Naturally Sweet

Black bean protein brownies

2010-11-27T03:08:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness. I made these today and half the batch is already gone!

They taste rather microwave-protein cake-like aka a little dry but they still satisfy my sweet tooth - especially when topped with peanut butter or protein icing.

Ingredients:
2 cups canned black beans
3 scoops Isoflex chocolate whey protein powder
6 egg whites
1/2 medium apple
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup Splenda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Celsius. Lightly butter, margarine or non-stick cooking spray your cooking pan. Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into 18 pieces. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritionals:
Per 1/18th recipe:

Calories: 58 Fat: 0.4 g Carbohydrates: 6.7 g Protein: 7.9 g Fiber: 1.8 g Sugar: 0.9 g

Thank you caloriecount.about.com for helping me calculate this!

Busy week!

2010-11-24T13:58:00.002-05:00

This week has been busy! I haven't been able to post due to blogger's inability to upload my pictures at certain times/busy with school and life.

Here are some eats as of Monday night. Salmon salad for dins!

So good!

Tuesday morning looked like this:

x 2

Fast, green breakfasts always compliment essay writing!

So does peanut butter!

As do nuts!

Chicken salad for dins!

Some more of this:

And naturally more nuts:

This morning my breakfast smiled at me:

I'm currently cracking down on my essay which is due tomorrow at 11:30 am! I'm almost done, which is good. I still need to include a lot of things in it though.

During these past few days, I've increased my calorie intake because I feel that my body needs more calories. Perhaps its the exercises I'm doing and the amount of muscle I'm gaining? I don't believe I've gained any fat but I do believe I've gained some muscle. Obviously the scale has gone up, but not in a bad way!

I've been especially hungry since last night's MMA workout. I was ravenous last night practically eating everything [healthy] in sight. I'm also extremely hungry today, but I hope it's not just because I'm writing this essay. Ahh, I just want to have it finished so I can focus on my next assignment: my room!

My plans include some yoga-ing tonight. Let's hope I make a class or two!

Nooch spillage!

2010-11-22T13:29:00.001-05:00

I woke up hoping to have a smooth-sailing day ahead of me. Unfortunately, I discovered this would not be the case today. While preparing a green monster for breakfast, I opened my cupboard to grab some xantham gum, only to be greeted by this:

All my nooch spilled everywhere! I decided I was going to same some but not all. I really didn't think it was worth so much tedious work to gather every single crum of nooch.

Much better! I managed to re-fill my container to a pretty decent amount.

Then I got to enjoy this for breakfast:

Not to mention lots of pb spoonin'.

I'm actually in love with peanut butter.

I happened to make another cup of tea afterwards and discovered that my soymilk was spoiled [well before its best before date!]

This was not so nice. The fact that I had already used this soymilk in my first cup of tea was especially not so nice.

Anyways, on to today's agenda!

work out
go to work
complete a significant amount of work on paper due Thursday!
clean room
clean house

Not sure if much cleaning will be done today but a girl can try!

I hope I don't get too queasy from the soymilk. I'm off to start my day. I hope you all enjoy yours!

A long hiatus!

2010-11-22T02:30:00.000-05:00

Hi!

Wow, I really haven't blogged in quite some time. I've been super busy with school, work and life! My meals have been pretty quickly prepared as compared to what I'm used to. I don't think I can count the number of green monsters I've had on my fingers and toes, not to mention the amount of kabocha squash I've been eating. I couldn't help but go for quick fixes during this month considering I had exams almost every week! I've been enjoying a few days of freedom before hitting the books again to work on my paper which is due this upcoming Thursday.

I made an awesome pumpkin protein muffin recipe a few weeks back!

Calories: 108 Carbohydrates: 6.3 g Protein: 11.4 g Fat: 5.2 g Fiber: 2.7 g

Ingredients:

1/4 cup almond butter

1/2 cup soy flour

4 oz soy protein isolate

1 cup pumpkin

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 egg whites

3 tbsp flax seeds

Preheat your oven at 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Lightly butter, margarine or non-stick cooking spray your muffin pan. Evenly distribute muffin mixture into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.

These muffins were amazing! They were super moist and dense, and tasted oh-so nutritious! The nutritionals were pretty awesome as well, which was a huge bonus. I had a few topped with peanut butter and almond butter, making them even more divine!

The rest of my eats these past few weeks included:

Protein ice cream!

Aka green monster gone guar. Yes, I finally bought guar gum, which has allowed me to understand what Heather means when she says "you need both the gums!" when referring to her amazing protein ice cream.

Today's eats

This morning I wasn't particularly in the mood for anything other than a SIAB. I feel like a SIAB is like my bowl of oatmeal. Too bad I'm not crazy about oats!

It didn't take much time for me to dig into this cute little face.

For lunch, I enjoyed baked kabocha squash with protein "icing/glaze" which I made with Optimum Nutrition Casein Protein powder. Simply mix the protein with just enough water to create a sort of thick, runny-batter sort of substance, add some cinnamon and drizzle on your kabocha.

Mmm-hmm! I also had some peanut butter with this combo, which was covered up by the "icing". This meal pretty much tasted like a healthy cinnamon bun with peanut butter. I really didn't have much trouble eating up all my veggies for lunch.

Dinner was rather interesting and delicious. I made zucchini spaghetti with salsa (my tomato sauce was mouldy! =( ) and added scrambled egg whites, fat free cheddar cheese and lots of nooch (nutritional yeast) to this mix. I was surprised at how good this meal turned out!

For dessert, I enjoyed some slices of sweet persimmon.

I wasn't quite satisfied with this arrangement ...

Ah, much better (and cuter!). Everything looks better when in the shape of a flower! Alright, I'm off to have some tea and do some workage. Goodnight everyone!

Studying my pants off!

2010-10-28T01:25:00.000-04:00

Hi guys! This is going to be a super fast post 'cause I'm about to go finish studying for tomorrow's exam!

I went to a hot yoga class to relieve some pre-exam anxiety and pedaled for 2 hours on the bike whilst reading over my notes.

Dinner was awesome! I had chicken salad with a side of baked buttercup squash.

So delicious!

Off to review. Wish me luck!

Lettuce-ful salad

2010-10-27T16:04:00.000-04:00

Oh how I've missed blogging! I've been so busy with school these past few weeks as midterm season is among us! I have a community psychology midterm tomorrow, so today has been devoted to studying for that course.

This morning I awoke excited as I knew regular breakfasts were back on the meal plan. By this I mean, lettuce-ful salads and egg white scrambles!

The salad contained spinach, parsley, tomatoes, yellow peppers, carrots, soybeans, apples and green grapes. I enjoyed this salad with some scrambled egg whites and a slice of fat free cheddar cheese.

Yum! It was so nice to have this breakfast considering I've been downing green monsters practically every single day. Don't get me wrong - I absolutely LOVE green monsters but there's something about eating an actual meal that's very satisfying.

Before I knew it, my stomach was growling, which meant it was time for lunch! Luckily, I had leftovers from last night, which meant chicken salad was on the menu!

Gotta love pint-sized glasses of water!

I can't help but feel like I'm nuts about nuts. I've been eating nuts so much lately! I ate around a tablespoon or so of peanut butter along with even more nuts.

They're so good and good for you!

I really love the fact that nuts really help with satiety. I've realized I've been a lot more calm since I increased my nut intake. The best part is, they contain healthy fats, which won't make you fat [unless you eat your weight in them!].

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Lettuce-less salad

2010-10-17T00:42:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone!

I woke up this morning with so little but so much in my fridge. I was surprised I could make a lettuce-less salad that actually tasted so good! I made a salad out of celery, tomatoes, red peppers and mushrooms. I coupled the salad with an egg white omelette, which I filled with fat free cheddar cheese!

After breakfast, I decided to catch up on some readings, wax (what's an Indian girl to do?), go to my MMA class, pick up some groceries and cook up some dinnah!

I was so, so, so happy to pick up my much-needed peanut butter. Let's just say most of my evening was spent with this jar.

How lovely!

I sort of had a hodge-podge dinner (ah, the life of a student!). I ate cottage cheese, peanut butter, almonds, grape and an entire buttercup squash! I was super full and satisfied.

I really intend on making vast quantities of food on one or more (if needed) day(s) of the week. Because I'm so busy with school, work, and life, I really believe it's important that I start planning ahead, especially when it comes to meals! The goal is prep tomorrow and possibly Monday, which should allow sufficient time for me to go to work, study and work out on both days.

I'm currently doing some more reading and resting up before my long day of work tomorrow. I hope you all have a great night!

Yoga and cucumber rolls!

2010-10-16T03:01:00.000-04:00

After cleaning up the house, I decided it was time to yoga it up! I really enjoyed today's class. My yoga instructor is such a wonderful person. I love his sense of humor and charm. Not only does he help his students correct their postures, he always cracks jokes and asks how we're doing throughout the class. I find this takes one's attention away from the fitness and exercise elements of yoga, allowing more room for relaxation and a positive mind-frame.

A good friend of mine also happened to be taking the same yoga class and asked if I wanted to grab some sushi afterward. I was more than delighted! I decided to get the tuna roll wrapped in cucumber along with a crispy side salad.

How cool do those look?!

I took these pictures from my iPhone - not too shabby for a 3G! (Yes, I have a 3G, can you believe it?!)

After this quick bite, I got home to eat some more dinner! I wasn't able to make it to the local Asian supermarket located just outside my house because it was closed. This caused me to eat a sort of hodge-podge-whatever's-left-in-the-fridge dinner.

I chowed down on a cup of chickpeas, some almonds, yogurt, an apple and a peach - all of which were not captured! After some more digging, I was happy to find some eggplant lingering around. I took those babies out, sliced 'em, salt & peppa'd 'em, baked 'em at 375 for about 10 minutes and devoured 'em!

Mmm!

Time to call it a night. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Goodnight!

Green frenzy

2010-10-15T15:55:00.000-04:00

Hello lovelies!

