OMG. I was so hungry when I got home from work. I think I was at risk of passing out on my way home. Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but you get my point.

When I posted at 4 PM I was good. Which was a huge surprise since I hadn’t eaten anything since 10 AM. But at 4:30 this insane hunger hit me. I ate a few handfuls of popcorn to hold me over until I got home but I think it made it worse.

Brian was already home when I got here and I was so glad. I would have felt bad eating without him.

Straight away I pulled out the Turkey burger I had packed at lunch to eat at work when I did get hungry. At 4:30 I figured I just needed to suck it up and wait until I got home.

So good.

Nature’s Pride multigrain bread, ketchup, mustard, spinach, Jennie-O Turkey Burger patties, and some Heluva Pepper Jack cheese.

I cut it in half and shared with Brian. I know it was good because he scarfed down his half too. He has no issue telling me when he doesn’t like my food.

Of course I was still hungry. I hadn’t eaten in ages. We moved onto lasts night leftovers.

Somehow it seems there are a lot more mashed potatoes that usual. Perfect for a nice cold day. The is one more serving that I am sure will get eaten for lunch tomorrow.

I planned to make a salad but never got around to it.

Instead we had cookies.

Brian did not think his two larger cookies were enough so I gave him one of these.

I munched on mine while I went online to have my Mom’s mail forwarded for her. They are having their house packed out. My Dad is being stationed at Fort Bragg in January and they need to get their stuff out of the house before they leave for Germany (to spend Christmas with my Brother) next Saturday.

This is my first Christmas away from my family. Sigh.

Now it is time to go play with my ever restless Piper before I hit the sack. Night!

Napa cabbage + apples + sweet potatoes = seasonal Sunday dinner. Tonight I played catch-up with some of Capay’s recent produce deliveries. The result was an improvised, colorful menu of light dishes – perfect for a lazy Sunday:

• Salad with Napa cabbage (shredded), diced apples, sliced pecans and poppyseed dressing
• Turkey burgers with apple slices and melted cheddar on sourdough
• Mashed sweet potatoes with butter and honey (same method from Thanksgiving)

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serves 6

Ingredients:

1 package ground turkey meat

1/2 medium Spanish onion, small dice

1 T horseradish

1/4 C sundried tomatoes, diced

1 small package goat cheese/ 1/4 C goat cheese

1 egg

1/4 C flour (optional:  my turkey meat had been defrosted and was very moist so the flour was necessary.  Use as needed)

salt and pepper- to taste

condiments:  lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon mustard

6 whole grain buns

canola oil for cooking

In a large bowl combine turkey meat with 1/2 small onion, diced.  Add the horseradish, sundried tomato, salt, and pepper.   Next add egg until ingredients are thoroughly moist and incorporated.  Add flour to touch to take off excess moisture.

Divide the seasoned meat into six even portions.  Flatten one portion into a disk and add one sixth of the goat cheese into the center of the meat.  Wrap meat around the cheese to fully cover.

Chill the six turkey burger patties in the freezer on a parchment lined sheet pan as you prepare the blanched green beans and french fries with gremolata.

Remove the patties from the freezer.  Heat a large saute pan over high heat and add canola oil.  Once pan is heated (you can drop in a small piece of food and hear a sizzle, but the pan is not too hot to smoke.  Add the turkey patties and cook four to five minutes per side (you can check with a paring knife to make sure the meat is fully cooked).

Let the patties rest for a minute and serve on toasted whole wheat buns with condiments of your choosing.  Serve alongside blanched green beans and french fries with gremolata.

Bite.  Savor.  Repeat!

Blanched Green Beans

1 1/2 lb green beans/hari covert

2-3 T sesame oil (to taste)

salt and pepper-to taste

Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil.

Once water is boiling, add green beans and cook until tender once tested.  To test-take a bite and see if beans are still crunchy or whether they give to your teeth so you are left with the fresh taste of the bean but no unpleasant stringiness or snap.

When fully cooked, remove green beans with a slotted spoon, shock in cold water, and dry on paper towels.  Reserve boiling water for french fries.

Once cooled and dry, toss with 2-3 T sesame oil and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

French Fries with Gremolata

4 medium potatoes, peeled, and cut into large julienne size (basic french fry size)

canola oil for pan frying

salt- to taste

gremolata:

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch parsley leaves, minced

1 lemon, zested on a microplane

3 T grated Parmesan

Peel and slice potatoes to french fry size.  Blanch potatoes in boiling salted water (water left from green beans) till tender but not overdone.

