought oatmeal and apple should be involved. I searched out some recipes, decided on this one as my inspiration, concocted a variation in my head, then assembled the required ingredients.

Some mixing, grating, scooping, and baking later, and I was presented with this:

Apple Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Muffins

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (would have used whole wheat, but we had none)
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 small apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method

1. Combine dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a large bowl.
2. Combine wet ingredients (milk through vanilla) in medium bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry, then add carrot, apple, and raisins.
4. Mix until just combined – don’t over mix! (you know how muffins go).
5. Divide equally between 12 greased or lined muffin cups.
6. Bake at 375 F for 20 min, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These turned out really well. I was a little worried that my wet to dry ratio would be off, but it was perfect. They are hearty, moist, slightly sweet, with a nice balance of spices. Both of my parents tried them out, and gave them the thumbs up. I think they would be a great breakfast muffin, pairing nicely with your favourite nut butter.

Obviously, I had one as my evening snack, with a another cup of chamomile tea.

I still have another project on the stove, but it’s totally time for bed, so I guess I’m calling it done. I’m sure you’ll get to see it tomorrow. Night!

“As a child I had a dream, a marvelous dream, in which I saw a wild place in the country. Dirty children were pouring down the road. The dream gave me the idea for my lifework…the Sanitarium. Everything here has behind it one ideal: biological living to improve the American race.”-John Harvey Kellogg

Emblazoned across the box of Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies earlier this month (Coco Pops to anyone in the UK or Australia): “Now Helps Support Your Child’s Immunity!“.

Crikey.

Hang on! Where is my childhood breakfast time companion Coco the Monkey? And why do Americans get the correct spelling of “Cocoa” and the three brats from Rice Krispies (Crispies?) on the cover instead? Are Americans really more trusting of three young white kids with pixie ears and big scary eyes (the effects of a century of puffed rice laced with high fructose corn syrup) over a spritely brown big-eared monkey? I guess nutritional health claims carry more scientific weight when they’re introduced by magical singing elves Smack, Crack and Pot.

Are we naive enough to believe that cereal can increase immunity? Why, a box of cereal certainly works out cheaper than visiting the Doctors nowadays. A chocolatey spoon of puffed rice is also undoubtedly more tasty than a metal needle stabbing you in the upper arm. Why not just include a ‘free’ vial of the H1N1 vaccine (syringes sold separately) so we can all shoot up with a healthy dose of mercury and squalene before we “eat”? It may reduce the need for people to go a-rushin’ to their nearest clinic (amidst the “Oh-my-God-we-are-running-out” shortages and “God-save-us-in-the-scary-pandemic” type alerts). There you go ‘, that’s one from me. Keep it. Use it. Go on.

Apparently, the City Attorney of San Francisco, US, Dennis Herrera sent a letter to Kellogg’s and to the Food and Drug Administration in the US asking Kellogg’s to prove its claim:

“I am concerned the prominent use of the immunity claims to advertise a sugar-laden chocolate cereal like Cocoa Krispies may mislead and deceive parents of young children.”

No. Really?

Interestingly, in the same year as our friend Monsieur Kellogg (1852-1945), inventor of the cornflake, began selling cereal commercially (1906), he also founded the Race Betterment Foundation to help stop the “propagation of defectives.” Our Kellogg was also on the Advisory Council of the American Eugenics Society.

It seems that Kellogg was convinced that poor dietary and moral habits were leading America down the path of ‘race degeneration’. His solution was eugenics, not merely as a set of policies, but as a quasi-religious ideology. As you do, when you are the business of fashioning flattened flakes of corn.

Kellogg’s’ reveled in his role as defender of scientific efficiency in the realisation of power to control global breakfasting habits. Build up the monopoly; get kids hooked on sugar, playful characters and free toys and then pump whatever ‘immunity boosting’ elements you like into the boxes. For example, there are heaps of interesting articles on Folic Acid in cereal (and now we have it as mandatory for wheat flour – and therefore bread- in Australia). The ridiculousness of the entire situation is that the very target market for folic acid fortification is young women and mass medication is simply not good public health policy. [however, unlike the fluoride in the water, one does have a reasonable element of choice in what we eat for breakfast]. Like most things that get approved by food standard agencies and departments across the globe, there are too many unresolved issues and questions around safety and efficacy- nevermind the issue of the immorality of ‘mass medication’. I say: If in doubt, leave it out. But Kellogg’s insists that once we wake up we all (well, particularly impressionable young children) need to shovel down our mouths:

Rice, Sugar, Chocolate (4.5%), Cocoa Powder, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Malt Flavouring, Flavouring, Niacin, Iron, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin B2, Thiamin B1, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12.

