1/7/09

One of my Favorites

Well, getting up early this morning was no fun (at all!), especially since I woke up like every 30 minutes last night (no reason why?!). However, I am relieved to be out of class so early, that I think it is worth it! As I was trekking across campus this morning I fed my grumbling tummy a yummy banana! After my first two classes, I had a one hour break, so I headed over to the Student Union to get a Clif Bar for some fuel. My Bio Lab does not start until next week (yay!) so I am done earlier today than I expected. I need to finish getting all of my books and what not! At one, I met Alexa for lunch and got my favorite thing that is offered.....A veggie pizza! There is not too much cheese, the crust is perfectly chewy and (depending on who made the pizza that day) it can be loaded with veggies or just have a few (today was not a loaded day, but it wasn't bad either!). YUMM!

I then had a diet coke! I am such a sucker for these while at school. I got unsweetened tea this morning with my Cliff Bar and, if you keep your receipt, you can get a free refill (see where I am going here...I cant pass up something free! lol). I try to get unsweetened tea once, so I am not having two big diet cokes each day (though it happens....).

Have a great day and if you went back to school, I hope your classes are going well too!

GUESS WHAT?! ZestyCook is holding a giveaway! Simply comment on this post and you will have the chance to win this sweet book: Fundamentals of Photography. I would love to improve my camera skills!

1/6/09

6:45 is early these days!

Thanks for the suggestions! It seems like wordpress comes out on top?! I actually set up a wordpress account, but it is 10X more complex than blogger. More complex is good, but at the moment, I do not have time to fiddle around and get used to it. Therefore, for the time being, I will be sticking with what I know: Blogger.
Before going to the gym, I had a quick string cheese:
My friend was not feeling her best, so we skipped the second class and simply did a 20 minute Abs class (a great workout!) and about 30 minutes on the elliptical while watching King of Queens.
We then proceeded to walk around campus to make sure we knew where all of our classes are. The only one I was not sure about was Biology because I have never been into the BIO building!

Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at the dorms. I got a salad (not a great picture!) with romaine, spinach, broccoli, sunflower seeds, carrots and black olives (which all sunk to the bottom....hate that!). I have started to bring my own dressing pouches because they always put on too much dressing for me! I was soooo thirsty (and have been all day, despite all of the water I have been drinking), so I got a Sprite Zero with dinner (water was not appealing anymore.....too much today.....is that possible?! haha)
These are the dressing packets I bought. I also have the light Ranch and Italian varieties to keep things interesting! These are really great for on-the-go!
I just finished a 100 calorie bag of these little guys (pic courtesy of associatedcontent.com):
They always remind me of Coco Puffs! :)
My first class is Political Science tommorrow at 8AM, which means I have to leave my dorm by 7:35, which means that I have to wake up at 6:45! JOY!

I almost forgot! Despite my busy day of buying books, finding classes, making sure payment and what not was in order; I did manage to read the first chapter of the Healthy Skeptic. I can tell I am going to like this book. Each chapter starts with a comic (the first one is below).

The first chapter was obviously about health studies and what to believe, etc. There was alot of facts, starting way back in time and building up to today. I love that comic because it is so funny, yet true. Fad diet trends are all around us....no carb, no coffee....How about simply using balance when it comes to eating!?!
EDITED TO ADD: A big handfull of the Bear Naked Granola from earlier! :)

Craziness......Welcome back! ;)

I finally got my DIRTY car cleaned! I guess after sitting outside for about 4 weeks exposed to all of the elements implies that it would be dirty, but it was just filthy! I then went to the store and picked up a few things. I was so thirsty this morning I had to run down to the vending machines and get a water bottle (no worries anymore though because I bought 24 at the store today! haha).
My eats today have been kind of crazy and I have alot of things I need to get done today, so in no particualr order:

Apple (which was kind of frozen because we turned our mini fridge up too high....whoops!):

Yogurt with a handfull of Bear Naked Peak Protein Granola: (I really like the taste of this granola because it is softer than most. Almost like graham crackers or something!)


I am currently munching on a Fiber One Oats & Chocolate Granola Bar. I was reading Hangry Pants, but now I need to get going!!

