>Life.is.good

>Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was spectacular. Sorry for the break in blogging, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t nice to leave the laptop at home and spend some quality time with the family.

Therefore, a bit of a rewind is in order…

Tuesday before work, my hip was feeling good so I headed out for a brisk 6-mile run around the National Mall.

Still looks like fall in the District

—————

Wednesday morning we left before the sun came up and set out for an 8-hour roadtrip to The Granite State (New Hampsha). It wasn’t a bad drive at all – considering I slept over 6 hours 🙂

I was extremely happy to see the new Starbucks decorations when I eventually woke

Roadtrip breakfast of champions:

Oatmeal + diced banana + mixed in protein (I brought some SunWarrior along for the ride)

And a gigantic coffee (Venti coffee + 1 inch steamed soy) <—Picky?? haha

—————–

Thanksgiving morning I ran a 5K in the FREEZING (25F) weather with my entire family. I love our new tradition. I was happy with my time – I ran a 7:45 pace and it was hilly!

I didn’t take any pictures of our Thanksgiving meal because I really wanted to focus on spending quality time with my family that I rarely get to see (because I live in DC). I hope you understand 🙂

I did however, get a picture with the Manfriend’s new nephew.

I’m in love.

—————-

Friday morning I convinced my Dad to take a Bikram Yoga class with me (90 mins in 106F heat) and guess what? He LOVED it.

But first I fueled with a favorite fall classic:

Pumpkin Oats

In the mix:

1/4 cup oats (soaked in 1 cup almond milk overnight)

1/4 cup pumpkin (Note: use 100% pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling)

1/4 cup egg whites (optional, for extra protein)

stevia, 2 servings

1/4 t cinnamon

1/8 t nutmeg

teeeny pinch sea salt

Directions:

Microwave ~3 mins or until oats rise

Stir in 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

Top with 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (sweetened with stevia)

—————–

Both my parents run half marathons (Note: They started running in their 50’s) so I really think incorporating yoga into his training will help tremendously. It’s helped me for sure!

After an intense sweat sesh, I introduced him to a love in my life:

The Protein Cupcake!

These were fantastic. I think the peanut butter addition made all the difference.

In a bowl, combine and mix:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I prefer chocolate SunWarrior)

1 T Greek yogurt

1T chunky peanut butter (can use smooth but the nuts were a nice addition)

1 T egg whites

1/8 t baking powder

stevia (1 serving)

teeeeny pinch sea salt

H20 to moisten

Directions:

Spray mug with cooking spray

Spoon in mixture

Microwave for ~1 min, 30 seconds

Topping:

Greek yogurt + stevia, cocoa nibs to garnish

After workout #1 was over, I headed out for an even longer workout #2…..

All I have to say was EVERYTHING at Banana Republic was 50% off….

——————-

All in all, it was a lovely weekend spent with family I love and miss. Sunday morning we had brunch with my parents then hit the road for a long trip back to the Nation’s Capital.

Check out those colors along the way. Not bad for a Blackberry camera!

—————–

Today after work I headed straight to Trader Joe’s as we’re completely out of food. I won’t comment on the ridiculously massive size of the bill, but I will say dinner was pretty great…

Taco Salad!

Ground lean turkey (cooked on the stove top over medium heat)

Turkey seasoning:

1/2 cup salsa

1 T chili powder

1 t cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

pinch cayenne pepper (to spice it up)

juice from 2 lime wedges

Toppings:

And the BEST dressing….

1:1 Greek yogurt/Chipotle salsa + chili powder, cumin

Served with Trader Joe’s Spicy Veggie & Flax Chips

—————–

To top off a great night, we have Holiday music blasting and….

The Manfriend is painting the kitchen

My sister is painting a BEAUTIFUL new painting for our wall

And I’m sitting here relaxing…

With some red wine + dark chocolate.

Life.is.good.

See you tomorrow,

Lauren

>Goodbye summer nights

>Hope you’re all having a wonderful Monday. If the weather where you are is anything like DC, fall is definitely in the air. And I love it.

Last night the I made taco salad and enjoyed it on the deck with my sister and Manfriend. The weather was too good to pass up so we enjoyed the meal by candlelight with some country music playing in the background. Ahhhh. If only all dinners could be that enjoyable.

On the menu:

Ground lean turkey breast cooked in 1 cup H20, 1/2 cup chipotle salsa, 1 T cumin, 2-3 T chili powder, 1/2 tsp lime juice, sea salt & pepper

Fixings:

Iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, diced avocado, and our *special sauce. Served with Trader Joe’s Spicy Veggie and Flax Seed chips & Lite Mexican blend cheese

*The sauce is the best part: 3/4 cup FF Greek Yogurt with 1/4 cup chipotle salsa (add more to taste), 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 T chili powder, teeeeeny bit of lime juice

And voila!

Healthy. Hearty. And comforting.

——

This morning I woke earlier than Seth so I decided to be an extra nice girlfriend and make him a breakfast of champions:

3 egg omelet w/ ham, spinach, cheddar cheese. Side of whole grain toast and OJ. Seth, life doesn’t get much better than this….wink wink.

I enjoyed Tropical Chia Oats I threw together the night before:

I was craving it since the purchase of these two important items:

Coconut milk kefir (kefir is like a drinkable yogurt, containing healthy fat and probiotics) + FF Greek Yogurt

Directions (night before, combine and mix): 

1/3 cup oats

1/2 cup FF Greek Yogurt

1/2 cup kefir

1/4 cup frozen mango

1 T raw chia seeds

1 T red. fat unsweetened coconut

Pinch sea salt

Stevia to taste (keep in mind mango/banana will also sweeten)

Next morning:

Add splash milk (soy/almond) if desire  thinner consistency (I don’t do this) 

Top with 1/2 sliced banana

Savor.

——

Agenda for rest of the day:

– Bikram yoga (stretch out legs from yesterday’s half marathon)

– Enjoy this delicious salad I packed:

Spinach, diced chicken breast, black beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and hummus. 

Hummus (instead of salad dressing) is a delicious spin on a tradional salad, try it!

Trader Joe’s Spicy hummus is amazing.

– Then head to work! 

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Have a fantastic rest of your day! And don’t forget to enter my BEDDING MAKEOVER GIVEAWAY! The fastest way to makeover a room is new bedding! Aaaand I’m announcing the winner tonight!

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Something to consider….

(Snapped this pic from this month’s Women’s Health magazine)

I’ll be the first to admit – when I’m cramped, tired, stressed, etc., I  feel like the last thing I want to do on Earth is exercise. But over time, I’ve learned that it does help – A LOT! Sometimes you need to not think about it (aka don’t make excuses), throw on gym clothes and get moving. You WILL feel better. And you will never regret a workout. Even if it was just a light exercise to get yourself moving.

>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

>The finer things

>Hey heyyyy,

How’s your week going??? Mine has been bueno. I have 3 very exciting experiments this week. Cross your fingers for those ones 😉

Yesterday I planned to hit the gym after work but decided to meet the Manfriend for dinner at Chop’t, my favvvvvvorite quickie restaurant. Seth has always teased me for loving/craving monster salads claiming they “never fill him up”. But alas, whooo didn’t finish their meal last night????? hehehe.

After dinner I lounged for a bit then did a home workout of p90x shoulders and arms followed by Yogalosophy (30- min). Yogalosophy isn’t really yoga per se (imo), I think it’s more pilates but it’s def a great workout, the legs were killin’ today!

After that Seth and I caught up with Big Love (who else watches that show? Love it.) and cuddled him:

^Like his apparel? LOL

And enjoyed the finer things in life:

^Organic dark mint chocolate and vino, clearly. PS, this choc is BOMB. Tastes like Girl Scouts’ Thin Mint Cookies.

This morning I woke and headed out for a 4-mile run (casa to White House back to casa). I took it slow today as my knee was feeling a little tight. I neeeeeed some Bikram in my life!

For breakfast I was craving eggs and toast so I whipped up this:

^3 Egg whites and spinach w/ red pepper flakes, dash sea salt. Piece of Ezekiel toast w/ Earth Balance

And savored this new bag of Caribou:

^With soy, and cinnamon. Ahhhh, you never let me down.

Lab was pretty crazy today, I didn’t eat lunch until 3pm. I couldn’t help but notice how unhealthy our vending machines are:

Don’t get me wrong, I do love ma snacks. But c’mon, there should be at least some healthy choices. On days when you forget your bag of almonds, apple, etc. wouldn’t it be convenient if you could purchase a Luna or Kashi bar. I don’t know about you but I’d pay the extra 50 cents for a nutritious snack. Well today’s lunch didn’t quite hit the spot so after so I settled on the cleanest food I could find, trail mix. I ate the almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and raisins, but check out the ingredients for the “yogurt” pieces:

ICK.

Most people assume yogurt actually equals yogurt, not hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup. You’d think a top research institution where DIABETES is highly studied, might offer healthy options in their machines.

Anywhooooo, tonight Seth and I made a Trader Joe’s trip and whipped up a taco salad in no time:

^Iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cuban-style beans, ground lean turkey, roasted corn salsa, pico de gallo, light mexican blend cheese, and our secret dressing.

Aaaaamazing, as always (aka I make this A LOT).

Well I’m off to shower then read a bit before bed. Have a great night!!!

QUESTION: What do you buy from vending machines or convenience stores for snacks????

xoxox

>Highs and lows

>Heyyyy,

Happy hump day 😉 I feel like it’s been so long! Here are some highlights from the last few days:

1) I rediscovered Bikram:

source

For those of you not familar with Bikram yoga (or Hot yoga as many people call it), it’s a series of 26 sequential poses, each repeated twice in a room warmer than 105 degrees with 40% humidity. The heat allows you to work your muscles/joints/tendons for the entire 90 mins rather than needing half the class to ‘warm-up’.

Some more info about Bikram Yoga: “Blood circulation is affected immensely during Bikram Yoga because of two processes called extension and compression. These two dynamics are said to work together to deliver fresh oxygen to every joint, muscle, and organ within the human body. While performing a specific asana (pose), the body is stretching or compressing a certain part of the body, thus cutting off circulation temporarily. This restriction of circulation causes the heart to pump more blood in reaction to the shortage. The pumping of excess, fresh blood is called extension. Once the asana is complete and the individual comes out of the posture, the new oxygenated blood is able to rejuvenate the arteries that were being compressed. Because of the volume change and influx of fresh blood, it is said that infection, bacteria, and toxins can be released through this process” Source

What I can say is, Bikram Yoga has improved my life in every way. During marathon training I was always prone to injuries (ITBS, plantar facitis). However, since doing Bikram 2-3X week, I have been injury free. I had take a break earlier this year when I wasn’t running high milage. Now that I’m averaging 35 miles per week in addition to cycling, I need Bikram more than ever.

I’ve been twice this week (!) I can’t tell you how much better I feel, physically and mentally. If you decide to try it, please remember to drink lots of water that day (before, during, and after), dress light, and try it at least 3 times before you decide whether you like it or not. The heat can take a while to get used to. Tell your studio you are new and they can give you more new member info.

Next on the list….

2) I’ve found a new favorite breakfast. It’s quick, nutritious, and deeeeeelish!

1 pack instant plain oatmeal (or multi-grain), 1/2 – 1 banana microwaved (so it turns mushy), 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder (I use Designer Whey brand), 1 tsp cinammon, 1-2 tbsp raisins, 1 tsp PB (or almond butter), stevia to taste.

^^Important note: If making the oatmeal in the microwave, add the ingredients after. The protein turns a very strange consistency when microwaved.

The best part? It can be made on the run. Last night I prepared this baggy (Sorry it’s not what you think! ha):

All I did was add hot water to the oatmeal then stir in the goods. Warm, filling, and scrumptious.

My favorites:

Stevia…aka magic. An all natural zero-calorie sweetner. Check out how many servings there are!

Trader Joe’s Oatmeal (7 grams of soy protein):

Better N’ Butter. Tastes maple heaven.

And check out those stats!

Next on the list………

3. Taco salad and skinny margarita night:

^^Lean ground turkey sauteed in diced onions and au natural taco seasoning, topped over diced iceberg lettuce, corn, black beans, avacados, tomatoes, and our dressing secret!

Dip/dressing: This one is a keeper: Mix 2 parts greek yogurt with 1 part chipolte salsa, 1 tbsp red chili powder, 1tsp cumin. Healthy and AMAZING.

Top all of that with some lite Mexican blend cheese and whole grain tortilla chips. Voila!

Definitely one if my favorite roomie dinners. Close call with magic though 🙂

4) Waking up to this winter wonderland:

Although it’s pretty much melted now it was a quite beautiful commute to lab.

5) And a not so happy event:

My poor delicious lunch (shrimp, curry, veggies, beans, brown rice) went ka–poot on the floor when I grabbed it this morning. Aaaaah well. You win some, you lose some….ha!

Have a great night!

Lauren