Tag Archives | food preparation

These days…

By on February 11, 2012 in chickpeas, D.C., food, food preparation, work, workout

These days life is as busy as ever but I still wouldn’t change it for a thing. I find that I spend a lot of my time reflecting on how different my life is in DC versus Little Rock. It’s night and day really. In the (good) chaos of long work days, fun dates, and balancing the day to day responsibilities that come with independence, I often reflect on what might have been had I never made the move on the off chance that I would get the job I was interviewing for.

Almost 8 months later, here I am living the life I dreamed about for so many months while toiling away at two minimum wage jobs in Arkansas. When I originally began to craft this post I couldn’t help but think about how mundane it may look to post what my day to day life is like during the work week. But the thing is, it’s anything but mundane as it is the life I have built for myself and that in itself is pretty amazing.

Longwinded introduction aside, the work week was pretty solid. I felt like I finally found some balance and managed to squeeze in 3 (!) workouts and some pretty healthy foods.

Most mornings began with a 6am wake-up call and a mental struggle to will myself out of bed.

(I completed a walk/run workout from Runner’s World magazine.)

After the schweatness occurs I begin the mad dash to get ready, feed myself, and make the 8:25 AM metro. Breakfasts are uniform.

(1/3 cup oats bran, 1/4 cup egg whites, 1/4 cup water, 1 banana, cinnamon, stevia, and a sprinkle of cacao nibs)

From exactly 9AM-11AM I can be found at my desk drinking coffee and multitasking like a champ. At 11AM, I break for food.

My snack is usually a salad with egg whites and hummus. It’s the perfect portion to hold me over until lunch at 1PM. I use the remainder of the morning hours to capitalize on my productivity as it usually wanes in the afternoon hours.

Lunch is a toss-up. If I had a productive Sunday, I usually prepare meals to get me to Wednesday. Thursdays and Fridays are usually packed the night before or spent at Chop’t (I have a problem.)

Clearly a Thursday lunch: Amy’s Lentil Vegetable soup with nuked broccoli, chickpeas, and nutritional yeast.

Each workday I aim to spend half of my lunch break eating and the other half walking around the city. I find it is a nice break to walk around and explore the city a bit while either catching up with friends and family or listening to my music. Stepping away from my computer is also a great stress reliever as I find myself more ‘tuned in’ all the time.

After lunch it is a fight to maintain high levels of productivity. Some days are certainly better than others but overall I was pretty successful this week. I attribute this to my favorite afternoon snack of the moment that helps keep me energized and full without weighing me down.

Dry roasted chickpeas.

Oh man, it is going to be a sad day when I polish off the bag. I thought they looked like an interesting find when we were in NYC last weekend and now I am kicking myself for not buying 1000 more bags. Does anyone know how I can make these or where I can buy more?

Focus Jenn, focus… Work ends, I commute home (my least favorite part of the day), and I am reunited with my roommate by 6:45PM. I am usually pretty hungry by this point so I rely on old standbys for dinner.

Smoothies.

Kale, beans, and sweet potato.

Black bean burger, spinach, hummus.

By the time I eat, clean up, and do whatever else it is that I do that takes up all of my free time I am usually exhausted and get ready for bed. Like I said at the beginning of the post, it may seem mundane but it’s all mine and I love it. I think I am finally finding my groove.

 Oh and as for Weight Watchers…well you guys know I was in NYC last weekend so I clearly didn’t track. After consulting with Smutha Mutha, I decided to not go to my weigh in. Bad numbers really mess with my head and I knew it wasn’t going to be good. So I am regrouping, taking each day at a time, and will be there next week no matter what.

 

 Question: What is your favorite snack to eat at the office?

 

 

 

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You know you’re an adult when…

By on August 7, 2011 in bucket salad, food preparation, hungover, oatmeal, organic food, quinoa, sleep deprevation, vegetarian, wine

Now seems like the optimal time to blog. It’s raining cats and dogs outside, I just got home from work and ate dinner, and I need a bit of time before I can muster the energy to run three miles (on the treadmill…I’m not even going to act like I am about to go outside). It’s quite the cozy night…perfect for curling up with a good book. Too bad marathon training schedules don’t account for laziness. To the treadmill it is…But first, blogging.

(Le diner: 3/4 cup whole wheat pasta, broccoli, tomato, 1/2 c edamame and a vegan “cheeze” sauce made by combining nutritional yeast, hummus, and water.)

