>My kinda day

Posted on March 3, 2011 by sethlapierre

>What a beautiful day today was. I hope the weather in your neck of the woods was juuust as nice. I had the most glorious day off. As I ate my bowl of morning oats on the deck, sunshine warming my face, I knew it was going to be a good day.

Frothed deliciousness

And a new favorite..

Pumpkin spiced latte oats!

1/2 c oats + 1 t chia seeds (soaked overnight in 1 cup almond milk)

1/3 c pumpkin (organic; canned)

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder (SunWarrior brand; added after cooking)

1 t instant espresso

1/4 t cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

stevia (1-2 servings, to taste)

Party in my mouth.

Michael also found the day quite relaxing..

* * *

Later in the day the Manfriend joined me for a ‘power hour’ yoga class at a nearby Vinyasa studio. I don’t think he quite knew what he was getting into, judging by the 10 gallons of sweat on his mat. Muuuhaha 😉 I love how [many] guys think yoga is “not a workout”.

I’ve been searching for a new yoga practice as the warmer months approach. Bikram has been a love in my life for 3 years now, but I find myself dreading my 2 days/week practice during the ridiculously hot and humid DC summers. A 105F studio (with 40% humidity) is so not appealing to me when it’s already in the 100’s. 90 degrees, I can handle. I want to crave yoga all year round and not practice because I have to (for running purposes).

I loved the class but would also like to try a few other kinds, such as ashtanga, forrest, and hatha. If you practice, what’s your favorite kind of yoga?

* * *

Lunch was bomb. No other words to describe this one. Last week, a reader commented that they tried Magic Soup and added a little light coconut milk. Following her lead, I created hands down my new favorite sauce/soup, Coconut Curry!

Combine these

(Per serving)

1 c red pepper/tomato soup

1/4 c light coconut milk

Then add:

1/4 – 1/2 t curry powder

1/2 t chili powder

pinch sea salt

pinch cayenne pepper

I topped the soup over steamed veggies (brussel sprouts, zucchini, broccoli) and diced medium-firmness tofu. ❤

So easy. So good. Definitely a keeper.

* * *

I spent the rest of the day spring cleaning and managed once again to come up with 2 (stuffed) bags of clothes for donation. I swear my closet is never ending with stuff I never wear. It must be magical. Actually I lie, I spent about an hour cleaning, took a lovely walk, picked up a coffee, and somehow ended up at my spa for an eyebrow appointment (how’d that happen?). I was blessed with almost white eyebrows so every ~2 months, I get them waxed and tinted brown. Makes a huuuuge difference. Otherwise, they look shaved. HOTT.

I must have been so relaxed from the yoga and spa-soothing music, because I completely passed out and my esthetician had to wake me up! Embarrassing much? 😉

To top off the already lovely day, I made it to a BodyPump class (keeping my promise of more yoga and lifting!) then made homemade pizza with a cauliflower/flax meal crust (recipe to come!) for me and ma sis.

My kinda day.

* * *

See ya tomorrow kids. I’m working 7a-7p tomorrow then having dinner with Sara.

XX,

Laur

What’s your favorite kind of yoga?

My sister says hi

So does Michael 🙂

>Room service solves all problems

Posted on August 30, 2010 by sethlapierre

>Hey kids,

How are ya? I’m well on my way to getting into PA (physician assistant) school, fingers crossed! First step: Passed Nursing Aide test. Let me tell you that exam was one of the most annoying/aggravating/painful experiences of my liiiiife!

The written portion of the exam lasted from 8-8:30am. Next they had us wait in a room to be called for our Skills portion of our test. We were told not to leave the room in case they call our names. I was called at 4:30pm! Yes, I waited in a classroom with NO FOOD, book, computer, etc. for 8 HOURS! I felt like I was in detention. After taking the skills exam which lastest about 25 mins, I had to drive 4 hours home (which took 6 due to traffic). Ahhhh, what a day! Sorry for the rant 🙂

The trip wasn’t allll bad I did pass the exam aaaaand order some room service. Friday night I ordered a class of Shriaz and piece of chocolate cake. You bet I ate it in my whirlpool bathtub. Yep, I felt like I was straight out of a movie 🙂 For a wake up call, I ordered some fruit, coffee, and tomato juice to accompany my oats and protein breakfast:

Unsure what the food situation would be, I packed some regular oats and a baggy containing SunWarrior protein to mix in. SO GLAD I ate a big breakfast considering I wasn’t able to eat for 10 more hours!

Did you know you can steam hot H20 in your coffee maker? haha…Maybe I’m the only one..

Steaming hot H20 for oatmeal

Once I arrived back in the District I had to snap this pic to show you the craziness that is Georgetown Cupcakes:

Ever since the show DC Cupcakes aired, Georgetown Cupcake has become NUTS! This picture shows about 1/10th of the line and was taken at 10pm on a Saturday!

When did cupcakes become so trendy?????

