Salad in a Jar

I've been making a profound effort to pack my lunches so that I don't: 

1) Eat something terribly bad but terribly delicious at work

2) Spend extra money on lunches when I'm already buying food for home

One thing I super hate though is actually having to.. pack my lunch.. I would love, love, love to just be able to pack for the week on Sunday and be done with it. And I never really came up with a way to do that since I predominantly eat salads.....

Until now. 

If you've been perusing Pinterest for healthy eats, this may already have happened onto your radar. It's called Salad. In a Jar. And it is quite the life saver and it just looks freaken' cute. 

The thought behind this little morsel of genius is that inverting the salad with the dressing on bottom and the lettuce far away from the wet stuff will keep the salad fresh for days! And it does my friends, it sure does. The meat marinates in the salad dressing,and the lettuce stays safe and far away from anything that'll make it wilt. Also, I like to think that the mason jar with lid keeps it a lil extra fresh and crispy- but what do I know? 

Here's what I like to do: 

Add a good dose of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the bottom of the jars. 

Add your meat, for me it's usually tuna or chicken 

Add your fixins: avocado, craisins, onion, etc 

Add the lettuce, I usually use romaine and I cram it in 

Then you just screw the lid on and then eat when you're darn and ready. I usually dump mine out into a bowl and voila, salad in the correct, preferable arrangement. 

The possibilities are endless though, you could make a taco salad, nicoise salad, anything that floats your boat really. Just keep the dressing and lettuce apart like they were divorced parents at a Christmas party. 

Yumvelope - January 2014

I really want to continue blogging about what I'm getting in these Yumvelope packages because they all freaking rock! I really regret not taking pictures of the December one because it was truly my favorite, they had Liz Lovely cookies, mint tea, and lots of chocolate- they even put it in a lil gift baggie! 

January didn't disappoint either, I feel like they were maybe trying to have a healthy snack theme (since that's often on alot of people's minds with new years resolutions) 

Something new in this box was something inedible, but still made with food: Savannah Bee honey body wash! I love the idea, and that it's made with real honey- but if I may be quite frank... I make my own beauty and cleaning products so I'm strictly in this for the grub. I'm sure many others loved this addition however. 

Weirdest name ever, but these Garuka bars are heavenly. It's seriously an item I can't believe is that healthy for you. Note, in my world healthy does NOT equal low calorie but instead fresh, whole food ingredients. 

It takes akin to the love child of a Payday and a Quaker's granola bar without all the nasty additives and fillers. 

These. Are. Amazing. I haven't actually had one for breakfast because they just seem too decadent but I have enjoyed one as a mid-morning snack with a cup of tea and wow did it hit the spot. 

Morning Sunshine Breakfast Cookies for the win! 

Next up, a delicious and healthy snack of pistachios- not one but TWO boxes full! The Gilded Nut Snack Co. Original and Mediterranean blend mmm mmm! The original was kind of spicy, but then I'm a wuss- I'm sure 97.5% of the rest of the population won't even notice, my husband sure didn't. 

I get so incredibly excited about these packages and there's absolutely nothing better than getting something yummy, fun, and a SURPRISE in the mail every month! I highly suggest- it's my favorite! 

My First Yumvelope - July 2012 Review

After a crappy day of work one day, I came home to another super awesome package!! 

My first Yumvelope! 

Please ignore the awful mess piling up on my front room table. 

I was really impressed with how much was stuffed into a standard sizes shipping envelope.  They really stuffed this puppy to the brim!