“Kellogg’s Krispies cereals provide consumers with 25 percent of their daily value of vitamins A, C, and E, which play an important role in boosting immunity according to peer-reviewed, published, scientific research” says Kellogg’s.

…Come on.

[Coco Pops are also 40% sugar by weight.]

In his work Plain Facts, Kellogg even prohibits those with contagious ‘urban’ diseases, such as tuberculosis, and cholera, from marrying and reproducing offspring, essentially targeting immigrants, and those whom he collectively labeled “the lower classes”. According to Kellogg, “a few generations of such a degenerating process would exterminate the [white] race, and drive it back to Darwin’s ancestral ape.” Kellogg even compared the product of miscegenation, “hybrid” humans, with mongrel dogs: “Different varieties or races of the same species may form a fertile union, the result of which is a mongrel — a cross between its two parents, possessing some of the qualities of each. All the varieties of dogs are produced by crossing different races, and so are mongrels.

One newspaper said Dr. Kellogg and Dr. Burbank were trying to make the United States into a great stock farm, by breeding for human efficiency.

“I wish we had the power to do that very thing. It would not be such a bad idea,” he continued, “it certainly would be a great deal better than to have the United States a great stock farm, breeding mongrels-which is what we are doing now.” – John H. Kellogg

Very important Americans supported this idea, from Roosevelt, Carnegie, the Rockefellers and the Kellogg family:

“Society has no business to permit degenerates to reproduce their kind…. Some day we will realize that the prime duty, the inescapable duty of the good citizen of the right type is to leave his blood behind him in the world, and that we have no business to perpetuate citizens of the wrong type” (1913- Roosevelt, Theodore)

Now, this is where it gets particularly interesting…

Apparently, Kellogg was a big anti-sex/anti-masturbation activist. You’ll find that he was actually on such a far end of the spectrum that he didn’t have sexual intercourse with his wife even once in their 40 years of marriage (he worked on his book “Plain Facts” on their honeymoon). It would make sense that a self-proclaimed eugenicist would want to limit the reproductive capabilities of the ‘degenerate’ population who consume the highly processed GM foodstuffs in cartoonised cardboard boxes?

He said (in Plain Facts):

“A plain and healthy diet, with only two meals a day, among other things, would reduce sexual feelings”

So clearly John Kellogg thought there’s link between a person’s diet and his sexual desires. Could the eugenics ideology of today’s global elite NWO have infiltrated our breakfast options by design?

Anyway, don’t let me put you off your cereal. Chew away. But please check the ingredients in “Special K” before you swallow too much…

[Me? I had fruit toast this morning. If you are interested.]

BEAUTIES!! How are you! I am so thrilled to be posting again that I can’t type fast enough! My poor keyboard is getting a brutal workout. Speaking of, thank you so much for the workout/non-workout recommendations! I think I’ll worry about enjoying the city and people more than I will my workouts. Also, I’m paying $3.99 for two hours of wi-fi again because you have to be a green card Starbeezies member in order to get free wi-fi. I don’t even know what that means!

But let’s get to the fun stuff, such as sex and the city! I mean, SnackFace and the city.

Tuesday I made sure to get up super early. I showered, put on my face and was so antsy to get downtown that I left at 7:30am. With coffee in hand and these snacks in my purse, I was ready for the day:

Ate the Clif for breakfast (phenomenal), naner for an afternoon snack.

I like to play a game on the train into the city. It’s called “What Did He Look Like 30 Years Ago?” Non-creepily, I stare at the middle-aged, business-suited men as they make their daily commute. In my mind, grim faces are painted with a smile, thin lips suddenly become fuller, wrinkles erase, receding hairlines are magically hairy and grayed temples return to their intended chestnut brown. This is why I cannot bring reading materials for the train ride. Too much analyzing to do.

My morning at work was filled with organizing, labeling, mailing and learning. It’s nothing like the editorial side, as I’ve said before, but it’s solid experience with incredible people. At 1pm, Caroline and I went to this fabulous place that assembles your salad and chops and dresses it for you. There have to be a million of them in the city, but I was still fascinated. Look at this beast:

Approximated 37 pounds of fresh veggies. Of course I ate all of it.