Today I woke to a delicious Strawberry-Pineapple Green Monster Smoothie:

Vanilla SunWarrior, frozen strawberries, frozen pineapple, 2 huuuge hand fulls spinach, ice, h20, stevia, 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (to thicken), pinch sea salt. Yummm.

[Insert 2 hours of application writing]

I was craving a weights sesh at the gym. I took a BodyPump class and it did the trick. Has anyone tried the new BodyPump series?? I think it’s BodyPump 74?? Well, it’s HARD! The lunge and triceps tracks are killer!!

I met my friend Alyson for lunch at Chop’t, my favorite salad place.

Mmm.

Speaking of good eats, here are two recent favorites I’ve made within the last week…

Healthified Mac N’ Cheese:

Diced medium-firmness Tofu (~1/6 block), 1/4 cup oats, 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast, ~2 tbsp shredded lite cheddar cheese, mixed frozen veggies, sea salt, pepper & topped with hot sauce.

Chocolate Protein Pancakes:

1 scoop Chocolate SunWarrior, 1/3 cup egg whites, 2 tbsp PB Flour, 1 heaping tbsp spelt flour, 1/2 mashed banana, stevia, dash sea salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder. Topped with a PB smear and 1 tbsp organic maple syrup. Perfection, I tell ya.

Alright I’m off to volunteer with some kiddos then take a spinning class with Alyson. Happy Monday!

Cute/weird Pic of the Day:

Michael doing some yoga

>Spring has arrived!

Posted on March 29, 2010 by sethlapierre

>Heya,

How was your weekend??? Mine was pretty great. Good food, friends, and run makes a bueno one in my book 😉

To stretch the weekend extra long, I’m currently sitting on the couch with Kels (sis), watching Titanic, sippin’ some of this:

^Sangria (Cabernet, splash triple sec, splash OJ, teeeny splash-o-lime, frozen fruit, dash stevia)

Oh, and hanging out with the guy:

^Our new pup, Michael

So a little rewind to the beginning of the weekend. Friday night I was completely exhausted after the week. Kels and I decided to have a sistah night….You know–wine, dark chocolate, and movies. Twas glorious. We feasted on this deliciousness:

^TJ’s broccoli soup w/ diced tofu, broccoli, peas, carrots, and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is amazing. It’s supa good for you and has an almost nutty/buttery flavor. I love it on popcorn, toast, eggs, and anything you want a cheezzzzy flavah.

Saturday the Manfriend and I headed out for a bomb workout sesh. I tricked him into running a 5 mile loop (hehe, sorry Seth), stairs, and some yoga. It was a beauuuuutiful day!

Running along the Potomac river (Watergate on left, Kennedy Center on right):

Endless flowers….Ahhh, spring is here:

Mile 4, ran some stairs:

Did some yoga (yeah he can do this without a SINGLE day of yoga in his life–very unfair):

After a great run we lounged by the Georgetown waterfront for a bit:

The perfect Saturday afternoon.

Later in the evening I met some friends for Indian Food. If you live in the DC/MD/VA area I highly recommend this place. Its vegetarian and most dishes can be made vegan or gluten-friendly. Also, it’s family run and they are so nice.

^My meal: Veggie Vindaloo (spicy red curry)

^Kels’ meal. Nuts.

After that amazing feast we headed to a friend’s house-warming partaay. Was a great evening.

This morning I slept past 12 (again, heh) then made a BOMB powder breakfast. Let me just tell you, I’m obsessed with chia seeds (thank you, thank you Jean and Gina!)….Have you tried them? They’re supa nutritious (high in omaega 3’s, calcium, and fiber).

^1/4 cup oats, 1tbsp chia seeds, 1/2 scoop protein powder (I use SunWarrior vanilla), 1/2 mashed banana, 2 tbsp egg whites, 1 tbsp Cinnamon swirl PB, H20, cinnamon, stevia, dash sea salt. Holy amazing. The seeds give a little extra crunch and have a great taste even on their own.

Tip: soak the oats and seeds overnight in water (or milk) and then add rest of ingredients. The seeds absorb h2o and make the concoction supa thick n’ creamy. It’s bomb, I swear. I’ve been experimenting quite a bit with different chia recipes (pudding, smoothies) so I’ll be posting some pics/recipes soon….don’t cha worry. Seriously though, buy some. I won’t steer ya wrong 😉

After digesting that deliciousness I headed out for a glorious 11.5-miler among the blooming Cherry Blossoms. In case ya didn’t know, Washington DC is known for their beauuutiful Cherry Blossoms that bloom in late March/early May. There is a festival every year and it’s by far the best time to visit (imo).

Japan gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the nations’ then-growing friendship. These trees famously line the shore of the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC., and the gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1965. In Japan cherry blossoms also symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. Cherry blossom is an omen of good fortune and is also an emblem of love, affection and represents spring. Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the fleeting nature of life, and as such are frequently depicted in art. Source

Here are some Cherry Blossom pics: