Tag: oatmeal

Head start

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Off-topic for a second, look at the spider plant shadow I found on my bedroom wall last night:

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For a moment, I tricked myself into thinking I was somewhere tropical with a palm tree hanging over my head.

Anyway, while I was shuffling around after work yesterday with enough food for a small army battling it out in my stomach, I got a head start on one of my weekend kitchen projects. I chopped several aging apples that I rescued from work and from the roommates and added them to a pot with a splash of water, loads of cinnamon, and a pile of whole cloves. I simmered everything until tender and then immersion-blended to make apple butter. Before and after:

before

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I also acted on a tip I got from Victoria several weeks back and made some vegetable broth. Ever since reading her suggestion, I’ve been collecting veggie scraps — carrot peels, asparagus ends, green been stems, apple cores, slimy roommate-forgotten scallions, etc. — in a bag in the freezer. I simmered them for hours last night in a pot with water and came out with the best veggie stock I’ve ever tasted!  Before, after, after, and after:

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The stock is now relaxing in the freezer to rest up for its next mission:

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For breakfast today, I made overnight oats of sorts. Last night, I mixed together the last 1/2 cup of my pumpkin pie crockpot oats with 1/2 cup of the cranberry cottage cheese yogurt mixture I had with my oats yesterday and some of the above apple butter. It martinated and meshed together all night in the fridge, and I topped it with chopped strawberries and golean crunch this morning:

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Alongside a cup of Tj’s pomegranate white tea from Vani:

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I also did some heavy taste-testing of the “ice cream” concoction I made to bring to bRUNch with the ladies later today.

Some business before I head out:

1. Go visit Megan’s Munchies for info on entering her Banana Nut Cheerios giveaway!

2. Angela at Oh She Glows is giving away one of her awesome hoodies. My fingers are crossed because I need to win this one!

3. I’ve been bag-tagged by Mel at food for fuel. So I have to (1) show you the bag I carry:

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and (2) tell you that it cost $26 at a Kohl’s in Athens, GA when I was visiting my friend “wife” there a couple years ago. The bag and the story that goes with it are both pretty boring I know, but I’m all about functional accessories. This bag fits a book, notepads, keys, a pen, and an extra expandable bag (often used for the free food I tend to find all over the place) in the outer sections and has a zippered center section for my more valuable things (phone, metrocard, wallet, etc).

The final step of bag tag is to (3) tag someone else. I am going to bag-tag my good friend The Professional Vegan, a high-powered lawyer who has committed to replacing every single non-vegan item in her professional wardrobe with one that is fully vegan-compliant and just as sophisticated. Professional Vegan, tell us about your tote-style!

Have a great day!

Heart health

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So, stats for the gym this morning (arms on the step and 30 mins StairMaster): 1 hour and 7 minutes, 399 calories, average heart rate 127, max 157. Now, here’s where having both a blog and a heart rate monitor come in handy. One month ago, for the exact same workout, these were my stats: 1 hour and 6 minutes, 539 calories, average heart rate 149, max 176. As I mentioned yesterday, this is both good news and bad news. Clearly, my fitness is increasing. But now I need to change things up ASAP! What are your suggestions for increasing intensity while continuing to combine strength and cardio in under one hour???

Breakfast this morning was soymilky black tea and pumpkin pie crockpot oats:

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With 1/2 cup “yogurt,” 2 crumbled graham sticks, 1 Earl Grey Biscotti Bite, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a heart-shaped strawberry:

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My “yogurt” actually consisted of an immersion-blended combo of nonfat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, cooked cranberries left from tart-making yesterday, cinnamon, vanilla, chopped dates, and a teeny bit of honey. I also may have stolen a small spoonful of real cream cheese icing that my roommate Brigitte made to frost the red velvet cake that she also made and plans to bring to a family gathering this weekend. Sorry, Brigitte — you know I can never resist your cream cheese icing!!

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We’re having a Valentine’s celebration lunch at work, so get ready for an exciting post later tonight!