In the system cleanser: mixed greens, corn, chickpeas, black olives, cucumber, tomato, roasted red peppers and a sweet lime dressing. Worth the $9.95. (But I don’t want to spend that much again!)

While walking to and from the office in the afternoon, I couldn’t help but take pictures of the city:

You'll notice something about my city pictures...

They all look the same:

And I'm not stopping the torture anytime soon.

The office was quiet in the afternoon, and after throwing media kits together, I was released 15 minutes early. I took advantage by roaming to my dinner destination early.

While nearing Union Square (and thus popping my Union-Square cherry), I saw my dinner destination was conveniently located next to Forever 21. Seriously, that is both heaven and hell. Placing Whole Foods and the only store in which I shop for clothing next to each other is sensory overload. Somehow, I kept my composure (and my wallet in my purse) and didn’t buy any of the three dresses I wanted.

After a half hour in Forever and an hour in Whole Foods, I found another gem around the corner. How has no one told me about Strand Bookstore? It sucked me in and I almost forgot about dinner.

Actually that’s a straight-up lie. I had been thinking about dinner for days. Wouldn’t you be excited about the dinner conglomeration of Hungry Homegirl Snack Diaries in Manhattan at Whole Foods? Yes, we did. We all met up and gossiped like nobody’s business (about, what else, blogs and food). By the time we parted ways, this had definitely digested:

Orange as Paris after a mystic tan, sorry!

That looks like vom, but I swear it was amazing. It had sweet potatoes, butternut squash, wheatberry+apple+pecan salad, channa masala, brussels and other things that have slipped my memory.

We laughed and talked for hours! Our neighbors even took to calling us Charlie’s Angels. That was until Brooke shot her garbage at them. According to Brookebaby, it was an accident. Sure.

Elise and Lauryn had to bounce early, but Brooke, Sarah and I had to keep the chat-fest going. To 16 Handles we went. Lovepies, I couldn’t resist the siren call of fro-yo. I had a cup of white chocolate and peanut butter and topped it with other non-vegan stuff. Naturally, I was too busy eating and talking to take a picture of the food. However, Sarah forced a stranger to take a picture of the trio:

They are gorgeous. Love.

Sarah was picked up by her pops, and Brooke and I walked together for a while afterward. It felt so good to talk to my little homie again! Missed her so much! When we parted ways, I was in a state of bliss and had to take another city picture:

Looks just like the others, but dark. My skills amaze me.

Wednesday morning’s wake-up call was…whenever I wanted it to be because I didn’t have to work. Apparently my bod was not having sleeping in, as nature called at 10am (see above salads). Alright, so maybe 10am is sleeping in.

After watching trashy tube for a bit, I poured some cereal for breakfast:

Kashi Go Lean with almond milk and 2/3 a very ripe banana.

I’m pretty sure it’s not vegan, but whatever–I’d forgotten how much I love Kashi Go Lean! So cardboardy but yummy.

Insert more trashy television for a while. Suddenly, snack time! This is all I want when it’s near:

Let's call it lunch.

Eventually ambition struck, and I did 30 minutes of what I’m calling AAA: abs, arms and ass. Did a ton of ab work, some lame attempts at different kinds of push-ups and 70-ish squats for the tush. You should see this jelly.

After that, I was exhausted again. I think going from exam week to New York immediately and never stopping caught up with me. Did not mind the lounging one bit.

At 4pm I was finally showered, straightened and makeuped, so I spent more money (gahhh) for groceries. I had a snack plate as soon as I returned home:

Snackdiddly. Honeycrisp+carrots+peanut butter.

This was good, but I bought something else because it was on sale and couldn’t get it off my mind. It was something I’d not yet tried. FoodShouldTasteGood, why you gotta be holding out on THE SnackFace and not introducing me to your AMAZING chips? So. Freaking. Good:

Can't get over these!

Like Stacy’s, however, FSTG has one major flaw. Those silly people do not get the serving sizes right! The bag says there are six servings. I’ve tested this and there are only two, at most. I definitely enjoyed five of the six servings. I’m not even adding an “oops” after that. It’s not my fault, it’s theirs.

This leads up to now. I’m sitting in an oversize chair, spending too much money on wireless. This also is not my fault. It’s YOURS. I kid. I have an addiction that cannot be helped. It’s called love And I am thankful for each and every one of you reading.

