Getting Back in Control!

Last night I ended up having a bowl of raisin bran crunch for 'dessert'. Looking back, I really didn't need to have another bowl of cereal. I woke up this morning feeling disappointed with my will power lately and I think it's time for me to get serious about portion control again. If I'm serious about getting fit I need to get serious about healthy portions.

Breakfast

For breakfast this morning I made a batch of my usual banana oats. I just wanted to remind everyone of this nifty extra step! Try cooking the bananas in the pot (raisins opt.) to bring out the extra sweetness in them. It works, trust me!
In the mix

• 1 large banana
• 1 handful raisins
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tps. chia seeds
• 1 tsp. flaxseeds
• shake cinnamon
• scoop peanut butter

Accompanying my lovely oats today is a mug of chia tea with a splash of sugar free vanilla syrup and almond milk, and a Women's Once a Day.
My car appointment is at 9:30 this morning so I gotta get a move on it!

See ya!

Homemade Granola- Gone Already!

Massive catch-up!! I guess with finals and everything catch-ups are to be expected this week.

Breakfast

Homemade granola, banoonoos, blueberries, and the last of my starbucks.

I am obsessed with with blueberries and this granola!
Seconds!

Lunch

Savannah and I went on a crazy apartment hunt that afternoon before I had work. I made myself a quick lunch before work when we suddenly stumbled upon another apartment option! Pretend the hummus isn't even in this picture because I barely got one scoop before we zoomed out of the house!

Snack

30 grams of nuts is not that much but nuts are just so satisfying!!
I also treated myself to three of these crystallized ginger pieces. The texture of these are really satisfying. I just can't eat them too quickly because they start to get really spicy!
In the car on the drive to the choir concert I ate a chocolate chip Z bar.
So chocolaty!

Dinner

After the choir concert the girls and I stopped at Freebirds! It's a very popular, 24/7 burrito place. I pulled a Tina when I got home. I split my burrito and put it in a container for lunch before I even took a bite!
It was ahhhhmazing!

Breakfast

Finally at today! For breakfast this morning I made a chai tea with sugar free vanilla syrup and homemade granola with bananas and blueberries. And of course a Women's Once a Day!

I am really feeling this sugar free vanilla syrup. It's so powerful I don't even need that much!

I really loaded on the blueberries. I love 'em!

Yuuuum!

Lunch

I had the other half of my burrito for lunch today. I heated it up for about a minute and took it to eat outside. It was so beautiful today!

Snack

For a snack later that afternoon I made a parfait. I layered cherry soy yogurt, granola, and blueberries, then repeat. So good!
I decided to just finish off the granola and piled on the blueberries!

Dinner

For dinner tonight I made a grilled sandwich with

• Eggplant burger
• mushrooms
• scallions
• red bell peppers
• spinach
• cilantro
• hummus
• avocado

With sliced kiwi on the side!
So tasty!
I feel a dessert post in my future!!!

The Only Solution: The Best Oatmeal Cookies in The World!

Dinner

After class I practiced for a little while but for some reason my stomach felt completely empty. I decided to come for an early dinner. I heated up some leftover Quinoa Vegetable Paella and added Tapatio, salt and pepper.

Then I covered the quinoa with lettuce!
Since I ran out of green tea I got to buy new tea! I went with chai for caffeine and peppermint for decaf.
Quinoa + salad and a mug of Chai tea. The tea was nice and spiced!
I had a little bit of seconds :)
After dinner Savannah and I headed to campus for a late night practice sesh. We are really starting to feel the pressure of the impending recital!!
Stress is the worst feeling to have when there are a lot of important things to be done. Sometimes the only solution is: To Make Cookies!!! Savannah and I decided to make the best oatmeal cookie we could create!
We adjusted the Quaker Oats recipe just but using vegan butter and egg replacer. Looks just like the regular kind.
We added:

• raisins
• chocolate chips
• roasted almonds, run through the food processor till course

There were plenty more spoonfuls that looked just like this one! I definitely ate too much dough... That's my problem, I seem to like the dough more than the actual cookies!

They turned out amazingly! They even spread out while they baked which vegan cookies sometimes forget to do.
This morning I woke up early and got ready super speedy because my friend Bobby and I decided to go to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History for some extra credit in anthropology. An early morning trip was all I could fit in so I packed up a lunch before I even ate breakfast.

Breakfast

I thought I wouldn't have time to make oats this morning but I planned my time out better than I expected. I ended up having time to make Pumpkin Oats! My ingredients:

• 1 small sliced banana
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tsp. chia seeds
• 1 tsp. milled flaxseed
• shake cinnamon
• small shake ground ginger
• small shake ground nutmeg
• shake ground cloves
• small handful walnuts
• maple syrup

I used this pumpkin puree I picked up at the Coop yesterday.

I put 1/4 cup into the measuring cup and just filled the rest with water till it came to a little over a cup. The rest of the process is the same. Cook the banana alone in the pot, add raisins, add pumpkin water mixture, add oats, seeds, and spices.
I microwaved my walnuts for 45 sec. to give them a toasted taste.
Drizzle with maple syrup and voila!
Pumpkin Oats, Chai Tea, and two gummy vites= breakfast Heaven!

A report on the museum and lunch to come soon!!