The Mitten Munchies

Glory Glory

2010-05-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

It is SO muggy here in Chi! I'm looking forward to the hot weekend ahead however it may be a little sweaty moving in the 90 degree heat. Oh well, I will not be cleaning about the heat! :)

Well my food supply is still shrinking and I'm not replenishing until I move on Sunday so until then, I'll just have to be creative.

Last night I threw together stir fry with broccoli, frozen peas and asparagus, garlic, chicken and onions. It was pretty good for being thrown together with stuff around the house.

After I snacked on some strawberry yogurt with cinnamon Puffins. The cinnamon puffins definitely go better with vanilla yogurt.

This morning I had an interview (which was successful!) so I was up early to make some cream of wheat, blueberries, flax and agave. It was good but I was very hungry (and in need of some coffee) when I got home from the interview. I grabbed a Bagel Thin with some cream cheese. I am SO in love with the Bagel Thins. It's the perfect amount of bagel for 110 calories. I loved the everything bagels but the whole wheat ones were too.

I'm so excited I finally found a job! I'm not sure how much I'll be paid yet but it involves nutrition assessments for meal plans, recipe development and human resources. I'm excited and I think it will be a great experience. Not to mention I'm so glad the job search is over...until next year when I'm looking for a full time career, eeek!

The gym at my school only has summer hours Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm so my job will keep me from making it during these times. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. That gym is SO hot so I wouldn't mind finding a new one with AC for the summer that isn't too expensive. Today I was completely dripping after my run!

When I got home I made a grilled cheese and tomato soup. I missed having tomatoes on it but it was good nonetheless.

Tonight I made a hamburger with ketchup, mustard and onion. I missed lettuce and tomato but yep, all out of those. I also had some glorified beans. I just put two cans of french style green beans and a can of cream of mushroom soup topped with bread crumbs at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. They are good leftover too!

I'm off to attempt to start packing (we'll see how that goes.)

Happy Friday!

Tara (:

HodgePodge

2010-05-20T17:04:00.000-05:00

Long, long, long, long time no post. I have said this before but I really did think that finishing up last semester would mean more time to blog. It really just means more time to do other things (without documenting them, woops.) The only thing I have been busy doing is job hunting. I have had the same summer job for six years now so I didn't realize how tough it can be to find one. Especially one I might enjoy! The search continues...

On a better note, I'm signed up for the Healthy Living Summit. I'm so excited that it's in Chicago this year. I think it will be a really awesome opportunity to learn and meet a ton of great people. Hopefully it will give me a kick in the rear to be a better blogger as well.

Foods lately have been a hodgepodge of stuff. Keefer was here for almost a whole week so we made (and ate out) some great food, some of which I snapped pics of, some of which I did not.

The first morning he was here he made this awesome om with mushroom, onion, tomato and avocado.

We also made Mexican dip which was so good but we ate far too much of it in one sitting. The rest we used on salads but it def should have lasted us longer than it did. We layered refried beans, avocado, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and olives. The olives were yummy ones from the olive bar however I think I would have liked just plain canned black olives.

Our school had $5 Cubs tix on sale a while ago so we bought some. It was my first Cubs experience and it was fun but a little too chilly. I'll go back when it warms up a bit more. ;) I love the atmosphere at baseball games! A bunch of fans enjoying the day while eating hot dogs and drinking beer...even though I skipped on the hot dog. (Keefer was here too but somehow he snuck out of this.)

(Yes, I did rock my Tigers hat at a Cubs game....I'm new to Chi and have no Cubs gear...yet.)

After the game we headed to http://www.gooseisland.com/. I loved the beer and the vegetarian chili was good too! We also split the spinach artichoke dip which was super tasty!

Keefer and I are both on a student budget so we tried to find fun things to do for free/cheap in Chi. One of the days we went to the Botanic Gardens. It was SO huge and SO pretty. Such a nice walk. We stayed for a few hours and although it would have been nice to have it warmer, it was so nice to see all the plants and flowers!

After the gardens we went to a small restaurant, Dimitri's which we though would be pricey when we walked in but it turned out to be pretty reasonable. We both ate for around $24.

I started with a greek salad

and Keefer started with minestrone soup. We both love minestrone so we are on the lookout for a good recipe!

I ordered a porkchop which I had been craving that came with some veggies.