Thanksgiving is going to be bossy and bloggy, so stay tuned!

Ciao for now,

Kailey

QUESTION: With whom are you spending Thanksgiving? AND What food do you want the most on the so-called Turkey Day? AND Do you eat way more servings of delicious foods than suggested?

Shapes in a box of lucky charms

Graph by: Kidwii via Graph Jam Builder

Today i was at home recovering from a bout of flu and cold. Dear P was working from home and we were having a lazy afternoon with he working his way and me doing some casual browsing. We both needed some munching so had a crazy idea and i prepared some chiwda with POST cereal. Posting the recipe for the same.

Cereal chiwda recipe:

2 cups cereal (can take any cereal..preferably unsweetened)

10-15 curry leaves

a handful of peanuts

2 teaspoons oil

some mustard, turmeric, asefoedita for tempering

2 chilis

(i had put some chiwda masala but thats optional)

Method: 1.  Heat the oil in a thick bottomed vessel.

2. When it starts simmering, add curry leaves, chilis and mustard.

3. Then add the peanuts and fry them.

4. Add other seasoning and turn off the heat

5. Add this to the cereal and mix well.

This was a great snack to have with tea and very easy to prepare too Hopefully i should be good to go for work tomorrow !

Add

So I just didn’t eat enough yesterday. By the time 8pm rolled around I was starved, and of course I was in the mood for chocolate. After one vitamuffin, two cookies, a 100-cal TJ’s chocolate bar, and an apple (gotta throw something healthy in there), I was nauseous. This is probably my biggest problem. I will be under the calories I want to eat for the day, so I will just eat the rest in junk food. I plan on doing better today

I started off on a clean slate with some delicious cereal.

Something about Kashi Golean always makes me feel like I started the day on the right foot. Today is a half-day at work (YAY), then I have to head home to bake cookies and a pecan pie for the Boyfriend’s family. THEN it is my best friends birthday, so we are having a big make-your-own-sushi party. I am so excited to see everyone who is home for thanksgiving!

The only thing I am having serious guilt about is when I’m going to get my next workout in. Today is going to be crazy, and then we are leaving at 4:30am tomorrow. I am bringing my running shoes, just in case I can sneak out for a quick jog

How do you fit in exercise over the holidays? Do you ever find the people you are with don’t really understand why you want to work out?

This post title is in honor of my spanglish sistah and my visiting foodies.  But first and foremost, I just wanted to say that re-reading my last post made me feel so whiney.  Not a fan.  I definitely did not mean to sound all “woe-is-me” and “there’s-no-rest-for-the-weary” because I’m going to be working on thanksgiving.  So let me explain.  I would definitely head home if I could – the more family time the better!  Kyle actually headed home Sunday morning, which I very much encouraged him to do (why not take as much time off as his job would allow?).  Unfortunately for me, the hospital doesn’t close up shop for people to stuff their faces (sounds like a perfectly legit reason to me, but I guess that’s why I’m not a hospital administrator…).  How awesome would it be if everyone just promised not to cardiac arrest near the holidays? 

Anyways, I will be working on Thanksgiving.  And the day before.  But today I was free to cook…and EAT! (duh)

I had a massive frothy cuppa joe and an equally massive bowl of [me] & goji cereal.  Sadly, I have reached the bottom of the barrel   Time to order more. 

I polished off the last bit as a dry snack while reading blogs and brainstorming my vegan Thanksgiving meal. 

New York Big Apple State of Mind.  Why is NYC called the big apple anyways?  What would I do without wikipedia…

I had a little snackplate for lunch, including: falafel, apple slices, spelt pretz, and the food that unites the world tastes good on everything, hummus. 

Obviously I took some time to digest, but after that, I headed to the gym for some serrrrrious mileage.  I’m not joking, I was totally ready to get my cardio on.  I did 6 miles in the gym, but then felt antsy and wanted to really stretch my legs…so I headed to Riverside park for another 4 miles.  It was crisp outside, and I was cruising.  Loves.  Eventually I made it back to the apartment and made another manzana-full plate.

If anyone’s keeping track, these are apples number 4 and 5.  Boo-ya!

After getting decent I took mid-town by storm for some errands, then headed downtown.  Guess where I went for dinner? 

Hot bar central.

And guess who my hot dates were? 

Pssshhh, the peeps this post is dedicated to of course (Brooke, Kailey, and Sarah)!  (ahem, for whom this post is dedicated – happy Kailey?)