1/5/09

Back in Action

I left these two babies this morning! :(

Back at school and ready for the semester! My friend and I printed off the Rec Center's schedule and we are going to try a number of different classes, starting tommorrow! Last semester, we simply went to use the treadmills or ellipticals, but I think more classes would be fun. The choices are things like cardio funk, cardio boxing, BOSU (?!), Zumba, Cardio Step, Body Sculpting and Abs (which I have done and really like!). Do you guys have any advice about which ones you enjoy (and what they are?! haha)

Anyways, the road trip was LOOOONG (duh!). We stopped a number of times to go to the bathroom, get a snack/drink, etc. We had to stop about half way in Dallas and look around in shops because it was raining horribly and the temperature was 32 degrees.....which = ICE! We saw about 5 accidents. While we were looking around, my friend had to buy some PJ/sweat pants because (coming from a hot climate), she was in shorts......needless to say, we were not exactly dressed accordingly! :). We set back out on the road (about 30 minutes later), the rain had let up and after driving for about an hour, the sun was coming out and things were looking up! The only issue is the FREEEZING weather; but that is what you get when you go to school in cold atmospheres! lol One good thing about long car drives is jamming to tunes (including the oldies) with your friends!

Before I left, I had a pear and some yogurt. By the way, I like this fat free thick and creamy yogurt; but if you don't mix it up enough, it is kind of chunky (not good)! Otherwise, A++!

However, an hour later (around 10AM), my friend Alexa was picking me up and I was very hungry so I ate the PBJ sandwich I made for lunch! haha I used Smuckers low sugar jam (with no artificial sweeteners) and the delicious Archer Farms Chocolate Peanut Butter on 100% WW Sara Lee Bread.
While on the road I had about 5 of Alexa's Baked Lays (not worth a picture!).
As a snack later, I ate a gala apple I had sliced and packed.


We made it to QT and the machine with my favorite thing was NOT WORKING. I was so mad. My favorite thing at QT is the frozen coffee drinks. There is a cappuccino flavor and a regular flavor and I usually mix the two. However, it was out of service (it was probably too cold for the average bear, but you are talking to the girl who could eat ice cream in the snow!). The first time I ever visited a QT was about a year and a half ago and my mom actually asked about the nutrition info for those frozen coffee drinks and they are not bad! I dont remember the calorie content, but the fat content is about 5% of the RDA for Total Fat and 10% of the RDA for sat. fat for a 12oz or 16oz serving (can't remember which)!


When we drive home for spring break that frozen coffee machine better be working!!! :))


I settled for a coffee concoction: 2/3 brewed dark roast, 1/6 toffee cappuccino and 1/6 fat free french vanilla cappuccino. That is another thing I love about QT....so many options!! I wish we had one nearby....I would be there everyday! It was very warm, yummy and filling.


We went to Scholtzky's for dinner (about the only thing we could find and we were both starving!). I got a vegetarian pizza and it was piled with veggies! I forgot to bring in my camera and it was too wet and cold to go get it (bad blogger alert!), but it was delicious! There was also a perfect amount (not too much) mozzarella cheese! MMMM!


And this is one of the many cars we saw with ICE hanging all over it! So funny (well, probably not for the person who owns the car...!)

I saved the not so good for last... I left 2 things at home: a t-shirt (no biggie)........and my camera battery charger! (eek!). However, no worries because my mom is sending it off in the mail first thing tommorrow morning, so it should be here ASAP! My battery is almost dead, but I think it may last me for food pics if I use it conservatively! Fingers Crossed!!!

I am TIRED and ready for bed! Tommorrow is my last day before school starts, so I will be running last minute errands. Have a good Tuesday!


Stay tuned and you will get to see how a college student truly eats while attempting to be healthy! When home, I snack more (plus it was the holidays); but now I'm back in action! (p.s. I love those comments bloggies!)

9 hour drive ahead!

Hey guys! I had a great time last night, enjoying the company of my family and dogs while I still could. Now I am getting ready and at 10:30, I will be hitting the road with my friend Alexa to return to school. I did take pictures of my eats last night, but it was nothing special and my camera cord is all packed away. However, my camera is out and ready to do a full report of today's eats. You will notice that I work out much more when I am at school, which is because I have a gym about 2 minutes away from me at alll times.

One thing I am super excited about is going to the Quik-Trip in Dallas. We always go to QT when we visit my family in KS and now I get to go when I drive to and from school! The best gas station for one reason.......which I will take a picture of and show you later tonight! Intrigue, no?

Enjoy your day! I have 2 hours until my friend will be picking me up!

P.S. Does anyone know how to change the time at the bottom of the post? It should be more like 8:30 ish, not 6:30. I found a drop down window of the different ways to state the time/date, but they all have 6:30 listed.........and it is not 6:30! haha

What is your favorite blog formatting? Is Wordpress or something else better than Blogger?!

1/4/09

Go, Go, Go!!!!!

Breakfast got away from me (it may have something to do with the extra handfull or two of Quaker Caramel Corn Rice Cakes last night....). After church, I whipped up a quick lunch of another Target Markdown:And after adding about 1cup of frozen veggies, my lunch was ready. Man this is good! The rosemary is prevalent and refreshing. It tastes just like a "spa" meal.
Today is go, go, go! Here's what's on my to-do list:

1) Get eyebrows done


2) Pack EVERYTHING


3) Get scholarships mailed


4) Go for a run


5) Spend time with my lovely family (and pups!) before I hit the road tommorrow for a 9 hour drive back to school!




