WIAW #37: Granola Addicts Anonymous

Happy Wednesday everyone! I can celebrate the hump day with the rest of you this week and let me tell you and I am happy to do so. I figured since the majority of my eats throughout the day are at work I would change things up a bit today and show you what I’m doing at work while eating them.

Almond Butter granola topped with fresh blackberries while writing literacy plans for my Thursday groups. I made this granola Sunday… I’ve eaten the whole batch… I have a granola problem.

A cutie while scoring protocols right before a meeting.

Hummus and peppers while explaining uses for my favorite therapy game to another therapist.

A post-workout/early dinner salad that was literally the size of my face. Filled with romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, flax seeds, grilled Udi’s bread, shredded Cabot extra sharp cheddar, and topped with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Can I have another one? 

And I ended the night with some stress baking (our Tuesday’s full of meetings tend to have that effect). These were loosely adapted from Madison (I managed to use the banana and the almond butter… I kind of winged the rest) but they must have been good because I ate 2 shortly after this picture 🙂 At least they’re pretty healthy? 

And there you have it, a full day of eats and their corresponding activities. Thank goodness for that salad which pushed me towards max veggie consumption for the day, though I think the granola may have been the best part. As always I’m linking up my eats with our Veggie Loving Hostess so be sure  to stop by Peas and Crayons for the rest of the WIAW party!

What’s the most addictive thing you’ve eaten this week? Any other stress bakers out there?

WIAW #36: Recipe Roundup and Chocolate Cherry Baked Oatmeal

Good morning! I’ve decided another perk of having only a four day week this week is that two days in I’m already halfway done and when the week has more meetings and classes than therapy time with my kiddos I’m definitely okay with that.

This has been one of those weeks where I didn’t get into the kitchen much. Between work, snow, BF time, and job apps it just hasn’t been a huge priority. As such there have been some of the usual quick eats…

There was (obviously) tea, #publicbanana’s, and some arrowroot cookies

And then there were the recipes that belong to other people. You gotta love being able to pull out some quick favorites when there’s no inspiration and  no groceries in the house. Eats have included a few of my mom’s favorites from around the web and a quick revamp of one of mine.

Chocolate Cherry Baked Oatmeal, 3 Bean Chili, and Baked Polenta Pie

I took a pretty standard (and tasty) baked oatmeal recipe and dressed it up a bit to enjoy on my morning commute this week.

Because breakfast is always better with chocolate 😉

Chocolate Cherry Baked Oatmeal

Makes 12, 30 minutes

Ingredients 

2 ripe bananas

1 egg

3/4 cup water

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups GF oats

2 tsp cinnamon

1 TBSP Honey

1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries*

1/4 semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine egg, water, and mashed banana in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add in oats, almond extract, cinnamon, and honey and mix to combine (the batter will look very wet). Gently stir in cherries and chocolate chips. Line a muffin tin with liners (or spray with cooking spray) and evenly divide batter among 12 cups. Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

* I used unsweetened/unsulfered dark cherries from Trader Joes, if you use sweetened ones you may not need the honey*

Resist the urge to stuff your face as soon as they come out of the oven totally burn the roof of your mouth with chocolate oatmeal goodness.

[adapted from Sprint to the Table]

I’m still a little short on the veggies so far this week, but at least I’m doing better getting in some food… Grab and Go bites have been a lifesaver in that regard! As always I’m linking up with the party at Jenn’s so be sure to swing by and see what everyone else has been eating this week.

WIAW #34: The SLP intern edition

Hey guys, Happy Wednesday! Remember back in January when I was all gung-ho about getting to use my lunchbox again. I was so excited to be able to pack a healthy meal to eat during the day at my school placement, to show off my new lunch skins I’d gotten for Christmas, and just generally get back into eating a regular lunch… well let me tell you that is not how things work in the school system.

My lunch went from 15 minutes between meetings the first week to it’s current state of whatever I can stuff in my mouth between students. I knew working in the schools was go go go all the time. I just didn’t realize all the time was literally all the time!

So this week I’m sharing a typical day of eats as I go through my day as a SLP intern (student clinician, graduate clinician, SLP student whatever title you want to give me). These are Monday’s eats from beginning to end.

This week is lacking the peas, but my kids and I have been playing with crayons!
Breakfast has been a smoothie (made in my new Ninja single serve cup!) and a mug of tea. I can drink both on the road while waiting for trains driving to school and finish whatever I don’t while pulling materials for the day. 

I usually have something to copy for the day, and while I’m picking up my papers I swing by the coffee pot to refill my mug with hot water for mug of tea number 2! I have one mug of black tea first thing in  the morning and then switch to green or herbal (yes I totally have a tea schedule… don’t act surprised).  