Included in the bag was: 

• A card with a note from Yumvelope on one side, on the other side a list of the included goodies with coupon codes for 10% off GoPicnic Meals and 25% off Honey Stinger Waffles. 
• GoPicnic ready-to-eat meals: Hummus + crackers
• A granola with coconut Macrobar
• The Good Bean sweet cinnamon roasted chickpeas
• A Honey Stinger Waffle 
• Tulsi organics tea 
• 2 packets of Gogo Squeez in Apple Cinnamon 

I've heard of (and love) GoPicnic products, I had actually ordered a case of the peanut butter boxes a while back and was thoroughly pleased to receive a hummus one in my Yumvelope.  I love that these are shelf-stable and super portable.  I like to keep these in my drawer at work for emergencies and we have one in our glove compartment in the car.  This would especially be great for vegans/vegetarians who travel because sometimes finding fast food that is vegetarian (or remotely healthy) is tricky! 

The Macrobar comes in a variety of 10 flavors, is USDA certified organic, vegan, and macrobiotic.  I received the granola w/ coconut flavor and I am jazzed because I love coconut! This bar has 210 calories, 8g fat, 36g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 5g protein - this would make for a nice breakfast bar for anyone on the go! Other flavors I have my eye on are peanut butter chocolate chip and banana almond- mmm....

The Good Bean roasted chickpeas are sweet cinnamon flavored with a hint of vanilla.  They boast 7g of protein per serving, are high in fiber with 6g per serving, and are gluten free.  From the ingredients list they also appear to be vegan but they don't say so on the label. Other flavors include: Sea Salt, Cracked Pepper, and Smoky Chili & Lime- wow I bet the savory ones rock too! They also sell some fruit bars that look interesting. 

I don't know why, but I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the honey flavored stinger waffle. I think it's because it feels so dense and chewy through the package.  It's super flat and lightweight so great for travel, and reminds me of a more dense looking pitzel.  The flavor is amazing, sweet and chewy like a sugar cookie flavored with honey- yum!  On their website, other flavors include chocolate, lemon, vanilla, and strawberry. One waffle has 160 calories, 7g fat, 21g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, and 0g protein.  I'm kind of disappointed that there isn't any protein in it but then, it's supposed to be an energy bar, not a protein bar.  While this is perfect for bikers and those performing high energy, endurance sports or races, I wouldn't recommend munching on these just because "they're healthy."  Save these for their intended purpose! 

So excited for tea! Included were three packets of Tulsi Organics tea: 1 Tulsi & Lemongrass, 1 Pure Tulsi, and 1 Tulsi Chai.  They also have Tulsi Ginger available.  Evidently, Tulsi is a plant used commonly in Ayurvedic medicine in India to promote calmness, alleviate stress, balance metabolism, and strengthen immunity. In English it's called "Holy Basil". Well if it does all that- sign me up!! It's caffeine free so I will definitely be having a cup in the evenings to relax me. 

Last but not least, some GoSo Squeez packets - I'm excited to try these because I love cinnamon flavored applesauce and I'm sure these won't disappoint.  There was also a packet of this in my Conscious Box so I'm glad to have a variety of flavors. As I mentioned before, these are cute and a good option if you're in a pinch without access to fast, healthy food but again I think it's cheaper and healthier to eat an apple and call it a day. Just sayen'.. I like the little cap at the top too- reminds me of a canteen. 

I can honestly say I am very impressed and pleased with the variety of products included and will be continuing my subscription with them- Lordy I can't wait until August now! 

I would also like to mention that I wrote this review of my own accord and received no money, free items, or anything of that nature from Yumvelope.  They didn't ask me to write a review for them, I did it merely because I love the idea, love the products, and think others would enjoy them as much as I do!

My First Conscious Box - July 2012 Review

So I have caught wind recently of this really awesome trend where people are subscribing and having awesome packages send via snail mail to their homes.  They have ones for food, beauty products, and I found a vegan, eco-friendly one that I have been absolutely ecstatic about finally getting!  The company is called Conscious Box and they are AWESOME!! I'm so pleased with my experience I've had with them.  Everything from quick processing of my order, to speedy delivery, fun updates on Facebook from them, and the box is so great and chock full of things I like! I also feel I definitely got my money's worth (something that was lacking with my Healthy Surprise box..)