In the meantime:

1. Visit Every Gym’s Nightmare for your chance to win gym apparel!

2. And check out the AMAZING homemade sushi scarf Mara is giving away at What’s for Dinner?!

3. Remember, I need your help with exercise suggestions! 😀

Blown away

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It’s SO windy outside!! I had planned to run first thing this morning, but I was worried I’d get swept up and plunked down in Oz somewhere, so I decided to eat breakfast and do work homework until the howling tapered off a bit.

Today’s breakfast was the opposite of yesterday’s: yogurt ring-around-the-oatmeal.

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I had one cup pumpkin pie crockpot oats surrounded by 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and topped with 2 crumbled graham sticks, 1 chopped date, cinnamon, and nutmeg:

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The wind was still howling post-digestion, but I decided to suck it up and go out for a quick run anyway. First, I had this mini-snack of a spoonful of yogurt with three Kashi GoLean Crunch! clusters and a drizzle of soymilk:

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I did one loop around Prospect Park plus the jog from and to my apartment for a total of 4.1 miles. The wind may have been whipping debris in my face every 2.37 seconds, but the 53 degree sun felt nice :-). Stats: 44 minutes, 339 calories, 145 average heart rate, 163 max. I’ve noticed that my heart rate and amount of calories burned have a been a little lower this week … maybe I’m getting more in shape because of the extra running? But blah, that means I will have to step up the intensity!

When I got home, I put a piece of pumpkin kibbi in the oven to heat for lunch while I did the 20-minute Gentle Hatha #1 yoga download. I know I keep saying it, but this download is such a thorough and relaxing stretch!

Lunch took place immediately upon completion of the yoga:

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Along with soymilky chocolate caramel enchantment chai, I had a perfectly heated slice of pumpkin kibbi:

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And 1/2 cup immersion-blended mixture of nonfat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt topped with a chopped date and lots of powdered ginger:

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I also had half a grapefruit because it thought the yogurt was so pretty and couldn’t stay away:

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OK, time to get moving on the rest of today’s list. I’ve got errands, cooking, and more homework to bang out … and it’s already 1:00! Are you making progress on YOUR list today?

P.S. Go check N Her Shoes for info on another amazing giveaway!

I’m a winner!!

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Thinking of my oatmeal was the only thing keeping me going at the gym this morning. I did chest/back on the machines and 30 minutes stairmaster. I meant to run since I’m skipping running club tonight for a free movie with Gina, but I couldn’t bring myself to part with the idea of a half hour on the stairs with Us Weekly. Stats: 1 hour and 3 minutes, 343 calories, 121 average heart rate, 181 max.

Breakfast was another cup of pumpkin pie crockpot oats along with more soymilky vanilla creme tea:

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On the oats, I had 1/2 cup yogurt, two crumbled graham sticks, one crumbled earl grey biscotti bite (soo good on oatmeal!), cinnamon, and nutmeg:

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And exciting news! Brandi at Bran Appétit! has announced me as the winner of this week’s BSI: Spinach for my Citrus-Berry Spinach and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Balsamic Glaze. I feel so proud! This also means that some amazing chocolate truffles are on their way to me as a prize  :-D. Thanks, Brandi! Mara is going to be announcing the new contest somtime today, so make sure to check it out.

The rest of the day’s food is anyone’s guess. I packed a lunch, but you know how that goes! I’ll be back late tonight after the movie with an update.

Refuse

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As in trash. Not as in I won’t do it. Today is trash day in my neighborhood. On the way to the gym, I passed a giant rat and a toilet. Awesome.

I did arms on the step and the StairMaster at the gym. Stats: 1 hour, 7 mins; 424 calories, 131 average hr, 177 maximum.

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For breakfast, I had my first serving of the pumpkin pie crockpot oats I made yesterday, along with the vanilla creme tea from Vani and soymilk:

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I topped the oats with 1/2 cup yogurt, 2 crumbled graham sticks, 1 crumbled Earl Grey Biscotti Bite, cinnamon, and nutmeg:

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I’ve got class tonight after work, so it’s going to be another looong day. I’ll be back at the end of it with a full report!