Strain in a colander and heat a large saute pan over high heat.  Add canola oil to heated pan.

Pan fry potatoes in batches until golden brown.  Once fully cooked till crispy, dry on paper towels/mesh cooling rack.  Season with salt while still hot.  Add gremolata and toss.

Continue to fry batches, season with salt, and mix with gremolata.  Pair with Goat Cheeseand Sundried Tomato Stuffed Turkey Burger and Blanched Green Beans.

Except when it’s cold and rainy! It’s a pain living in Oklahoma sometimes. I want pretty snow. Not cold dreary rain. Or ice. We don’t get snow too much, just cold rain and ice. Ok, I’m off being upset about the cold rain. *Even EL PASO got snow and we can’t?!!?* Speaking of Oklahoma, did anyone watch The Biggest Loser last night? Danny (my favorite) made it to the finals. He is from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma! Hooray for an Okie doin big things!

Before I get onto my eats for yesterday…I have two lovely animals that wish to say hi to you..

She's starin you down!

Eddie has the sad face down pat

Last night was good—I had planned on goin to Sean’s to stay the night, but, I just was sleepy and tired and didn’t feel like it. He had a man date to play Call of Duty and I didn’t feel like watching, so instead I lounged around, did another load of laundry (yay ) and then went to bed around 10pm.

Sean’s mom called me yesterday around lunch offering me to two tickets to the OU Basketball game tonight, so I gratefully accepted. I’m ridin down to Norman with my parents so it should be a great night!

No exercise for today. I’m needing a rest. It will resume tomorrow .

Onto eats…

1. Breakfast: Spanish Omellete (recipe will be in recipe section) and a slice of Ezekial Toast with black berry jam

Midmorning Snack: Blueberry Chobani with Lavash wrap baked into chips with truvia and cinnamon sprinkled on them.

Lunch: Turkey burger with pepperjack cheese, spinach, & mustard on an Ezekial Hamburger Bun, Side Spinach Salad

Meal 4: Myoplex lite RTD shake

Din Din: “taco soup”/chili with crumpled corn thin on top with cheese

Nightime Snack: Granny Smith Apple w/ Naturally More PB–Im done with the jar!! Oats ina jar whoohoo

I also snacked on loooots of grapes, no pics though

All in all, a good night. I also got a pretty awesomely amazing present in the mail that I will talk about later…

Oh, and check out this awesome giveaway! It’s Carba Nada Noodles–love these things, they are so tasty.

Since the Ottoman royal harems were filled with women from both the Mediterranean and the Baltic – Italian families even casting their daughters on the Adriatic to be picked up by the sultan’s sailors — my Turkish husband jokes he finally brought me back to Istanbul where I belong.

I don’t know, in the span of history and forgotten connections of family, anything’s possible. My Lithuanian family name, echoing a town and river on today’s Belarus border, also sounds a lot like the imperial Turkish bloodline of Osman.

family name derived from this town

As a fourth generation immigrant, I’m so far removed from who and where I come from I’m visited by ghost urges from genes and culture long ago severed. Today I post at expat+HAREM, the global niche about how the mysteries of our extended lineage often crop up as synchronicity, wanderlust, and quirks of taste.

For instance, why does this Northern California girl raised on turkey burgers crave the beet soup borscht? When I feel kinship with my Ukrainian, Estonian, Jewish, Italian and Greek friends, what do their wide brows or brown eyes, their stoicism or talkative personality, remind me of? Do they mirror the mix that is me?

What ethnic or regional mystery reverberates in you?

First of all, I’m silly. I thought we had a Board Meeting last night—it’s not until next Thursday. My weeks are all messed up.

So, instead of sitting in a meeting, I went to the bank and went grocery shopping for a few little things. Here’s what I picked up.

• Pink Lady Apples
• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• few Luna Bars
• Reduced Fat Pepper Jack (my favorite!)
• squash/zuchinni
• La Tortilla Factory Large & Small Tortillas
• Seneca Sweet Potato Chips (new product I tried—review in the review section)

Just a few things to keep me goin for a little bit. Tomorrow night is dinner night with Sean…not sure what I’m makin yet. Thinkin about these turkey filets wrapped in bacon, a salad and some corn on the cob (for him) and some roasted veggies for me. I absolutely LOVE dinner night. Makes me feel like we are a little family. Plus, gotta practice my cooking skills.

After grocery shopping, I made my dinner. I had a turkey burger with a slice of reduced fat pepperjack cheese, spinach and mustard on a sandwich thin. I also had some new chips I found at the store and thought I’d give them a shot. The burger was FANTASTIC and it definitely hit the spot for what I was craving. The chips were VERY tasty as well. Although, I did bite into one of them and it was digusting. I dont know if it was TOO much salt on the one chip, but it was hard to get that taste out of my mouth.

All Natural and only a few ingredients. Can't beat that!

Don't worry, I ate more chips as the night went on

After dinner, my butt was glued to the couch. I watched Flashforward. I love this show—the suspense is killer, and it doesn’t hurt that the main guy is veeeery attractive. Just saw him the other day in Shakespeare in Love…I had no idea he was in that. Then, it was Greys Anatomy. Somewhere in Greys, I made some Protein Pudding as I like to call it.

Protein Pudding

• 1 scoop of protein powder (I used All The Whey Peanut butter)
• Some sugar free fat free jello pudding—whatever flavor you want. Mine happened to be vanilla this time. I dont measure, I just pour some in there.
• Some almond milk (dont measure again…just pour some in there)

-Blend together (I used a magic bullet) and then let sit in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes and hten its time to eat!

All They Whey, SF FF Jello Pudding, Almond Milk Unsweetened

Great nighttime snack!

After my shows were over, I tried to read but wasnt feeling it so I was asleep by 9:30. Its felt SO good to get a good 8 hours in the past few days!!

Breakfast this morning was simple–1 egg, 2 egg whites with spinach and a slice of Ezekial Bread with a bit of butter and SF strawberry jelly.

Hope everyone has a great day! I have dinner plans tonight, so I’m ready for work to be OVER

Yep, that’s pretty much how it’s been going around here. After a week or so of eating crap, I CRAVE healthy stuff. Anyone else?

Breakfast was a banana & PB on an Ezekiel cinnamon raisin English muffin.

This breakfast was delicious and fueled me through four straight hours of classes. I was pretty happy when it was lunch time!

When shopping last week, I realized I had a coupon for $2 off any Applegate Farms product. After some debate, I decided to try a newbie, turkey burgers! I was instantly drawn to this short and sweet ingredient list.

Not too bad! And, 22 g of protein per burger?! Can’t go wrong there.

I enjoyed my burger on a slice of sprouted grain bread with some lettuce and dijon mustard. On the side, sliced bell pepper and an apple.

For a late afternoon snack, I enjoyed a chopped pear, nuked it for about a minute, and then topped with some cinnamon. So comforting.

I had a meeting at 6, and plans to eat dinner after. So, when my tummy did I quick rumble right before I left for the meeting, I grabbed the fastest thing I could. Chomp!

Of course, a vegetable!

Dinner was delicious and very clean.

Roasted asparagus (EVOO + S&P @ 400 for 10 min.), quinoa, and half of a sweet potato (steamed).

After eating crazy amounts of cakes, cookies, and other fun desserts this past weekend, it feels nice to have this for dessert.

So, I think that makes for a total of 4 fruits and 4 vegetables! Frenzy for sure!

Too busy for the gym today, but I have no classes tomorrow for Vet’s Day so I’m sure I’ll be able to get in a killer workout then! Good night!

Laura dressed as Dorothy

Day 69

It’s challenging to control your food consumption when you live alone, as I do.  It is even more difficult when you are living  with others who have different ideas about what they want to eat.  This week I can  test my will-power in new ways.

For example: As soon as I walked in the door I noticed the white chocolate covered popcorn clusters laying on the kitchen counter. My daughter, Laura, dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, was on her way to Girls’ Halloween Costume Bunco Night. She was taking the wrapped popcorn clusters with her, but there was plenty left over.

My son-in-law, Rick, decided to go work-out at the gym, leaving me alone with those mouth-watering morsels. Not exactly dietetic! I decided to remove myself from temptation by leaving the room. When Rick returned he made turkey burgers which was a great choice for dinner, high in protein, low in calories. I would have had this with some steamed vegetables but what we had instead were potato chips with low-fat dip.

Turkey burger with salad and ketchup

How did I do? (1) I made a salad for myself which I ate with my turkey burger minus the bun. (2) I tried to avoid the potato chips with dip but was not entirely successful.  I did have a small amount.  BUT. I did not pig out. I stayed aware of what of I was eating and just took as little as I could. (3) When it was time to clean up I couldn’t resist taking a few pieces of popcorn and then I watched as Rick threw the rest into the garbage. You can judge me if you want.  I give myself a C+, not great but still a passing grade.