Conscious Box tends to stuff their boxes with a theme, this month's theme is about enjoying the simple pleasures of the summer season in July.  

I have to confess, I was so excited to look through my box I opened it up and immediately started unpacking  all the goodies so I can't show you how genius they were about packing so much into this modestly sized box! I tried 5 times to get everything back in and I just couldn't.  Whoever works there must really rock it out when packing their clothes for vacation... 

I do remember that, lying on top of the goods was their signature card, explaining everything that was in the box for July.  Underneath it was a cute post card with an uplifting quote on it... I have to be honest though. I'm not sure what the photo is of- is that bamboo?

Reading through the list of items, I became super excited to see products from Aura Cacia!! I love, love, love their aromatherapy products and am so glad I signed up in time to get this box! 

Included in the box was a vial of sweet orange essential oil and a deck of Aromatherapy cards.  

These cards are so great!! They have three sections: Essentials, Benefits, and Formulations.  The essentials cards go over basic, commonly used scents, how they're procured and their common uses. The benefits section goes over common ailments that can be helped through aromatherapy (headaches, PMS, lethargy, etc.) and suggestions on what aromas to use to treat them.  The formulations section has great recipes and ideas for use, such as mists, bath gels, lotions. Also- a dollar off coupon was included! Woohoo! 

Next up was some makeup! They can't go wrong there, especially for me! They included eye shadow from The All Natural Face in the shade of Lemon Ice which I felt complimented my skin tone very well and had a lovely shimmery after-effect.  The shade seemed very forgiving for many skin tones actually. I think it would make a great highlighting tone to sweep over your brow bone. They also included a 20% off code! 

Also included was some "Muscle & Joint Therapeutic Cream" from Jadience Herbal Formulas. I haven't tried this yet but I'm all for more natural treatments so when in need- I will be trying this out. Skimming through the ingredients I see burdock root, goji berry, chinese foxglove, aloe vera, and jojoba oil.  The active ingredient is camphor (a topical analgesic).  Mike has had some issues with his knee recently, maybe we'll try it out on him next time and see how it does! 

As if I weren't already suspicious Conscious Box was eavesdropping on me and taking note of items I need and love, they also included a sample of "Naturally it's Clean" by Enzyme Fresh Home. I was literately just looking a few days ago for a natural cleaner for hardwood that wouldn't leave streaks or sticky residue. Directions say to mix this packet with a 1/2 gallon of water and mop as per usual. Safely cleans hardwood, ceramic tile, stone, cork, bamboo, laminate, linoleum, vinyl, and any water washable flooring. 

Next up we have a "Just Great Stuff" bar by Betty Lous in superberry acai flavor.  This bar is vegan and gluten free, made with goji berries, acai berries, and raspberries. The bar is also USDA certified organic.  The benefits of this bar include antioxidants and dietary fiber, as well as unsaturated fatty acids.  Sometimes I'm a little leery of these health bars because I've seen some with as many as 350 calories!! Yipe! I was pleasantly surprised to find this bar only has 180 calories with 7g fat, 24g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 5g protein. Not too shabby- this would make a nice snack or even breakfast on the go! Also a plus, I recognized all the items on the ingredients list as food. 

St. Claire's Organics Peppermints were an exciting find also, I'll be tucking these goodies in my purse! They are also USDA certified organic, allergen-free and vegan. The ingredients include organic molasses granules, organic evaporated cane juice, and organic peppermint essential oil.  They smell super strong and minty, I could smell them from the conscious box before I even opened it! They taste similar to an Altoid but not quite so overwhelming, and what's even more fun, there's a nice saying on the inside of the lid to inspire you every time you grab a mint.  I won't spoil what it says, buy a box and find out

I'm an avid lover of coffee and tea (hot or cold, on a boat, with a goat, etc.) so any tea samples will be welcomed with open arms. I've never heard of Tea Forte before, so I was thinking it was merely a sample of green tea in various flavors.  Then I noticed the heading of "Skin Smart antioxidant amplifier teas" which was intriguing.  How cool is that- they hone in on ingredients that help prevent skin cell oxidative damage to help prevent aging.  I'm not overly concerned with my skin, though I should be, but who doesn't want to keep their glowing, healthy, young face?  The flavors sound super yummy too, cucumber mint, cherry marzipan, and honey yuzu- nom!! Also included was a dollar off web coupon.  After meandering over to their website they also offer a myriad of other delicious sounding teas- especially the rare tea: jasmine pearls!

This Sun Warrior supplement looks rather intense... I was nervous this was for a power lifter or someone who clearly works out more than me (not that that's a huge feat). The warrior blend: a protein powder of pea, cranberry, and hemp protein (clearly all plant-based) also boasts being gluten free, soy free, dairy free, hypo-allergenic, and non-GMO.  Directions say just mix with 8-10oz of water, rice milk , or favorite beverage.  It wasn't outrageous in calories or powder- I would definitely use it just to supplement my diet in protein.  This puppy will be going in a nice cold glass of soy milk the next time I need a boost of protein! 

I thought that the GoGo Squeez mango flavored applesauce packet was a cute idea.  This is supposed to be a portable, quick way to get some food into your kids (or yourself). Ingredients: apple, mango, banana, and apple juice concentrate.  I guess if you're in a pinch and this is as healthy as it gets- go for it.  However, I still think it's so much better (and cheaper) just to eat an apple, get for fiber, and call it a day.  I'm really grateful for the chance to have sampled one though! 

Now that it's been in the 80-90's range here in Pittsburgh, I have been craving a nice tall glass of iced tea and BAM, thank you again conscious box!  A sample from Mighty Leaf Iced Tea is just what the doctor ordered.  Included was one sample of whole leaf tea in a silken pouch, Calypso Mango flavored and it smells amazing. $1.75 off coupon included seals the deal. 

To "sweeten the deal", Madhava Natural Sweeteners samples were included! One of organic light agave nectar and one of organic coconut sugar.  I have been a fan of Madhava's agave nectar for a while and use their products regularly, but I actually haven't tried the coconut sugar so I'm super excited to give that a go! A coupon was included for both items, a dollar off each product. 

Also included in the box:

• 20% off coupon for Maple Hill Dryer Balls 
• $1 off coupon for Naturally it's Clean (available at East End Food Co-op)
• $1 off coupon for Jovial Einkorn Pasta.(they also have a free shipping code on their website!)  

Last but not least, for an extra treat since I posted on Conscious Box's facebook page, a Powbab super fruit chew! This little chew boasts immunity strength by providing 100% daily dose of vitamins C & E, and a good source of vitamin A.  It also contains this fruit I've never heard of called a baobab, known as the "Tree of Life" in Africa. I'll let you know how this tastes..

Whew! Hopefully this peek into the Conscious box has caught your attention and interested you in giving it a try- I highly recommend because it ROCKS!!! 

Oh FYI- I have subscribed to Conscious Box of my own free will, have not accepted any money, free items, or anything of that sort from them, and am just freely offering up my time and opinions on the box because I truly enjoy their product.  Conscious Box didn't even ask me to review it- I just did it BECAUSE I CAN!!  

:) 

Friday Dinner with Friends

Now I'll be the first to admit, I'm a tad superstitious, I wear my lucky necklace every day, believe in spreading good Karma, carry crystal quartz in my purse, and run screaming from black cats. Okay, just kidding about the last one, I run towards cats because they're so fluffy and cute! My point being - I figured Friday the 13th would be seriously awful and catastrophic seeing as how that's the rep it has.  I was envisioning everyone malnourished in the state of PA flooding into the hospital all needing nutrition intervention STAT!

