>R&R &R &R….

>Yes, that is my life these days. Since leaving my PhD program, I’ve been working on my M.S. thesis, applying to nursing jobs, volunteering, cooking (!), and reeeeelaxing.

Yep, I’m in Myrtle Beach.

Manfriend

Kels (sister), Madre, and me

In addition to the beautiful weather, and WARM ocean water (seriously I can’t get over how warm it is), the eats haven’t been to shabby.

There’s been the Lauren-ish ones..
Whole Foods’ Salad MONSTERRR (everything and yo mother in there):

Toasted Bagel Thin w/ organic turkey, laughing cow cheese, pepper:

French toast (whole grain toast, eggs, cinnamon, maca, mesquite, stevia, organic maple syrup):

Toasted bagel thin, scrambled egg whites, laughing cow cheese, s/p:

And the not-so-typical but incredibly delicious VACATION FOOOOD
Tart FroYo with strawberries and bananas:

Grilled scallops:

Pineapple Mixer(s): Vodka (or rum), soda water, pineapple:

Steamed clams:

Tuna Tar Tar:

Considering all of the R&R and amazing food, I’ve been trying to get some exercise. I planned on an early morning run today but after snoozing until 10am, I decided to TurboJam it up to avoid fainting in the heat:

Tomorrow I’m gonna try my bestest to wake early and get out for an early morning run…


(Here are pics from my last Myrtle Beach beach run in January)

Whelp, time to get some FroYo and throw in a movie. Ahhh, life is good 🙂
XX,
Lauren

PS…Check out this AMAZING PICTURE I took on my Blackberry tonight during dinner..

>I’m a beasttt

>Hi kiddos,

I hope you’re having a fantastic Saturday! It’s HOT-HOT-HOT here in Washington, DC. I’m talking 103F and HUMID! AKA investing the time to do my hair is a no-go. What’s your weather like this weekend???
Yesterday was a lazy day for me. The weather was SO hot it was pretty much unbearable to be outside. I woke sweaty and itching for a refreshing Green Monster smoothie:
^1 scoop vanilla whey (Designer Whey brand), 1/2 banana, frozen strawberries, frozen pineapple, handful fresh spinach, ice H20, ice, 1 tsp xanthan gum (to thicken), dash stevia.
Heavenly.
After my smoothie digested, Kelsey (sistah) and I tried the TurboFire workout series for the first time. I saw how much Gina (from Fitnessista.com) liked it and needed to give it a try! Here’s a clip of Gina doing the workout and this pretty much got me hooked. The series is made up of 11 DVDs that range in various times, intensities, etc.
It’s heart pumping and so fun! For those of you with two left feet like me, I still felt like I was in a dance video. Ok not so much, but I could still follow along and seriously break a sweat.
After sweating like a BEAST, I had a huuuuge craving for Kombucha:
^Ah, I luuurve this stuff.
Then whipped up Big ole’ salad. Romaine, turkey, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, cranberries:
Topped with nutritional yeast (noosh) and Trader Joe’s Goddess Dressing:

*Click here to read about the amazing health benefits of Nutritional Yeast.
And this new FAVORITE:

^Garlic Gold Nuggets. SO GOOD. They add amazing flavor and some crunch.

*Tip: To reduce calories in your favorite dressing dilute 1:1 with balsamic vinegar. It ‘thins’ out the dressing so you use less but still get the flavah
Later in the evening we met my uncle (who is in town for a conference) for dinner and drinks (unpictured, sorrrry). I had taco salad and two Pineapple Mixers.
^Uncle, me and Kels
This morning I woke staaavin and despite the heat, I wanted PANCAKES:

I found a recipe for low-fat protein pancakes from the girls at Tone it Up.com

(You can view their original recipe here)

– 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
– 1/3 cup egg whites

– 1/2 mashed banana, 1/2 diced banana
– 1 tsp flax seeds
– 1/2 tsp cinnamon
– *Optional ingredients: Dash seasalt, maca powder, apple pie spice, frozen blueberries (I add all of these)
I microwaved 1/2 cup of frozen cherries, strawberries and blueberries added a dash of stevia and blended to make a DELISH fruit topping (I also dipped them in a little bit of organic maple syrup).
The pancakes were great! They only took 5 mins and I still can’t believe they are made from protein powder, egg whites, and banana. Next time I may add a whole banana (1/2 mashed and 1/2 diced) and a pinch of baking soda. Give em a try!
OK folks, I’m off to the gym then back to clean the apartment, do some reading, and then meet friends for dinner.
Have a great night!
XX,
Lauren
Here’s a pic of me and my niece from my birthday last week:

>Summer sippin’

>Here are two new SUMMER DRINK FAVORITES. I love these because they’re low-calorie, light, refreshing, and EASY!

1. Pineapple Mixer:

– vodka
– soda water
– splash of pineapple
serve over ice


*I love this drink because it can be ordered at any bar and it’s SO REFRESHING and tropical!

2. Skinny Margarita Spritzer:

This is a new twist on the skinny margarita. If you want a lighter version of the real guy, this one is for you.


– clear tequila
– splash triple sec (or cointreau/grand marnier)
– soda water, orange or lime flavored
– Splash OJ
– Juice from 4-5 lime wedges or a tiny bit of fresh lime juice
– serve over ice

ENJOY!!!