Hi friends. I hope you’ve had a great weekend so far! I just got back from the UF vs. Arkansas Homecoming game in The Swamp. It sure was a nail biter! The final score was 23-20, which we some how pulled off in the last few seconds of the game. As soon as the sun started going down, it was absolutely FREEZING in the stadium. We all jumped up and down to the music to try and get the blood flowing we were so cold.

I’ve always wanted to move up to NYC for a few years, but I don’t think I could ever handle the cold weather! It should be very interesting to see where I end up living after college. The Florida sunshine is hard to pass up!

Jennie-O Turkey Burger on whole wheat bread with yellow peppers and onions

Last week, I discovered a huge box full of Yogi products at my front door. Of course, I instantly squealed at the site of it! Yogi is such a high quality brand and I am obsessed with their unique tea flavors. I learned a few weeks ago that Yogi has their own line of cereal and granola products, and I was ecstatic to finally try them. Thank you so much Yogi for providing me this opportunity to sample them!

The first item I dove into while I was studying were the Fresh Strawberry Crunch, Yogi Granola Crisps. I’ll admit these granola chips were more addicting than good old potato chips! I seriously could not stop reaching in the bag to scoop more granola out.

I think that Yogi Granola Crisps had just the right amount of crunch and sweetness. I highly recommend these!

Whole Wheat Pita Pizza with Pepperoni and Mozzarella Cheese

Have a great weekend! Next week I’m going to share some exciting giveaway news with you! I’ve been working so hard putting it together and I can’t wait to fill you in.

In the age of fast food, the beef burger is king. And I agree, their is nothing quite as tasty as a well put together cheeseburger-until now. Cheeseburgers are great but full of calories. Turkey burgers are much more lean, but taste bland if not cooked with the right ingredients. Here is my recipe for a Turkey Swiss burger that is sure to excite your taste buds.

What you’ll need:

1. ground turkey burger

2. garlic cloves

3. an onion

4. lettuce

5. tomato

6. Swiss cheese

7. Wheat bread

8. Light or regular mayo

9. Lawry’s Dijon and Honey marinade

10. salt and pepper

11. a chopping board

12. wax paper

13. cookie sheet

Preparation:

1. Cover the cookie sheet with wax paper.

2. Place pan over medium heat.

3. Finely chop onions and garlic (Use as much or as little as you want).

4. Roll the ground turkey into the size of golf balls (each ball will be one patty).

5. Once you have all the turkey you will need, combine all the balls together flatten it out.

6. Add all the onion,  garlic, salt and pepper.

7. Pour Marinade over 1/4 of the meat.

8. Mush everything together.

9. Once again roll the meat with all the ingredients into golf balls and place on cookie sheet.

10. Flatten each ball to a patty that is 1/4 thick (Yes that thin!).

Lets Cook These Babies!

1. Place the patties on the pan and let sit for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Toast Bread and add mayo and Swiss Cheese.

3. Place patty on top of Swiss Cheese and add lettuce and tomato.

4. Enjoy!

I just came across this article on the MSNBC website: MICHELLE MELT

If you’re not interested in clicking the link, the point of the article is that a D.C. restaurant called the Good Eatery, is currently featuring a burger inspired by our first lady, Michelle Obama.

Top Chef contestant, Spike Mendelsohn and former Obama Personal Chef, Sam Kass, used Mrs. Obama’s herb garden at the white house as inspiration for a herb mayo, and are using organic, locally produced ingredients for this first burger in an effort to promote a healthy diet.

I don’t know Michelle,  I doubt I ever will, so I couldn’t tell you if the Good Eatery creation does her justice or not. What I can tell you, is that the description alone of this turkey burger with  swiss cheese and a herb mayo, made my tummy rumble. Seriously, I might just be starved but I wanted to eat the words right off the screen… Maybe, I should eat something.

So, the Obama inspired burger got me thinking about my own strange fascination with the idea of naming food for people. Really, it’s strange, I find myself always ordering food that appears to be named for people. There is a family diner around the corner where many of the sandwiches have the names of  aunts and brothers, every time I order one, I wonder what the person it was named for is like… Since the place has been around since before I was born, I suspect most of them are long gone now.