After an uneventful (Thank God) day at work, Mikey and I did some super-speed grocery shopping and then headed over to our friends place for dinner to celebrate their very recent engagement!  Appetizers were already laid out on the table- some fruit kebabs with adorable marshmallow stars at the top!!  Hilarious note- the creator of this dish noticed someone messed up the spiral design in the dip and ran to bust out a squeeze bottle of green gel to rectify the situation.  I've never seen her move so fast. 

Because I'm predictable and unoriginal, I brought my standard brie, jam, and crackers. Everyone seemed to enjoy it though!  Note to self: make sure you remove all the plastic from the cheese before putting the jam on- oops! Evidently the men were having issues cutting the cheese (haha) because they put little strips of plastic on the exposed sides to help the wedge keep it's shape. 

I have to say though, the star appetizer of the night was the hostess's creation of tuna tartar with fried wontons... this seriously looks like it's from a restaurant.  She made two and they were devoured in 5 minutes each- super, super noms and so beautiful!

Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures for the rest of the meal (which was delicious) because as we sat down for dinner, the hostess handed me this: 

Now in my happy, ditsy little world- I'm thinking oooh- party favors!  She mentioned that she'd already given  the other gal hers, and this is definitely something creative she would do so I thought nothing of it.  

Inside was a note: 

Now clearly here, I was slightly suspicious of what the question would be, but wanted to make sure I was absolutely correct so as not to create awkwardness or an idiot of myself so I feverishly went to work on the puzzle you can see in the upper right hand corner.  I was pretty nervous while I was putting the puzzle together because everyone was watching me and I suck at puzzles, plus my mind was going a mile a minute.  I was beginning to think it might say like .. will you be my best buddy or.. will you... go do something with me...who knows. I think I was just in disbelief and too modest to think, because I've never, ever been asked to do something SO AWESOME BEFORE! 

FINALLY after much encouragement (and help) I got the sucker put together and YAY!!! 

I was so elated and excited to be included in their special day, I started crying haha! But that's also par for the course with me.  I'm so excited because Mike is also in the wedding and I was trying to think how we would plan that day out if he were with them and I went separately to the wedding/reception area.  Looking back, I'm fully aware it was blatantly obvious to everyone else- but I was just too retarded and afraid to assume until I had it directly in front of my face.  I'm so excited to be included and help such a wonderful couple plan one of the most important days of their lives. 

Ahh I'm such a romantic. <3 

And a foodie: dinner was fantastic- roasted potatoes, a red cabbage/fennel/carrot slaw, grilled chicken, and caprese salad.  Everything was super tasty- I definitely polished off the plate of potatoes while they were ridding up dishes. I have no shame. 

Dessert was a.. I think raspberry pie with vanilla ice cream and whipped topping- but I forget because I was 3-4 beers in and still excited about being asked to be a bridesmaid!! Oh, I guess it's matron now - what an old sounding word!! Booo hiss!! I'm still a fresh young, starry-eyed teenager with the world as my oyster! 

Anyways, what a great way to put my suspicions about Friday the 13th to rest! 

Happy Birthday Hubby!!

Wednesday was Mikey's b-day, the big 3-0! I had to work so I couldn't do a whole lot the day of... I laid out a steak for him as his birthday treat. 

Breakfast was a Larabar and apple slices, snack was the same old thing, lunch was a tofurkey sammy with a soygurt. Trader Joe's soy yogurt is delicious by the way!! 

When I got home I hurried up and threw all of our CSA goodies in the fridge and excitedly opened my first Conscious Box!!! (More on that later...)  Then I delved into dinner.  I made steamed purple potatoes, tomato salad, braised bok choy, and I sauteed some garlic and beans with some smoked salt for protein. Mike had a Del Monico steak with smoked salt. He seemed to enjoy it quite heartily. 

Delicious summer meal... I need more tomatoes ASAP!!!

I didn't know what to get Mike for his birthday so I raided his Amazon wish list which was barren.. Therefore, all he got  was some new batteries for his XBox controllers, some shirts and underwear.  But luckily a friend gave me a great idea for a fun birthday gift which is currently en route!! I hope he likes it! 