So fun.  No other words to say really.  I felt like we could’ve chatted all night…much to the dismay of our neighbors?  I don’t think it was our volume or constant laughter that annoyed them so much as Brooke shooting a rubber band at them.   

I headed home to pack my lunch and get ready for another day of work.

More apple love.  This is now a full blown obsession.  Someone may need to call Promises.

P.S. Happy Birthday to my FAVE 25 year old sister!

Hey guys!

My presentation went well, so thank you for all of your good wishes. I’m super tired now (yes, I know it’s early!) so this is really just going to be a visual post! Please forgive me!

Lunch

spinach, tempeh, black beans, corn, tomato, less Na soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice

Dinner

Silk vanilla yogurt, Pumpkin Flax Plus cereal, apple, cinnamon, peanut butter

~Meredith

#1: Hummus

Hummus in the morning, hummus in the evening, hummus at suppertime.  When hummus is on [anything at all], you can eat hummus any time.

Hummus on my Crackwich, hummus on my carrots:

Arnold’s MultiGrain Sandwich Thin with hummus, a garlic & herb LC wedge, and Frank’s + carrots and more hum

No hummus on my fail broccoli:

Perhaps that’s why it failed.  But really, there was too much lemon.

#2: Grocery shopping

My uncle is coming in from California tonight for Thanksgiving and all day my mom was talking about needing to get more food for him to eat.  We never went to the store, so I volunteered to while they drive to the airport to get him.

I managed to get get only one thing for myself, and it was necessary: more sandwich thins for Crackwiches.

#3: Yogurt bowls

Broccoli fail = dinner part two:

Plain Chobsies with raspberries, blackberries, and Kashi Heart to Heart

#4: Grey’s Anatomy

Back in the day.  The days of Denny Duquette (not as a ghost …), of dark and twisty Meredith, of McVet and Burke, when George was alive, and Izzie wasn’t resuscitating deer in the ER.  Those were the days.

#5:  This trailer.

New feature – Tuesday top 5?  These definitely aren’t my top 5 addictions (minus hummus), but it gave me the idea

First off, I want to say Happy Birthday to my wonderful Daddy!! I’ve done a previous dedication post on Father’s Day, but I want to say I love you and thank you for all you’ve done for us

One of my favorite things every is the “kissy face” my dad does in pictures. Trying to be a 13-year old girl at heart, Dad?

Love you mucho.

Eats have been typically unexciting, especially since I have no cam cam. But yesterday morning, I did enjoy a delicious spelt maple pecan scone. Wow.

I ate half of it (aka the frosted top portion ) before completing some strength training and heading to a sports medicine doc appointment for my knee (I’ve lost count as to what number appointment this was).

I really liked this doctor. Right away she watched the way I stood and inspected my orthotics and shoes. She seemed much more concerned and knowledgeable about my problem, and seems very determined to help me get to the bottom of the pain. I had another x-ray done, and am scheduled to get a second, more powerful MRI done halfway down my tibia bone. I guess last MRI was only taken of the actual knee, and she’s curious about the pain at the top of my tibia. I’ll keep you all posted.

It’s extremely hard to find motivation to head to the gym at home since our gym is a good 15 minute drive away. So today, I ran/walked .8 miles with my mom to the track at the nearby middle school where I did 2.5 miles track running. Then walked .8 miles back home. It felt good!!

Pre-run was 1/2 of my mom’s toast with PB:

Post-run was a giant fuji apple and one of my new cereals!

A few weeks ago, I won 2 Nature’s Path giveaway, so I had one box mailed home so I would have cereals when I came home, and to share with my family. I was excited to try out this new Vanilla Sunrise flavor!

With yogurt and a banana.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. It wasn’t bad, just slightly bland and had a weird overall taste in my opinion. Definitely not one of their best flavors.

