Breakfast came out of the freezer

A leftover pumpkin pancake form this weekend and coffee!  I love this pancake mix

It’s easy and the pancakes come out amazing.  I grew up on “real” pancakes (aka flour egg . . .) and bought pancake mix on a wim.  Glad I did cause while scratch pancakes are SO easy, this is even easier.

We added pumpkin which made them even better.  Reheated and they still taste amazing (minus syrup!)

I then studied chemistry- yikes- and ran.  I had planned a 7 miler but for some odd reason my stomach was not happy.  SO I walked one mile and only ran 6.

When I got home I could tell dehydration was my problem.  My sweat was SO salty (tmi maybe?).  SO Lunch needed to do some hydrating

and some homemade bread I tore off the loaf while blending

this green monster is :1 cup skim milk, 1 cup water, handful spinach, banana, and muscle milk light

SO I’m headed to my little brothers soccer game

Go Sages

When I study I almost always have a candle burning.  I’m open to all candles that smell amazing.  Although I have to say my favorite are warm smells like vanilla, baked goods, and pumpkin.

On my desk at this very moment I have three candles.  The first one, burning at this moment, is a harvest smell from Dollar General.  It actually smells amazing but it going to be gone so quickly.  I’m a hard-core candle burner

I also have

A pumpkin spice candle from Target.  Oh and that is the red nail polish I painted my nails to remind me to be BOLD

and a Clean Linen Candle from Glade

My neighbors smoke and this candle does some damage control when that horrible scent drifts into my room (sorry smokers, it’s just annoying to nonsmokers)

Lunch today btw was easy and amazing

the wrap is 1/2 can tuna, a flat out tortilla wrap, spinach, salsa, and hummus with some red bell pepper for a little extra color and crunch!

About an hour later I wanted a snack and decided an apple was in order

Twas a tiny apple compared to the honkers I usually eat

After babysitting and taking a test (and getting out of class 2 hours early!) I started a chapter on Soup, salad, and gels for my food preparation class.  So of course, soup was needed

Leftover Chicken Noodle I made for Sarah and I Saturday night

and a side of an English muffin

oh and a carrot while I was reheating my dinner

For dessert I decided to try something new!  But I think my expectations were for a great chocolaty experience

and instead got a normal kind of blah tasting protein bar  Oh well guess you can’t get everything.  I finished it off but mostly cause may day was a little low in protein.  Ahh darn

Okay folks

back to the early confession about my love for candles.  Cause I go through about three a week (kidding kind of).

What is your favorite candle scent?

This week my “sister” came to visit.  I have three best friends from college and after four years of life, love, and adventure we know live in different places.  I don’t think I knew how much I missed them until Sarah came to visit this weekend.  While she healed my soul she also made me miss her and the girls SO MUCH

So the fact that my chem class was confusing and I think I did kind of bad on my econ quiz this morning is really not that big of a deal.  I just miss my girls

Really though, life is working out for me.  I pained my fingernails red after Sarah left to remind myself to

Be Bold Be Bold and Everywhere be BOLD

herbert spencer

Good thing I’m headed to Purdue this weekend to see one of my other “sisters”

Okay breakfast was easy cause someone slept in

Woops

Yep I kind of love cottage cheese

after class I decided I wanted to finish my breakfast in the form of a snack

a (okay two) cups of coffee and a kiwi.  I forgot how good kiwi’s are!

Alright folks- despite this tired soul I need to get motivated and study for an hour or two.  I think I’ll break for a run and then study a little more.  I have a test tonight!  Hopefully this one goes well.  I feel pretty good about it

Whenever this happens music from Les Miserables always seems to help (is that depressing? cause it isn’t supposed to be)

my two favorites are

On My Own

and I Dreamed a Dream

Yes those are both the Glee versions.  Listening to the words always helps.  I know they are depressing but it makes me feel better to validate my feelings than have a “everything will get better” attitude sometimes

Okay eats for the last few days

soup, cottage cheese, and tortilla chips

tuna hummus and cucumber

My LOVE for cottage cheese seems to keep growing!  Cottage cheese amazing, a little more protein than greek yogurt and a little less sugar!  Gotta love that

Okay folks I promise I’ll be back.  I think my heart has healed a little  Time will only tell

I have my first chem exam in a hour.  I can’t wait to just be back to normal.  This will have to be short cause I have a few things to look over

first off sorry I studied through dinner last night and made a pb and j as I ran out the door.  But here is lunch

twas a pear, greek yogurt, and some banana bread (lets not even talk about how fast I’m flying through this stuff)

Today for breakfast I had a food blogger classic

Oats in a jar

with a little b suga (very little peanut butter was left in this jar)

Well folks- wish me luck!  Gonna look over everything for a little

Ellie

Class got out early so dinner was easy and also not eaten at 9:30

broccoli, sweet potato, and a chicken sausage. . .  It hit the spot

of course there was also dessert and some nibbles

I made coffee “ice cream” by using muscle milk light, milk, and coffee.  I put half in the freezer for another day.  I also nibbled some Honey Gram Oh’s.  Honestly when I’m studying I’m kind of a snacker.