If there wasn’t one in my smoothie (depends on the day) I usually take a #publicbanana break after my first few students. More often than not it takes an hour to get through the nana as I eat it 1-2 bites at a time (I get maybe a minute walking down the hall searching out kiddos to eat). 

Lunch is the rest of my banana and a couple of energy bites. I load these things up for a reason I seriously need the energy to get through the afternoon! If I have extra time I might munch on a cutie or some carrots but usually those are saved for the afternoon commute. 

Needless to say by the time I get home, have a workout, and help make dinner I am more than ready to eat! 

Trends for the day… lots of tea! Also lots of really small bites (which I already knew) and a lot of my food at the end of the night which I’m not super crazy about, but whatcha gonna do? 

WIAW #33: Reality Bites

Hey guys! I feel weird saying Happy Hump Day since it’s my first day actually going to work this week (gotta love that crazy Chicago wind).  Some of my favorite people  have been posting lately about the ethics of editing photos, and how even unintentionally we can change the appearance of reality.

Since What I ate Wednesday is supposed to be a day free of judgement (as long as you eat your veggies!) I decided it would be a perfect time to share some photos with you that highlight my personal reality.

By no means are my photos perfect, but even I can see the difference between a photo taken on my phone, with poor lighting, and smeared dishes as compared to one that I’ve staged for shooting with my camera and corrected the lighting on.

Today I’m posting both, side by side, because it’s time to keep it real. Though I personally love seeing everyone’s beautifully edited photos (and I probably wouldn’t be as inclined to try a recipe if the picture DIDN’T look good) I think it’s just as important to see how people eat day to day.

Breakfast 

Same Banana Bread Pancakes. Same crazy amount of butter. The only difference is I got to eat the one’s on the right while they were hot… and at 6 am.  Seeing as it’s breakfast there was an (unpictured) mug of English Breakfast tea because I don’t start my day without my tea. 

Lunch 

Leftover tomato soup with Cheddar Scallion Biscuits (which are still in testing). Let me tell you the biscuit and soup tasted just as good in my unwiped bowl while I was sitting on the floor watching Food Network. In fact they were so good I might have gone back for a second third biscuit…

Dinner

I can’t take credit for the recipe (it’d have to be more of a how-to) since this is a veggie fried rice my dad and I just kind of threw together one night. The veggies were crispy, the rice was toasty, and the whole bowl was just warm and delicious. Didn’t mater if I was at the table or sitting on the couch watching the news with my parents. 

 So there you have it, a rundown of pictures that are “blog-worthy” and their realistic partners. Still a delicious day of eats, with veggies and butter and cheese and tea, just a little extra bite of reality for you.

What’s your thought on editing food photos? How far is too far (or is there a limit)? 

WIAW #32: Fruit and Veggie fest

Hey guys! I’ve managed to make it a week at my placement without becoming known for my “weird” eating. It must mean I’m doing something right, right?

Not that you guy’s are ones to judge (I’ve seen some of the things you eat!), but what better way to check in on my current eats than with a What I ate Wednesday party.

I’ve been doing awesome with my fruits and veggies this past week, managing to squeeze extra portions of both into every meal of the day! When it comes to the sweet stuff I’ve been sticking to apples and frozen berries, though I did have my first ever grapefruit this week (it was sweet and tart and amazing!) Someone tell me why I waited 24 years to try those?

Breakfast: Smoothie made with Kale, frozen Cherry Berry Blend, and OJ

Dessert: Half a ruby red grapefruit

Second Breakfast: The ever present apple and almond butter combo

Besides sneaking into breakfast, veggies have been the bulk of my other meals this week. Lunches have still been of the handheld variety (because lunch in the school seems to be hit or miss in terms of frequency and length) which is fine because I actually have been seeing kiddos this week. Time spent working with an awesome group of students == way more fun than a regular lunch break 🙂 

Lunch: GF wrap filled with spinach, broccoli slaw, and honey mustard dressing

Dinner: Stir fry (there’s a bit of chicken in there somewhere) with loads of broccoli and red peppers

I might have snuck a little more fruit in with my chocolate one night… but we’ll talk about that little treat tomorrow 🙂 

How have you been doing with the good stuff this week? What’s your favorite fruit this time of year? 

WIR #35: The pancake and puppy edition

Hey guys! Here’s to another Monday, right?

I actually can’t complain because I had a great week last week, and spent a good bit of time last night organizing myself so that this week shouldn’t be too terrible… then again I don’t know how many IEP meetings are scheduled for this week so I won’t speak too soon. 

Then again meetings mean longer lunches, which leaves plenty of time for selfies 

(banana NOT optional)

Positive attitude aside Monday’s are for listing, or so this lovely lady would have us all believe, so let’s get on that 🙂 

Last week once it warmed up from our crazy negative temperatures I started in at my full time school placement. From now until mid-March I work as an SLP in a local elementary school. I didn’t realize there would be quite as many meetings as I got  to sit in last week, but I did finally meet my kiddos at the end of the week and they’re going to be a great bunch. 

