>Well that was a bust

>Happy Tuesday! Yesterday I had the day off and it was glorious. I woke to yet another bowl of Blueberry Muffin Oats (I can’t get enough! Side note: 1/4 cup Greek yogurt stirred into oatmeal is fantastic).

I caught up on the news with a good friend..

Sir Keurig. How I love you ❤

Oh, and I have another love around me. My sister (his primary owner, even though I like to claim he’s all mine) is in NYC for a few days so I have this little man all to myself:

Michael gazing at the TV

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It’s been a while (err 2.5 weeks) since I took a BodyPump class and so I finally returned and it felt good! After class I had time to kill and some more energy so I decided to take a 45 min cardio kickbox class.

However, something happened that had never happened before: The class was terrible and I left 10 mins. The instructor had no microphone, terrible/scratchy music, and a horribly choreographed routine. I’m not one to complain about classes, but this one was just terrible. So during a water break I inconspicuously slipped out the door and spent my time in the steam room/sauna instead 🙂

*Have you ever walked out of a class???*

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For lunch I made a fall favorite…

Boiled then broiled sweet potato topped with 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Turkey chili (I mixed in black beans, salsa, chili powder, and cumin) plus a dollop of Greek yogurt

And in a few hours followed up with a Chocolate Protein Cupcake inspired by Julie’s recipe:

In a bowl, whisk:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (In my opinion, SunWarrior is by far the best)

1 T egg whites

1/4 t baking powder

stevia, 1-2 servings

1 T Greek yogurt

*Optional: nuts, dark choc chips

Directions:

Spoon into a microwave-safe mug sprayed with cooking spray

Microwave ~ 1 min 20 seconds

In a separate bowl, whisk:

2 T Greek Yogurt

stevia, 1 serving

1 T peanut flour (or 1 T PB/almond butter)

Top with raw cacao nibs

*Note: SunWarrior is the BEST protein I’ve ever tried. It’s absolutely 100% worth the investment. I believe it runs for $46 for 47 servings (<$1/serving isn't bad!). Chocolate and vanilla are my favorite flavors.

And check out the nutritional stats:

source

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I spent the evening playing with the pup at the dog park, reading, and whipping up an Indian-inspired dinner.

Using my favorite curry simmer sauce to start:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425F

Line baking pan with tinfoil and lightly coat with cooking spray

In a large bowl, combine and gently mix:

1/2 eggplant, chopped

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Broccoli spears, fresh

Brussel sprouts, steamed

Cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup curry simmer sauce

1 T EVOO

Turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, curry powder (pinch each)

dash sea salt, black pepper

Roast:

~30 mins, mixing 1-2 times throughout until veggies are roasted

And viola!

I also roasted some additional veggies for tomorrow’s dinner since I’m working 3-11pm.

Steamed, sliced Brussel sprouts then broiled for ~5 mins. Seasoned with EVOO spray, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, drizzle balsamic vinegar.

And more veggies for later!

Roasted acorn squash, brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and tofu (not pictured) seasoned with organic maple syrup (squash) and EVOO, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder (brussels, tomatoes, tofu)

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Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!

Fitness tip of the day: Next time you’re lifting weights, focus 100% of your mental energy solely on that muscle group. Picture that muscle, and only that muscle feeling “the burn”. This great tip can increase your productivity/results drastically considering muscle wear/tear yeilds increased muscle tone. Give it a try!

Don’t forget to enter my Whole Foods $30 Gift Certificate Giveaway! If you can’t think of a name, just link the giveaway to tomorrow’s blog post/tweet/Facebook post (let me know you did) and each will count as a separate entry! You have until Tuesday (16th) evening!

>Go green, or go home

>Hiiiii hooo,

Happy humpidy humpy day! It’s a little chilly here in the District. But it’s supposed to be near 90 degrees this weekend 😎 Wooooo!

So I’ve gotta tell ya that I’ve taken my second BodyPump class and 1) I’m obsessed! and 2) I’m soooo sore!!! I took the class Monday afternoon and my triceps are still killlllling me. It.hurts.so.good.