I also made him black bean brownies... I wasn't up for making a full blown cake after the day I had, which I feel really bad about but I don't think he minded.  I think he enjoyed the brownies!! 

He dug into it before I could take a picture haha!

So, happy birthday to my cute, loving, and wonderful husband!!  May you have many, many more years of  health and happiness! 

Tofutti Cutie Patootie

I've been feeling really guilty about the fact that I have probably 10+ vegan cookbooks and I rarely actually cook out of them. I'm usually doing all that I can to play catch up with my CSA goodies and I just cook by the seat of my pants.  Well I was rummaging through my veggie drawers when I found that yuca root I bought a while back when I went to the Strip District.  Oopsie, a little embarrassing haha! Good thing it's a root and was still perfectly fine. 

I made the yuca quesadillas from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Veganomicon only I added black beans, green bell peppers and red onion.  While it was quite delicious and filling, I have to say it was too time consuming and I'd rather just slap some veggies and Daiya cheese in a tortilla and call it a day.  Buy hey, I fully embrace the processed vegan foods at my fingertips. If you're more into whole foods and avoiding that processed jazz I would highly recommend this for your 'dilla fix! 

I took the leftovers for lunch along with some soygurt.  For breakfast, I had a Lara bar, I tried the cashew cookie but I should have known better seeing as how I'm not that big of a fan of cashews.  For snacks I had a gigantic apple and some almonds.  Oh, I also bought some broccoli and cheese soup from the cafeteria but it was so nasty I ended up throwing it out. Definitely lost my taste for cheese. Blargh. 

I had one and a half of the leftover quesadillas for lunch so I was pretty darn full still when I got home.  Nevertheless I fired up the stove top and made Mikey his dinner.  I made two cups of basmati rice for us to split and assembled this beef and broccoli kit I bought at Trader Joes for nights such as this. As in, nights I don't want to cook.  The kit was pretty nice, I just popped the broccoli in the microwave, thawed the sauce, and sauteed the beef strips in a nonstick pan for 6-8 minutes.  Then I tossed all the ingredients together and cooked until the sauce thickened. 

While Mikey ate, I went and worked out to my exercise DVD- talk about being proactive!! I was so jazzed because I can tell the DVDs are working, I feel so much stronger and don't get nearly as tired as when I first began! Aaaannddd it's only been a week and a half!! 

After I exercised, I had worked up QUITE the appetite and I was jealous of Mikey's little beef and broccoli  dinner so I decided to grab my Chickenless Mandarin Orange Morsels and make one myself.  Where's my vegetarian kit Trader Ming!!! 

I microwaved a box of broccoli spears and repeated the steps from Mike's meal and voila! My own Chinese deliciousness.  I added some soy sauce because it's against my religion to eat white rice without it. Wow! It was so.. so.. good. I will definitely be buying this stuff again!!! I'm working on building up my arsenal of ready made vegan foods and this just made my top ten! I ate the entire bag and I don't even care.. 

Then I followed up dinner with a chocolate Tofutti Cutie (which I ate while writing this post). 

P.S. I hate Nicki Minaj

Working on the Weekend

Whenever I work on Saturday, I like to pack things I can grab quickly (or spear with a fork) and munch on while I type since I see on average 18-24 patients and have to chart on... all of them.  For breakfast I had an Odwalla bar and the bag of almonds and prunes. 

By lunch I was sooo hungry- beyond famished.  My stomach was gnawing on itself and threatening to eat a lung if I didn't feed it ASAP! So I heated up the Brussels sprouts and topped it with TJ's edamame hummus which, by the way, this combo is a-ma-zing. I scarfed that down and plowed through my peaches and berries a few minutes later. 

It.. was not... enough.. I ran down to the cafeteria looking for further sustenance... Lo and behold I found...  