Breakfast this morning was exactly what I wanted

Oatmeal!  Twas kind of cool this morning and the oats were warm and wonderful!  On the side I had a few dried figs

I’m running low on fruit so I thought this was a clever way to add a serving to my day.  Plus aren’t they kind of cute.  I like how they look just like fresh figs

Speaking of the race- I have not photo’s (sorry forgot my camera) but I do have my results

thats just under 8:00 minute pace.  Not my best but it’s a start.  Plus the weather was not really great and the road was very slippery.  MattyD, my friend who I ran with, also ran a slow time.  Conditions may effect us a little.  When I looked up my results I felt really young.  The women around me were in the mid thirties.  I’ve got some future huh!  Hope I’m like then in a few years

Point of lunch today was to get a few fruits and veggies in while also getting some protein

spinach, salsa, egg white, brocoli on a flat out wrap

with a pear

hit the spot and filled all my requirements for a lunch.  A fruit, a veggie, a few carbs, and some protein

SO back to the race

Question of the Day

What do you do when your body aches after a workout?

weekend was amazing and came away with a age group prize from the 15K I did

My pace was just under 8:00 minutes- I finished in 75 minutes.  While it was a good come back race I know I really have my work cut out for me.  I’d like to be running 7:30′s soon!

Breakfast this AM was my favorite

PB and Banana Bread (microwave for 20 seconds. . . and let PB get gooey!

I’m trying to avoid going to the G store until I finish my test so please put up with my creativity.

Well folks- coffee and study for a few more minutes before I head to class.

Chem=Life

Last night when I was babysitting I brought women health to read.  I picked up the magazine cause Carrie Underwood was on the cover.  I love her personality and I think her body is amazing.  Plus I like that she lost the weight she put on in college and during idol in a healthy way (she writes down what she eats and talks about how much she loves mexican and pizza from time to time).  Basically I just like that she is real with her weight loss and health.

anyway. . . .   I also read an article on Protein.  That article stated that women who increase their protein intake by 30% lost an average of 14 lbs.  While I’m not in the market to loose 14lbs I am always in the market to lean up.

SO Wanna help?  I need to up my protein.

We will get to that in a second

I wanted to show you how green my green monster was yesterday.  Most likely the greenest green monster I’ve ever had.   I had a lot of spinach to get rid of before I left for the weekend

WOW it was Green Green

Anyway. . . breakfast this morning was high protein

cottage cheese (which contains 14 g of protein  and a pear.  The pears were $1 per pound.  I’m a girl who can’t say no to that

Well Friends, I’m off.  I have chem to study for (even though I don’t want to) and a good friend is coming to visit.  I won’t be back until Sunday evening so have a wonderful weekend

Can’t wait to update ya’ll on my weekend!

But before I go

How do You Add protein to your diet?  Tips for me please

I leave you with a little Florence and the Machine who I am know obsessed with

An Apple and cottage cheese!

Plus more pumpkin coffee.  I feel like my pretty coffee has stopped happening because it’s just simpler to do easy coffee.  Oh and sorry for the food repeats you keep seeing- I am trying to clean out my fridge a little and go to the G Store only once a week these days.  It’s easier to keep a budget that way.  The orchard apples (from a few weeks ago) are starting to get soft.  Good thing I’m headed some and to the orchard again this week!  More on that in a soon

As I was taking a chem quiz (which I got a 5/5 on!) I had a half a flat out wrap

for some carb power!

So I’m waiting on my IPod to charge before I run and it makes me want to ask.  Are IPods a do or a don’t for runners?

As a long time runner (10 years) I have seen the IPod running start and take off.  A lot of my old school running friends are very anti IPod running, but I’m in the middle- I thought I’d make a Pro and Con list and see what you thing

Pro

motivation

for some it helps with their pace

Con

Safety- people don’t always hear cars, buses, bikers, race officials . . . .

It takes camaraderie out of running

For me these are the major Pro’s and Con’s.  I’m actually not an IPod runner very often.  I grew up in the old school running mind.  While I do use my IPod sometimes it’s usually as a celebration or when I don’t feel like running (maybe once a week).

There are a few things I HATE about Ipod running

I hate when I see two people running side by side with their IPods.  Running is a social activity, take out the ear buds and have a conversation.  My best friends are runners because we run together.  Conversation doesn’t have to be deep. . .  It can simply be the occasional good job and talk about your run.  I have run all my long runs with the same few people and we still manage to chat (or sing) for 20 miles.  Some of my best conversations are on the run.

I hate when people race with IPods. Honestly the Chicago Marathon was my least favorite race because of IPod runners.  At Boston there were very few IPod runners so I spent the race getting to know people (mostly old men).  We were able to encourage each other.  Chicago was not like this.

Races are, in my opinion, a collective chance for humanity to celebrate life. When you are in your own world listening to music you really miss out on this and those around you struggle also.

SO

I feel like this is controversial and I want to hear from you

What do you think of IPod running?