Good Morning Muesli Rain

Good morning blog world. It's a grey day out today and, according to my iPhone, by noon there is a 50% chance of rain!

Breakfast

I decided to go with the Good Morning Muesli this morning.

• 1 apple, chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 Tbsp. flaxseeds
• 2 Tbsp. raisins
• topped with homemade almond mylk
• and a scoop of homemade cashew butter

This breakfast really is surprisingly filling. I say surprising because it's just an apple and a bunch of seeds! Raw food just continues to impress and amaze me.

I wanted to make special mention about the supplements I've been taking. I bought these cleanse tablets at the co-op while I was doing my cleanse and they weren't exactly cheap. I figure I will take two everyday until they run out. Also, I try to always take my Women's One a Day vitamin to make sure I'm staying well rounded. I really believe I could (and likely do) get all the nutrients I need in the foods I eat. But ya know, not every day is perfectly balanced, I probably need more calcium in my life, and if this one little pill can help me lessen the impact that aging will inevitably have, fine by me!
Yesterday in my Intro to Ethics class there was discussion of how pleasures that required higher faculties, such as intellectual pursuits, will generally win out over pleasures that only use lower faculties, i.e. sitting on the beach. BUT, the capacity/desire to seek out these pleasures must be cultivated during youth or the desire will wilt. This is interesting to me since a lot of the things I'm doing for my body and health I do with the conscious intention of building good habits for later. I guess I'm doing something right!

Do you prefer higher or lower faculties? Do you think it's true that higher will usually win over time? Does this have anything to do with age?

It just started raining out and now I'm considering getting outta here as soon as I can to go search for a parking spot on campus. It's still early, I could probably find one! Alrighty peeps, see you later!

Catch up- Choir Party, Weekend!

This is going to be a big catch up! On Thursday night I prepared some pumpkin overnight oats.

• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/8 cup raisins
• 1 tsp. chia seeds
• 1 tsp. milled flaxseed
• shake cinnamon
• 1 tsp. agave

Before

After!
Breakfast

In the morning I mixed in

• 1 small banana sliced
• 1 handful fresh blueberries
• 1 small handful walnut pieces

It was delicious! I think the chia seeds really make the difference.
Snack

After my two hour shift at the library I felt like having my mixed nuts. I had forgotten how much I love nuts!
On my way to anthropology I ate my Mojo Bar. You can see my humongous purse in my shadow haha.
Before studio I snacked on this kiwi. The some of the other singers hadn't seen anyone eating a kiwi with the skin still on. I have a feeling I've started a trend!
I can't believe it but somehow I totally forgot to take a photo before I dung into my carrots and hummus! Here is the aftermath.
Dinner

After work I raced home, showered, and prepared some dinner. First, at Kelsey's suggestion, I made a smoothie with spinach in it! It took some trouble shooting but I got the recipe down to something like this:

• 2 handfuls spinach
• heaping 1/2 cup frozen berries
• 1 small banana
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 2 tsp. agave.

Tada! Can't even see the spinich, can ya!? I could vaguely taste the spinach but it was well balanced by the other flavors. This is probably my new favorite way to get in my greens!
For an entree I tried out these new "Meal Inspirations". You just open the package, microwave for 90 seconds, and that's it!
Also, gummy vites will no longer be appearing on Girl Who Plays With Food. They've been replaced by Women's Once a Day. I know, not as exciting but the content is what counts!
A smorgasbord of dips just the way I like it, spinach salad with chickpeas and left over Quinoa, and a spinach berry smoothie. Woohoo!
Aaaannnddd a cookie :) This is Cookie #1
The choir concert was a success! Afterwards I had cookie #2 haha.
Chomp!
I headed over to the choir party which was poppin! Here's Alex and I.
Aaron and Katie hahaha.
It was my friend Kate's Birthday and she brought lemony glazed cupcakes!! Someone else brought a bottle of champaign. Champaign + cupcake = happy girl!

This morning I woke my tired self up and made it to cardio circut at 9! It looks like some serious rain is coming so I decided to drive to class. On my way there I ate half of this banana.
After class I made a quick stop at Vons which has a Starbucks inside. I got a tall soy cappuccino with sugar free hazelnut syrup.
The foam is my favorite part. This was sooo good!
Reeeestock! I picked up a few essentials :)
Breakfast

For breakfast I decided to make Granola! I used pecans this time instead of almonds. The recipe comes from the cookbook "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch"

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. rice syrup
• 2 Tbsp. safflower oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F

2. Lay the oats flat on an edged baking sheet. Toast the oats for 15 minutes in the oven.

3. While the oats cook, combine nuts, coconut, and salt.

4. In a separate bowl whisk together the maple syrup, rice syrup, and safflower oil.

5. Once the oats are done, mix everything together and return to the baking sheet. You're supposed to lightly grease the pan but I forgot...
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes. I did 20 cause I was huuungry!
7. Mix in raisins or other dried fruits of choice and continue to let cool. I added 1/3 cup of soy nuts.
And a 1/3 cup of raisins.
I enjoyed my granola with fresh blueberries! I used my salad spinner to dry them haha.
Granola with blueberries, banana, and soy milk, the last of my coffee, and I lit my birthday cake candle :)

Seconds! I couldn't resist.
Well I've been a pretty Class A vegetable today. In my credit I have gotten a lot of much needed laundry done though. I watched "Children of Men" and now I'm on "The DaVinci Code"! It just started raining a few minutes ago, saw that one coming. I actually love sitting inside and watching movies while it rains :) Lunch is coming my way and maybe a little peppermint tea!

Midnight Snack, Rain Outside- Creamy Oats Inside

Midnight Snack

Talk about a midnight snack! After Shabbos I hung out with some friends who were also at dinner. It was raining and we walked from dinner to another friends house with trash bags on like crazy people! When I finally got home I had the last Skinny Figgy Bar and it was sooo good!

I had it with a mug of mint tea.

Breakfast

For breakfast this morning I whipped up some especially creamy banana oats. In the mix:

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 sliced banana
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tsp. milled flaxseed
• 1 tsp. chia seeds
• shake cinnamon
• splash cinnamon
• drizzle of maple syrup
• scoop peanut butter

I took the extra time this morning to really whip the oats and stir them constantly. It made a big difference because my oats came out much more creamy!


How is it sunny out and yet it's raining? Baah!
Now, I'm procrastinating the cleaning and homework I have to do by watching "Corina, Corina" on TBS With Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta. It's so sweet! Wow, it just started pouring even harder!! I love the sound of rain :)

Hopefully Kelsey and I will be making a trip to the gym later, in a car of course.

See ya later!

Health, come to me!

I was in a rush to get out this morning so I popped two gummy vites down the hatch real quick. I was planning on eating that delicious looking apricot mango yogurt at home but I made this toast with peanut butter and banana instead and packed the yogurt for later. Wanna know a secret? I love loaf ends. I wouldn't want them for sandwiches but they are perfect one slicers. They're a little breadier than just one slice on its own. ...I definitely ate that whole banana by the way!
Blast! It's raining again! I caught a break and it let up just long enough for me to ride to work but as soon as I got in it started coming down like it meant business. I guess we could call that... lucky? :) This is the view from out of my front door. I wonder if the people across the street ever see me, this weirdo girl popping out of the front door, taking a picture of nothing and shutting the door again.
I'm starting to fade guys, my sore throat is wiping me out. I think I'm going to go home after music history and try and rest. I'll be missing choral conducting which I'm sad about but I have an audition tomorrow that I need to be well for.

Hope your morning is going well!