Mine was good but Keefer's gyro was so much better.

Another free thing we did was hit the Lincoln Park Zoo. For being free, we thought it was a great zoo. We had a lot of fun!

Keith is coming again next week to stay for a bit so we are going to try to find more things to do for cheap, cheap, cheap!

Now for more hodgepodge...

I'm moving in a week so I'm not grocery shopping, just trying to eat what's in my cupboards. It will be nice to not move so much stuff but I'm in need of more food in my fridge!

I laid out for the first time this summer, yesterday and got pretty fried so I'm off to aloe up. My body looks like a tomato!

Tara (:

Semester 3

2010-05-11T12:20:00.000-05:00

Ya know when I was so excited last week for school to be out?? Well, today it's a school day again. Where does the time go?? I thought I would be blogging more when I had the weekend off but apparently not. Ay yay yi.

I have been a slacker to the max when it comes to taking pics of food.

Blurry oatmeal with flax and banana....

x2...

gauc, smoothie and more guac. My avocados were going to go bad so I made a giant bowl of guac and ate it over a few days.

I also made some roasted potatoes which I love. I just chopped up a potato, tossed in olive oil, basil and garlic powder with a bit of onion and popped in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 min. YUM!

I've had this probs x4. Cannot get enough.

Last but not least, I'm loving these LUNA bars!! SO tasty!

Off to the gym so I can be ready for class!

Tara (:

AA

2010-05-06T14:10:00.001-05:00

So I really think I need to attend an AA class - Avocadoholics Anonymous. I cannot get enough of the green goop lately! Yesterday and today I made a sandwich with avocado-of course, mustard, onion, tomato, spinach, and turkey on a bagel thin. SO GOOD. I know these bagel thins aren't as good as whole wheat bread but they really are a treat for me and at least they are a few less cals than normal bagels. I give them a big thumbs up.

Today I stuck a cherry tomato in the middle just because I thought it was cute. (: (Is that some avocado on the side that slipped off my sandwich?? Hope I got it!)

Yesterday I paired my awesome sandwich with a smoothie that included Frozen peaches and blueberries, one whole fresh kiwi(including the peel), shredded coconut, yogurt and whole grain drink. It was really tasty but I was a little too full after. Today I just stuck with some fresh strawberries so I didn't overdo it. Maybe I'll make a smoothie later for a snack...

Rewind to this morning...I was craving eggs (as always but I decided to have some oatmeal instead.) I added flax, milk, shredded coconut and a banana and it held me over for a while! I did have a grapefruit on the side though too.

I'm off to finish studying so I can take my LAST final tonight! BYE BYE ACCOUNTING!! I WILL NOT MISS YOU!!!!

Wish me luck!

Tara (:

Cinco De Mayo!

2010-05-05T11:17:00.000-05:00

It's Cinco De Mayo and instead of drinking margs and eating chalupas I'm studying...well not yet but I will be after this post. I have an overstock of pics so I suppose I'll just post them all so I can get to my studying. I am jobless for the summer as of now so I'll have more time to post after tomorrow night when my finals are DONE! (Anyone have any job ideas?)

My fav, grilled with olive oil and parmesan

Homemade pizza with Keefer. Pesto, tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, mushroom, onion, YUM

First experience with overnight oats. Verdict? Not so good. There was pb in here and as always, I just can't get into pb in my oatmeal. The strawberries and bananas were the best!

Best part of the salads was the avocado. I cannot get enough of it lately!

Keefer and I made veggie lasagna but it didn't cut it for me. I didn't like the cream sauce and I missed the tomatoness, if that's a word.

One of my new fav desserts...banana with choco syrup. Simple and delishh.

My first LUNA bar experience and I loved it! So good! Can't wait to try the other flavors.

More asparagus!

Spinach, cheese, mushroom and onion omelette. This grapefruit was SO delicious too. Best part of breakfast!

Sushi craving at the grocery store = mistake. I really should know better

Before I came back to Chi my parents took me on a big grocery shopping trip and I got a ton of yummy food. I love having a stocked fridge!

Grilled cheese with tomato and MORE asparagus. I really think I could eat asparagus at every meal. Kinda looks like a face doesn't it??