I usually opt for green smoothies when I want something refreshing and filling, something to wake me up, something sweet and guilt-free or when my fridge is nearly empty. The reason I had a SIAB for breakfast today was a combination of these reasons, with the latter reason being the most prominent!

The mix:

-2 handfuls spinach

-1/2 scoop Isoflex why protein isolate

-1/2 banana

-3 ice cubes

-1/3 cup water

-1/2 tsp xantham gum

-1 small chopped apple

-chopped almonds

-cinnamon for garnish

Deeelish!

A little while later, I opted for yet another green concoction.

My plans today include cleaning, working out, cooking, eating, reading and staying positive! I'm currently listening to Buddha Bar Volume 7, which is really helping me calm down.

I'm going to get back to cleaning up. Happy Friday everyone!

Rise and shine!

2010-10-14T11:14:00.000-04:00

I woke up at an early 7:56 am this morning after hearing my roommate close the door. I was actually pretty stoked to be awake, considering I had set my alarm for 10:30 am. I realized the real reason I awoke was due to the pains in my stomach - the hunger pains, of course.

I inhaled a plum from my fridge, enjoyed a bit of peanut butter and gulped down a mug of tea. Unfortunately, my stomach pains were still prominent, which meant it was time for some real breakfast!

I decided on salad and scrambled egg whites seasoned with cinnamon and salt and fat free cheddar cheese, which melted nicely underneath the eggers.

Don't you just love waking up knowing you get to eat?!

Today's plans include reading a few chapters, working out, going to work, and of course, eating! Let the day begin!

Wednesday-ness

2010-10-14T01:03:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone.

I hope you're all enjoying your October. Can you believe it's October?! One thing I really love about this month and the rest of fall for that matter is sqash!

I've been eating buttercup squash for the past three days in a row. This morning I couldn't help but include one in my breakfast!

I had some scrambled egg whites with fat-free cheddar as well.

I sort of nibbled my way through lunch. I enjoyed some tofu, almonds, peanut butter, honey, grapes and salad - all of which was not captured via my camera lens!

I managed to do not one but two yoga classes, which were back-to-back! A member at my gym actually convinced me to do the second class. At first I hesitated, even though I had thought about it earlier in the day. I then realized that I should challenge myself to see what my true capabilities are. Sure enough, I was able to complete both classes feeling revived and rejuvenated! Because I was able to complete both classes, I've decided I want to continue doing back-to-back yoga every Wednesday. I've realized that I'm so fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in these classes free of charge. It wouldn't make sense not to take advantage of them!

My dinner was super delicious. I made a huge salad which included spinach, red peppers, yellow peppers, carrots, red onion, celery, cucumber, grapes, soybeans and mushrooms, and enjoyed it with tuna mixed with a little fat-free mayonnaise and black pepper. I also added some chopped almonds and a blob of hummus for added love.

I was still hungry so I snacked on some peanut butter with honey and this beautiful green substance.

And I had a lovely ..

I really need to do some readings. I hope you all have a lovely evening!

Busy weekend!

2010-10-09T23:30:00.000-04:00

It's been pretty busy lately!

This was last night's dinner, which I ate after my workout.

A delicious abundance of vitamins and complex carbohydrates! Too bad it was the last of the huge salad I'd made.

I had to work at 6:30 am this morning, which was pretty dragging. I had two cups of tea and didn't eat until around 1:30 pm when I got home. I hate having such a huge gap between meals, but I really didn't want to buy breakfast from a restaurant.

I ended up inhaling a SIAB made of 1/2 scoop Isoflex chocolate whey protein powder, 1/2 a medium banana, 3 cups of spinach, 4 ice cubes, water, a chopped fuji apple and some chopped almonds and peanuts.

I really love the fact that you can prepare a SIAB in a matter of 5 minutes! No wonder I find myself indulging in them on my busiest of days.

I ate an array of delicious food, which unfortunately didn't make it to my camera. Such food included peanut butter and honey (of course), tahini, tofu, grapes, a peach, almonds, peanuts, cashews and some Greek yogurt. I sort of snacked my way through the day, as I had very limited time to prepare food.

After eating, I napped for about an hour and woke up to get ready for my MMA class. The class was awesome, as usual. We started off with some intense cardio, which consisted of sprawling, squatting, jumping, kneeing, punching and elbowing. The rest of the class focused mainly on various ways to trap and dominate your opponent in a case where you're being attacked. I really love this class not only because I learn how to defend myself, but also because it helps me gain more confidence. It feels awesome to know that I'm a strong and powerful female, who also has enough physical strength to tap someone out!

I came home and inhaled a green monster, which was also unable to make its photo shoot. I soon came to realize that one of the loves of my life was actually right there in my kitchen! His name is Kabocha.

How I love thee!

I never realized how easy this wonderful winter squash was to make!

All sliced up in pretty little half moons!

Such beautiful colours!

I am truly in love.

Fat lovin'

2010-10-08T18:55:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning feeling super exhausted! I guess working until 12am might have had a little something to do with it?

I knew I had a day full of reading ahead of me, so I decided to fuel up on nutrition!

Hello breakfast!

Salad, egg whites and half a slice of Kraft fat free cheddar cheese!

Check out that cheesy gooeyness!

I was hungry a little later and decided on a seasonal snack.

Pumpkin puree mixed with Source vanilla yogurt, Splenda, cinnamon and peanut butter!

Definitely had a few of these!

I was in quite the mood to snack. I picked up this protein bar yesterday and decided today was an ideal day to conduct a review.

160 calories, 16 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar sounded alright to me! The bar also claimed to be gluten-free contained only eight ingredients: soy crisps, organic agave nectar, organic brown rice syrup, peanut butter, organic fair trade cocoa, natural flavour and unspecified nuts.

The verdict? Not too bad. The flavour wasn't as awesome as I'd hoped. The macros weren't too bad and the fact that I could pronounce the ingredient list was a definite plus. I'd probably pick this bar over other protein bars because of its portability and nutrition. Overall I'd rate it at 7.5 out of 10.

On to other tasty treats, I absolutely love fat. Not fat like love handle fat, natural fats!

Peanut butter and tahini are two of my favourites. I think I would be perfectly happy on a deserted Island with an unlimited supply of each.

Alright, time to get crackin'!

Homemade Take-out

2010-10-08T02:27:00.002-04:00

I managed to do a hot yoga class and bike on the recumbent bike for 30 minutes. I normally never use this piece of machinery, but it was the only exercise machine in my gym that would allow me to read my textbook without losing my place every 5 seconds! I never realized how I could actually benefit from doing my readings this way!

I got home and snacked on a plum, cottage cheese and some almonds. I then got ready for a very long shift at work.

My dinner was quite amazing. I cooked up some tofu before dashing out the door for work. I topped a bed of salad with the lovely soyness and added a hummus blob and a small sweet potato for some extra flavour and nutrition.

Gotta love leftover take-out containers!

Time for some sleep. Goodnight!

Drinks for breafast

2010-10-07T12:17:00.000-04:00

I'll have a tall glass of green with a side of sliced plums, please.

And of course I couldn't forget my favourite.

Truly the love of my life.

I was surprised how much energy I had after drinking only this much of my GM. Gotta love spinach in the morning!

Time to work out, study and head to work. Ciao!

7 am yoga? No problem!

2010-10-07T01:41:00.000-04:00

Before going to bed last night, I set my alarm for 6:15 am in the event that I would make it to the 7 am hot yoga class offered at my gym. Surprisingly enough, I actually woke up for this class and actually completed the entire thing at 7 in the morning - all by myself! This was a huge accomplishment for me because the last time I attended a 7 am yoga class, I was accompanied by a friend. One of my goals for this year was to get my workouts done before going to school or work, which meant I would have to work out in the morning. The fact that I was able to wake up without any issue helps me realize that my short-term goal can be met!

After yoga, I showered and got ready for a long day of school! I was talking to a friend of mine at the gym for about an hour which ended up killing too much of my time. I wasn't able to prepare a breakfast for myself, so I grabbed a brunch from my campus fruit and veg bar. I assembled a salad which consisted of iceberg lettuce, yellow peppers, green peppers, red peppers, broccoli, celery, carrots, beets, an egg white, sunflower seeds and hummus. It was super delicious!

By the time I got home, I was absolutely starving. I created a parfait of diced peaches, chopped almonds, pecans and peanuts atop of cottage cheese mixed with cinnamon and Splenda. My camera wasn't able to snap a photo of this heavenly creation because my mouth got to it first.

Before I knew it, it was time to spend a lot of time in the kitchen! I chopped up a lovely salad, boiled some corn and baked some eggplant.

Colourful plate of veg!

I couldn't wait for the eggplant to finish cooking so I decided to start my meal without it.

Baked and ready to eat!

I had a variety of spreads on hand. This one was peanut butter!

This one was hummus. I decided I liked the peanut butter on the eggplant more because my taste buds were craving something sweet and nutty (as always).

Yellow correlates with happiness

2010-10-06T00:24:00.000-04:00

I was displeased to discover that the lecture I dragged myself to school for was actually a tutorial taught by my TA, which was by no means testable. At least I got to smell the rainy air smell - you know, the one that smells like there's worms everywhere [because there really are worms everywhere]!

After getting home I prepared some lunch for myself.

Avocado-ed tuna salad embroidered by strawberry slices.

After lunch I got ready for my MMA class. The class was totally awesome! I really enjoyed throwing various punches and kicks. It definitely helped me get rid of a lot of frustration and stress!

I made a wonderful meal for dinner. I had a yellow sweet potato baking in the oven. Unfortunately I cooked it for a little too long, causing it to be a little harder than expected. That didn't stop me from eating it, of course.

I decided sautéed tofu atop of a hearty plate of salad sounded delicious and dinner-worthy!

Yellow sweet potato on the side!

Amazing.

After dinner I had some tea and a few mini cups of tofu, diced peaches and crushed almonds sweetened with Splenda and cinnamon.

Don't-cha just love healthy snacks?!

Time to do some reading and then some sleeping. Have a great night!