Plus I get another sweet school planner and official name tag!

The other awesome thing about starting my full time placement is having a regular schedule again (that isn’t as crazy as a student schedule). This meant I had plenty of time last week to get back into a regular workout routine. Lots of at home arm/ab/leg work mixed with some long overdue yoga sessions. I’m looking forward to a run or two this week if the ice thaws outside, so fingers crossed!

My best friend and her boyfriend fiance came to visit everyone in Chicago this week. It was my first time meeting the lucky guy, and the first time visiting with her in way too long. Of course they had to go and take all the attention off themselves by adopting the worlds cutest puppy… it’s hard to hold something like that against them though. 

I did actually spend plenty of time talking with her too. 

I spent a lazy weekend with the BF between work on Saturday and going back to work on Sunday. We went out with some of his family to celebrate his mom’s birthday, went to a local bar to hang out and  realized that we might actually miss the college bar scene, and woke up to Sunday morning pancakes which are quickly becoming a weekend staple for us. 

I had to say goodbye to my little brother and his BBC television addiction this weekend, as he went back to school to do college things… I haven’t decided yet if it’s a good thing that he’s gone or if I’m going to miss him. On the bright side I don’t have to share my bathroom anymore 🙂 

Other than that I made a delicious batch of honey-mustard broccoli slaw for shoving into wraps this week, organized my closet with outfits for each day (yes I can be that girl with enough motivation), and borrowed Dante’s Inferno from the BF so I can knock another book off my reading list. It’s going to be a good week guys. 

What’s something you do each weekend to make life a little easier? Anyone else have a job that involves an ungodly amount of meetings?

WIAW #31: Back to the lunch box

Hey guys! I feel like it’s been forever since I joined up with the Party over at Jen’s, but I had to break out my lunchbox today for the first time in a long while, and I just couldn’t resist. Because what’s better for the blogger who want’s to actually show you Wednesday’s day of eats, than having to plan my eats in advance to carry with me. 

I officially start my school placement today (now that we’ve moved into positive temperatures in Chicago) which means I get to spend the rest of the next 6 weeks working as an SLP (in training) at a local elementary school. Needless to say I’m thrilled!
I have no idea what to expect in terms of scheduling or workload at my site, so I want to make sure I’ve got a good breakfast in me in case I’m going all morning. 

Making a big batch of oatmeal on the weekend allows me to have “instant” oatmeal ready to go in minutes all week. Today’s was topped with fresh cranberries, honey, and sliced almonds. Sweet, tart, crunchy, and delicious!

Of course I loaded my travel mugs with tea to last the morning. My commute may be much shorter (literally 10-15 minutes as opposed to almost an hour!) but it’s still chilly out there, and this girl needs her tea. I’ve got one mug of a green and white blend and another mug of peppermint, lots of oomph with only a trace of caffeine. 

I wrapped up a bunch of kale with some random leftover chicken and lots of honey mustard dressing. Wraps area a great grab and go option when I’m not sure what the day will hold, and this was a great way to work extra greens into my day. Plus I get to show off my new lunch skins from santa 😉 

In case the day is just too crazy I’ve got a twist on my usual standby as well. Almond butter (by the jar of course) with freeze dried apple chips. They’ve got a funny sort of texture (almost like cheetos?) but they taste just like apples so that’s good enough for me. 

Chex chicken “nuggets” (my mom doesn’t like nuggets so we make pieces), more honey mustard, leftover mashed potatoes, and peas make for a well balanced dinner (it almost looks like a TV dinner, minus the sketch factor). Simple comfort food really is the best sometimes, especially when I don’t have to do the cooking (just the dishes). 

And what better way to finish the day then with the rest of my GF cookie dough (I’ve asked my mom not to buy it anymore but since we already had this tub…). 

Any other lunch box lovers out there? What’s your favorite thing to pack when you don;t know what to expect in a day? 

WIAW #30: I think I have a problem…

Happy Wednesday everyone! I have a hard time believing it’s the middle of the week already! With things quickly shifting from things I HAVE to do to things I should be doing I’ve found a bit of a struggle with my motivation… In fact I’m looking forward to my diagnostic this evening simply because it will give me something to focus my attention on while I screw my head back on straight…

But you didn’t come here today for my to-list (that’s Mondays folks!) you came for the food! Wednesday is my favorite day to get motivation because nothing gets me motivated to hop back on the blogging train faster than drooling over the deliciousness that everyone else is eating.

This week for me… not so much. As usual I’ve had a lot of tea, including this addictive new tea Cinnamon Tempest from my favorite TJ’s. It’s sad really, I went there for food this week and ended up leaving with 3 boxes of tea… I might have a problem.