I've been waiting to try this ice cream and luckily it was on sale. This is 150 calories of delicious goodness. I'm an ice cream LOVVVVER and now a Skinny Cow Ice Cream lover. I cannot get enough! It took all my power not to eat it all and save some.

Kinda looks like yesterday's bfast but with avocado, avocado and more avocado. I promise there is an omelette under there somewhere!

Off to study for my LAST accounting exam. YAHOO!

OLE!

Tara (:

Studying? No thank you.

2010-05-01T15:12:00.000-05:00

Afternoon everyone!

I'm seriously avoiding studying as much as possible. I just cannot get in the mood for some reason. (I guess I'm never really in the mood to study.) I did crank out a paper that I had to get done yesterday though while Keith was in class. Maybe we'll venture to the library tonight.

Keith and I made awesome stir fry the other night. It really hit the spot. We added edamame which was good however a bit annoying trying to take it out of the shell. We also had bamboo shoots, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, okra and chicken. Best stir fry I've had in a while, I actually finished the rest off for lunch yesterday!

Keith has been busy working and going to class while I've been attempting to study and snacking...I love his Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal. It was so tasty!

Today he was already at work when I made it out of bed for breakfast so I made myself the usual eggs and grabbed a banana too.

Still trying to avoid my studies I decided to go for a run today. It was so warm outside! Not quite as high as yesterday's 81 degrees but it sure felt like it on my run. When I got back I snuck into Keith's care package that he got from his family and tried a TLC dark chocolate coconut bar. I felt bad eating the whole thing so I left half for Keefer. (: I did however steal his whole apple and took it down with some cinnamon.

The tentative menu for tonight is veggie lasagna and I can't wait!

Mayyyyybe I better go crack those books, maybe. (;

Tara (:

Bittersweet Weekends

2010-04-29T12:50:00.000-05:00

The weekends before finals are always so bittersweet. Obviously they are wonderful because they are the weekends but there is a huge cloud hanging over my head knowing that I have to study, study and study some more. I hadn't seen Keefer in almost a month so I decided to make my weekend a little better by studying in The Mitten with him! It was also nice because we were done with classes and interning yesterday so I arrived last night.

On Tuesday morning I made some eggs and toast per usual however I needed a fruit too so I cut up a grapefruit. It was SO delicious and juicy!

After my work out I was in the mood for some fruits and veggies because my grapefruit was so good! I munched on some carrots with roasted garlic hummus and another smoothie. I can't get enough of those tropical fruit smoothies!

I was still a little hungry so I decided to make some roasted sweet potato wedges but unfortunately they didn't turn out as planned. ): I think I needed to bake them a tad longer. I had them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes but I think 30 would have done the trick. I hate wasting food but I hate wasting calories too so I didn't end up eating more than one :/

I was craving pasta and luckily I had some of my mom's spaghetti sauce stored in the freezer so it was a quick heat up. Spaghetti is definitely one of those things that tastes different depending on who makes it, and I think everyone likes their moms the most. At least I do!

After class I had a major sweet tooth so I grabbed the last skinny cow in my freezer. Unfortunately it was a little stale so once again, I had to throw it away. I opted for a yogurt with some cereal.

Yesterday before our final presentations I made some oatmeal. I added flax seed, coconut, pumpkin, blueberries and whole grain drink. It was still pretty tasty but not as filling as I'd like. I may need to add the egg white again. I really wish I liked pb in my oatmeal!

Last night I left right after my presentations to come here so I was pretty hungry when I arrived. We were meeting up with some friends so we decided to make a quick meal of a tuna melt and asparagus.

I'm off to hit the books!

Tara (:

Fiesta Lunch

2010-04-26T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well Operation Egg White didn't turn out egg-xactly how I planned. (Cheesy, I know haha) I think it would have worked if I would have made a bit more oatmeal. I was actually still hungry when I was done eating so I think I needed a bit more. Next time perhaps.

This week is the last week of classes! WOO HOO! Just have to make it through this week and finals and then I'll be free...for the weekend until summer classes begin. I'm done going to the hospital so I got to sleep in a bit this morning. I woke up and made some eggs. This has to be my fav breakfast. It is so yummy and keeps me full.

After breakfast I hit the gym for a workout. It lasted longer than planned and my arms feel like jello. That's a good thing though! When I got home I made the last taco I had leftover. I am out of tomatoes though so it wasn't the best. I had guacamole on the side which was SO good! A mini fiesta lunch!