Right, that was quite the tangent. My focus is non-existent outside of work lately. There is just so much to be done, yet so little time to do it. Story of every single one of our lives, right? Yesterday was my only true day off this week, so it had to be super productive in preparation for the new week that’s already here. That is really not such a big deal if it weren’t for this classy move that I pulled Friday night.

(White wine with ice…no time to chill the bottle in the fridge.)

A night that begins with iced down white wine is bound to leave you sleep deprived and with a raging headache. That it did. Don’t get me wrong… it was a seriously fun night but it made having a productive day all the more challenging.

After too little sleep I woke up and did what I do best…made oatmeal.

With a stabilizing meal in my tum I made my way through the throngs of people at Trader Joes and arrived home to prep my meals for the week. Arguably the biggest pain in the ass while simultaneously one of the best things I do for myself, this block of the day is both exhausting and rewarding. In all of my hungover glory I even managed to document some of  the process (pats self of the back.)

Where the magic happens.

All of the salads have some combination of spinach, mixed greens, chickpeas, tofu, avocado, tomatoes, and nutritional yeast. The hummus + oil toppings happen at work. I also made a batch of quinoa for easy dinner options when I get home and start rifling through the fridge.

After the salads were made I anticipated satisfying my sweet tooth with peanut butter + carob chip sandwiches on both Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread and cinnamon raisin English muffins from Trader Joes.

Other, less photo-worthy preparations included cleaning carrots and grapes, portioning them out into little baggies, and cutting up a half rotted watermelon (Thank you Giant for your crummy produce supply.) . By the time all was said and done I was freaking wiped out.

It was around this time that the mail arrived and I received a little pick me up.

Metro stipend for the win! This was one of those “you know you’re officially an adult when…” moments. Seriously, receiving my transit stipend excites me. Oomfph.

After dealing with the heaping mess of clean laundry on my bed I finally passed out and had a beautiful night’s slumber. Lesson learned: six day work weeks are hard…hungover days off are harder. Got it. Now back to regularly scheduled (healthy living) programming.

Finish the sentence: You know you’re an adult when…

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Good News/Bad News

By on May 2, 2011 in Arkansas

*Thank you to everyone that left a comment yesterday. The outpouring of sympathy was greatly appreciated and it brightened my spirits to read each of the comments.*

Well the good news is that the Internet is finally back up. The bad news is that I have roughly 20 minutes before work to try to tell you guys everything that has been going on in the wake of the flood.

Bad news: I clearly missed one of the most significant and monumental news nights in the past decade, so that sucks. Good news: my iPhone was glued to my side and I found out about Osama Bin Laden’s death via social media. Specifically, Twitter. Gotta appreciate that.

(Spinach and egg whites on Ezekiel sesame bread. Served with ketchup and an orange.)

Good news is that I can blog/car shop/apply for jobs (so that I can afford a car) to my hearts content. Bad news: CNN is blaring in every room which is posing a bit of a distraction as I try to type. I. must. know. everything.

Things are definitely moving forward in the wake of the flood. Smutha Mutha has been briefed on the situation (she was out of the country) and is very sympathetic to my cause. That set of a slew of pretty good news: insurance will cover the cost of the car (once we have it assessed and figure out what it is/was (sigh) worth, Smutha Mutha is also being ridiculously accommodating to the extent that I don’t think I will need to drop an absurd amount of money on a rental car (for the time being), and Chef Bob and I have plans to make moves on finding a replacement car ASAP.

(My favorite bowl of oats: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 chopped apple, 3 tbsp egg whites, cinnamon, PB, and stevia)

As I write this I realize just how fortunate I am. The good is completely outweighing the bad.

More good news: With no internet or TV to distract us, Chef Bob and I spent most of Sunday night talking. When is the last time you sat down with a parent and just talked for a few hours with no distractions? I certainly could not tell you the last time I have. This whole situation has brought us close and definitely made our relationship stronger. For that I am grateful.

(Dinner last night: Teriyaki tofu, homemade hummus, roasted red potatoes, and roasted broccoli, carrots, and onion)

Moreover, we both had ample time to prepare a ridiculous amount of food this weekend. I don’t know about you guys, but when something out of the ordinary happens I tend to retreat into those things that provide me with comfort…namely cooking and exercise. Our fridge is now overflowing with healthy, prepped food for the week which is great because I have a feeling it is going to get hectic around here.