And yes the bottom right is me with my teacup at the school clinic… doesn’t everyone bring their tea to class? The answer apparently is no, but everyone was obviously jealous of my mug of cinnamon deliciousness so the jokes on them 🙂 

I’ve also been eating my favorite apple and almond butter combo like it’s going out of style… and I may have broken into someones Christmas present yesterday when I was wishing for some chocolate… at least I ate real food for dinner?

Looking back at the eats from this week is a good reminder that I should probably eat more real food on a regular basis (don’t tell the BF I said that, he’ll gloat). There’s a difference between healthy snacking throughout the day and eating a random assortment of what’s in your bag… I don’t think I have to let you guess which one I’ve been doing this week. At least I’m well hydrated? 

Have you fallen into a food rut lately? What’s your favorite grab and go snack? 

WIAW #29: The holiday leftover, mad study dash, edition

Hey guys! Hope you all are having a fabulous week so far, and if not at least it’s almost over? I’m keeping things short around here since I’m supposed to be cramming studying but breaks make you a more effective studier (I think that’s a scientific fact?)

Anywho today’s the day for delicious eats and since I’ve been going at the books like crazy trying to finish the semester on a good note, my eats have been a little crazy this week (it’s okay because at least I’m not hallucinating…yet). They’re also a little heavy on the leftovers because there is literally nothing easier than food you can grab straight from the fridge.

Like giant bowls of apple cranberry crunch, a cross between a crisp and a fruity baked oatmeal, this is a staple at our Thanksgiving table and I always get dibs on the leftovers!!

Or salads made with the piles of leftover greens my Aunt gifted (?) us for hosting (never question free salad greens, just take them and enjoy!) 

Of course multiple mugs of multiple teas were consumed throughout the course of the day? What else would I use to keep my sleep deprived SLP-brain running?

(Thanks goodness for free refills on hot water!)

A quick jar of chili (made for my brother before he got on the bus back to school) re-heated in my oh-so-favorite school microwave. Bright side of this being the last crazy week we have on campus… a lot less time spent in our basement of a clinic!! I may have been so excited that I forgot to photograph said chili until after I’d eaten it… but I will say it was delicious!

And what better way to refuel for a late night of studying (and writing that darn voice paper I keep talking about) than a mug of hot chocolate, in front of the tree of course. 

Leftovers, yay or nay? Anyone else ready for this week to be over?

WIAW #28 Tea and Sunlight

Happy hump day! I’m enjoying a nice 2-week stretch where I don’t have to drive all the way down to school (45min to an hour each way) for one 25 minute therapy session. To say I’m enjoying the chance to skip out on traffic and save on gas would be an understatement. 
To say I’m also enjoying the chance to take some photo’s in the daylight would also be an understatement. Every week on Wednesday (and any other day people happen to post recipes) I look on everyone’s beautiful pictures and hope for the day I can take some of my own. Our lovely host Jenn in particular always seems to have amazing photos, and she has a baby to deal with! 

One of my biggest goals for the blog this year is to work on the quality of my photos, and sunlight makes all the difference in pretty food. So this WIAW is fueled by tea and sunlight (because everyone deserves tea). 

(Side note I totally want this mug!)

Breakfast this week has been homemade pumpkin flax granola with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It was a super simple, thrown together, recipe that I’m kind of addicted to. It’s chewy, and spicy, and oh so pumpkin-iny. Of course there was a mug of tea on the side 🙂 

This pasta-less (at least in my serving) pasta e fagioli soup makes an easy take and go lunch for busy days and is perfect for warming up my cold hands after a run on my day off.  Not pictured is the giant glass of water and two other mugs of tea I sipped on while finishing my happiness paper in the afternoon (note to professors, having your students write a paper on what they are doing to promote happiness… not the best way to encourage said happiness). 

After an afternoon of tutoring geometry (my least favorite of High School maths) I was happy to come home  to find my dad making tomato soup in the kitchen. Sadly I was out of bread, but I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying a grilled cheese with my tomato soup (though I guess technically it’s a quesadilla, right?!)

Sad fact is the picture doesn’t look nearly as nice lit by only overhead lights… unfortunately I was unwilling to delay my dinner until tomorrow morning for the sake of a good shot. 

I wrapped up the evening with more Yogi ginger tea and my new chamomile bubble bath from the BF. A pot of tea, a bubbly tub, and a new book is an almost perfect way to spend the evening (at least in my mind). I snuck downstairs later for another slice of my cranberry citrus pound cake from Sweet Ali’s bakery… but  didn’t feel like staging a photo shoot in the bathroom (sorry guys!). 

What’s your trick for shooting photos when the winter light leaves something to be desired? Are you planning on linking up to the chopped kitchen challenge tomorrow? (If you aren’t you totally should be!)