After working on my final case study presentation for the rest of the day I thought I would have worked up a bigger appetite before class haha. I wasn't too hungry though so I made a smoothie with frozen peaches and blueberries, yogurt, whole grain drink and shredded coconut. I've never added coconut before but it was SO yummy. It made it feel tropical!

I did get hungry in the middle of class and had a sudden craving for Raisin Bran. I don't know where it came from but I made up a bowl as soon as I got home.

I'm giving myself the night off because I finished my case study so I'm off to relax before bed!

Tara (:

Operation Egg White

2010-04-23T21:28:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's already Friday noche! Where did the week go??? I'm not complaining because I am quite excited to get this semester under my belt but it sure does make me feel like I have a lot more to do in a lot smaller time period and before I know it, summer classes will be starting.

Today I attended the RD registration exam review class. It was a long day but a LOT of useful information. The fun continues tomorrow all day as well. I am glad I still have a year left before I have to take it but I am a bit jealous of those who are going to be RDs in just a couple months!

Lately I've been loving my oatmeal for breakfast! I've been adding flax seed, whole grain drink, pumpkin, shredded coconut, fruit, and agave.

The only problem is that it is not keeping me satisfied until lunch! Tomorrow I'm going to try operation oatmeal egg white. Hopefully adding a bit more protein will keep me full until lunchtime! The days I have been eating two eggs and toast are the days that my tummy doesn't start growling until it is actually the right time to eat!

Fruit season is upon us! I've been loving the fresh strawberries and grapes too! They are so good to pair with breakfast, to add in a smoothie or just for a snack.

These gala apples are the yummmmmmmiest!

Why oh why did I not grow up putting avocado on my turkey sandwiches??? Really, life changing. Or at least lunch changing.

Even though I went grocery shopping earlier this week I feel like I ran out so fast! I don't want to go back because I'm going to The Mitten next week. I don't like to stock my fridge when I won't be here to enjoy all of the goodies! I have been doing a lot of salads and tacos + taco leftovers. I love leftovers...they are so convenient.

I must go rest my brain for another full day of learning, learning and more learning tomorrow.

Night ya'll!

Tara (:

One down...

2010-04-19T23:30:00.000-05:00

Paper is done and submitted! Only a couple more projects and exams stand in the way of having two semesters of grad school under my belt.

Yesterday after I hit the gym for a work out I made a smoothie with a frozen fruit blend. I love eating smoothies after the gym, I feel cooled off and refreshed.

Before class I made a big salad with a grilled chicken breast. It was good and it really filled me up!

Today I forgot to snap pics of my breakfast eggs. I did make some brown rice and a salad for lunch that was so tasty!

When I got home from class I made an open faced tuna melt. It really hit the spot.

I also grabbed some ice cream after that I had been craving. It was SO worth it! Love mint chocolate chip!

Off to bed, I have an evaluation and an interview tomorrow, wish me luck!

Tara (:

Long Time No Post...

2010-04-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

I've had a major lack in posting lately and because crunch time is upon me with final projects coming up I need to get crackin. I thought I would sum up my food choices lately with some pics so I can get workin.

In no particular order...

Off to write a ten page paper, ugh!

Tara (:

Chili Flop

2010-04-12T22:07:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll! My late dinner last night turned out to be kind of a fail. I've had some chili frozen in the freezer for a while so I took it out to eat it last night and it was pretty dry. I threw some cottage cheese on top but it just didn't taste right. Good thing I had made a yummy salad to go with it! I was craving ranch dressing last night, weird!

This morning I woke up and decided to make an omelette. I threw in two eggs, mushroom, onion and cheese and topped it with avocado. I also had two pieces of toast and a banana. I couldn't even finish my omelette and it held me over for hours until I ate a smoothie (which I forgot to take a pic of.)

Avocados are SO yummy!

Before class I threw together a quick dinner. I chopped up a potato with onion and garlic and topped it with some basil. I also dipped in ketchup which made them almost taste like hashbrowns. MMM. Because the weather was so nice today I ran outside and for some reason that made me feel like a piece of BBQ chicken. Had to have some green beans too! Unfortunately they aren't fresh green beans. Canned green beans really stink compared to the real deal.