Keen for peaches

2010-10-05T12:10:00.001-04:00

I woke up to a very cloudy day. I felt the addition of peaches to my breakfast would be a great way to shed some light back in!

Perhaps the flash is best on gloomy days.

So scrumtious!

I have an Evolutionary Psychology lecture at 2:30 pm and am in no mood to travel in this weather! It's okay, I now have a reason to dress like a bum, hehe.

I also have an MMA class at 6:30 which will be super intense. Can't wait!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Work hard, play hard

2010-10-04T23:09:00.003-04:00

After a bit of studying and laundry, I did the Bubble Butt Workout and felt absolutely amazing afterwards! I had a delicious lunch with a friend which consisted of barbecued chicken breast, salad, sweet potato and a little bit of buckwheat.

Shortly after, I got ready for a shift of work. I've realized that I actually love my job. I work as a receptionist at a gym, where I mainly practice customer service. I work with some of the most amazing people I've ever met. I truly feel like some of the people I work with are like family members to me. Of course my job can become tedious at times, but I have to realize that this is the job I've always wanted and I shouldn't take it for granted just because I have it. I feel like it's so easy to take what we have for granted. I really find joy in the fact that I am sometimes able to come back down to Earth and appreciates all of life's little gifts.

After work, I got home and cloned last night's dinner.

Avocado-ed tuna salad - this time with a dollop of hummus!

Mmmouthwatering!

I wanted something sweet after dinner, so I blended up something pink!

A "green" monster complete with beet stems, kale, 1/3 banana, 1/2 scoop Isoflex chocolate whey + 3 ice cubes and a bit of h2o. So yummy! The fact that it was pink caused it to become even yummier.

This sweet but lovely beverage gave me the chills! It was definitely time for my all-time fav drink.

Tetley orange pekoe tea + 2 teaspoons Splenda granular + a splash of So Nice unsweetened soymilk = Love.

I couldn't resist another snack. I love snacking!

Crumbled tofu, diced apples, chopped almonds, cinnamon and Splenda. Such an amazing combo! I've had about three of these mini bowls today.

I'm off to finish up some chores and readings. I hope you all have a wonderful evening!

Peachy-keen!

2010-10-04T12:25:00.000-04:00

Good morning!

I woke up feeling last night's workout, especially in my quads. Gotta love them squats! I was so excited to wake up because I knew it was time for some breakfast!

Scrambled egg whites with half a slice of Kraft fat free cheddar singles, yesterday's salad and a sliced peach!

I've been fiddling around with my camera. I used the "shoot subject with soft background" but I think that setting works better at night. It seems that the "food setting" works best during the day because there is so much more natural light available. Gotta love experimenting!

Check out that steaming egg!

This was quite the delicious breakfast. I'm a little sad because peaches, plums and nectarines will soon be completely out of season! Mother Nature should instill new rules allowing for year-round production of those three beauties.

Time to hit the books!

See ya!

Run for the Cure!

2010-10-04T01:43:00.000-04:00

Today was the CIBC Run for the Cure for Breast Cancer! I woke up this morning feeling exhausted, but excited to participate nonetheless. I went with a very good friend of mine. We enjoyed walking and running our way to the 5 km finish line. It was awesome to see so many people walking and running for the same cause - not to mention so many people wearing pink!

I try to go every year for my mom, who unfortunately passed away from breast cancer. It was great to feel the positive energy from everyone around me. I realized that aside from myself, so many individuals are effected by this terrible disease. It was really touching to see how many people could come out and try to make a difference.

I was super exhausted and hungry by the time I got home. I decided a SIAB was in order.

Spinach, 1/2 banana, 1/2 scoop Isoflex chocoate whey protein, chopped apples, sliced grapes and chopped almonds.

Today was sort of hodge-podge-ish. I ate some tofu with peanut butter, grapes and almonds. Quite possibly one of the weirdest, yet most delicious combinations I've tried yet!

I decided I read a few chapters from my long list of readings I had to do for school. Unfortunately my bed seemed to call my name, resulting in a well-deserved afternoon nap.

I awoke aware of the fact that I had to mass-produce some salad. An hour and a half later, I chopped my way to these two bowls of love.

While making the salad, I came across something kind of pink. A definite contributor to the salad!

Spinach, red peppers, orange peppers, green peppers, mushrooms, green onions, chives, parsley, apples, plums, carrots and pomegranate.

I was feeling tired again and I knew I had to hit the books for a bit before preparing my actual dinner. I decided on a cup of joe.

Nescafe instant coffee plus So Nice Unsweetened soymilk.

Reading became boring and my stomach started to grumble. It was definitely time to eat!

Salad with avocado-ed tuna.

And a side of h2o.

I had a lot of energy, so I did the Best Hot Ripped Abs Workout. I was so happy I managed to do this workout because I was feeling really anxious and uneasy. The flow of endorphins really helped me feel a lot better!

Anyways, I'm about to call it a night. Ciao!

Busy Thursday!

2010-10-01T02:15:00.002-04:00

Today was quite the busy day! I woke up early so I could work out before going to school and work. I had work right after school, leaving me with no choice but to work out in the morning. This morning I did the Fitness is Sexy Workout. It sure got my heart pumpin' and body sweatin'!

I sort of had a hodgepodge/rushed breakfast. I had a small apple, half an orange and a little bit of peanut butter before my workout. After my workout, I had some tea and snacked on a but of the lunch I made for school.

Grilled chicken salad topped with goat cheese and avocad!

Totally hit the spot while sitting in lecture!

I got home from school with just enough time to change and create this guy for lunch.

\

Avocado-ed tuna on a bed of salad, topped with goat cheese.

So delish.

Dessert included cottage cheese, peanut butter, protein cookies, tea, and various other sweet and healthy treats, which unfortunately made their way to my mouth before my camera lens could capture them!

Ah, it's okay ;)

I'm exhausted. Time to call it a day!

Brrr!

2010-09-29T23:17:00.000-04:00

I definitely felt fall after waking up to a very chilly morning. I had hoped to attend a hot yoga class at 7am, however my body is clearly unable to adapt to such drastic measures without 8 hours in Lala Land.

I had a long school day ahead of me, so I cooked up a hearty, delicious breakfast to keep me energized!

Egg whites and salad with some avocado and Laughing Cow light swiss cheese.

Egg-zactly what I needed.

I had 2 classes back to back, so I packed this little lunch for myself.

Salad with grilled chicken topped with avocado and goat cheese!

I was so excited when I found this container. It was a take-out container my roommate had saved. The container fit a lot of food, which really tided me over until dinner! Unfortunately the lid wasn't as secure as a Ziploc container. Perhaps I'll wrap a plastic bag over-top next time?

I was planning to go to an evening hot yoga class until I bumped into a good friend of mine. We ended up chatting outside for hours and not noticing the cold weather! I was absolutely freezing and exhausted by the time I got home, leaving me unable to perform any sort of work out even if I tried.

Tonight's dinner looked similar to today's lunch - with a few alterations.

Salad with grilled chicken topped with Laughing Cow light swiss cheese, avocado, and a sweet ear of corn!

I snacked on copious amounts of peanut butter and honey for dessert. Unfortunately the footage could not make it to my camera. I probably would have gotten my camera lens all sticky from the sweet concoction ;)

I'm absolutely pooped. Tomorrow's going to be another long day!

I'm back!

2010-09-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

It's been way too long since I've posted! I recently started school, causing my blog posts to greatly decline. I really miss blogging! School has really taken up a huge chunk of my time! I haven't been able to prepare foods as efficiently as I did during the summer. There would be several days which I had literally no time to prepare proper meals, which forced me to consume vast amounts of SIABs and green monsters seeing as those are super fast and easy to make.

This morning's breakfast was actually a SIAB as well. I didn't have any salad leftover, so I figured I could quickly get some greens in my breakfast by whipping up one of these.

Quite the pretty-coloured breakfast! I blended this SIAB with beet leaves, which gave it some lovely colour. I used about 1 1/2 cups beet leaves, 1 cup spinach, 1/4 banana, 1/2 scoop Isoflex chocolate whey protein, 1 chopped medium apple and chopped peanuts, almonds and pecans for some crunch!

After breakfast, I got ready for school. I had an Evolutionary Psychology class, which was rather interesting. After a short lecture, I headed home and got ready for MMA class. I whipped up a random snack that consisted of tofu and peanut butter, which I did not photograph as I was sort of rushing!

After class, I got home and made some zucchini fettuccine, which I mixed with tomato sauce and chicken breast I had leftover from the other day. I also decided to boil some corn to enjoy on the side as well.

Goat cheese was added along with some avocado, which I sneaked in after taking this picture ;)

After dinner, it was time to create my mass production of salad to get me through the week - or about 3 days of it, haha.

Spinach, tomatoes, red peppers, yellow peppers, carrots, celery, soy bean sprouts, soybeans, apples, chives, parsley, cucumbers and mushrooms.

I must say, I'm quite impressed with the new Blogger. I can perform multiple uploads, as well as write beneath pictures without adding an HTML code underneath an image. Perhaps my time away was a good thing?

Time to hit the hay for another day of school tomorrow. Goodnight!

Hey fever!

2010-09-11T23:23:00.000-04:00

I decided to do a yoga class yesterday for a physical, mental and psychological work out.

Unfortunately, I began experiencing symptoms of a terrible cold soon after the class! I also was scheduled to work at 5:00 pm, forcing this princess to suck it up and get ready to make some dough. Before I knew it, I was coughing and sneezing all throughout my work shift! It had to be one of the worst shifts I had ever worked, especially since it was seven hours.

Before setting off for work, I prepared a lovely lunch for myself.

Chopped veggies complete with a red pepper-bound spinach onion tuna dip.

It was absolutely delish! I couldn't finish it at home so I took it to work with me. I also packed some chicken and veggies to eat on my break as well.

After what seemed like a 20 hour shift, I got home feeling hungry and decided zucchini fettuccine would be a lovely second dinner of choice. I added some pieces of leftover chicken to my faux pasta as well.

