Green Beany Evening

Food for Thought, Recipes, , , ,

It was another scorcher today in Springfield! Highs almost hitting 100 degrees led to quicker than normal walks for Mac and a sweaty mama. Jazzercise was especially tough tonight. The insane heat just makes me lethargic by the end of a workout! Luckily, I had a few more students than normal tonight, and it brought extra energy to the room!

Lunch

Lunch was veggie-filled and nutritious today! I’ve been in the salad mood lately, as you know if you’ve read any of my posts!, and today was no different. I quickly threw together a spring mix salad with carrots, snap peas, and the very last of my sweet peppers!

photo(55)I love when my lunch salad is full of colors! But bye bye peppers. So long until I can make it back to the Sam’s produce section again.

I was wanting more veggies, so I heated up the leftover sauteed broccoli slaw I made last night. I was just as good the 2nd time around!

photo(54)While I polished off the last of the slaw, I started hunting for protein options to finish off my meal. Bagelthins have been another theme lately, so I started with my last whole wheat Bagelthin and topped one side with low fat cottage cheese. I cooked up a quick egg in the microwave to go into the bagel sandwich along with a little mustard.

photo(53)I know, it looks gross. But it was completely delicious! I put 1 egg into a coffee mug with a splash of unsweetened almond milk and salt and pepper. I whipped it all together and let it cook on high for about 1 minute. It became a poofy little eggy ball, so the shape wasn’t perfect for my sandwich. But it was delicious regardless! The hot egg melted the cottage cheese a little, making for an extra savory and messy lunch.

photo(52)Mmmmm messy, gooey goodness!!

This hot sandwich hit the spot! My recent bagel sandwiches have been an awesome part of my midday meals lately. I tend to go through food trends a lot though. If I love something, expect to see it everyday for about 2 weeks before I move onto something else that I’ve discovered I like. Creature of habit….but what can I say?

Balsamic Roasted Green Beans

Dinner tonight was extra green beany! I bought a package of fresh beans this weekend, and they were already looking a little sad. So I knew they needed to be on the menu tonight!

I combined:

  • 1 package fresh green beans
  • 2 TB balsamic vinegar
  • A sprinkling of minced onions
  • Salt and pepper

I tossed the above in a large bowl until the beans were well coated. I then spread them out on an aluminum foil lined  baking sheet that had also been sprayed with Pam Olive Oil.

photo(56)I sprinkled a little more salt and pepper on the beans, and then put the pan in the oven to cook for around 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Around the 15 minute mark, I pulled out the pan and mixed them around a bit before finishing cooking. Cool and enjoy! The balsamic vinegar will make your house smell amazing!

And FYI, Nick recommends that you sprinkle the mixture with Parmesan cheese before baking. But this lactose-intolerant girl didn’t want to push it tonight 🙂 The green beans by themselves were amazing, even without the smelly cheese! Green beany evening was a win!

Have a great night!

Sore Hips

Food for Thought, Workouts, ,

I suppose this happens to any athlete at some point, but it’s always hard to come to terms with an injury and then tone down workouts for your body to heal. My hips are super sore from my weekend runs!

Saturday started out with 3.5 miles, and Sunday began with 4 miles. I was feeling awesome! But I think my endorphins were pumping so much that I forgot to listen to my body. My right hip has been pretty cranky the last 2 days now. It’s a weird pain in the front of the joint, but I’ve read up on it a bit. I believe my hip flexor is just a little strained and needs some down time from pavement running. After reading this article, I think I’ll be doing some stretches during lunch today!

With my 5K happening this Saturday night, I definitely know I need to take it easy with my outdoor running until then. So this morning I awoke a little before my alarm and decided to take Mac out for a brisk walk to get my blood pumpin.

photo(2)It was a nice little walk that we powered through in no time. Plus, he’s always game to go outside and sniff every single vertical object in site. We made it home in time for me to shower and throw some breakfast items into my purse before heading into work.