The way I figure it, people inspired food comes about in one of two ways, one is just that, inspired, just like the Michelle Melt, which I am sure Michelle had no involvement in, besides being herself. The other, is the slightly less inventive way, just taking the way Tom orders his turkey sandwich, adding it to the menu and calling it Tom Tom Turkey.

Either way, I personally think, that to be immortalized in a dish would be terribly flattering… yet pointless, inevitably if the dish becomes wildly popular no one will know or even care who you are, a la Apple Brown BETTY. Do you know who Betty was? I don’t, and honestly, I don’t care as long as her dish keeps getting served at picnics.

I have a friend who orders the same thing at burger king every time. The girl at the drive thru knows who it is as soon as S starts talking and will actually have the order on the screen before she has finished saying it. If the BK drive thru girl knew my friends name, I suspect she would name the veggie burger, hold the mayo, add mustard, no onions, after my friend. And knowing S, she would be thrilled to have a BK burger named for her.

So here is the real thought… What would your dish be? Would it be a burger, a cold cut sandwich, some kind of sweet treat? Would it be greasy and catastrophic to the arteries of all who eat it? Or would it be “healthy” like the Michelle Melt?

I think I know what mine would be.

It would be a roast beef sandwich.

Nothing too fancy.

Whole wheat bread, roast beef  (done medium) piled high, provolone cheese, pickles and lots of mayo…. served with a pile of salty chips, an extra pickle spear on the side and a Barq’s root beer. Why roast beef you ask? I don’t know, but a perfect roast beef sandwich has always been my comfort food of choice. When I am feeling down, feeling up, hungover, or just hungry as hell, I crave this meal. I don’t know why, I just do. I could pick it apart and say things like the beef represents my strength, the sandwich represents my easy going personality and bunch of bologna like that but, really I just like beef, mayo, cheese, pickles, chips and root beer. Take any of the components and add them to any other combination of sandwich and I would be likely enjoy it almost as much. This particular combo just does it for me…

I suposse that is how most timeless meals came to be. One person had a combo of things they enjoyed, just threw them together and poof a classic is made.

Maybe, next summer, when tomatoes are back in season (Here in the midwest we don’t have the luxury that D.C.ers apparently do, of having “Fresh, organic, locally grown…ruby red tomatoes” year round.),  I will try to recreate the Michelle Melt, swiss cheese and all, here in my own humble kitchen. Maybe the Michelle melt will be an American classic… Maybe it will just be my new comfort food.

Leave me  comment and let me know how you you would likely be immortalized gastronomically. Do you agree, that having food named for you would be flattering? Seriously, I want to know!

*As a side note, I found the addition of swiss to be bit odd, since she is the first lady of….America, but I understand the reservations about putting a Kraft single on a burger named for the president’s wife, it could get a little cheesy!

 Lots of vintage art, old gas station signs, wooden pictures. I really liked it! He was so nice to pose for the camera with his gal in that picture

• 1/2 C oats
• handful frozen blueberries, 3 frozen strawberries added at the end
• lots of cinnamon
• 1/2 C almond breeze
• 1/2 nanner
• packet of Truvia added at the end
• chia seeds

• Today I ran 20 minutes (HIIT for 10) and jogging for the other 10 alternating 7.0 and 7.5 every minute then sprinting the last minute
• Then I did 15 minutes on the step mill (the BIG steps, not the stairmaster) and some ab exercises using the bosu ball. wonderous workout. it ended with lots of stretching!

TRY IT BEFORE YOU JUDGE and i apologize my camera was out of charge AHHH!!! 

Day 1, Day 2, Day 2.5, Day 3, Day 3.5

Running errands and having an upper endoscopy can really take it out of a couple.  So we went SUPER simple for dinner on Day 4.  Turkey burgers, sweet peas and another yummo smoothie.

kind of exhausted/grumpy

For the turkey burgers

1 lbs ground turkey
season all salt {to taste}
cracked black pepper {to taste}
1 splash Worcestershire sauce

Mix together all the ingredients.  Form into patties.  Freeze any left over ground turkey.  Smack patties onto amazing Griddler!

Cook until the centers can be cut open and there is no pink! 

As you can see we eat ours on whole wheat tortillas but they are also tasty on buns, toast or wrapped in lettuce.  I also forgot to cook onions because I sucked that night.

I made the smoothie just like in day 3.5 {sub milk for lemonade} and heated the peas out of a can.  Do you like how I am losing steam near the end of the week?

What is your favorite quick and tasty meal?