Mmm-hmm! I'm so boggled at how I managed to get such an intense fever when all I do is consume incredibly healthy foods and exercise regularly!

These past few days I've been nothing but a zombie. I've basically been sneezing, coughing, laying around and sleeping my way through life. My body has been terribly sore and my sinuses are completely out of whack! I've been consuming copious amount of fruits and vegetables in various forms in attempt to fight off this wretched flu!

I managed to snap a few photos of some of my daily eats, despite how sick I was feeling. I really missed blogging!

Chicken & Vegetable soup:

And of course I had to have a few of these

I hope I get back to my regular self soon. I always seem to appreciate everything that much more during times like these. I can't help but feel so useless right now! I hope to feel a lot better by tomorrow morning, as I have to work at 11:00 am!

With that said, I wish you all a great night!

SIAB-licious

2010-09-09T11:56:00.002-04:00

Morning all!

I decided on a SIAB (smoothie in a bowl) for breakfast today, seeing as I finished my huge bowl of mass-produced salad. Kath is truly a genius for coming up with this! I wasn't about to sit around for an hour cutting up veggies and decided this meal would be a perfect start to the day.

The mix:

3 handfuls spinach
1/3 frozen banana
1/2 cup Isoflex chocolate protein powder
1 dollop Silhouette fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup water
3 ice cubes
1/4 tsp xantham gum
crushed almonds and peanuts

Now I'm off to work out before work. Ciao!

It's never too late for more dessert!

2010-09-09T02:06:00.001-04:00

I decided I wasn't full and wanted more cocoa goodness. Thank goodness for April's protein cakes.

I added some chopped peanuts to the protein cake batter and nuked it for about 45 seconds. I then topped the cake with Sweet Nothings sugar free chocolate syrup and some soymilk, which gave the cake more moisture and flavour.

Amazing! I love sweet [and healthy] treats before bed.

Goodnight!

Raw-king dinner

2010-09-09T01:25:00.000-04:00

I decided on going to my 8:15 pm yoga class. Boy, do I feel better!

I stopped by the local drug store to purchase some all-natural peanut butter. I went by about a week ago and found that they were lacking in that wonderful product. When I got to the store I discovered there was still no all-natural PB! I wasn't about to compromise and get peanut butter with sugar and hydrogenated oils. Blech. I must admit I've been a bit lazy. I could have easily gone to the grocery store but it's just a teeny bit further than the drug store. Perhaps I'll go tomorrow? I'm starting to show nut-butter withdrawal symptoms!

Tonight's dinner was extremely simple. I didn't really crave cooked veggies, so I ate them raw instead!

I just love eating sliced broccoli stems!

This afternoon's lemon dill chicken a la tomato sauce.

So yummy. I had little cup of tomato sauce on the side, which I used for dipping.

After dins, my sweet tooth was completely unavoidable. I didn't want anything too empty-calorie-ish, so I figured this babe would do the trick:

This monster contained 1/2 scoop Isoflex chocolate protein powder, 3 handfuls spinach, 1/3 frozen banana, 1/2 cup water and 4 ice cubes.

Garnished with some cocoa lovin'.

This drink is actually one of my favourite treats. Aside from the fact that it's so tasty, it's also chock full of nutrients!

Anyways, time to call it a night. Sweet dreams everyone!

A meal fit for a Queen

2010-09-08T19:12:00.003-04:00

After my work out I cooked up an amazing, well-deserved meal for myself.

Lemon Dill Chicken!

Marinade:

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch garlic seasoning
pinch lemon seasoning
fresh dill leaves

After marinating this chicken breast with a little bit of EVOO, salt, pepper, lemon seasoning, garlic seasoning and fresh dill, put 'er in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. After concluding it's done-ness, squeeze a whole lot'a lemon over-top of the chicken.

I decided to peel some zucchini for some zucchini fettuccine!

Seriously scrumptious!

I snacked on this giant peach an hour or so later.

What's going on with the sizes of our produce these days?!

I'm pretty exhausted from today's work out. I was planning on going to a 7:00 pm yoga class but felt too tired to rush to the gym. I also HATE rushing to yoga, it completely ruins the entire experience. There's another yoga class at 8:15 pm - still deciding on whether to go or not. I definitely want to finish cleaning my room, which [sadly] looks like this:

Hahaha, I can be pretty messy!

Hmm, I guess we'll see what life has in store. Time to tackle some chores. Later!

Not so sunny side up

2010-09-08T13:42:00.000-04:00

This morning I attempted to make sunny side up eggs. Unfortunately, I left the eggs on the burner for too long, causing the yolk to cook!

Oh yolk, why won't you run?

Perhaps the result of my eggs was in sync with today's weather?

It's been nothing but cloudy, rainy, windy and sunny at very sporadic times!

I seasoned the eggs with a pinch of salt and peppah and sprinkled a little nutmeg on the peach slices.

A perfect start to the day!

Later on, I dug into this HUGE Fuji apple.

I had to find something objective to compare it with, so I chose my iPhone to show you all how enormous this apple truly was. It was delicious nonetheless!

I just came back from today's work out which was the Fit Hotties Rock work out. I did two extra rounds to let off some more steam.

I'm off to finish a day full of errands, hope you're all enjoying the day!

Happy Yoga Month!

2010-09-08T00:14:00.001-04:00

Wow, I can't believe how many exciting holidays and themed months are going on. So exciting! Apparently it's yoga month? Fine by me! I got my daily dose of some hot yoga today and I'm feeling great!

After yogs, I snacked around on some nectarines and apples while preparing some cin-fully delicious chicken. I seasoned the chicken with cinnamon, cayenne pepper, black pepper and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. I checked on the chicken a few times by slicing into the chicken to see if there was any pink inside. That gave me an idea! I decided to put a few apple slices into the areas of the chicken breast I had already sliced.

The cin-fully sweet chicken, sweet potato and sweet salad made a lovely trio!

Time to relax and enjoy some tea. Goodnight!

All smiles!

2010-09-07T17:17:00.000-04:00

After reading Kelsey's post, I couldn't help but feel inspired to smile!

That's supposed to be me. Can you tell by her red pepper tresses?

I enjoyed my meal outside until the wind gusts began to pick up. I went on inside to enjoy my regular mug of tea.

Sigh. Another sign of summer's departure. All good things come to an end and all endings result in new beginnings!

Love & Hearts

2010-09-07T15:47:00.001-04:00

I woke up pretty late today - 12:00 pm actually! That's okay, sleeping in is good for the soul. I was excited to prepare some breakie - or in my case, brunch.

How cute is this heart-shaped plum? Ahh!

I included this babe in my delicious meal.

4 scrambled egg whites with a slice of fat-free cheese, last night's salad and my sliced heart-shaped plum!

I can't believe it's already that time of year again! I spent several hours trying to figure out my student loan situation. This time of year has to be one of the most stressful times for all students. We just have to remember that this is all temporary and it will soon pass. I made sure to play some chill-out tunes while dealing with my mountain of issues, in order to prevent my lips from uttering any bad words ;)

I was craving something sweet, so I whipped up some snackage to munch on.

Mashed tofu mixed with cinnamon, Splenda and halved grapes. It doesn't look too appetizing but it's actually so delish!

After some more phone calls, I began to get really fed up and annoyed. I decided it was time to make life a bit more green.

"But the greatest of these is Love"

It's always important to balance out the negative with the positive. The best way to do this is to find love in all that you do. Whether your current situation is stressful or happy, try to embrace that moment for all it's worth and appreciate it for what it is. I find it very difficult to appreciate the bad moments in life, although I've began to realize that these very moments create the inner strength I have today.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Happy Labour Day!

2010-09-06T23:41:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and for those who didn't, I hope you enjoyed your time and a half, ca-ching! I woke up incredibly hungry this morning, my body was definitely craving some goods!

I decided on the usual - scrambled egg whites, salad and fruit!

Today's fruit was apples!

A perfect trio.

I love greens in the morning!

A few hours later, my ravenous stomach called out for some more food. I decided to snack on some almonds, peanuts and yogurt. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for my stomach. I decided to seek alternative measures.

Muahaha. A green monster to scare away my hunger!

Since I missed the gym yesterday, I was sure I had to make today's work out count. I did the Smoking Hot Body Work Out. I loved every minute of it! After my work out I did a but of jump rope and boxing.

I was ecstatic to find that the local Asian supermarket was open, despite today's holiday. I purchased lots of veggies and fruits, which helped me create tonight's dinner.

I decided to use the leftover plain lentils I had from the other day and transform them into another curry! I also created lovely salad complete with spinach, cucumbers, red peppers, orange peppers, carrots, mushrooms and red grapes, which accompanied the curry very nicely.

Holy yum!

Alright, time to kick it. Ciao!

Long weekend madness

2010-09-06T23:04:00.000-04:00

Whew! This long weekend flew by too quickly! I can really feel fall in the air, seeing as it's been so chilly these past few days. I'm really hoping summer didn't already say goodbye, I would love to spend a few more days - or months soaking up the sun. I'm definitely not a fan of chilly weather, as I tend to get cold very easily.

Yesterday, I went to Moxie's with my sister for dinner. I felt like a salad would be my entrée of choice for the evening. I ordered the tandoori chicken salad, which consisted of warm tandoori chicken perched on a bed of mixed greens, tossed with mango, onions, sunflower seeds, water chestnuts and a mango and sweet chili dressing, served with melted brie on naan bread.

Unfortunately, it was not quite as impeccable as described by the menu.The salad was said to have mango pieces inside; however, I received only 5 cubes of super sweet "mango" that did not taste very natural at all. I've realized that from making salads at home every day, my standards for salad have gone sky high.

My sister ordered the Mayan chicken salad, which contained lime grilled chicken on top of shredded greens with cheddar, black beans and tomatoes, tossed in a creamy peppercorn dressing with a hint of bbq flavour, served with asiago crisps.