Post-workout breakfast:

^1/4 oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 2 tbsp egg white, and 3/4 cup H20 soaked overnight. Then microwaved and added 1/2 diced nanner, 1/2 scoop vanilla SunWarrior protein powder, raisins, stevia, dash sea salt, 1 tsp. Better N’ Peanut Butter. Just as GOOD EVERY TIME.

I mentioned I was taking a spinning class but since my BodyPump class was so hard I decided some lighter cardio would be better and took a Cardio Kickbox class instead….BOY WAS I WRONG!!! The class was unbelievably challenging for a kickbox class! I’m definitely going again. The teacher and music was awesome and the 60 mins flew by!

Would have been a killer even for Billy..

Source

After that grueling sesh I came home and made an AMAZING THAI DISH! Omg, if you have a Trader Joe’s near you try their Red Thai Curry sauce…SO GOOD!

^I boliled 1 diced eggplant until soft then drained and added rest of veggies (edemame, broccoli, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, corn, peas, green beans), frozen shrimp, and Thai sauce. Cooked until veggies and shrimp thawed. So quick & easy…And DELISH!

The mashed eggplant made the sauce supa thick:

Yesterday I woke early and had the same breakfast above….AGAIN. Seriously, can’t get enough. Warms ma soul.

I had a verrrrry busy day in the Land of Science and needed to destress when the day was ova. Remedy: Kick arse 60-min spinning class. Def did the trick.

After class I hurried home and made TACO SALAD and MARGARITAS (duh) for the roomies and my friend Ally:

^Romaine, tomatoes, ground turkey (cooked in TJ’s taco seasoning), beans, corn, salsa, red-fat Mexican cheese blend, and Spicy Flax seed chips. The BEST PART of this meal is the creamy dressing. I make it with FF Greek Yogurt, chipotle salsa, red chili powder, and cumin. So.freakin.good.

And we clearly had to have these:

^Skinny margarita: clear tequila, splash triple sec, splash OJ, fresh lime juice, dash stevia. YEEEE—UMM!

WHY THE dinner and drinks on a TUESDAY??? Well it was the premiere of The HILLS and THE CITY, of course. Honestly, the only thing entertaining about the Hills, in my opinion, was watching Franken-Heidi..



This morning I woke, eyes glued shut, and managed to drag myself out of the apartment. Knowing I’d pick up Cosi coffee and devour the new US Weekly on my commute made my trip a little easier:

^Breakfast blend + steamed soy. Ahhhh.

Nothing like preparing yourself for a full day of Experiments with caffeine and celebrities.

Last night I was reading the lovely Kailey‘s blog and she asked what motivators we surround ourselves with (positive words, quotes, etc.) This morning while getting my morning coffee I came across these mugs from Starbucks:

^Kailey doll, these are for you.

In other more random news, I have been eyeing this bag of Doritos in our vending machine for quite some time now. Not because they look particularly delicious or nutritious, but because I’m curious of the obvious question…


Source

Do they REALLY taste like cheeseburgers? And the verdict….YES. Not in a fresh off the grill kinda way, but a MickyD’s kinda way. It’s weird, I know. One taste was good enough for me.

In older news, MARCH was National Nutrition Month!


Why our lab received these pamphlets today is beyond me, but flipping through they offered some good info:

Some helpful ways to Go “Green”:

– Add frozen spinach to your scrambled eggs
– Start your dinner with a green salad. When preparing it, cut up extra and pack the next day’s lunch
– Serve chili, pasta, or rice in a broiled tomato, a steamed pepper or half a roasted acorn squash
– Add chopped kale to thicken any soup or stew
– Try adding shredded carrots or zucchini to muffins and breads

Aiiiight, I’m getting back to ma Experiment.

Have a lovely day dolls!!

QUESTION: Who else is counting down til the SEX AND THE CITY 2 MOVIE???

xx,

Laur