Garden vegetable soup. So, so, so good. I dunked some whole wheat crackers in it and went to town! YUM! It gave me the energy I needed to bust through the rest of my charts! 

I had to wait for Mike to come pick me up so I decided to take a stroll through Oakland. 

Big mistake. 

What was I thinking? It's literately like 100 degrees outside and I have to wear pants and sleeved shirts at work. Boy was I dumb (and sweating in 2 minutes flat).  I walked by a Starbucks and grabbed an iced coffee with soy milk and splenda.  The ice was melted in five minutes of me walking back outside but who cares? I drank the glass super fast anyways. 

I didn't feel like cooking dinner today, so I popped into Chipotle while Mike drove into Oakland. I ordered a burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, onions and peppers, corn salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, and lettuce. It's my staple. I get it every time. Actually I think anyone that's vegan would also get this same exact bowl (well I bet the salsas differ but still). This bowl (being sans meat, cheese, and sour cream) comes in at 555 calories. Not too shabby. The guacamole wasn't that exciting so I think I'll leave it off next time so that my bowl will only be 400 calories. Oooooh go me. I broke the Chipotle curse of being extremely high calorie.  I kinda have to because....

I eats the whole thing.. nom nom nom... 

No working out tonight because I worked on a Saturday and that would be cruel. 

Ta ta! 

Saturday updates

Saturday morning we ate at the continental breakfast available at the hotel and then had to run out to the mall because my darling husband left his suit jacket at home.  What's hilarious is, after his mom and dad found out about this, the entire group at the wedding was aware and kept complimenting him on his new suit jacket.  I just wanted to complete the circle by making sure everyone not at the wedding was also updated on the situation- haha!!  Also, to be fair, I needed to buy some Spanx- just keepin' it real. 

I have decided my one and only reason I would ever move to a big city such as Boston, NYC, San Fran etc... is that they have all kinds of awesome, veggie-friendly foods at their fingertips!!!!! I found these Odwalla bars (which are non-existent in Pittsburgh) at a CVS in the mall! SCORE!!! 

After our excursion to the mall, I headed over to the ceremony/reception area to get all dolled up for the occasion.  Mike's mom offered to have our hair and make up professionally done and wow was it worth it.  We had a little nibble fest while we were getting ready, we had guacamole, fruit, cheese, salsa, and chips. Oh, and champagne :)  

[Insert long, long, loooooooong night of beautiful ceremony, pictures, delicious food, and lots and lots of alcoholic beverages.  I have a hard, fast rule that when I drink, I keep my phone somewhere safe so that I don't lose it. I've had bad luck with that in the past] 

Thursday & Friday Updates

Well I've been out of commission for the past few days and decided I'd better get cracken' before I get too far behind. This past weekend (June 30th to be exact) was Mike's sister's wedding. We went to Boston for the weekend, heading out on Friday.  I was, in a word, pathetic about taking pictures, something I definitely need to work on when I'm traveling. But wait, don't let me get ahead of myself... 

This was dinner on Thursday night. Unfortunately, it looked way more delectable in person. I was trying to make a pseudo nicoise salad. This is red lettuce topped with tuna, green beans, capers, blue potatoes, onion, and avocado. I drizzled balsamic vinegar on top and sprinkled on some chives. 

Super, super yums. I'll definitely be making this again. Also- I LOVE BLUE POTATOES! My papaw gave me some when I was younger one time and I've been in love with the pretty lil spuds ever since. 

Dessert was a big bowl of bing cherries with a night of Nurse Jackie. I freaken' love that show! 

Look how pretty and shiny the cherries are... yuuumm.... 

Friday morning we packed up all of our things, took Razor to puppy daycare, and scrounged around in our fridge for any remnants of food.  Mike had eggs and leftover chicken, I had half a bowl of oatmeal and some bread with hummus on top. They weren't even worth taking pictures.