Personally, I enjoy eating foods from home rather than foods from restaurants. It's better to actually know what's going into your food. Another plus is that you get to learn how to cook new meals! Unfortunately, preparing foods can sometimes become difficult when dealing with several busy days.

After dinner, my sister and I decided to hang out on the couch in front of the tube. I decided to prepare a healthy dessert for us to enjoy.

Peaches, nectarines, clementines, almonds and peanuts!

I just love the combination of fruits and nuts. The rest of the night was spent watching Forrest Gump. Too bad we couldn't finish it because it ran until 2:00 am! Luckily Forrest Gump is one of those movies that's usually always on TV anyways - just like Miss Congeniality.

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend!

Green is always in style

2010-09-05T01:15:00.001-04:00

Hi guys!

This morning I woke up feeling well rested and excited to work out! Sometimes a day of rest is all the body needs to crave some energy expenditure. I decided a green monster would fuel my work out nicely.

So frothy! Who needs a milkshake when you can have one of these?

This mon-straw-sity (hehe) contained 3 handfuls spinach, a half scoop of ISO Sensation Cookies 'n Cream Protein, a third of a frozen banana, 3 ice cubes, about a third cup of water and a pinch of xantham gum.

I also had some tea on the side

Tetley orange pekoe tea with 2 teaspoons Splenda and a splash of So Nice original.

I did the Fitness Is Sexy Work Out which definitely got my heart pumpin'!

I nibbled on lots of fruits and veggies while cutting up ingredients for the ginormous salad I made. I decided to count that as the rest of my breakfast. The salad I conjured up consisted of spinach, red peppers, yellow peppers, cucumbers, celery, edamame, nectarines and strawberries

For lunch, I paired the salad with some flaked white tuna with mushed avocado.

So delicious!

After lunch I did a bit of reading and errand running. I had planned to pick up peanut butter today, as it was a very important errand of mine; however, the store I planned to purchase my all natural peanut butter no longer had it in stock! I was devastated. The grocery store was way too far, so I settled on purchasing peanuts instead.

One of my favourite ways to incorporate nuts is definitely on a salad. Their presence truly makes such a difference! I love the crunchy textures and robust flavours they always seem to offer. Tonight's dinner featured the salad I had made, along with clementine segments and peanuts!

Can't forget the water!

So as you all know, I've been missing my Indian culture a lot these days. The other day I came across some green lentils, which taste amazing in curries. I decided today would be the day to attempt at making green lentil curry, even if it was at 10:30 pm. Surprisingly enough, my creation turned out better than I expected!

First I boiled the lentils on high for about 10 minutes and let them simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes.

I poured about a tablespoon and a half of extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan and added 2 medium chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1/8 cup chopped ginger, and 3-4 chopped garlic cloves. I added garam masala, cinnamon and fennel to taste. After a few minutes of cooking the veggies and spices, I added about a tablespoon of water and squished the tomatoes down in an attempt to create a sort of curry-like substance.

After the curry mixture was cooked, I added the lentils while folding the curry mixture over-top.

Bam!

Mamma sure would have been proud!

I couldn't stop eating it even though it was 11:30 pm! On that note, I must make a breakaway to Lala Land as I have work in the morning. Goodnight!

TGIF!

2010-09-04T00:23:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday everyone!

I woke up feeling rather lethargic from working so many days in a row. I was sad to miss a few days of blogging as well =(

This morning looked like this:

4 scrambled egg whites, salad and nectarine slices

So delish and definitely gave me a load of nutrients to start the day.

I felt like doing little to no activity today, since the past few days had been so hectic. I spent several hours watching the Food Network, reading Sophie's World, and cleaning my house.

I decided on having a rather fancy lunch

'Twas a good day for oven baked chicken breast and veggies!

Accompanied by a lovely salad, which featured spinach, red peppers, yellow peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, grapes, nectarines, avocado and goat cheese.

Every mouthful was so tasty! I love creating different combinations for each mouthful. One of my favourites in this meal was chicken, goat cheese, avocado and red grapes. Mmm!

I decided to have a rest day today and clean up the house instead. My body was so sore, I don't think I could have exercised even if I tried. I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the washroom and kitchen. Unfortunately, my room will have to wait yet another day to be cleaned.

It was dinner time before I knew it, and the leftovers from lunch were calling out to me

The fruits in the salad really make it taste so wonderful!

I nibbled on some okra post-dinner

and finished off with my favourite beverage

Don't you just adore this mug?!

I just bought Buddha Lounge Essentials India from iTunes. I received a $15.00 gift card from a friend and figured this was a perfect opportunity to use it. I absolutely love lounge/chill out music from collections such as Buddha Bar to those found in my Yoga classes. After hearing a few previews of the tracks, I decided to go ahead and purchase the album with my gift card. I really enjoy the warm, Indian essence found in these songs. I feel completely at ease when listening to this type of music.

Anyway, I'm going to relax and enjoy the rest of this album. Goodnight!

Good eats and sweet treats

2010-09-01T01:49:00.003-04:00

Whew! These last few days of summer are really speeding by. I've been so busy trying to get everything in order before school starts. I'm actually looking forward to this year and getting back into a proper routine. I'm actually planning to exercise in the morning before going to any of my classes! I really hope I'll be able to adapt to such a drastic change. In the past, I would often wait until the evening or late night to get some physical activity into my day. By exercising at these times, I've found that I'm more prone to eating late, staying up late and waking up late. I still fall into this trap from time to time; however, one of my main goals this year is to erase this habit for good!

As for eats, I had some great food yesterday and today.

Yesterday's lunch was unbelievable!

Grilled chicken breast stuffed with red pepper, hummus and roasted garlic, paired with an oh-so flavourful salad!

The salad contained spinach, celery, green peppers, red peppers, green onions, carrots, red grapes, manzanilla olives, goat cheese, along with some sesame and flax seed for garnish. Amazing!

I decided to make a batch of cupcakes from my Gluten Free Dreams chocolate cake mix

I just LOVE decorating cupcakes!

Nom-nom-nom.

After a great work out yesterday, I prepared myself a simple dinner/post-work out meal which totally hit the spot

Chicken salad made from leftover chicken and leftover salad. I love leftovers, they really save so much time!

Mmmhmm.

Breakfast this morning was spectacular!

1 egg and 3 egg whites scrambled with spinach, green onions, green peppers and red peppers, paired with salad and peach and nectarine slices

Some fat free cheddar on top!

What a lovely addition to the first meal of the day!

Throughout the morning, I managed to get a lot done in terms of school planning and course selection. I still need to fix up my school schedule a bit, although it's actually been shaping up pretty well so far!

I was feeling rather stressed and decided to hit up a hot yoga class at my gym. I definitely felt amazingly zen-ed out afterwards. I think I'm actually in love with yoga.

I came home to shower, change and get ready for work. This was the lunch I conjured up and chowed down while getting ready

Salad with red peppers, green peppers, avocado, green onions, red grapes topped with grilled chicken breast and sprinkled with black pepper and sesame seeds

Delish! Too bad I couldn't finish it before work! However, I did not fail to eat the remnants as soon as I got home.

Tonight I decided on shrimp for dins

Look what's cookin'!

Along with some smokin' veggies

Yellow peppers, red peppers, red onion, green peppers and mushrooms to be specific.

Both the cooked shrimp and veggies found their way onto a lovely bed of greens

and into my stomach!

Divine.

This bed of greens contained spinach, red peppers, yellow peppers, red grapes, green onions, tomatoes, sliced manzanila olives and okra!

Alright, my belly is full and it's time to get some sleep. Goodnight!

Brunch Munch

2010-08-29T22:06:00.000-04:00

I literally slept like a rock last night. I felt so heavy and sore from my summer cold.

I wasn't particularly hungry, so I just had a mug of tea before work. I probably should have packed something to munch on but I didn't give myself enough time.

I guess you can say I had brunch for lunch since I combined the two daily meals into one

Fresh red fruits!

Time for the main course

The remnants of my vegetable salad topped with sliced strawberries and grapes plus h2o.

I couldn't believe how much better I felt after eating these nutrient-packed foods!

After work I came home to some orange love

While snacking on those beauties, I conjured up a lovely green monster

I love how the sun is shining on it

2-3 handfuls spinach, 1/2 scoop of Isofemme chocolate protein, 1/2 cup water and 3 ice cubes in a blender all whirred up. Word up.

Today will definitely be an off day in terms of working out. Time to catch up on some well-deserved rest!

The summer cold

2010-08-29T00:03:00.006-04:00

You know those people who get sick in summer, despite all the sunshine and good weather? Yeah, I'm one of them. I woke up this morning sneezing hysterically with 6 to 8 sneezes per interval. I thought it was allergies at first but after a work out and a bath full of exotic spices, fruits and herbs, my body was completely burnt out. This led me to believe my good ol' summer cold was ready to make its presence in my life.

My fridge was egg-less this morning, causing me to resort to protein powder for my protein fix

This monster included:

3 handfuls spinach
1/2 cup Isofemme chocolate temptation protein powder
1/2 cup water
3 ice cubes

I tried a sample pack of Isofemme chocolate temptation protein powder I received at work. It had practically the same nutritionals as Isoflex chocolate protein powder and from my understanding, tasted the same - at least in a green monster.

I coupled my monster with last night's salad

featuring a sprinkle of flax and a mist of sunflower. I love leftovers in the morning!

Who says you can't have salad for breakfast?

I was happy to have managed to clean up my room a bit more today. I still have quite a ways to go, however I am making progress! I snacked on peanut butter, honey and cinnamon throughout the clean up.

I didn't want a very filling lunch, as I was not incredibly hungry. Naturally, I reached for the salad bowl and decided to serve my greens [reds, yellows, oranges and whites] with a side of cottage cheese.

I dusted some nutmeg on the cheese and sunflower and flax joined the salad once again. What a great combo of flavours!

I took an invigorating bath today in attempt to feel better. I actually fell asleep in my bath tub! Luckily I woke up two minutes into my snooze to do the Suicidal Sweat Work Out which was definitely killer. I was sweating like crazy! I came back home to shower and realized I was beyond exhausted! My nose and throat were completely congested and my head was really heavy and hot. I was supposed to attend a cousin's get-together but I had to pass due to my summer sickness.