In other news -

In my weekly quotes email last week, there was a quote from someone with a letter to themselves:

I promise you that I will help you whenever you are troubled.
I will do everything in my power to make things better for you.
I promise you that I will be there for you whenever you need me.
I will help care for you and keep you healthy.
I promise you that I will get up everyday with a positive outlook, with my chin up and I’ll never deprive you of hope.
I promise that I will love and respect you and never take you for granted.
I will remind you each day that you are a child of God, that there is a purpose for your life and will spend my life helping you discover that purpose.
I promise that I will listen to you when you need someone to talk to, I will not pass judgement or condemn you for mistakes you make.
I promise that I will always forgive you and I! will not let past problems overshadow our relationship.
I promise that I will be a true friend to you and love you always, no matter what.
Love,
Yourself

In a similar note, make sure to check out my guest post on over on Danica’s blog today! It highly relates to the above letter

All right, I’m off to whittle my middle, then head to pick up my dad a birthday burrito lunch. Hopefully he hasn’t eaten yet!

you brush your teeth

when you wake up in the morning…

In regards to my post last night about lucky charms and ‘breakfast’ cereals, I think more teeth-care instructionals should tell kids to brush teeth AFTER they eat brekkie.

In case YOU forget how to brush your teeth, here’s a well-animated video to remind you.

Also, the song that I was quoting in the title:

One always wonder how the world has evolved. Technology advances, political changes and the receding hairline of some had been heart throb.

As a single girl who has been spending most of her life in big cities across the continents, life is ever so interesting and yet confusing. I have come across so many different people and aspects of life. Some experience was fun and insightful, some not quite.

I grew up in a middle class family with a relatively comfortable life ahead of me. However, I was never quite satisfied with my life. I hated school, I didn’t believe in the system, I wanted to learn more about the world by experiencing it. Still I wasted all these years going to a college, fitting into a mould of normality. I knew there’s one way to break free and it was to run.

I left home without telling my parents. 3 months after, they received a phone call from their daughter, telling them that she’s on her next flight from Sydney to London. I haven’t stopped then. I have spent a good few years in London, Japan, Sydney, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and around Europe. Everywhere I went, I have left some of my touches and I took part of the memories and experience with me.

Living a jetsetting lifestyle could be quite tiring, let alone holding down a guy. I had my fair share of failure in that department, I have met some fantastic guys whom I still remain close friends with after all these years, some of them were just like Nicole Richie in my closet, skeletons that I never want to dig up again. Still, the whole courtship game fascinates me.

Therefore, I am starting this blog to record my life so I could look back one day and try not to make the same mistake again. It might never be read by anyone, but then, it’s nice to get things off my chest.

Stay tuned!

Cereal gal

You remember the Banana Republics? The original being Honduras?

Well, now there are Cereal Republics…

From Food First:

Ethiopia’s recent history is punctuated by famine. Severe droughts, on-going conflicts and stagnating agricultural growth have been reproducing widespread food insecurities for decades. Compounded by cereal prices doubling over the last year, many people are struggling to meet even their most basic food needs. Concurrently the World Food Programme has had to reduce emergency food rations due to the high global food prices. Right now, at least 6.2 million people in Ethiopia are seriously threatened by hunger and malnutrition, and require urgent food assistance.

At the same time Esaya Kebede, Director of the Ethiopian Agricultural Investment Agency, revealed that the Ethiopian government has so far designated a total of 3 million hectares of agricultural land, an area around the size of Belgium, to be leased to incoming foreign investors. For a country on the constant brink of famine, this is a perplexing move. What is behind such massive land giveaways?

The land deals are part of a wider global trend, dubbed by many as neo-colonial land grabs. Shocked by the price spikes and distribution bottlenecks during the global food price crisis, wealthy food-importing countries from the Middle-East, India and China are scrambling to buy up enormous tracts of arable land on the African continent in order to long-distance farm for their own domestic markets. Similar to the Central American banana republics of the early twentieth century, foreign agri-businesses are working in close collaboration with their own governments to establish enormous agricultural plantations in African countries. Exploitative labor conditions, peasant land dispossessions and environmentally destructive industrial farming methods spring to mind. The only difference is that the target crops now are not cash crops like bananas, rubber or cocoa, but basic food staples, such as wheat, maize, barley and rice. Are we facing the emergence of neo-colonial ‘cereal republics’ throughout the developing world?

Read the article in full here

Oh you KNOW what I’m talking about.

I can’t believe this shit passes for cereal.  For BREAKFAST cereal.  For the meal that you’re supposed to have EVERY morning before you get off to live your day!!! 

This is like cavities in a bowl… and I like it.

I just spent the last 10 minutes wandering aimlessly around the internet on a topic-hop that started with ‘lucky charms’ , and ended in `the banana guard` .

Remember the good old days when the internet was fun because you could find out anything and that was cool, rather than just a given?

Sigh.  I’m feeling old…. like the generation I’m a part of just stopped being the current generation.

wow.

