The Busyness of a Monday

I woke up too late this morning to walk, so I made a delicious, quick breakfast instead. I toasted up some oat nut bread and slathered all natural peanut butter. I love peanut butter toast, it’s filling and delicious! I paired it with a banana and Trader Joe’s Orange Juice. Of course I brewed some coffee, my day does not start without coffee.  I used up the rest of the mocha java. 

Monday’s are usually busy since the weekend is all about relaxing. For lunch I put together a quick dish of pasta and Kale. I love Kale because it is so versatile. It can be used in most dishes because it has a neutral flavor. It’s also one of the most nutritious vegetables to eat. I paired it with soymilk and strawberries for a dessert.

Since my morning was crazy late, I went for a walk at the end of the day. Summer is definitely coming because it was still light out and the flowers are blooming!

By the time I finished working out (muscles are aching by the way!) it was 8pm, so I used more of that Kale and made a salad. I added green beans, carrot, and chopped almonds. Salads are filling if you add nuts and seeds to it. I used the Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette I got at Whole Foods to go with the lightness of the vegetables. I went with a light meal because there isn’t much time for my body to digest a big dinner.

I paired it with a banana and soymilk so I won’t be looking for a midnight snack!

I’m hoping I can wake up early enough tomorrow to go for a walk before work. I love going early in the morning because it’s quiet and serene. 

Off to watch the Chopped All Stars Finale with Katie!

Sarah Jenkins

Relax it’s Sunday...

I woke up hearing my name this morning. Katie (my sister) wakes me up mid-morning if she is home and I’m sleeping too late. It was one of those wake up calls that startles you between the sheets. I slept so soundly that it felt like I had just gone to bed. I got up reluctantly and made some breakfast.

This morning I took Katie’s suggestion and added strawberries to my oatmeal. It still needed a touch more sweetness so I added a teaspoon of agave nectar. I was craving the taste of oranges so I poured myself a glass of Trader Joe’s Organic Orange Juice. I always add a bit of water to cut the sweetness.

 Then I joined Katie in the living room to veg out. I waited to digest my breakfast then I drank a lovely cup of the mocha java coffee. The weekend mornings are made for relaxing, so I sipped my coffee slowly and caught up on Hawaii Five-O. 

Once lunch time came around, I had a craving for peanut butter and bananas! I like the all-natural peanut butter with no preservatives or additives. I slathered it on Oat Nut bread from Whole Foods and paired it with a banana, carrot sticks, and a cup of soymilk. Katie and I don’t agree when it comes to picking the ripeness of a banana.  She likes it when there is a LOT of green on them and I need it to be actually ripe with all that lovely yellowness!

I opened up the latest edition of Vegetarian Times. I get so excited when it comes in the mail. It has so many ideas that it inspires me to experiment in the kitchen!  Katie got it for me for Christmas and I have been enjoying it ever since. It has all the latest food products for Veggie Lovers and information about every day or exotic ingredients. No, I’m not a sales rep for Vegetarian Times…although it would be awesome to work in their company! If you are intrigued check out their website: www.vegetariantimes.com.

Rupert kept me company and perused the magazine too!

I went for a 30 minute walk around the apartment complex (listening to my new cd) and did 15 minutes of exercises when I got back in. I’ve been walking on and off since last summer, but nothing consistently. I love walking in the winter, with that cool brisk air that makes people stay inside so there is a calming quietness that I miss when the nice weather comes back.

My stomach grumbled after doing some chores around the house, so I prepped my kale for baking. I sprayed it with veggie wash from Whole Foods and let it air dry. I love baking vegetables and with the summer weather fast approaching I know I will have to stop for a few months. I suppose it is time to get out those spring/summer recipes. 

For tonight I am enjoying my baked vegetables. I made my favorite, baked sweet potato and green beans with rosemary. Then I added the Kale to the oven to make Kale chips.

Monday will be here soon enough, but I am going to enjoy every second of Sunday.

Enjoy your evening!

Sarah Jenkins

These Times they are a Changin’

I know Cinco de Mayo is technically over given that right now it’s one a.m. on May 6^th but yesterday I woke up late so technically I have only been up 12 hours. I promised myself I would start blogging more. Lately I have been following a lot of different bloggers out there who talk about food and exercise. The common theme is that it helped them lose weight. Everyone can relate to that need to change something about themselves. I didn’t get a chance to exercise today because I slept in too late. I did however, eat well. 

I started my day with oatmeal sweetened with agave nectar and a side of orange slices. I made a cup of the mocha java coffee from Whole Foods.  When I bought it I was skeptical because I thought it would be too sweet, but it actually had no sweetness at all. It’s a medium roast so it was lacking the kick of a dark roast but it has a smooth taste.

For lunch I reheated pizza I made last night and paired it with a side of green beans and a cup of unsweetened Earth Balance Soymilk. I’ve tried a lot of different kinds of soymilk and I think this one is the best.  It is fortified with vitamin D and Calcium and has more protein in it than any other kind of alternative milk. The pizza tasted just as good as it did last night, but then again pizza is the ultimate leftover food. I snacked on a handful of unsalted, roasted almonds while I perused the blogosphere. 

My sister and I did our Saturday food shopping kind of late today because she was working. We always start off at Whole Foods then end up at Market Basket. If it wasn’t so expensive we would do all of our shopping at Whole Foods. We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Taco Bowls, a side of refried beans, and beer!

I make my taco bowl with sautéed yellow pepper, shallot, garlic, and tomatillo. I top it with crushed blue corn tortilla taco shells and mozzarella cheese from Trader Joes. I mix balsamic vinegar with the refried beans to make the flavors pop and it gives it a creamy texture. Peak Organic beer came out with their summer ale and it was a refreshing floral pairing to the vegetables in my taco bowl. I ended the evening with Trader Joe’s Fruity O’s cereal for a snack. 

Well, off to bed so I can keep some semblance of a sleep schedule. 

Sarah Jenkins