See you later!

1/3/09

A Whole Other Level of Decadence

I got my scholarships done and ready to mail out...whew! :) Now onto the surprise from Target.......DRUM ROLL.......Purely Decadent Dairy Free Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream. It think it must have been mismarked because it rang up as $.99 and I took full advantage. Now, I have never had this flavor before, but I love coffee and chocolate AND almonds are my favorite nut! Sounds perfect, no? I made my dessert in advance (around 2) so it could harden in the freezer. All I did was take 2 Quaker caramel corn rice cakes and sandwich a little spoonful of the decadent ice cream in between. However, I promptly ate them around 4! (oops)
At about 5:30 I had a piece of Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread topped with a slice of cheese and broiled until the top was crispy and melty & the bottom was warm and soft. While I ate, I thought about what to make for dinner...And decided I would use up the rest of the Veggie Corn Dogs (since noone else in my family will eat them and I hate to see food wasted). I paired them with a few Archer Farms Sweet Potato Fries and some frozen veggies that I drizzled with Italian dressing and threw into the oven with the rest of the meal (so fast and delicious). Then, you just wait....and you get this!
I ended the meal with some Caramel Corn Rice Quakes while watching this new TV show with my mom. It is called "Game Show in My Head" and at first I thought it was really stupid, but in the end, it was pretty funny! Then again, it's definitely not something I would rush home to see or anything.
After having my "ice cream sandwiches" earlier and tasting the heavenly ice cream, I knew I had to have a cone for dessert! Period! This stuff is phenomenal and there is no shortage of almond bits or fudge. Furthermore, I really like dairy free ice cream (as opposed to low-fat or regualr ice cream) because it, generally, is lower in saturated fat. Then again, you don't always get the Calcium benefit, so I guess it's a trade off!
What is your favorite ice cream treat?!

Target Markdowns Rock!

I finished up last night playing Sequence with my mom and watching a Dateline we had recorded on our DVR. The midnight munchies sat in and I drank half of a Peach Citrus Fresca (the other half was consumed today with lunch) and a handful of pretzels. This morning I pressed snooze a few times, but eventually got out of bed, got ready and made it in time for my 10AM hair appointment. Afterwards, my mom and I made a quick trip to Target. We purused the Dollar Spot and I got some decorative paper bowls (which you will be seeing soon) and some dish towels for my dorm. I made my way to the frozen foods section and struck gold. There were so many things on sale, I could not contain myself (I am quite the bargain girl!). We got a few things (including some stellar dairy free ice cream which you will surely be hearing more about tonight!!). Although I leave in two days, I purchased things that would either not expire soon or would be consumed by my family.
Before I left for my hair appt., I ate a quick breakfast of a banana and another Yoplait Light.

Once I got home from the store, I was starving and wanted something quick. Therefore, I chose to try a new South Beach Living Pizza variety for lunch (one of the many Target markdowns we bought). I am not a huge fan of South Beach Living frozen entrees, but their Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Pizza is great (and far superior to this Buffalo Style Chicken variety). The sauce on this pizza had a bit of a kick, which was okay; but the cheese just did not melt right.

I am now enjoying a juicy fuji apple, which I sliced up and piled onto one of my little plates.

I plan to enjoy the rest of this day typing up a scholarship essay...what a great way to spend a beautiful sunny day! I may have to take a book outside, go for a bike ride or take the puppies for a walk. Enjoy your weekend and I hope you are having great weather too!

I leave you with this: (they are toooooo funny!)

1/2/09

Spectacular!

The Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rocket City Rockettes was absolutely stunning. Just when I thought I had seen it all, a new special effect or dance came in to play! If you have never seen it, I would highly reccomend getting yourself to a showing sometime! Below is a picture taken with my cell phone (because I did not want my camera getting confiscated!)

Dinner was just as great. As I said before, Alexa and I went to the Spaghetti Warehouse. The atmosphere was so fun and modern. After signing up for their online "club", I was emailed a coupon for a free appetizer. (That's a frugal tip for you folks....sign up for restaurant's "Online Clubs". In fact, I just got an email for a coupon for something free off of Sonic's new dollar menu!) Anyways, we decided to get the sampler with fried zucchini, mozzarella triangles and bruchetta (!!). Oh, and I successfully by-passed the bread that was brought to the table.