I need to go brush my teeth and read a real-live book before bed.  

Goodnight internet, you soul-sucking time consumer.

I’ve always been mildly lactose intolerant, so the adjustment to soy milk for me was really none at all because for as long as I can remember I’ve been substituting regular milk for soy in everything from tea and coffee to cereal and in cooking and baking. I’ve even used soy cream in cooking – but lets leave that for another “For the love of…” entry.

Alpro Soya Milk

Alpro Soy products used to be my favourite when living in the UK, everything from their cream to yogurt to flavoured milks I used to absolutely love. Unfortunately I don’t seem to get the same selection here although if I did it would definately be on my permanent shopping list!! I used to love their soy chocolate milk too, full of chocolatey goodness!

So Good Soy Milk

With my limited selection however, So Good Soy Milk is amazing, they have a huge range of sweetened and unsweetend soy milks, with various flavours ranging from plain to vanilla.

The Verdict: This one is definately on my permanent shopping list. I do prefer the individual serving cartons though, as I find that I go through periods where I just don’t drink it fast enough before it goes off or don’t have enough cereal to go with it. So this way, I feel I can have what I want in moderate amounts with no pressure to finish the massive carton super fast. And since I’m the only one that drinks it in my house, it’s perfect!

Morning guys!

I’m all rested up now and ready to hit this final week of work head on, thanks to 9 hours sleep. I’m running low on food in the house so I will need to pick up some veggies and at least a box of cereal to get me through till Sunday. I don’t want to buy too much else though! There is a pack of tofu, a pack of 2 veggie patties and lots of canned beans etc. so I will likely rely on those with the help of some veggies.

This morning I had some Digestive 1st cereal which was nice again. I really like this cereal!

I am planning to take a box of cereal to Hawaii for us to eat to keep it healthy and so we don’t spend stupid amounts on breakfast each day at buffets. I’m sure we’ll have the buffets at some point but cereal works for us.

Now I must get ready for work. I plan to hit the gym tonight for a long session. My general plan for the week is to make it full of veggies, not full of meat, dining out or takeaway or processed crap and to exercise every day. Unfortunately, I don’t really even have anything for snacks today so I will most likely have a Schmears salad for lunch, pick up some fruit for snacks on my way to work and maybe a yoghurt or something.

After being in Sydney over the weekend and driving past our hotel over there I know I’m not going to have any trouble exercising for the 2 weeks we are there because of the multitude of beautiful running opportunities there are (plus there is also Merilyn’s gym and the hotel gym as backup). In Hawaii I think it’s going to be much the same! The strips in Waikiki and Maui are long and beautiful, there is the volcano to climb and both hotel have gyms and do classes such as yoga and pilates for the guests. We also plan to do some hiking and go to the rainforest on a tour. It is the restaurant food that I’m going to need to watch out for if I want to maintain my weight while away. I’m up for the challenge!

Only 3 more days until Thanksgiving! I wish I could head to the airport now — I’m so excited!

Breakfast this morning was exactly the same as the last few days!

Silk vanilla yogurt, Pumpkin Flax Plus cereal, peanut butter, banana

I’m out of almond milk and I don’t want to buy another box, open it, and then not use it all within the alotted 7-10 day once opened time frame due to my trip.  I’m nearly out of yogurt though, so I might resort to making some oatmeal with water! We’ll see!

30 minutes at the gym this morning made me feel so productive! It’s also such a great wake up. I was seriously dragging while walking up to the gym, but afterwards I was bounding with energy to class!

Errands, errands, errands, and then finally some lunch.

homemade black bean burger, spinach, tomato, pickles on ww

Seriously, this might be one of my fave meals. Today I mixed up the recipe a bit by adding corn and mushrooms to the black beans.

My presentation for Research Methods is TOMORROW! Eek! I’ve already finished the powerpoint and pretty much know what I’m going to say, but I need to practice more so that everything runs perfectly smoothly.

Do you get nervous before class presentations?

My mouth always feels dry right before, but once I start talking I’m fine!

~Meredith

Today I want to tell you about a really delicious breakfast cereal that I make for myself several times a week. It’s amazing and it’s all raw. The reason I want to share this with you is because a lot of cereals out there; packaged and processed cereals, even though they say they are healthy, they’re really not! When you look at the list of ingredients, usually the ingredients include gluctose-fructose or high fructose corn syrup, wheat, gluten, colourings, or any number of things that you don’t want to put into your body. All of these things cause irritation in the body and they are not something you want to consume, especially on a daily basis.