(Lentils, roasted broccoli, homemade hummus, and black beans)

A stomach full of healthy food is always good news in my book. As is a spin class to relieve stress. Chef Bob let me borrow a car yesterday so that I could clear my head with a bit of exercise. Despite being mentally and physically wiped from the previous day’s events, getting in a good sweat session helped give me a little piece of mind.

(Work it out 5/1: 56 mins of spin, 22.1 miles)

But alas, not all things are good around here. There is a lot more work to be done to undo the events of the weekend. My heart sank as I watched the tow truck take away the Lincoln. Knowing how hard Chef Bob worked for that car still makes me sick to my stomach. There is no silver lining to this fact. I felt overcome with sadness watching it driven away.

(R.I.P. Lincoln…I’ll miss you.)

I apologize for the spastic nature of this post today. As I said, it is being written in haste. Tomorrow I will be back with a clear head and composed thoughts…I hope.

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Contemplation

By on April 4, 2011 in cooking, decisions, food preparation, job hunt, oat bran, oatmeal, perspective, random thoughts, reflection

I really believe that if you are not happy with your station in life you have the power to change it. That thought, amongst a host of others, filled my mind all weekend.

It was Friday evening that I realized I’m really not content with where I am and what I have chosen to do right now. That is not to say that I don’t enjoy my job (s) because I do, but there is much more to life than work and I need to be out there really living. I’m not sure I can be ‘really living’ in Arkansas.

(Breakfast: 1/4 cup oat bran, 1/4 cup oatmeal, 1/2 chopped apple, cinnamon, stevia, and 1 tbsp peanut butter)

What spurred such thoughts are unimportant. What matters is what this all means. Am I unhappy enough to make a change? When would I move? Where would I work? How will I afford my life away from home? And just like that, the questions become overwhelming and I wonder if I should just remain where I am and hope for the best.

Change is certainly scary but it is also exciting and exhilarating. I want the thrill of something new. I want to be 22, living/working in a city, and experiencing all that life has to offer. Not 22, working, and waiting for my life to start…which is where I seem to be stuck right now.

(Lunch: 3/4 cup egg whites, frozen broccoli, nutritional yeast)

But I am never really stuck. I alone have the power to change my circumstances. It may be hard, challenging, daunting, and overwhelming, but at least it is something to get excited about. And everyone deserves to get excited about something. I just think I am way to young to settle. This is supposed to be the time of my life…

(Smoothie in a bowl: 1 scoop vegan rice protein powder, 1 cup frozen mango, frozen banana, 1 tbsp flaxseed, 1 tbsp carob chips, and 3/4 cup cereal)

As you can see I had a lot of big thoughts yesterday. I spent a fair amount of time doing a miserable 5.3 mile run/walk that gave me a chance to decipher the mess in my head. Following a cold shower, I spent a few hours prepping healthy meal options for the week to prevent the stresses of life from making me slack on my food choices. Chopping, roasting, and cooking also gave me time to think about what my plan should be.

(Dessert: Rice cakes, 1 tbsp Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, banana, and a sprinkle of cinnamon)

All I have decided right now is that my job hunt is back open. Potential employers, consider yourself warned. Anticipate a lot of cover letters headed your way. I’ll let you guys know when I have more than that.

Questions: Where do you do your best thinking? What was the biggest decision you have ever had to make?

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Homemade hummus and granola bars

By on February 27, 2011 in chickpeas, food, food preparation, green monster, grocery shopping, high protein snack, hummus, organic food, recipe-ish

Let me just start by saying Chef Bob is truly a master of his craft.

He made 4 quiches from scratch Friday afternoon to freeze and eat later. He left one out to serve immediately and I snagged a bite of a slice before I realized it had bacon in it!

It was certainly delicious, but I swear, sometimes I think Chef Bob tries to trick me into eating meat. Once I noticed the bacon and freaked out he said I “should have known how he cooks it” so I didn’t need warning that it wasn’t vegetarian. Oh, dad. I love you anyways, but sometimes…

After spending the night cuddling up to this sweet face and studying for my personal training exam, I woke up so relieved that I did my last long run on Saturday.

(Sleepy Mosely.)

It was a gray, drizzly day here with approximately 1000% humidity. So clearly my only option was to spend the day researching recipes and making a mess in the kitchen. First I needed to fuel.

(Green Monster that made me want to gag. At least it looks pretty…)

I’m determined to find ways to save on my weekly grocery bill, as one could be easily fooled into thinking I am buying for a family of four based off of how much I spend. But that is just not the case. In reality, I am only feeding moi and thus my bill has to be cut down somewhere. While looking over last week’s receipts, one item in particular jumped out at me. A $7 jar of hummus that I polished off in 4 days.

I knew I could easily make this at home if I just stopped being lazy, so I took to the Internets and came out with 2 recipes to try out: A classic hummus and Gena’s sweet potato version.

Last night I soaked a huge batch of chickpeas in preparation for the massive amounts of hummus I was about to make. Then I broke out Chef Bob’s 20 year old food processor.

(Emmie is a beast.)

As I said, I made two batches today. I figured I was already trashing the kitchen so I may as well go to town. They both turned out great. Gena really has a knack for creating tasty raw and vegan dishes. Her sweet potato hummus does not dissapoint. Chef Bob even ate some, so you know it’s legit.

I now have enough hummus to feed a small army (aka myself for one week) at the fraction of the cost of any store bought brand.

(“People let me tell you ’bout my best friend…”)

Finger lickin’ good.

After the hummus extravangza went down, I switched gears and created my very own granola bar! I drew inspiration (cough, necessary ingredients, cough) from Anne’s Five Minute PB Granola Bars. This girl knows what’s up. With just a few modifications and a bit of elbow grease, I whipped up some irresistibly healthy treats!

As soon as I snapped my photos (so proud of my little point and shoot today!) I put the mixture in the fridge to set. I’m going to cut it into bars later tonight. It was all I could do to not eat the whole pan at once!

That’s not to say I didn’t sample the finished product. :)

Whew, this has been one busy and productive weekend. I’m going to wind down with a quick recovery run and foam rolling. Then it’s time to judge other people’s dresses watch the Oscars!

Question: Did you make anything delicious today? Share!

 

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Adjusting

By on February 7, 2011 in Broccoli, food preparation, oat bran, quinoa, snacks

With a new work schedule comes a host of adjustments.

In my mind, the questions usually center around food, with a touch of concern for studying and exercise thrown in the mix for good measure.

(Yesterday’s lunch: bed of spinach topped with avocado, quinoa, tuna, salsa, hummus, green pepper, salt, and balsamic vinaigrette.)

I am working 40 hours a week, but my hourly schedule is anything but normal. Each day, I will be at work from 2-10 pm. As a result, my AM hours must be used productively to ensure I get everything accomplished.

(The result of yesterday’s snack attack: 1 slice Ezekiel sesame bread, 2 tbsp hummus, and 1/4 cup lentils)

Although it is going to take a while to adjust, I think packing food for the 2-10 shift is the best option. Running home is possible in a pinch, but I prefer to savor my food rather than inhale it. As such, I am well on my way to becoming a master of prep work.

(Breakfast o’ Champions: 1/3 cup oat bran, 1 cup water, stevia, cinnamon, protein powder, and PB)

I woke up early this morning and finished studying the last chapter in the personal trainer textbook. From here on out, I will be reviewing, taking practice exams, and attempting to memorize all the bones and muscles in the body. Ha, that’s not daunting or anything…

(Mid-morning Snack: 1 slice Ezekiel sesame bread, 1/2 tbsp almond butter, 1/2 banana, and cinnamon)

Once my brain was sufficiently crammed with legalities and liabilities of training, I set out to pack enough nutritious and delicious food to fuel me through a day of work.

I started where any green obsessed vegetarian would begin…roasting enough broccoli to feed a small family (or 1 hungry woman).

My intentions are to add the roasted broccoli to a leftover dish of quinoa, lentils, tomato, and green pepper. Served with unpictured ketchup, this meal will surely keep me full for hours (God-willing lol).

But no packed meal is complete without a plethora of snacks. In light of yesterday’s long run, I anticipate my hunger to be in full force today. I prepared accordingly.

Snacks include a perfectly ripened pear, leftover dried mango, carrots with hummus and salsa, and an emergency protein bar in case this doesn’t quell my hunger.

Any good routine takes some getting used to. Hopefully, as things calm down around here, I will be able to efficently pack meals, workout, blog, and study during my free morning hours. Luckily today is a rest day, so I am able to break into the routine with a bit of wiggle room. :)

Questions: Do you have a routine during your ‘free hours?’ Do you find it difficult to do all of the food preparation necessary to stay satisfied at work? Any tips or suggestions for me?

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