I had what is pictured (that is a small appetizer plate)..plus 1.5 more bruchetta and 1 more zucchini fry

After a fried fest (which my stomach is not used to), I wanted a lighter dinner and chose a bowl of Wedding soup. It consisted of flavorful chicken broth, 3 mini meatballs (which I picked out and did not eat), chunks of chicken, thin noodles, carrots and spinach. Such a great soup!




Of course, the day ended on a sweet note (my light dinner made me slightly hungry when I got home):


Yoplait Light:


Voortman's Cookies: (the photo won't upload, but you can use your imagination!)



I had an amazing night (hope you did too), which helped me to momentarily forget that I only have two more days left with my family (sad...). I am off to watch some King of Queens on my DVR, possibly play a game and then hit the sack. I have a hair appt. tommorrow at 10AM and the rest of the day is open. See you tommorrow!

Breakfast?!

I usually eat a normal breakfast (well, normal for a college student on the go); but since I have been home, I have been taking advantage of getting to sleep in and waking up around 10. So this morning I had this little guy while purusing some of your blogs:





What do you think it is? See, while rushing through the grocery store the other day...I thought it was an anjou pear. However, this morning while I was peeling off the sticker, I realized it said ApplePear! ApplePear?! How cool is that? The flesh reminds me of a pear, the shape reminds me of an apple and the taste is a combination. I would rank it better than a pear, but it sure didn't beat a juicy gala apple. Then again, it was a fun change and (if I can find them again) I will surely buy some more!




Now on to lunch...After fixing a turkey wrap for my mom, I was craving one too. However, a quick glance at the ingredient list displayed "partially hydrogenated oils". I do my best to keep partially hydrogenated oils out of my diet. Therefore, I heated up my last Amy's California Veggie Burger (which needed to be used up before I leave, since none of my family members will eat them). I also heated up a sweet potato. After mashing it up, I crumbled the veggie burger on top and covered the dish with a drizzle of ketchup! It was very delicious.




In the spirit of using things up, I decided to do something with a baby acorn squash that I bought at Target about 2 weeks ago. I wasn't really in the mood for mashed squash, so I decided to try Acorn Squash Fries. I mean I have made butternut squash fries and sweet potato fries, so why not acorn squash fries?! After heating them in our broken oven (it says 525 degrees when it is actually something like 475...so I guess it still works..haha), they look like fries. On the other hand, they do not taste like fries. They taste like little acorn squash bites....mushy as can be. The "fries" are still good, but not worth the trouble!



Well I am about to watch the Cotton Bowl and root on my Red Raiders!!!! I see some form of snack in my future, but not exactly sure what. After the game, I will be getting ready for dinner and the Rockettes Show. I will try to take a picture of my dinner tonight.


By the way, I am really enjoying this blogging thing, so I think I will be able to keep it up during my busy school schedule! Enjoy your day!




Edited to add: My snack of choice was a No Sugar Added Carnation Instant Breakfast in a big glass of skim milk! I realized that I haven't had much Calcium today.

These snuck in...somehow:

Peanut M&M's:

Cookie (With a game of sequence of course!):
GO TEXAS TECH! :)

1/1/09

Change of Plans

So we are now going to The Spaghetti Warehouse for dinner tommorrow, which is actually fine with me because I can't remember the last time I ate at a good Italian restaurant. I am still not sure what I am going to get....hmm!?

On to the eats....

Being back home also means that I am way to close to a vast array of snacks (that I do not generally keep in my dorm because I would undoubtedly eat them all way too fast!). Therefore, I had a snacky day!

First up was a small gala apple topped with a drizzle of Archer Farms Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread (Just one more reason to LOVE Target!).


Another Target find was these Christmas cookies (on sale for $.63):
So Yes...It is after Christmas, yet here I was decorating Christmas Cookies! (It sure was fun though!) Mine do not look nearly as intricate as CCV's, but who's counting! :P
Before:




After: (hahah!)
My Portion:
Small glass of milk to wash it down! Note the cute & small Coca-Cola glass that my mom found at the Dollar store (nonetheless) some time ago. [Note the Sequence Board Game in the background....My mom and I are quite the gamers!]
At some point I had this: :)

Dinner was this: Healthy Choice Split Pea and Ham Soup and a 100% Whole Wheat Pepperridge Farms Hamburger bun (toasted) with a bit of Smart Balance on top. This bread is so doughy and delicious (too bad that was my last one!). The soup on the other hand was not my cup of tea. There was a fake smokey flavor, yet bland and .....just not too good!
If you watch Gilmore Girls, you will understand the mug......I told you I was a Gilmore Girls Junkie!! :)





My nighttime snack of choice was some popcorn (and a handful of unpictured peanut M&M's...)






Followed by some fat free blueberry yogurt! (and another very small Christmas cookie!)



Good Night!