I had a sweet tooth when I got home from class so I put PBJ on a rice cake. It really hit the spot! (:

I can see myself becoming addicted to these.

Off to relax before bed, night!

Tara (:

Where Oh Where

2010-04-11T21:41:00.000-05:00

...did the weekend go. I feel like that every Sunday night but this weekend flew by especially quick!

I didn't snap many photos this weekend but my breakfasts included a few eggs...

...a couple oatmeal/flax seed/banana

...and the best part...STRAWBERRIES! They were so yummy!

I snacked on some pretzel thins.

Lunched on an awesome turkey sandwich! Loved the avocado on it!

and ate my Dad's awesome pea soup for dinner!

I just went to see The Last Song which was pretty good but now I pushed my dinner back too much and am so hungry! Gotta go cook something up!

Tara (:

Rain Rain, Welcome today

2010-04-07T21:15:00.001-05:00

Evenin bloggies! Just finished up some homework for the night. I still have more I could do (like always) but I think I'm going to give it a rest. I had an early morning today getting up to head downtown for that breakfast. I didn't snap any pics but it was the usual yogurt, bagels, muffins, scones, danishes, fruit, coffee and juices. I decided on a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese, fresh pineapple, strawberries and honeydew.

When I got home I was so tempted to take a nap because I was working from home for my internship today and it was raining but I decided just to catch up on my LOST (this season is so wild!) and then get crackin on some homework. Sometimes when I have a lot of stuff to do I like when its nasty outside. That way I'm not looking out my window being tempted to go out and play. During homework time I took a study break to hit the gym but when I got there it was SO hot and humid so I just did a 45 min run/walk and came home to to p90x abs.

For lunch I heated up some leftover sweet potatoes from home and made a salad with my leftover taco meat. I had yogurt with cinnamon puffins too for dessert but forgot to snap a pic.

For dinner I made a burger and green beans. A roasted potato too but no pics.

Keefer sent me this really interesting article on food blogging. I loved reading it because it related so much. Even though I talk about food so much in my internship and outside my food blog is really what helps me to recall what I ate that day and what I should be eating. I definitely notice more when I can see that I'm not eating enough fruits or veggies or protein. It's a great way to keep yourself in check! Thanks Keefer!

I'm going to go get ready for bed, this early morning wore me out.

Tara (:

Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover

2010-04-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend. I sure did in Michigan! (Minus MSU losing the game booo!) The weather was beautiful for the most part and I got to spend some time with my family and friends.

Yesterday when I got back I hit the gym and then was in a rush to eat before class. Luckily my mom sent some beef stroganoff back with me. It sure looks ugly but tastes wonderful! I wish I had more.

This morning I had to be up earlier than usual for the hospital to do rounds with the physicians. It was very interesting and definitely gives me more respect for doctors. Dietitians know a lot but physicians know A LOT! I made some maple syrup oatmeal with flax seed and a banana. It was good but it needed more protein, I was hungry soon after.

My day at the hospital turned out to be longer than expected so I whipped up some yummy tacos when I got home. Tacos are so easy, quick and good. Pretty cheap too!

Tomorrow I'm headed to a breakfast downtown for extra credit for a class. I'm sure it will be nice but I have to be up so early! YIPES!

That means I'm off to bed, nighty night!

Open Screens

2010-04-02T20:52:00.001-05:00

It is so wonderful to be back in Michigan and to hear the birds chirping, the ducks quacking and having the screen doors open to let the warm breeze flow in. It really feels like summertime. Today I even put on my bathing suit and sat out on the deck. The trees don't have leaves yet and the plants aren't in bloom but the nice weather just makes it beautiful outside no matter what.

As always when I'm home, I forget to snap pics but I did take a couple.

Before I left Wednesday morning I made some awesome oatmeal with blueberries. I am getting addicted.

Keith made a delicious spaghetti sauce for dinner on Wednesday. It was suppose to be old but we decided it would be better heated up.

Keith also made me pancakes the next morning. Such a treat!

Hope you're all having a great start to the Easter weekend!

Tara (:

Oh the Weather Outside...

2010-03-30T23:01:00.002-05:00

...is delightful! I love sunny days. The forecast shows that it is only suppose to get nicer too, yes! I'm waking up to head back to Michigan tomorrow so I'm glad the weather will be nice for the drive.