I felt that the only thing I wanted was peanut butter, honey and cinnamon, leading me to give into indulgence. I sort of grazed through my fridge for "dinner" and realized I was full after eating little bits of randomness. I didn't have any fruit and was in desperate need for vitamin C. I decided to trek down to the local Asian grocery store to pick up some goods. The selection was very limited, so I picked up cherries, red grapes, clementines, fuji apples, bananas and strawberries.

Mmm! Tons of vitamins in this baby. Take that summer cold!

Anywho, time to kick it. Have a good night!

You can never go wrong with Indian food!

2010-08-28T12:57:00.001-04:00

Yesterday my friend called me and asked me if I wanted to grab some take-out buffet food from a nearby Indian restaurant. That's right - take-out buffet Indian food. It sounds almost hard to believe but you're actually able to fill up two take out boxes for the price of $13.00. What a deal!

I filled my box with tandoori chicken, channa masala (chickpea curry), aloo mutter (pea and potato curry), a little bit of butter chicken and lots of salad. I came home and assembled my meal on a large plate for some visual appeal.

The amount of flavour on that plate was unbelievable!

Eating this meal reminded me how much I truly missed my cultural food. I plan to integrate various spices found in Indian cuisine into my own recipes. Spices like turmeric, cumin, cardamom, anise and curry all contain many health benefits and should be included in our daily diets in order to ward off infection.

After work, I had delicious grilled chicken breast stuffed with avocado and goat cheese with a side of colourful salad

Check out that stuffing!

The salad contained spinach, orange peppers, yellow peppers, green onion, celery, tomatoes, avocado and water chestnuts

Delish!

I had quite the flavourful day. I felt so relieved knowing I didn't have to work out at night. I did the Fat Fighter Work Out before feasting on my Indian buffet. Don't you just love a great work out followed by an abundance of amazing food?

Cooking & cleaning

2010-08-27T01:55:00.000-04:00

I spent the rest of the afternoon cooking and cleaning. I unleashed my inner Indian by listening to some Indian music while cleaning. I'm not going to lie, I actually love my culture. I remember being embarrassed about my ethnicity and culture when I was younger, as I lived in a predominantly white, middle-class neighborhood. As Toronto grew more and more diverse, I found it easier to accept my heritage for what it was. I believe one's ethnic, cultural and/or religious background will always be a very important part of their life. It's always a good idea to understand many customs in one's culture in order to educate others, as well as maintain traditions.

I had a lovely tofu salad for lunch

Spinach, tomatoes, red peppers, apples, celery and walnuts with sauteéd tofu

My attempts at cleaning my room were pretty sad. I was rather ecstatic to get most of my jewelry untangled. I've decided it's probably best that I leave the rest for tomorrow.

Since I didn't feel like cleaning, I figured preparing dinner would be a better idea - especially since it involved eating. I decided on chicken salad aka CS for tonight.

The salad contained spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, red peppers, carrots, kidney beans and soybeans, along with some grilled chicken breast and crumbled cranberry-cinnamon goat cheese

This one definitely hit every taste bud!

I decided not to work out today. I probably could have if I had planned to go earlier in the day. My plan at 10:00 pm was to work out at 11:00 pm. Unfortunately my fascination with peanut butter took over my body, which ultimately prevented me from performing any exercise. In all honesty, I worked out pretty hard for the past two days, leaving me to believe my day off was definitely deserved.

Tomorrow's plan is to work out in the morning or early afternoon. I find that the more time I have to work out, the less stressed I feel about working out. This ultimately allows me to work out for longer periods, which results in a better physique!

I'm so exhausted. Time to call it a night!

Green "fauxmeal"

2010-08-26T14:27:00.002-04:00

I typically don't include gluten in my diet. I'll have the occasional Oreo or chocolate chip cookie, but I don't prefer to have it in my daily meals. When consuming products with gluten, my body does not feel satiated and I usually want to eat more than a serving. I find that my blood sugar levels are very high, causing me to feel as though I need more food. I've come across many articles with mixed reviews about whether oats contain gluten or not. I find that when I eat oatmeal, I'm never truly satisfied. My body also feels this way when consuming wheat, rice and other starchy foods.

The best part about living gluten-free is that you can still achieve similar tastes and textures found in foods containing gluten. This morning I attempted to make protein pancakes, which I got from Katie!

I wanted to sneak some veggies into my breakfast, so I got out some stems!

I think it's so important to keep stems which are edible. You can always use them in green monsters or sneak them into a regular dish for some added nutrition and colour!

I didn't have any egg whites, and believed tofu would be a sufficient replacement. I'm pretty sure I also added too much water to the mixture. The combination of these two errors caused my pancakes to turn into oatmeal - or should I say fauxmeal

Pancakes or no pancakes, The fauxmeal was AMAZING!

Here's what I put in the mix:

Fauxmeal

2 large handfuls spinach (I used the stems)
1/2 cup Isoflex chocolate whey protein
1/5 block of tofu (70 calories worth)
1 tbsp soy flour
enough water to get the blender moving

Blend ingredients until smooth. Spray a non-stick pot with cooking spray and set stove to medium high heat. Pour mixture into pot and let it simmer. Gently mix contents until desired clumpiness. Serve plain or with fruit, nuts and seasonings.

I added diced apples, almond butter sauce, sunflower and flax seeds and cinnamon for garnish.

Check out that texture! I'm definitely going to be making this again.

Yoga makes everything better

2010-08-26T03:23:00.002-04:00

I absolutely love yoga! I always feel so amazing after a class. When I used to mainly work out with weights, I often thought of yoga as a light work out that didn't really work any muscle groups. What I didn't realize was the fact that your own body weight will always be a challenge and gravity will always be a force of resistance. By understanding these principles, I've realized that you truly don't need a gym to get a good work out. What I love about yoga is the fact that there is so much stability involved, making it exciting and challenging for my body to do. The longer I can maintain a certain pose, the better I become with my overall balance.

After yoga, I did the Hotel Room Work Out. This work out was awesome! I find that by doing HIIT work outs, I am able to improve my overall speed, agility and stamina. I couldn't believe I was able to do this work out without stopping. I thought I would find it rather difficult - especially after yoga. Fortunately, my body is learning how to keep up with my new routines!

I was starving by the time I got home! Here's what I made for dinner:

Tofu salad!

After my meal, I had some sweet dessert

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
5 medium strawberries, sliced
1/2 naner, sliced
1 1/2 tsp Splenda
a few cinnamon sprinkles
a sunflower seed sprinkles
a few flax seed sprinkles

Mmm, I love sweet desserts - especially when they're are also healthy!

Time to crash. Goodnight everyone!

It's almost that time of year

2010-08-25T17:26:00.005-04:00

I can already smell school around the corner! I'm still having a few issues with enrolling in my courses of choice; however, I'm sure I'll get a spot by the time the year starts up.

As promised, I've captured some photos of last night's mass production of salad

This concoction featured:

red peppers
celery
cucumbers
spinach
broccoli leaf
red grapes
carrots
kidney beans
chickpeas
mushrooms

I almost want to eat the picture!

I included this masterpiece in my breakfast this morning

The salad paired well with 3 scrambled egg whites

along with some orange pekoe tea with 2 tsp Splenda and a splash of So Nice original.

I woke up rather early this morning. I think it was my hunger that woke me up, along with a stress-filled mind. I got a few errands done today, and am feeling a little relieved. I was not sure whether I wanted to go boxing or do yoga today. I've decided yoga will be better for my mind right now. I'm feeling really uneasy about things since school is starting soon and I don't have everything quite in order yet. It's funny because the weather is fluctuating by the hour today. In the past two hours, it's been extremely bright and sunny, very dark and cloudy, as well as super damp and rainy.

I took a well-deserved afternoon nap which lasted an hour. I woke up hungry and prepared some lunch

I had the same salad with a side of fat free Nordica cottage cheese. I felt like a needed a salad dressing, so I made some Almond Butter sauce, which I got from Heather!

The sauce included:

1/2 cup natural almond butter
1/2 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened Almond Breeze)

Give 'er a wisk and voila!

I added about 2 tbsp Splenda and a few sprinkles of cinnamon for some sweetness. I have a HUGE sweet tooth - especially when it comes to nuts and nut butters!

Alright, it's time to get movin'!

Smoothie in a bowl

2010-08-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

Today's post-work out breakfast was a smoothie in a bowl aka SIAB, which I got from Kath!

In the mix:

1/2 cup Liberté Greek yogurt
2 handfuls spinach
1 handful brocoli leaf
4-5 ice cubes
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1/2 banana

I threw some red grapes and sliced strawberries into a bowl, poured the smoothie mixture on top, and added chopped almonds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds for some crunch.

Holy delicious!

Time to start cleaning and other such exciting endeavors.

Have a great day everyone!

Full moon

2010-08-24T12:39:00.001-04:00

Before falling asleep last night, I couldn't help but look outside my window to see this

Absolutely beautiful

I couldn't believe how bright the moon was!

It was so bright I couldn't get a shot of it alone without a little glare.

The clouds were moving so fast, the sky didn't even look real! I was astonished to see how brightly the moon shone underneath those huge dark clouds.

The positive message I received from this was that even though we all go through life facing many problems and cloudy days, we have the power to rise above the negative and shine as brightly as the moon.

I just finished my morning work out--that's right, my morning work out. I'm going to go prep some breakfast before my stomach ties itself into a knot.

Ciao!

C'est la vie

2010-08-24T01:45:00.001-04:00

I had planned to work out after work today. Unfortunately I realized I was completely exhausted when I got home to change into my work out gear. I realized I didn't eat very well throughout the day, having only consumed around 550-650 calories by 9:00 pm. The problem is I can't seem to eat more than that before 5:00 pm and my shift runs from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. This is why I need to make sure I work out before work. Or if I can't manage that, I should bring a mini meal to chow down at work.