Chef Spike Mendelsohn – he of Top Chef Season 4 (Chicago) – is going on Good Morning America tomorrow to announce a new addition to the Good Stuff Eatery menu in honor of First Lady Michelle Obama. It shall be called… Michelle’s Melt:

A free range turkey burger with caramelized onions, swiss cheese, topped with a ruby red tomato, crisp lettuce, and South Lawn herb garden mayo on a freshly baked wheat bun.

I always get the Free Range Turkey Burger (Chunky Avocado & Sprouts & Muenster Cheese & Ruby Tomato, On A Pennsylvania Dutch Whole Wheat Bun) anyway so this won’t be a big stretch for me.

Folks may remember when I blogged about Michelle’s visit to Good Stuff Eatery back in May. FLOTUS loves a good burger, and I love a good FLOTUS story coupled with a good burger story. It’s essentially win/win.

The best part of this delish new addition to the Good Stuff menu is that all proceeds go towards DC Central Kitchen. Well done, Spike! Well done.

Breakfast was eaten at work.

Has anyone else tried these Cocoa Roast almonds? They’re dark chocolate-coated and delicious! I had them with some black grapes.

About 10am, I got hungry, so I grabbed a handful of reduced-fat store brand Triscuits.

Lunch was left over from last night. Garlic Ranch turkey burger with spinach + tomato + pickles + Creole mustard on a regular bun.

I had it with some carrots and a sugar free pudding.

Eaten at my desk, as you can see.

For an afternoon snack, I had a few more grapes. Yum!

Dinner was a grilled pork chop with some roasted red potatoes.

For the potatoes, I cut them up and put them in a microwave and oven-safe dish coated in cooking spray. I microwaved them for 5 minutes, then sprinkled with a little cajun seasoning and parmesan cheese. Then I stuck them in a 450 degree oven for about 40 minutes, turning once about halfway through.

They were so good!

So… could I have eaten healthier today? Sure. But this is miles better than I’ve been doing the last few weeks, so I’ll take it. Off to pack and plan for tomorrow!

because everything is better with cheese.

we really went all out for cheeseburger day. vern went all the way to texas to get a good ol’ fashion cheeseburger, though the decor was enough to almost kill her appetite. emily went the slightly more gourmet route hitting up akasha for a gourmet dinner of lamb sliders with feta cheese followed by a jalapeño turkey burger with swiss (look its called a cheeseburger – not a cheesehamburger).

it was a great day for gluttony. and luckily we were able to keep jack’s mini sirloin burgers out of it. like vern always says: bad song. bad burgers.

totes! cheeseburg!

- the calendar girls

First off, thank you for all your nice comments/suggestions on my last post!! You guys are seriously amazing. I’m feeling so so so much better about my exercise regime and finding something that will not only make me feel good but also be beneficial to my body without hurting it! I need to remember that while I may not be able to run anymore, it might lead me to find another form of exercise i love (yoga? ) At the gym, yesterday I even looked up class times and picked a class/day that will work for me next week to try it out! That reminds me, Janetha! I took after you by doing a variation of a HIIT on the arc trainer/elliptical thing! It felt really good and I was sweating like craaazy! AND better yet, my hip doesn’t hurt at all today but my legs still feel like they has a good workout!)

I found some pic’s on my cam that I had taken over the past two days and forgot to upload so here they are!  

Patrick, my dad’s friend for forever, came to our house and cooked turkey burgers. I got home so late on sunday night, I was starving while rummaging through our pantry and could only really find oatmeal. Halfway through my oatmeal, my mom let me know they had saved me a turkey burger to have! a little late, mom. It was all good though, I brought it for lunch on Monday! 

on a whole wheat potato roll ( aaaahmazing)with some provolone and reduced fat cheeze itz (not my favorite choice but we had them at work). This was his best creation yet! However, he’s one of those “throw a little of this and a little of that in” kind of cooks and thus, if you asked him for the recipe, he would just shrug his shoulders.

Oven roasted chicken on wheat with lettuce, maters, nana peppers, cukes, provolone and tiny bit of sweet onion sauce! seriiiiously delish.

What’s not so amazing about working in Georgetown, is passing all of the amaaaazing shopping on my way to get lunch. I have to seriously refrain from venturing into Tommy Hilfiger, Banana Republic, Forever 21, J. Crew, Coach, Lucky Brand, and Club Monaco (I’ve never bought anything from here as the prices are muy expensivo but, I have not once passed by the store and not LOVED what was on display in the window. jusss sayin ) as they are all on my route to Subway! I thought I needed self restrain from sugary & fattening foods but, clearly, I need an intervention on window shopping/lusting.

Last night, after my gym sesh, I went with a friend of mine to Ruby Tuesday’s to take advantage of their all you can eat salad bar. Seriously amazing. One Two huge place of spinach, romaine, cherry tomaters, sunflower seeds, carrots, cukes, onions, light balsamic, and handful of the most amazing pumperknickel croutons EVER, I was stuffed.

But not too stuffed to head over to Tj’s and pick up some “essentials:”

Peanut butter cookie, Apple Pie and Cashew Cookie larabars, two chocolate brownie Zbars (homegirl, what what!), whole grain tortillas, sun dried tomato chicken “sausages,” no pudge fuge brownies, hummus QUARTET, and some dark chocolate covered almonds (obvi necessary!)

I saw these on Meghann’s blog and decided I had to try them. All you do is add 2/3 cup of nonfat vanilla (I’m going to use TJ’s yogurt) to the mix & bake for 20 min and ta-da! No regret brownies!

I’m going to make them tonight & will update with how they turn out!

Has anyone else tried these? Are they good?

Tonight’s agenda includes a gym date, run to verizon to fix some stupid account error, and making some of those brownies Full updates tomorrow!

Have a good day loves! <3

PS. great cheese giveaway here!!

My Day started with my beloved bowl of oats ( my camera was low on battery so I couldn’t take a picture!!) BUT later today I had a chance to snap a pic of my Navitas Natural Chia seeds!

I mix these when my oats have about one more minute of cooking. They are crunchy and delicious and add a nutty flavor to my oatmeal! They are filled with healthy omega fats, protein, antioxidants, and dietary fiber!

I also picked up a new kind of almond butter, Blue Diamond Almond Butter the other day which I had with my oats! 

So sad, the picture came out blurry, BUT this almond butter is delicious and FILLED with huge chunks of almonds, more than I have ever seen in a jar before! Its a keeper

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For lunch I had one of my favorite (and famous!) homemade turkey burgers!

In this salad I used baby romaine lettuce, peppers, heirloom tomato, blueberries, cuke and my turkey burger!

Turkey “I got the Blues” Burger

1 lb lean ground turkey

handful of fresh or frozen blueberries

1 dollop Dijon mustard

1 dollop crushed garlic

few shakes of Worcestier sauce

few shakes of balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Form into patties and place on the grill for about 5-7 minutes each side! These are salty and sweet and melt in your mouth delicious!

For the salad dressing on this puppy, I used my delicious mango chutney from Trader Joes!

Mango-Dijon Dressing

1 tbs Dijon Mustard

1 tbs mango chutney

2 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

This is the Dijon Mustard and the mango chutney together, before the rest was added! The chutney is chunk full of golden raisins and pieces of mango!

With My salad I also had a wrap on the side

This beauty  was filled with lettuce, raspberry Maple Mustard (from the local farmers market-PIC BELOW!) tomato, a garlic and herb laughing cow wedge and red onion! All wrapped in a Josephs Lavash!

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AHHH after a fun trip to WHOLE FOODS!

Check out this cute lil‘ zucchini I picked up! it is not your average shaped zucchini! this one was about the size of a baseball 

This is what is looked like cut in half so you can see its totally round! So I decided for my dinner tomorrow night I will saute half this little guy up with some fresh eggplant with one of my favorite seasonings from Trader Joes!

This is Eggplant, My funny zucchini, and my favorite no salt seasoning from TJ’s!

Here it is! Don’t Be fooled that this says “steak and chop” it is delicious on veggies!

Naomi’s OATsome Breakfast!

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup almond breeze, soy milk or skim or 1% milk
1 cup water

1/2 banana sliced
1/4 cup each blueberries and diced strawberries
1 egg white
optional-1 tablespoon flax seed or chia seed, sweetener (brown sugar, sugar or sugar substitute)

Directions: Place oatmeal, water and milk and banana in a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. once oatmeal is bubbling (this should take 5-7 minutes) throughout this time, give the mixture a stir every now and then which makes this into a thick and creamy pot of oats! once the mixture is bubbling, I crack 1 egg white into the mix and vigorously stir. NOW at this time you may be thinking “what is this chick thinking!” BUT let me tell you its delicious with the egg white in here, and you cant even taste it! just adds a rich thickness, not to mention a bump on the protein!

after the egg is whipped in, now comes the fruit! add it and give it another mix, add your flax or chia (or both!) and sweetner all to the pot and then pour in a bowl to eat! I top mine with cinnamon and eat with some nut butter on the side! ENJOY!

