Monday Yoga and a salad to die for!

I always start out productive and motivated at the beginning of the week, but once Wednesday hits and the closer Friday arrives, I lose it. Do you all ever do that? Hopefully I'm not the only one.
Monday I felt so on top of things. I ran my errands, paid the rest of my deposit for the new apartment! oooo I'm so excited. Everything just went smoothly yesterday. 
I didn't end up working, so after starting my online statistics course I wanted to go for a short one. I ended up running to Ritter Park and doing 3 miles. I was rushing back because I really wanted to go to this yoga class at the Marshall Rec. 
I was a little late, but I got in :)

Here is how I did 

Oh yoga was amazing yesterday! Especially after running the past couple days. My body needed that extra stretch. While I was running, Grace was at hot yoga and while I was at yoga she was running. But we finished around the same time and I asked her if she wanted to go to Black Sheep (a burrito, hippy place) to get something to eat. I was craving their black sheep salad! She said yes, so we changed and walked on over there since it's so close to campus.

The salad was huge! It came with mixed greens, Parmesan cheese, cashews, black beans, fried egg noodles, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and so so much more! I also got a side of their red pepper slaw. Super delicious and I ate all of it. I was full afterwards, but not stuffed. I left my phone at home, so I didn't take any photos. Sorry! But if you ever go to Black Sheep, you need to get their salad. I love it!!

Planning, organizing, and running. BUT.... Coffee first right?

 


My schedule has had a makeover the past week, so I'm trying to figure out how to fit everything I need to do around my new work positions. 
Backyard pizza, an absolutely amazing pizzeria in my town, is putting a burger restaurant right beside them. I applied for a position there, and they offered me a job in the back of the house as a cook. I'm super excited because I've never worked in a restaurant as a cook before, (just at the kitchen teaching classes and volunteering for others), so this will be a whole new experience for me! I can't wait, and we start opening up in the next week. 

The only thing is 
A. I still have my work study which I'll talk about my new position there in a minute. 
B. The Pedler wants me there almost every day starting probably about 3 until maybe 10 or 11pm. I'm completely okay with that for summer, because I'm just taking a few classes, but during the fall my schedule will probably have another makeover. 

So, you know that I'm not at the kitchen anymore. I went to the hospital for a position since they own the kitchen and that is where I do my work study and volunteer hours. Well, I'll be working directly in the hospital but only on Saturday and Sunday. I get 8 hours a week. So 4 hours Sat and 4 on Sun. 
Where am I exactly??.. The ER. They put me behind the desk at the ER to direct patients, and other visitors. But let me tell you, it gets very intense in there. But, that's all I'm going to say.

So, The point is, I've been trying to organize my days and weeks so I can run, study, go to my classes, and work. It can be rough sometimes, because there is always something that comes up to alter your schedule. You just have to go with the flow when that happens. 

Wish me luck everyone!

Yesterday was my breakthrough. I ran as hard (for a long period of time) and as consistent as ever. I went into this run not knowing if it was going to be a 2 mi or hardly anything at all. After 2 miles, I was feeling a stitch coming on in my right side, and I stopped and walked for 2 minutes. I had my headphones in and I wasn't finished running. So I pushed through it. After 3 miles the stitch went away and I felt like superwoman.

I had only ran 5 miles before without stopping, and even with those 2 minutes of walking in between I kept going. Once I hit 6 miles I knew I was done. My legs felt like they were air, my lungs were open spaces, and my stomach was crying for food. My body was physically exhausted but my mind was wide awake. I loved every second of that accomplishment. 

It does not matter if you have never ran before and you ran half of a mile... You WILL feel accomplished. It doesn't matter if you ran 13 miles and you ran to 15, you will feel accomplished. 

One thing I love about running, is, it's all on you. If you keep working and putting the effort into it, YOU will get the results. Running is my best friend, and it definitely is my therapy. 

 

Family Pizza Night

You can never go wrong with pizza. Everyone has that one meal that they go to whenever they are in a rut and don't know what they want. 
Well.... instead of running like we had planned, Grace and I made a pizza. I've never made an actual homemade pizza besides the kitchen. I'm not the best at making bread or preparing dough for a recipe, but this turned out super neat and delicious. Of course we added tons of cheese and veggies and even some chicken for the main source of protein. 

First the dough. Which Grace definitely took over :) 
She used:
Whole wheat flour
sugar (like 2 tsp)
salt
olive oil 
active dry yeast

While the dough was rising I started on the chicken. The dough should rise for about 10-15 minutes. We put it on the stove to help it rise a little better with the heat. 

 I cut the in a little pieces and seasoned it with salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. I threw the chicken in a pan with a little bit of olive oil and let it cook until tender.

We also grated our own mozzarella cheese!
 

Our choice of veggies and fruit were: green, red, and orange peppers, onion (only on my part because I love them!), and pineapple. 

And Voila! Here is our simple, homemade pizza. Anytime you get together and prepare something, you always have fun in the kitchen and definitely fun eating it! We had a movie, pizza, and wine night. 

After that glass of wine, I was ready for bed! 

New! Sweet chili chicken salad loaded with greens

Hey guys! 



So, I'm a little bored with the average spinach and strawberry chicken salad. I wanted something to spice up my romaine salad. I found this sweet chili sauce in the Asian section of Kroger and oh I love it! It's perfect to marinate chicken and also add in a little flavor for vegetables. I've been using it for so many things!

Add anything you want to a salad! 

My grandma always said, "I added everything to the salad but the kitchen sink."

This time I marinated chicken tenderloins in the chili sauce with a couple drops of soy sauce. I marinated it for about 2 days and once I was ready to cook, the chicken was very tender!

I cut the chicken into bite size pieces, put a tbs of olive oil in a small pan to heat. Then I added my chicken to brown. It smelt so good! Almost like Hibachi from the sweet chili sauce.

While my chicken was cooking, I cut up some veggies. I spread Romaine on a plate and added: raw broccoli, peppers, and avocado. Once my chicken cooked thoroughly, I added edamame. After they soaked up all the flavor of the sauces, I put them on the salad and veggies. I also cut up a boiled egg to add to my salad and sprinkled some sunflower seeds on top. After all of that flavor, I didn't need dressing! It was delicious and it filled me up. 

I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did! 

Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips

Here recently I've been buying a lot of Kale. I use it for so many things, and I love the benefits it has for you. Kale is a leafy green that has tons of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and Vitamin A. It provides energy and is only 33 calories per cup. 

I use Kale in my salads, eggs, and I even bake them to make Kale chips. It's super easy, but also super easy to burn Kale chips. This time I burnt them a little bit. You have to get the temperature just right, and for some reason I always want to heat the oven to 400. Yesterday to go along with my lunch, I made salt and vinegar Kale chips. 
So EASY!

I washed my Kale ahead of time and put it in a container, so when I need it I can just grab and go. I mixed a little bit of olive oil, vinegar and some salt. Stuck it in the oven until light a flaky. Some parts were bitter because they were overcooked, but overall they were crispy and so good! They went well with my sandwhich and fruit. :)

Do you see how some of the leaves are brown? You don't want that. That means I left them in the oven for too long. They become too flaky and too bitter. You want them crispy, but still that rich green color like broccoli. 

Have fun making your Kale chips! You can use so many seasonings on these things!

Orange Shrimp Stir Fry And Grocery Store List Tips

Any of you plan out your meals? I'm talking, look up recipes, write them down to help you write out the grocery list? Well, I will be the first to tell you that is a huge help if you know what you want to eat for the week, write it down, and KNOW exactly what you need at the store. It makes shopping less stressful and if you are like me, grocery stores give me crazy anxiety.

How do I make my list and shop?

I shop and two places when I make a big trip: Aldi and Kroger. 

Before I go I prepare my recipes for the following week on note cards. I find different foods that I want, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, and then I write the name of the recipe on one side of the note card and the ingredients on the back. This way I can check in the kitchen of what I need and what I have for the recipe.

Here are my meals for this week. Last week I bought the ingredients I needed. It helps save money and time when you are at the grocery store. If you have coupons, clip them onto the note cards with the ingredients so you don't forget about them. 

Be creative and find your own way of organizing your meals. I promise it will save a lot of time, money, and it is worth it! 

I know I'm a couple days behind but this week has been crazy. I'm trying to find my routine with my class and work schedule. 

This week I made orange shrimp stir fry and I loved it! The beginning of the week was so humid, our apartment was sticky hot. I didn't want to use the oven. I wanted something quick and easy. 

This meal was definitely quick and easy! 

I used:

Garlic- minced

onion- cut up in thick pieces

red pepper

broccoli

zucchini

shrimp 

half of an orange- squeezed in with shrimp and veggies to steam

It only took 10 minutes to steam the shrimp and veggies in the orange juice and garlic and it was ready! This meal isn't too heavy and it's perfect for hot summer day.

Enjoy guys!

6:30am run & yoga: The start of my day

Whew! I'm exhausted! I've been waking up at 5-5:30 this week just to have some extra hours in my day to do all of the things that need done, and it has really worn me out. But I know I'm getting enough sleep at night, so I think it is just getting into a new routine.

Monday, I got up and had a little bit of coffee and had two Belvita bars out of a packet of 4; and a banana. I love Belvita bars, and blueberry has to be my favorite. They are perfect for when you are on the go and you didn't get a balanced breakfast or one at all. They have a variety of vitamins and minerals in them, fiber, and protein. Plus they are awesome before a run! The carbs they contain provide energy to keep going longer.

By 6:30 I was lacing up my shoes ready to start my 2 miles for my half marathon. I am starting out in the beginning, but honestly I was thinking about it yesterday and I might start a week or two ahead maybe at 3 miles and then increase. Even though starting at the beginning is important, I just feel I'm already to that point and I can do more.

After running I got in 20 minutes of yoga which helped stretch my muscles so they won't be so sore the next day. I love yoga because it is a perfect side work out for anything. It's amazing what yoga can do to your body and your running!

Running and yoga really started my day. Waking up early always makes me feel more accomplished and motivated throughout the day. And honestly, if get about 7 hours of sleep I feel recharged but I don't have the crash during the day. 

For breakfast I scrambled some eggs with zucchini, onions and red peppers and had a small bowl of oatmeal with honey, blueberries, and strawberries. I also had carrots and kiwi next to my eggs. I was starving my the time I got out of the shower!

I had to rush to chemistry after I ate! Why are summer classes so long?? I get really hungry in the last hour and I always have to go to the bathroom after drinking so much water. It's crazy!

 

Monday night there was a Kids in the Kitchen class at work, so I went in that evening. On my way in I stopped my Starbucks and got my favorite cold drink! I don't like to drink coffee after 12pm unless I'm desperate but this refresher is super amazing and I get it every time. It's called Berry orange refresher. It's tart but "refreshing" 

Mandy and I had a blast with the kids; we made healthy pizzas out of cauliflower crust and and of course cheese!!! Delicious and the kids loved it!

Sunday Relaxin: Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all those lovely mamas out there! I enjoyed spending Sunday relaxing and laughing with my family. Korenne came over to mom's and we went to this greenhouse to help mom pick up things for her garden. Mom and Jason put out a garden every year and they grow some delicious produce! She got a variety of things: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and I think cabbage too. Korenne got a strawberry plant! 

This is what I love about summer! When I was a kid and we would go to these greenhouses I would get bored so easily, but even though it was really humid I enjoyed being outside around the plants and out in the sun. My niece also tagged along :) She is adorable and growing up every day! It's crazy how I can just sit down and have a normal conversation with a 7 year old. But, she is very mature for her age.

I didn't take any pictures yesterday because I wasn't on my phone very much. You'll see this a lot of my blog... I'll write about it, but I won't always have pictures. I don't like always being on my phone, I'm able to separate myself from the social world to enjoy the important things in my life. I do have a few pictures of the women in my life that have been my mamas (my mom and my sister)!

 

 

After I got home from my Mother's Day weekend, I immediately wanted to get out and enjoy the rest of this beautiful day. I asked Grace if she wanted to go on a walk to Ritter Park. We walked for almost 2 hours chatting away. I loved taking my time, enjoying the warm weather and sunny evening. Sunday is my day off, but I still try to be active especially in the summer when it is so beautiful out. I can't wait to go hiking and camping later on!

I hope you all had a great weekend and now it's back to classes, work, and a half marathon to train for! Have a great day ya'll :)

Little updates here and there. Running, roommates, and work flow

A woman I work with told me that people come into your life like sand paper. Sand paper makes the walls better, and they prep them for paint. People who are like "rough" sand paper in your life,  are put there to make you better. As you are going through life, you are going to find people that will mold you into a better, stronger you. How you handle those people determines how smooth and prepared you will be later in life.

My roommates are my best friends. I wouldn't trade anything for the friendship we have. I saw this quote on Tumblr that says, "Sometimes, you can find your soul mate best friend." Not only is this statement true, but I've found mine. Grace is my biological sister... somewhere I know we are related. We are too much alike that I don't even know where to begin. With all of our awkwardness, our same thinking process and sense of humor, we can always tell what the other is going to say or think before it happens. 

Anyways, my friends are my support system. They tell me when I'm being irrational and they tell me when I've done something awesome. Grace and Garrett both enjoy eating healthy, and Grace is my running partner. 

It is very important to have those people in your life that will support you, criticize you when it's needed, and love you for everything you are. Do you know any soul mate best friends? 

Work is going pretty well. But with school I haven't really had much time to teach or start a new class on my own which I really wanted to do before I left the kitchen. I am going to miss all of the people and the kids, but I will take everything I've learned and keep going. I loved being able to work with a variety of dietitians and meet so many people. I've learned so much while working at HK and I'm so happy I got that opportunity. I'm not sure what they have in store for the kitchen but I hope it will be as influential and as fun as it is now!  

One of the main things I'm gonna miss is teaching the kids at St. Joe. The preschoolers are absolutely adorable and really learned what it means to eat healthy and how. Teaching them taught me as well. It taught me the importance of helping people realize what they put in their bodies really matter. Kids soak up information like a sponge, so it is important to teach them things they will want to keep up with. 

AND THEY LOVED AVOCADOS! :)

Jamie Oliver created what we know now as Huntington's Kitchen. It was his mission to bring cooking back into the kitchen and also help families become a lot closer and healthier. Cooking your meals at home for sure is healthier than eating that same meal in a restaurant. You control your portions, your ingredients, and how much you put into the meal. I love what Jamie started and I was so happy to help continue it. I used his 10 week teaching plan for my kids at St. Joe. The class is learn your fruits and vegetables and boy did they learn. 

Each week, I brought in a new fruit or vegetable. I asked them what they thought.. Fruit or veggie? And I'm so proud that as the class continued they really knew their produce! I taught them about asparagus, spinach, strawberries, and other delicious fruits and veggies! With my mini nutritional background, I informed them what vitamins and minerals were in the produce and why those are good for you. This is how I learned as well. Teaching someone else also teaches you. I'm really gonna miss everyone. Even the kids in the classes at the kitchen! Even my niece came to some of the classes!

My Running

This semester has killed me. After classes and my body conditioning class at the gym 3 days a week, I barely had the energy to run. There were days I sat in bed studying for 5-6 hours out of the day. And let me tell you.. after laying in bed all day I definitely didn't have the urge to run. But as sad as it sounds, I'm going to be honest with you, my runs were spontaneous and only when I felt like it. There were some weeks I didn't run at all. And to tell you again... it decreased my endurance. Which now, I'm trying to get back. But things like that happen and how you deal with that and all of the negative thoughts is what matters the most. I'm posting my runs because I want you to know I'm not perfect. I'm honest. I stop, I stretch, I sometimes only run 2 miles and then quit. 

But, what I want you to take from this and my blog altogether, is, keep working towards your goals. Even if it takes you a long time and many set backs, remember why you started and keep going. 

Summer is going to be scorching! May runs for me have been exhausting. The other day I ran in 90 degree weather, but only at 7pm. I try to run in the evenings because It helps me wind down. After working out I sleep so much better. 

I got these Think Thin bars at Kroger in the organic section and I really like them! I'm not a fan of the caramel kind, but the chocolate fudge are pretty good. They have 0 grams of sugar, 8 grams of fat, and 20 grams of protein! I eat them as a quick recharge after my runs if I'm on the go and I can't cook something right away.