I continued the vegetarian theme today as I started off with some salad

The salad contained romaine and spinach, carrots, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, green onions, apples, chickpeas as well as chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. I also drizzled some tahina sauce (sesame seed butter) on top to make it extra tasty!

I had another one of these after inhaling my first serving. I also snacked on a few staples such as yogurt and fruit, nuts, seeds and nut butters. It just goes to show skipping meals is never a good idea! It definitely isn't good for the metabolism either.

I decided to stir-fry tofu again and make tofu salad for my actual dinner

I used the same salad for this dish, as I had some left over from the other day. I'm all out of salad, which means I'm going to have to mass produce some salad tomorrow aka make two huge bowls of it. I'll definitely be sure to post that!

As for missing my work out today, I don't feel guilty at all. I know that I'll get to work out tomorrow because I'll plan to do so. By properly scheduling my priorities, I've realized that it's not impossible to get things done! I plan to wake up early tomorrow (I'm aiming for 9:00 am) to start my day! I have a lot to do, which means I need to sleep early and wake up early to get everything done.

Anyway, I think this day needs to come to an end. Sweet dreams everyone!

Just another manic Monday

2010-08-23T14:24:00.003-04:00

It's definitely going to be just that. I have a truckload of things to get done today, yet I've somehow been rather relaxed up to this point.

The morning started with caffeine, of course

Tim Horton's blend, mmm.

I decided not to have eggs this morning for a change. I had a ton of spinach in the fridge that needed some attention, so I chose to incorporate some green goodness into my breakfast.

I was also craving a fruit, yogurt and nut parfait, which I thought would pair well with a green monster.

The parfait was out of this world!

The heavenly mixture included:

1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup red grapes
1/2 cup Liberte non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp Splenda granulated sweetener
a few sprinkles of cinnamon
1 crumbled pecan
a few sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds

Green love:

3-4 handfuls spinach (I used some leftover stems)
1/2 banana
1/2 Isoflex Chocolate whey protein powder
1/2 - 3/4 cup water
4 ice cubes
1 huge dollop Liberte non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp Splenda granulated sweetener
1 tsp Sweet Nothings chocolate syrup

I used Splenda and sugar-free chocolate syrup this time because I found the spinach stems made my GM more bitter than usual

Let the to do list begin!

I'll leave you with today's theme song. Have a great Monday everyone!

Rainy Sunday

2010-08-23T03:27:00.010-04:00

Today was quite the rainy day! It was definitely much needed after several weeks without it. I had some ragweed allergies this morning, which led me to remedy myself with some garlic and ginger

Best friends!

Cute face?

The little dot to the left of her mouth is a beauty mark :-).

After gulping her down with some h2o, I got ready for work and nibbled on some breakfast

Les oeufs avec une salade

Sesame seeds!

et avec une tasse de café. C'est bon!

I'm not sure where that French came from. Perhaps a flashback from highschool? Speaking of French, I think it would be a good idea to actually learn the language, considering I live in Canada where French is the second language. It's so easy to forget how important languages are to society. I was at work the other day and I was speaking to a girl in English and she didn't seem to understand me very well. She then told me she had just moved to Canada and mainly spoke French but understood a little bit of English. I attempted to speak to her in broken French but she quickly repeated the fact that she understood some English almost instantly. It was kind of funny, actually.

As I worked I snacked on a few almonds, peanuts and dried cranberries anticipating this lunch

You guessed it

Chicken salad! It's become so common during lunch and dinner. Maybe I should just call it CS? I added crumbled goat cheese as well. Gotta love leftovers during lunchbreak!

After work I ventured off to my local grocery store to pick up a few items I'd wanted to grab for a while. I managed to get some tahina (how close is that to my name?!) aka ground sesame seed paste (LOVE!), almond butter, Liberte plain greek yogurt, Nordica fat free cottage cheese, So Good original soymilk, Yoplait Source pineapple coconut banana yogurt, goat cheese, tofu, whole flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, pecans, sunflower seeds and many other goodies.

I left the store at around 8:00 pm meaning I spent about an hour and a half wandering! I love grocery shopping almost as much as I love eating the groceries! I got home at around 8:20 pm and wondered what I was going to whip up for dinner. While snacking on some greek yogurt and grapes, I managed to come up with a few ideas.

I found this tofu in the Asian section of the grocery store. It was vacuum-packed which seemed rather odd to me

It looks like a juice box!

I was sold on its amazing macros. For 1/4 of the package: 30 calories, 0.5 g fat, 1 g carbs, 5 g protein!

This is what 3/4s of it looked like out of the box

The other 1/4 looked like this after being diced and sauteéd

I had some nori sheets laying around along with the huge bowl of salad I made last night. I figured hand rolls would be a perfect dinner tonight!

I'm still learning how to roll them properly. The last packet of nori sheets I had included instructions on how to roll a proper hand roll. My current packet didn't have much of a label as the packaging is clear. I do have about a hundred sheets left, which is definitely a huge plus!

How cute are those?!

Quite the tasty dish! I drizzled some tahina on a few of them for even more enjoyment. Tahina has recently become one of my favourite butters. It's so tasty and has similar nutritionals to most high protein nut butters. The all natural kind contains approximately 95-105 calories per tablespoon, 9 grams of fat (mainly saturated), 2-3 g carbs, and 4-5 g protein

This is how I eat it plain

Love spoonin' that goodness!

Anyways, it's time to hit the hay for the day

Have a good night!

A long awaited dinner

2010-08-22T02:47:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure why, but it took me several hours to make salad with chicken breast. Actually, I do know why; it's because B wasn't here to help me make it. I've realized it takes a lot of practice before a person can create meals in a flash. I've just recently started eating lots of fresh foods which takes more time to prepare than opening a can of tuna.

Tonight's dinner looked like this:

Chicken salad with spinach, green onion, tomato, red pepper, green pepper, cucumber, celery, apple and goat cheese.

Time to catch some Z's so I'm rested for work tomorrow morning. Goodnight!

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

2010-08-21T19:35:00.012-04:00

The day has been rather gloomy and sporadically rainy. Despite the weather conditions, I was feeling rather energetic today. One of my new goals is to complete my workouts in the mornings or late afternoons in order to avoid feeling lazy to workout in the evenings. I also find that when I get my workout done earlier in the day, a huge burden is lifted off my shoulders since one of the most important things on my to-do list is done. This leaves me with the rest of the day to handle other tasks without feeling like I still have to workout.

I woke up this morning feeling very allergic to ragweed, so I swallowed a chopped clove of garlic in order to receive it's anti-histamine affect. I feel like I don't eat as much garlic and ginger as I'd like to. I find it gets pretty tedious cutting the little buggers up, but I've realized it's definitely worth the effort considering the health benefits associated with them.

My boyfriend aka B cooked up some breakie

1 egger & 3 egg whites cooked with green and red peppers, salad with avocado and a sprinkle of goat cheese along with a side of blueberries

A great start to the day!

After breakfast, B and I decided to put on the gloves and knock each other out!

Just kidding. B taught me some cool new moves and helped me learn some tricks. I had planned on going to my boxing class today, but decided I'd rather stay home and get a lesson from B.

I was hoping to go for a run but B was tired and had to work in a few hours. I'm not too crazy about running--especially running alone, so I decided to do a bodyrock workout instead. Today's workout was called the Feel It Burn Workout. The title of this workout definitely holds true! It's definitely one of my favs.

After the workout, I still felt as though I had energy so I went to my gym for a hot yoga class. I'd never had a class with this instructor, but boy was he ever tough! He included a lot of body weight exercises in his class, meaning I did double time today! I'm actually really happy things turned out this way because I was able to push my limits without actually planning to do so. We all need to push our limits when exercising in order to avoid plateaus.

The yoga class left me with an amazing invigorating feeling

My yoga instructor Dan informed our class about certain body parts and explained what each body part's meaning was in yoga. I couldn't help but think about how fortunate I was to have each of the body parts he had mentioned. I felt so foolish for ever making huge deals out of absolutely nothing! I want to take this moment and remember it during times of stress and anxiety in order to remove their unwanted presence in my life.

I made a delicious post-workout green monster

Cute blue rim!

And a hot pink straw for some more dazzle.

I'm absolutely exhausted. I'm just about falling asleep while looking up dinner ideas!

Lalala

2010-08-21T03:00:00.002-04:00

Hey all. Today seemed like one of those days full of errands and running around. I had to go to my school to get some documents and make sure to get to work by 5:00 pm. But that didn't stop me from painting my nails shortly after waking up.

I know I might not have the cutest feet, but at least my veins prove I have good blood flow!

I didn't eat very well throughout the day, causing my dinner to be ginormous. This is definitely something I need to work on because I often end up staying up very late into the next morning.

Today's work out was awesome. I did a bodyrock workout called the Suicidal Sweat Workout. I was drenched in sweat by the end of it. I love that body buzz feeling you get after a good work out. It really makes you feel like you did something amazing for your bod!

My post-workout dinner was delicious. My boyfriend cooked up some chicken which was ready to eat by the time I got back

I paired it with some leftover salad which consisted of spinach, tomato, green onion, cucumber, celery, green pepper, red pepper and avocado. Amazing.

I had several cups of tea with some berries and strawberry Source yogurt for dessert

So good!

I ate copious amounts of peanut butter and honey after this, as well as some tofu sweetened with Splenda. I'm interested in making a tofu pudding with silken/soft tofu. This will definitely be a near-future recipe!

Anyways, I'm off too bed. Goodnight!

A fishy day

2010-08-20T03:07:00.006-04:00

Today was such a crazy day. It was also a very fishy day complete with both halibut and tuna. I started off the day at home relaxing and preparing for my very first, highly anticipated boxing class!