I just LOVE these! They are SO versitile and delicious, you would have no idea that they are low carb! They hold up great and dont fall apart! my favorite way to eat them is used as a wrap (duh!) BUT, you can also dip them in eggwhites and cinnamon batter to make mock french toast! They are great sprinkled with cinnamon and sweetneer and popped in the toaster for cinnamon chips, or layered with all natural PB and banana Preserves for a good old PB&J (and banana!) Get creative and get these wraps!

Here is a pic of my favorite lunch with them!

Oatmeal NEED I SAY MORE?? and this is my FAVORITE brand! It is Old Wessex 5 grain oatmeal and it is amazing! It is a mix of oats, rye, triticale barley and golden flax as well as a great source of omega 3’s I could live on a deserted island so long as I had my oats! I pretty much have the same breakfast every morning, but let me tell you, i go to sleep dreaming about this oatmeal…i wake up craving it and I have NEVER gotton sick of my beloved bowl of oats! Besides oatmeal, the options are also endless, loafs are great to make with oats instead of flour, oatmeal pancakes, homemade protein bars, baked chicken, fish or tofu using ground up oats as the bread crumbs!

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4. Almond Butter and Peanut Butter, Walnuts

I love my healthy fats! I always love to stock up on my nut butters and walnuts. These items are very much staples in my diet! I love spreading nut butter on a low carb wrap with sugar free jelly and make an old school PB&J! one of my favorite concoctions is also Cottage cheese and nut butter, don’t knock it till you try it! I use my nut butter to make homemade protein bars which are fabulous! So take out a spoon and DIG IN! My favorite brand of Peanut butter is “Naturally More Peanut butter” This is the best (Just in my opinion!) It has a perfect blend of richness and creaminess, 50% more fiber, 25% more protein, 20% less carbs and NO trans fat! its delish!

Homemade protein Bars
1 cup oats
3 tablespoons almond breeze, milk or soy milk
1-2 scoops protein powder (chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon or chocolate peanut butter)
1.5 tablespoons peanut or almond butter
optional 1/4 cup raisins, craisins or other dried fruit, sweetener or choice (agave, honey, no calorie sweetener, cane sugar

mix all together in a bowl, place on a sprayed piece of seran wrap in a ‘bar’ form and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour or until firm…CUT AND ENJOY!
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5. Fruits and Veggies GALORE!

I am obsessed with fresh and frozen fruits and veggies, I have never met a fruit or veggie I did not like! seriously I could LIVE off them! I tend to eat more what’s in season at the time. In the winter I always buy my blueberries and strawberries frozen because the fresh ones are WAY too expensive and also probably shipped overseas. I always have apples, banana’s, oranges, watermelon (well mostly in the summer) and frozen mangoes on hand.

veggie wise-broccoli, arugula, summer squash, zucchini, cauliflower!!!, red onion, red pepper, cukes, sprouts, eggplant! YUM!
Here is a pic of some fresh produce from the local farmers market!

I use my produce to make SALADS galore. Salads are my all time, go-to lunch dinner or light meal. I love combining all sorts of goodies to put together my perfect salad

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6. Greek Yogurt
I have 1 container of greek yogurt a day! its delicious, thick, creamy and the options are endless to eat this! I love it straight out of the container, BUT you can also add fun mix in’s such as cinnamon, agave, fruit, granola, Kashi Go Lean, crushed up granola bar (my fav!) fiber one or dried fruit. I also love using a dollop of greek yogurt as the ‘mayo’ in my tuna salad to make it creamy and delicious

Naomi’s Totally Turned Up Tuna!

1 can white albacore Tuna
1 dollop greek yogurt
few squirts dijon mustard
1 diced celery stalk
few slices diced red onion
seasonings of your choice, I like Dill and oregano!
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7.

Eggs
They’re delicious, cheap, easy, portable, healthy, packed with protein….what more could you as k for?? My favorite way to eat eggs are not your ‘typical’ way…I like them sweet rather than savory, so I cook up 3 eggwhites and throw some cinnamon on those baby’s and I got myself a yummy snack…I love them with all natural peanut butter and banana as well! I call these

Egg Quesadillas