I couldn't fall asleep until 4:30am last night, ugh! I hate nights like that. Needless to say I'm pretty tired.

Last night I made some stir fry. It turned out pretty good but it was very green. I needed some other colors too. I also had intentions of putting chicken in there but when I peeked in my freezer I was out! Oh no! It was good nonetheless.

I had just enough to bring the leftovers for lunch today. The okra in this was definitely my fav!

I also made some of CNC's sweet potato oatmeal raisin cookies. They are so delicious. I was going to bring them to Keefer so I tried not to sneak too many. ;)

For breakfast this morning I made some old fashioned oats with dried cranberries, agave and flaxseed. I think the flaxseed really helped to hold me over until lunch.

I didn't have time to hit the gym when I got home from the hospital but it was too early for dinner so I heated up some broccoli with mozzarella and made a smoothie with raspberries, blueberries, oj and spinach!

The smoothie was good but I love bananas in mine.

Dinner was a salad and chicken noodle soup. I'm trying to use up what I have before I go home for the weekend.

This soup does not look very good. It actually is tasty but very salty too.

Michigan, here I come!

Tara (:

Sunday Funday

2010-03-29T14:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday! The sun is shining here in Chi and although it's not super warm the outlook for the week is mid SEVENTIES and sunny! YEA! I'm headed back to Mich on Wed. and the weather looks great there too!

My weekend was spent with Kristi. I was only planning on staying with her one night but we had so much fun that I stayed both nights. Our plan was so head to an MSU bar Friday night for the game but it was so packed that we just went to another one to watch them WIN! Before I headed out I made a grilled cheese.

Saturday morning Kristi and I decided to try a new place for brunch called Orange. I've heard a lot about it but I actually didn't think it was that great. I was craving a pancake so I tried the cinnamon roll pancake but it was way too sweet. It was also HUGE so I took most of it home and ate some for dessert later on.

Kristi got an omelette that looked much better. I think I should have gotten hers instead.

We walked around the city for most of the day and decided to grab dinner at a place called Millers Pub. I hate chicken pot pie with salad and they also served yummy rolls. It wasn't the best pot pie ever but I think I'd go again. The prices weren't too bad either for being right downtown.

We decided to relax and stay in on Saturday night so Sunday I woke up and she made me a yummy breakfast. What a nice hostess!

There was another MSU game on yesterday (which they won...FINAL FOUR WOOOO) so we headed to the local bar to watch the game and grab a drink for a Sunday Funday. I even got a lime with my name carved in! haha

I ate shrimp at the bar yesterday but forgot to snap a pic.

I woke up this morning and made some eggs and toast then hit the gym for an awesome work out. It definitely feels great to have a nice workout after a weekend full of eats and drinks.

I was super hungry by the time I got home so I ate some cottage cheese, a salad and broccoli with some mozzarella on top (yum!) I had a glass of milk too.

I can't believe it's Easter week. Time is flying by. When I get back I'll only have about a month of school left in the semester. Crazy!! Where did the time go! I guess I better get crackin on some of these projects.

Tara (:

My Guest Post

2010-03-26T17:05:00.001-05:00

Look at my guest post on Trading Up Downtown! (:

Let's Go State!

2010-03-26T12:53:00.001-05:00

TGIF!! Only one ten minute meeting with my director stands in the way of my weekend. We are all meeting with her to discuss our goals. Tonight I'm going into the city to meet up with one of my best friends and college roommates, Kristi. We are going to watch MSU WIN tonight! GO STATE! I'm going to stay overnight with her tonight and we are going to hang around the city tomorrow. I'm excited!

Yesterday I made some eggs to start my morning with some toast.

I had a nice workout with Hannah yesterday before class and then had some munchies in class that I forgot to take a picture of. When I got home I spent some time working on a project dealing with different diets. Look at this stack of different diets for different disease states, eek.

For dinner I had some Trader Joe's Pesto Tortellini and a yummy salad. Milk too of course!

After class last night I went out for a couple drinks with the girls. Always nice to end the night/week like that.

This morning I just wasn't in the mood for anything but cereal so I ate some mini wheats. I'm sure I'll be hungry sooner than later.

Have a great weekend!

Tara (:

Sign

2010-03-24T22:16:00.001-05:00

Made it through hump day!