Breakfast

Breakfast was almost inhaled completely before I paused to snap a photo!

photo(51)Hot oatmeal with fresh blueberries. Yum! It hit the spot – especially being eaten out of a fancy styrofoam cup.  I also had some delicious low-carb yogurt on the side for added protein.

photo(50)This flavor tastes like a caramel frosted donut. Seriously. So it’s my go-to on mornings where I’m craving sweets. Also notice my pink mug in the background. My coffee was full of flavor this morning with extra pumpkin pie spice creamer!

Hope your Tuesday is off to a great start!

Holy Hotness

Daily Life!, Food for Thought, Recipes, , , ,

Forget the Fall-flavored coffees I’ve been talking about. It is still Summer for sure!

photo(55)HOLY HOTNESS! And fyi, it said 101 degrees about 2 minutes before I caught this pic. NOT okay. This made for a grumpy girl on my way home from work today.

photo(51)Counting down the days until the cooler temps are supposed to return to the mid-80’s. 4 days and counting…

Lunch

Lunch today came together relatively quickly and painlessly! I wasn’t starving so this actually gave me time to prepare a salad and sit down to eat it while I pondered what else I would have to finish off my midday meal. (I’m usually so ravenous that I start inhaling everything in sight. But not today!)

photo(49)The salad was a tasty and colorful one! I topped fresh romaine lettuce with carrots, mushrooms, snap peas, and 2 peppers. A little Catalina dressing on top made this mixture extra yummy! The salad was pretty filling, so I opted to do an easy and quick sandwich for the rest of my lunch.

I topped a whole wheat Bagelthin with 1/4 cup cottage cheese and a couple slices of honey ham and a touch of mustard. Yum!

photo(48)This savory mixture never gets old. Being lactose-intolerant keeps me from eating cheese filled sandwiches on most days, but cottage cheese (in small amounts) luckily does not make me sick! It’s creamy goodness is a large staple in my eating habits lately.

photo(47)Of course, a little of the cottage cheese oozes out, so you have to be willing to lick your plate clean. It’s well worth it though, I promise!

And with that, I was full so I headed out with Mac on his midday walk. At this point in the day, it was about 1 PM and 90 degrees. I know my coworkers love when I come back to the office smelling of fresh sweat! 😛  Holy hotness, indeed!

Dinner

Dinner started as soon as I arrived from Jazzercise tonight. I was feeling extra lightheaded and could tell my blood sugar was a little low. So I grabbed some banana cream pie yogurt (yum!) and added a tablespoon or 2 of Fiber One cereal. The crunch was awesome and a touch of carbs is just what I needed!

After a quick shower, I was digging through the fridge and found a bag of broccoli slaw that was getting ready to go bad. So I decided to throw it in a skillet to saute it – Pinterest style! Or at least I adapted it from something I saw on Pinterest…Enjoy!

Sauteed Broccoli Slaw

You will need…

  • One 12-oz. package broccoli slaw.
  • 1-2 sweet peppers, sliced/chopped
  • 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 ts minced garlic
  • 1 TB olive oil
  • 1 TB Lite soy sauce
  • Garlic salt to taste

To begin, I heated the olive oil in the skillet. I then added the minced garlic and let it simmer for 1 minute. Add peppers and mushrooms, stir and let simmer for around 2 minutes.

photo(54)Next, add the broccoli slaw. Stir this all together and let it cook for around 4-5 minutes on medium heat and stir occasionally. Note: Your skillet will feel very full, but it will become more manageable the longer it cooks.

photo(53)As the slaw starts to reduce a bit, add the soy sauce and sprinkle with garlic salt. Once the slaw starts to get softer and acts a bit like pasta, it should be ready to serve! Cook a little longer if you want a softer consistency – just keep stirring to avoid scorching!

photo(52)This was easy and filling!  Plus it makes a huge pan of low-calorie veggies that can be altered to your tastes. With the garlic and soy sauce, this version smelled and tasted like something you might get from a Hibachi grill restaurant. Experiment with adding different types of veggies or spices to adapt it for you meal.

Have a great night everyone!