If you see commercials for healthy cereals, I urge you to really think about what they are trying to sell to you. What I want to share with you today is how you can prepare an unbelievable cereal that is raw and takes literally under 5 minutes to prepare. It is full of whole foods that are going to nourish you throughout the day and get your day started off as best as possible. A lot of people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I’m not too sure that I necessarily agree. Every meal is important. Your health is important.

This cereal is anti-oxidant rich because the main ingredient is fresh berries. You definitely want to start off you day with the best food possible so that you don’t feel sluggish and fall asleep at work or at school or wherever you are. My favourite combination is blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. To prepare the cereal, I start off by throwing a few cups of washed berries into a bowl. Next, I add a small handful of chopped walnuts. I keep my walnuts in the fridge or freezer so that their omega 3 quality does not diminish over time. Next I’ll add some hemp seeds which are an amazing source of protein. In one tablespoon you will get about 8g of protein. That is huge! So if anyone throws that good ol’ question at you: “Where do you get your protein from?” if you are vegan or vegetarian, just tell them that you eat hemp seeds. Hemp seeds are also a great source of omega 3 fatty acids. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of hemp seeds on top, or however much you want.

Next I add some sunflower seeds. I usually soak them to bring out the living quality of them and reduce the enzyme inhibitors, but if you forgot to soak them ahead of time then that’s alright. Throw on a couple of tablespoons of sunflower seeds.

Ground flax seeds are a must. They are a great source of fiber, lignans, and again, omega 3 fatty acids. You can buy them pre-ground but to get the best quality seeds, just grind them yourself in any coffee grinder. You can also add a little flax seed oil to your breakfast cereal. Again, it’s a great source of omega 3. Good fats are essential to our cardiovascular system and to our brain health.

And now for the secret ingredient: shredded coconut. Coconut is another amazing source of healthy fats. The medium chain triglycerides are amazing for fat burning and endurance for sports. Coconuts have anti-bacterial properties as well. They will also help to sustain your hunger a little longer.

I recommend using rice milk or nut milk on your cereal. You can make your own nut milk in the vita-mix no problem using some soaked nuts, water, and a sweetener. Don’t worry about draining little chunks; just pour it right on the cereal! Lately we’ve been using banana milk. We just throw a banana in the blender along with some water and a drop of almond extract. It makes tasty “milk”. Just think outside of the box and you’ll come up with many, many different milks that you can use. Don’t even get me started on cow’s milk. Just please don’t even bring it into the house!

Now, you may get full pretty fast because this cereal is very filling. But the really great thing about this cereal is that you can put it in the fridge and eat it later because it’s not going to get soggy.

You don’t have to be a raw foodist to enjoy this amazing cereal. It is full of high quality nutrition and there is no nonsense that you don’t want to put into your body like every single cereal out there on store shelves. We’ve got berries, walnuts, coconut, hemp seeds, flax seeds and oil, sunflower seeds, and some nutritious banana milk on our cereal. Mix and match whatever you want!

One thing is for sure. If you want to lose weight or just simply feel great and maximize the energy that you are experiencing on a daily basis, raw and living foods are going to revolutionize your life, so give this cereal a try. You’ll be dumping that old cereal in the garbage straight after!

Yuri Elkaim is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and author of the raw food diet book Eating for Energy. Find out how his work has helped more than 22,000 people lose weight and live their healthiest life ever – visit http://www.eatingforenergy.ca

So I know I mentioned that I am going on a big trip in December and will have limited internet access. That is because I am going to Antarctica! I know, it seems like a crazy place to be going, I still can’t believe it myself. I am leaving two weeks from today and am starting to freak out!

Between now and then I have Thanksgiving in NY, a wedding in Western Mass, and lots of work to tie up before I leave. I guess the blog will be on hiatus for a few weeks since the internet will be so expensive on the ship. Anyway, that is my little freak out for the morning

I am still trying to do the 600 calories for breakfast and lunch plan, which has been working well for me so far. It was hard to do over the weekend, but I like having more energy and feeling satisfied at work. So I started the morning with 2 cups of heart to heart with skim milk, and part of my next You Bar. Review to come later!!

I am so sore from power yoga yesterday, but am hoping to get to my weights class during lunch! I want to get as many workouts in before all this traveling. Hope everyone is having a good start to their short week