This morning I was excited because Marie and Gaby had to come to my hospital for a fair on National Nutrition Month which meant I didn't have to ride the train alone. I don't usually mind because I read a book but it is always so much more fun to talk to people.

I started with some cream of wheat with agave but knew I needed some protein so I scrambled up an egg too.

Doesn't this almost look like a scoop of vanilla ice cream?

At the hospital we did a healthy snack demo and made fruit and yogurt parfaits. Unfortunately they ran out so I didn't get to eat one but I snacked on some of the popcorn, my carrots, PBJ and a fiber bar. We got out a bit early so I headed to the gym. When I got out it was 4:15 but I was SO hungry so I decided to just eat dinner. I had leftover pasta dish from the other night with asparagus that I topped with olive oil and parmasean cheese and grilled (my fav) and some cottage cheese.

I know I would be hungry later in the night but I suppose I just couldn't wait for dinner.

I signed the lease for my new house tonight!! I'm moving in the end of May and can't wait!! It will be so great not to live in a studio anymore and to have roooomies! I'll be counting down the days til I'm out of this apt!

I finished up some homework tonight and then my tummy started grumbling. I made a salad topped with sprouts, avocado, onion, tomato, sugar snap peas, pepper and balsamic vinaigrette and it was yummy. Then to cure my sweet tooth I finished off the pudding I made the other night.

I can't believe a week from today I'll be going home for Easter! Time is flying by!

Tara (:

PB Problemo

2010-03-23T23:06:00.002-05:00

Phew, I made it through Tuesday. They are my longest days because I have interning all day and then class. It feels like a mini accomplishment when they are over.

Yesterday when Keefer left I gobbled up the rest of my dad's beef veggie stew. YUM!

After the gym I ran to Johnny's to get their italian ice. It is SO good and such a treat. I just need to find out the nutrition facts. I'm sure there is a fair share of sugar in there but the best part about it is that it's not TOO sweet.

I also snuck a piece of Gramma's oatmeal bread.

Before class I heated up my leftovers from the other night. Roasted veggies and roasted chicken. MMM

I grabbed some yogurt with my granola added to it for dessert.

This morning I had to wake up a bit early so that I could register for summer and fall classes (which means I'll only be registering for classes ONE more time, YAY!) It was so nice to drink my coffee and relax instead of rush. I added pb to my oatmeal this morning for some protein but for some reason I just CANNOT get into pb in the morning. Weird, I know. I also topped it with a nanner.

I snapped a pic of my lunch last night while packing and then dumb me left out my turkey sanwich. Needless to say, I threw it away this morning and made a quick pbj.

Today I met with a patient at the hospital who was a type 2 diabetic in poor condition and he REFUSED to talk to me saying that he would not change any of his habits. I know we all have habits that are hard to break but it's really sad that some people let it harm themselves.

I had lots to do after my internship and before class so I stopped at Subway for a turkey sub loaded up with veggies and some broccoli cheddar soup. No pic, woops.

Dessert was chocolate and a smoothie tonight. YUM! My smoothie was a banana, OJ, whole grain drink, yogurt and an apple. The apple was a weird texture but yummy.

(Blurry pic, eek)

Off to bed, night!

Tara (:

Spring in my Step

2010-03-22T12:55:00.001-05:00

Hello bloggies! Hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was wonderful and relaxing! Keefer came this weekend because I was dog/house-sitting for my mom's friend and didn't want to stay there alone. It was nice to not be crammed in my studio but it's always good to be back in my own place with my own things. This weekend was filled with some good eats so here goes a mixture of my weekend...

Breakfast...

My usual cream of wheat with bananas.

Scrambled Eggs.

Old fashion oats with dried cranberries and cinnamon.

Keefer's hashbrowns. YUM

Breakfast out!

This served as breakfast...and then again for lunch later.

Mine too!

Monday fuel. Lots of eggs this weekend it seems, huh.

Lunch...

For lunch we tried this little place in town called Alpine Deli. It was SO good and cheap. I love finding these little gems. It was cheap too!

One of our snacks...

Dinner was courtesy of Ellie Krieger this weekend. She really has some amazing recipes. This weekend we decided on tuscan roasted chicken and vegetables. We added acorn squash, mushrooms and onions to the recipe. It was SO good. I cannot wait to eat the leftovers!