Lunch was absolutely amazing. My darling boyfriend created a lovely masterpiece for the both of us

Halibut with goat cheese and cottage cheese with salad and kidney beans. DELISH! It's always nice to have a boyfriend who's amazing in the kitchen ;)

After lunch, I headed out on a mission to box for the very first time. I was feeling discouraged during my journey, as I was running extremely late. To top that off, I had an issue with one of the subway employers. I asked him if I could get a transfer because I completely forgot to get before leaving the subway platform. Without responding, I saw him check the cameras. I was happy to see that he was actually [somewhat] concerned about me having to pay a double fare for no real reason. After about 5 minutes, I saw him leave the booth and walk over to the convenience store. I was not impressed! I looked in my wallet for an extra transit token or loose change and discovered I only had two cents and a paper-clip left in my wallet. I ran up the stairs to the nearest ATM and noticed people were lined up out the door. I called my boyfriend freaking out about it but he told me not to worry and to just go and see if they'd let me join them even if I was late. I ended up getting there an hour into the two-hour class. Luckily, I was able to try it out for an hour rather than two, which was very cool.

The girls there were really nice and the coach was extremely sweet and helpful. I really feel like I had a great first day! I'm definitely going back to that gym. The coach told me I looked very strong and noticed I had great upper body strength. I was so excited and flattered to hear that =) The year-long membership is a bit pricey ($500) but that's okay because I know I'm really going to enjoy it! The next class is held this Saturday and I'm already stoked for it =D

I got home feeling a little restless. The journey to the gym was quite far and my day hadn't been all that sweet. My boyfriend was kind enough to help me prepare a dinner for myself

A quick tuna salad with goat cheese and cottage cheese along with some red kidney beans on the side. Yummo!

I couldn't help but feel snappy and unhappy today. I was having a great day prior to my journey. After getting home I felt extremely exhausted and uneasy. I feel like I really need to accept things for what they are because every moment in each of our lives has a meaning. We are all supposed to be exactly where we are in each of our lives. We should all be able to appreciate what we have because we could always have much less. I have been granted with so much fortune, I should really be very thankful and not pick at the things I currently don't have.

Ahh, I feel so much better after saying that =)

Anywho, I think it's time for bed. I can't wait to make tomorrow count!

Allergies!

2010-08-18T02:18:00.001-04:00

These days I can't help but wake up at odd times sniffling and trying to itch the back of my throat with my tongue. I woke up this morning at 5:30 am to swallow garlic and nibble on some onion in order to receive an anti-histamine effect. I also ate an apple, grapes, peanut butter and honey in an attempt to combat the yucky aftertaste. I also felt that I deserved a sweet treat for having to deal with such agony. I went back to bed at 6:00 am but awoke again at 8:00 am due to more allergic reactions and completed the same sequence. I then awoke at 10:30 am feeling full so I had a mug of coffee, which also worked as an anti-inflammatory agent.

A splash of So Nice Original was all she needed!

I decided today would be a great day to complete a few sections of my blog. While filling out a few pages, I felt I needed some nourishment and quickly whipped up a green monster.

2 handfuls spinach, 1/2 cup Isoflex chocolate protein powder, 1/3 banana, 4 ice cubes, water = Yummo.

I believe my wisdom tooth is growing in =( The far top left portion of my jaw is throbbing. I would really hate to have to get my top two wisdom teeth removed. I had my bottom two removed several years ago. My top right wisdom tooth grew in about a year ago and thankfully hasn't been bugging me.

Lunch was quite nice. A Classic. Grilled chicken salad baby!

Mmm, always a pleasure!

The boyfriend and I went for a trip to get a gift for a birthday gift for one of my friends. It was nice to hang out and enjoy a summer evening with him. We went to Indigo where we looked through tons of cool reads. Still reading Sophie's World, so I didn't bother to pick anything up.

I'm quite embarrassed to say this but dinner was the same as lunch, bok-bok ;)

Regardless of the fact, it was amazing.

I did a bodyrock workout again. I was going to do the Get Hot Cardio Workout, but I realized I didn't have enough time so I stopped at the 500 reps of high knees and just did the OMG Sexy Body Workout instead.

Anywho, I'm pooped and I have to work in the morning. I almost smell a yoga class too!

Just another day

2010-08-15T01:33:00.002-04:00

It's been a couple days since I've posted!

I'm just getting a few pages done on my blog. I never realized how time-consuming these things are! It's okay, I'm definitely having fun =)

This morning I had a cup of coffee with egg whites and salad

'Twas delicious!

I wasn't hoping to do anything drastic today. I read a few pages of Sophie's World, which my cousin lent me. He told me I wouldn't choose to pick up the book to read, the book would choose to pick me up to read ;) It's actually been pretty amazing so far!

I went for a work out and came back to lunch made by the boyfriend

He made some amaaazing shrimp and chicken, which we both ate with salad

It was so delicious! He cooked the shrimp so well, it tasted like Indian shrimp curry without all the fat and oil! He placed the shrimp over-top of the chicken so the juices would soak in. Yummo! I really loved the combination of shrimp and avocado or chicken and avocado when creating forkfuls for my mouth.

I snacked on mucho peanut butter and honey today, mmm! I just absolutely love that combination. After running a few errands, I definitely needed one of these babies

I made it with my new kettle! My friend Yana got it for me for my birthday =D

No more nuking or boiling water in a saucepan! Yes!

For dinner, I had tuna mixed with mushed avocado and salad. I added some juicy mandarin orange slices and crushed walnuts to make it extra tasty

I thought this was funny while eating

It's a "TLT"- tuna lettuce tomato! Haha 8-)

I snacked on more peanut butter, almonds, honey and a banana afterwards.

I'm rather exhausted! I have work tomorrow so I'd better get some good rest for that. Goodnight!

I'm a grandma!

2010-08-11T01:22:00.001-04:00

Haha ;) okay I'm not literally a grandma, I just feel like going out two nights in a row with minimal sleep makes me cranky and exhausted! I worked all day Sunday, partied all night, woke up Monday afternoon, did a quick workout, went to work, then went out again, partied all night and woke up EXHAUSTED. Two days in a row is definitely brutal!

I really hate feeling super hungover for too many days because then I lose track of all the things I need to do! Not to mention my lack of proper meals. Today I came home and scarfed down tuna with avocado, zucchini linguine, edamame, carrots, a green smoothie, almonds, chocolate chips, tahini, 4 oreos and some tea. I felt like I hadn't eaten in days, haha. I was exhausted so I took a 4 hour nap and woke up to buy some groceries before the store closed.

After a low-carb Monster energy drink, I made an amazing chicken salad for dinner!

I normally bake my chicken, but I find it gets very dry unless I drown it in EVOO, which I didn't want to do. I asked my roommate who always manages to cook delicious, juicy chicken for some advice. He suggested I cook the chicken via stove-top in a large cooking pan.

I seasoned the chicken breast with nutmeg, black pepper, lemon seasoning, cinnamon, salt, basil, rosemary and lemon thyme and cooked it in a large pan on medium heat. I added some chopped red pepper, green pepper, celery and carrot to the pan to help flavour and moisten the chicken. After about 7 minutes, I placed a glass lid on the pan and let it simmer for about 2-3 minutes on low heat. The chicken turned out succulent and juicy! I was very happy with this super fast cooking method

My salad consisted of green leaf lettuce, tomato, avocado, soybean sprouts, red pepper, green pepper, carrots, celery and red grapes. The combination of sweet and juicy chicken with sweet and juicy salad was simply delicious!

Today was my rest day (clearly) so I didn't work out. I don't think I could find the energy to work out even if I tried!

Anyways, I'm still exhausted. I have so much to do tomorrow and I really hope I end up getting a lot done!

Zucchini fettuccine helps me fit in my bikini!

2010-08-08T01:45:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone!

I had lunch at Spring Rolls today with my two aunts and my sister. One of my aunts wanted to take me out to celebrate my birthday =)

The food was okay. There was some sort of Dim Sum lunch menu going on. I ordered the California Lettuce Wrap and the Steamed Chicken & Shrimp Wrap in Cabbage Soup.

The California Lettuce Wrap ended up being a make-your-own iceberg lettuce wrap which involved placing greasy, fried, sauced-up chicken and wilted vegetables in a leaf of iceberg lettuce, wrapping it up and eating it. I was not impressed. I hope the next time I order a meal at a restaurant, I won't have to make my own food (Korean barbeque is an exception!).

The Steamed Chicken & Shrimp Wrap in Cabbage Soup was okay. There were three individual wraps in a small bowl of soup, which tasted like water with a bit of vegetable bouillon. Each wrap was a mixture of steamed chicken and shrimp tightly wrapped in a leaf of cabbage, and ribboned with a stringy green vegetable of some sort. Overall, I liked this course better than the California Lettuce Wrap.

I didn't take pictures, as I was rather unimpressed by the food and the service. Perhaps I will next time, as a visual aid is always nice--even when the food isn't that great!

I'm very frugal when it comes to shopping, but I couldn't help but spend 4 hours at the mall with my sister after lunch. She calls it "retail therapy".

I got home from the mall EXHAUSTED. My sister is a power shopper, she doesn't believe in rest intervals. I felt like my bladder was going to burst considering we didn't even get a washroom break!

I made one of my favourite meals: Zucchini Fettucine!

All you need are the following:

zucchini
tomato sauce
a microwave or stovetop
a peeler, knife or spiralizer
protein of your choice (optional) I used chicken breast in this recipe
extra cut up veggies of your choice (optional)

Cook protein of your choice if you decide to have some with your fettuccine
Peel, thinly slice or spiralize
Mix in desired amount of tomato sauce with zucchini fettuccine
Microwave or cook zucchini and tomato sauce until warm
Add cooked protein of choice
Serve and enjoy!

YUM!

I had one of these badboys for dessert

2 huge handfuls spinach
1/3 banana
1/2 cup chocolate Isoflex whey protein isolate
3 ice cubes
just enough water to get 'er blendin'!

So good!

I just did a bodyrock workout and I am pooped! I recommend you guys try it out. It's called the Fast Burn Workout. It definitely kicked my butt!

Anyways, I have to shower and get to bed. I have to work tomorrow morning and get ready for a night of dinner and dancing! Bye