After we got to the airport, I was a wee bit peckish so I got a bag of my ultimate, most favorite, "It's so good I don't care to feel guilty" treat..... 

And proceeded to eat the entire bag (well Mike helped).

This poor bird kept walking around the gate area looking utterly confused.  Clearly he missed his flight.

Our flight to Boston was stress-free and super easy- no complaints here! Once we got in, we took a cab to the hotel and relaxed for a bit.  The rehearsal dinner wasn't for a few hours so we ran over to Dunkin' Donuts and grabbed some sammies and iced coffee.  Oh wow, is their iced coffee delicious.. On our way back into the hotel with goodies in hand, one of the old ladies going to the rehearsal dinner was like, "You know dinner's at 6, right?" 

Yes, I know, thank you for reminding me about the dinner we flew specifically in for, but seeing as how I haven't eaten in 5-6 hours and am currently famished, you'll have to excuse me that I'm eating 3 hours before another meal. We can't all be 70 and eat one meal a day, sorry.  Also, who sits in a lobby, completely dressed and ready for dinner, three hours before the dinner.

So, after eating our sammies (I got a tuna melt, Mike got a breakfast sandwich) we dressed for dinner and went to the lobby to wait for Mike's parents to come down... 

We waited..... 

and we waited... 

Hi- still waiting. Haha. Oh my. 

The rest of the night involved riding the T, taking a subway, walking through China town. All in heels because I thought we were taking a cab. Not fun. 

Dinner was fantabulous, it was at a Chinese restaurant (well duh, we were in china town) but I forget the name of it.  I was too hot, tired, sweaty, and out of my element to take pictures but it all ROCKED. 

To be continued...

Hey Baby!!

Hands down, my favorite greeting I get from my male patient's with Alzheimer's is "Hey Baby!" or perhaps "Hey Sugar!". I love the things they say haha! Work was work. Nothing especially exciting... 

Breakfast also wasn't particularly exciting, I had a big bowl of my oatmeal goodness and washed it down with a big cup o' coffee (splenda & soy creamer of course!) 

For lunch I had a sammy made of Ezekiel 4:9 bread, hickory smoked Tofurkey, veggie cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce, mustard, mayo- BAM! It was quite delicious, I'm really digging the Tofurkey brand lunch meats, much better than Yves (in my humble opinion). 

I also had some hummus and carrots :)

Dinner was exceptionally delectable, a salmon burger with avocado, sriracha, onion, and mayo (vegannaise) followed by sauteed green beans and eggplant with more sriracha. YUUUUUMMMMMM! 

I must confess, I also had some pretzel chips and hummus as an "appetizer" while I was cooking.  I don't know why I'm so famished when I get home from work every day. 

Mikey has improv tonight so workout, True Blood, and Ghost Whisperer for me!!!!! Woo! 

Oats n'at

I wasn't feeling a tofu scramble for breakfast this week so I made some more oatmeal for Monday-Thursday. Mike's sister's wedding is this weekend so we're heading out to Boston on Friday.  I had to go through the nauseating experience of trying to find a dress and I just absolutely couldn't find anything I liked. Blah. 

Moving on.... 

10 grain oats + chia seeds + peanut butter + cookie butter + vanilla soy milk = heaven

Top is premixed, bottom is after a good whippen'! 

I know the ingredients may sound gross but it's such a yummy treat for breakfast! 

I was super, super busy at work today so all I grabbed was some Italian wedding soup for lunch, bummer. Oh and I had a Clif bar, and alot, alot of water. 

After lunch, one of my co-workers went to Pittsburgh Popcorn Company and got a giant bag of popcorn, and by giant, I mean:  

Luckily she shared! 

This is the Jalapeno popper (I'm pretty sure). She let us take some home too!! 

For dinner I sauteed some green beans with garlic and olive oil and roasted some eggplant. I also had some smoked salmon with onions, capers, and some pretzel chips. Nothing schmancy... 

I am too tired to be witty. G'night