We paired it with some garlic bread we bought from the Alpine Deli...again, SO yummy! This may be my new fav place.

Last night we prepared Ellie's penne roasted tomatoes, garlic, and white beans. We used whole wheat shells instead of penne and pinto beans. It was a GREAT recipe that I also can't wait to make again. I think I may add spinach and more tomatoes next time though.

I also made salads topped with tomatoes, onions, sprouts, mushrooms, olives, croutons, avocados, pepper and balsamic dressing. Green beans on the side too!

This wasn't everything we ate this weekend but it's everything I remembered to take a pic of. (There may have been some brownies in there too haha.)

Last night I made a batch of pudding and we topped it with a banana!

Keefer got to stay a bit later tonight so we got to go for a nice walk. It's beautiful outside but still a little chilly. I LOVE thinking that summer is getting so close. Can't wait to have warm weather and a year of grad school under my belt.

(So glad I was walking and not taking the train anywhere today!)

I'm off to ask for donations for National Nutrition Month and hit the gym. Happy Spring!

Tara (:

Accounting Sucks

2010-03-19T00:01:00.001-05:00

I had my accounting exam tonight and it completely killed me. UGH. I will NEVER be a CPA, EVER!!!!!!

Anyways....I set my alarm to get up this morning and made myself some eggs over easy with coffee. Delish!

I met Hannah at the gym around 11 to work out before my class. I love our weekly gym sesh because it gets me out of bed and moving so that I can meet her. I thought my bfast was big enough to hold me over but NOOOOO. I was SO hungry before my class started at one so I grabbed a tuna sub from the cafe shop on campus. It was actually more yummy than I thought and pretty cheap too! I didn't get to snap a pic though because I was scarfing it down in class and I didn't think it would be appropriate to snap a pic.

I was on campus most of the day studying for my exam so by the time that awful thing was over I came home and heated up leftover spaghetti and grabbed a cheese stick before heading down the street to meet my friends for a drink.

I also got a salad because I was in need of some veggies when I got to the bar but forgot to snap a pic of that. I did snap pics of beer and me! I'm on the right in the green!

I stayed up late last night talking to my best friend for an hour and a half! I'm extra tired so I'm resting up for our sports nutrition conference tomorrow!

Tara (:

Go Green!

2010-03-17T22:39:00.001-05:00

Go White! Well actually I guess just go green on St. Patty's Day but I can't help but miss MSU and all the green celebrations there on this holiday!

Yesterday Jenna and I made plans to meet at her place in the city at 11 and go for a run. It was a beautiful day so I couldn't wait to be outside. I made a coffee and an omelette (actually egg scramble...woops) and toast. I added tomato, mushroom, onion, cheese, avocado and pepper. It was so good. I haven't added avocado to my omelette before and didn't know what I was missing out on. I usually put milk in my omelettes but I tried putting TJ's whole grain drink in instead. Didn't really work out. It didn't mix in well. A little runny, but it tasted good.

I headed to Jenna's and we started our run but soon after my bracelet that Keefer got me flew off. We spent a while looking for the charm and thank goodness I found it. Anyways after that we started walking and then just talked the rest of the way. It was so nice to just walk and chat but I felt a little guilty that we weren't running. :/ Oh well, it was exercise all the same. We walked all along the lake and through some of the neighborhoods. It was so nice! I would have brought my camera if I knew we were going to walk so much. It made me so jealous that everyone was out celebrating though and we were going to study after our walk. We were both starving so we decided to go out to grab a marg and some lunch from a place called Cafe El Tapatio in Lakeview. It was SO good. I love authentic Mexican food. We split the chimichanga which was delicious and filling, had some spicy salsa (I had to ask for special mild) and a HUGE marg. I couldn't even finish it.

Hancock Tower and a beautiful Chi day!

I picked Marie up from her interview (same one I had Mon) downtown and we headed to our new house to meet with the landlord. We are suppose to sign next week. WOOHOO! After our meeting we had to hit the books for a few hours so I munched on some veggie chips (bad pic, sorry.) I love these things!

We got done with our homework pretty late and I still was pretty full from lunch so I just had my leftover green beans. Boring dinner, I know.

Now I'm off to study for an accounting midterm that I have tomorrow. UGH. Can't wait for the weekend and for Keefer to be here! Yeah!

Tara (: