Check! Please!

Hey lovebugs,

Today has been a bit hectic.  Wait! No! That’s normal over here.

Business as usual, I guess.

This morning, I decided to listen to my body and slept in a few extra minutes (or a half hour but whose counting).  That meant that I had to adjust a bit but sometimes it’s worth it.  I don’t know why sleeping away the time where I usually do yoga/meditate always makes my morning more rushed.  It’s weird.

I packed a breakfast that I ate between buses.

Banana and a Pure bar.  This apple cinnamon flavor was definitely tasty but really sweet.  My jaw hurt halfway through it which was strange because it usually takes a third large brownie to do that to me.  I was hungry though so I finished it, but next time I’ll have half for a lunch dessert and be a very happy camper 🙂

Underneath my breakfast items is my to do list for the day. It goes to the other side of the page! Yowza! Thankfully, I’m checking my way through it, although I wish I could have someone else check off some of the items for me.  Anyone interested in some Computer Forensics labs? No? Oh well, I actually like it so we can still be friends 😉

Lunch really isn’t worth mentioning but I had a small pita stuffed with plain ole tuna, a blueberry yogurt and baby carrots.  Healthy? Yessir. Satisfying? Suprisingly enough, yes!

Dinner is fabulous. Mini frittatas and roasted potatoes! Mmmmm

This is beyond simple.

Mini Frittatas
serves 1
1/4 cup grated cheddar
2 eggs
hot sauce, to taste
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease three muffin tins (I used whipped butter tonight but use what works for you).  Divide cheddar equally among the prepared tins.  Beat egg, add S+P and divide equally between the tins.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

The more fun version uses sauteed mushrooms and peppers and all that deliciousness.  This is a basic recipe so play with it! The best part is that you just dump the add-ins into the tins and top with the beaten egg. Easy! (Note: If you do this you might want to fill up four tins since the bulk from the veggies will equal more little minis).

The more frugal version use whole eggs and grate your own cheese, and chop your own veggies. Use what’s on sale that week!

The faster version use eggs from a carton, pre-grated cheese and pre-chopped veggies.  Although, the hands-on time commitment is so minimal I wouldn’t choose this option.

For the roasted red potatoes.  I just quickly rinsed and chopped them, sprayed them with EVOO, sprinkled with S+P and put into three of the empty muffin tins. Remember, the smaller the chop the quicker they’ll roast and they won’t be in there long so keep that in mind!

Dinner in 20 minutes, including prep time? Dinner that only uses four dishes to prepare (muffin tin, bowl for eggs, fork/whisk, and a knife)? Dinner that I could easily make for two without any extra effort? Works for me!  Now, I just regret not making more.  I imagine that the frittatas would heat up nicely in the microwave the next day (I’d wrap it in a paper towel) so next time I’ll be doing that!

Okay, I picked posting over homework tonight- in the order of events, I’m not going to skip an assignment, of course! So… I must go off to schoolwork land. Later loves.

Wait, I forgot- I have dessert planned…

RF Cinnamon Coffee Cake from Starbucks… there may be some coffee consumed as well!  I may or may not have had a Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte (aka Fall Crack) while there as well!

 

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Hey friends… it’s pretty hectic over here Chez Rebeca.  I don’t know how to explain it but I don’t like doing things halfway.  Which means that I make lots of lists and lately my own education has been at the top of that list (and rightfully so).  Unfortunately, that means after hours of reading, writing and messing around with other people’s computers (my minor is in Information Systems which is heavily PC and I don’t own one, so I mess around on other peoples :mrgreen:) I have little left for my blog.

I have these fab plans with a fellow blogger though that I can’t wait to share with you!

Meanwhile, I’m jumping on a couple of bandwagons.

First, I’m making study/index cards for my classes.  Say what? I haven’t done that since way back in my AP/IB days.  No wonder I had that killer GPA 😉  In all seriousness though, I know that it helps but usually I’m hesitant to “waste” paper and it takes quite a bit of time… but my computer class tests are HARD and I think these will help with the ton of memorization (my upper level Child Development/Education classes are so different!).  Note: I’m the “ill” studier I just changed my style to fit my schedule and I think I need to change my schedule to fit my style!

Second, I finally tried Honey Sunshine.

Kashi sent out free samples for signing up for something (I don’t remember what :oops:).  It was okay.  I think I was expecting something different.  It’d certainly be a fun “base” cereal since it’s low calorie but sweeter than most of my “bases.”

Third, I made a meal plan for the week.  I checked out sales, my cookbooks and thought up some yummy meals for the week that will make it easier (I hope to make healthy choices- a big struggle lately).

Breakfasts

• Blueberry Smoothie
• Banana “Split”
• Egg Sandwich on English Muffin
• Apple Pie Oatmeal

Dinners

• Falafels
• Rice and Beans
• Grilled Cheese + Tomato Soup
• Slow Cooker Chili
• Spinach+ Feta Brown Rice Bowl w/ Tempeh
• Mini Frittatas

Lunches

• PB+J spirals
• Tuna+Veggie Melt
• Leftovers

I have tried and failed many times to meal plan and where I fail is restricting the days and “overplanning” (the story of my life).  This week I just picked the right number of meals for each “category” and then left things open.  I have yogurts, veggies and fruit to go along with the meals so I can go based on my mood but still have guidelines to help.  I’m pretty excited about all the items on my list actually and it’s exciting to see what I’ll actually pick (at least for me it is :)).

Fourth, notice a breakfast missing?

(looks kind of gross but trust it’s fabulous)

Oh… there it is. My goodness, this started my day on a positive note.  I don’t know who started it but try it.  It made the loss of my jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams much more bearable.  In fact, I only cried for 10 minutes 😉

I can’t wait to share my fun eats with you this week.  Hope you all had a great start to the week as well!

 

YouBar, MeBar, HeBar, SheBar

When I was researching companies that fit within the confines of this month’s theme, one that immediately stood out was You Bar. The company is owned and run by a family and from the looks of things even those who aren’t technically related are really part of the ‘family.’ The company is committed with providing with providing healthy, wholesome products that taste great to consumers.

One of said family members, Joel* sent me a couple of samples to try. I was really excited when I got the box!

*seriously watch the video ladies, you’ll like it

The first thing I tried was the Breakfast Bar

Ingredients: Dates, Egg White Powder, Honey, Cocoa Powder, Instant Coffee Crystals, Cinnamon

As soon as I opened the package, the smell of coffee and cocoa hit my nose and I knew I would like this bar. I’m a huge texture person, so I loved how chewy this was without any strange bits. It was smooth and delicious. It may have been a placebo affect but I was buzzing a bit after this, thanks to the caffeine. For a portable breakfast, I thought the nutritionals were great. I have “grab and go” breakfasts much too often, so something like this and a piece of fruit or a juice blend, and I’d be ready to face my day, even with my unpredictable lunch schedule.

The second bar I tried was the Honey Cashew Bar

Ingredients: Cashew Butter, Honey, Whey Protein, Nutty Rice Cereal

Have you ever had cashew butter? This tasted like spoonful after spoonful of it. I love cashew butter, so obviously that experience was enjoyable for me! I wasn’t crazy about a 200 plus calorie bar, but that’s just a personal preference on snack size. I ate this a little before a bike ride so I think it worked well, since I got off the bike feeling energized and not lightheaded like I usually do after a long ride. It might have been because my mouth was still so happy from the cashew butter bliss that I wasn’t thinking about food during the ride!
Cons? As much as I loved this, it was a little “stick to your roof” like PB was when we were kids. Now that’s fun for three bites, then it gets old.

I also got two trail mixes to try.

The first was The Best Trail Mix

Ingredients: Almonds, Organic Cashews, Walnuts, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Dried Sweetened Blueberries, Sweetened Cranberries, Sun Drops Original Chocolate Candies.

This I loved and I don’t really even like trail mix much. I’m very picky when it comes to trail mix, I want chocolate but not too much, I want nuts but I’m picky when it comes to those too, and I want some sweetness to it. This particular kind did all that for me! I loved the ratio of nuts to seeds to dried fruit to chocolate. Perfect! The nuts were the ones that I like (definitely my top three in that order) and I loved the blueberries and cranberries! I mixed mine with plain yogurt and it really made for a great, small meal that had the protein I needed to help me study, but without the bulk that would make me sleepy or uncomfortable while trying to do my mountains of work.

The second was Almond Drops

Ingredients include Sun Drops Original Chocolate Candies, Oat Bran Sesame Sticks, Dried Apricots, Black Mission Figs, Almonds

This wasn’t really my cup of tea. As much as I love sesame sticks and chocolate, I just didn’t love the combination with the other ingredients. Each on it’s own was delicious, together wasn’t for me. I did mix this with yogurt as well, and it grew on me then. I think I would have added some more dried fruit over the chocolate, personally.

The shakes were by far my favorite!

First, the Blended Bliss

Ingredients: Whey Protein, Organic Cane Juice, Organic Strawberries, Organic Bananas, Organic Vanilla.

What sold me on the shake was actually when I got to the end, and I saw the little strawberry seeds resting on the bottom of my glass. No, it’s not the same as throwing some fresh berries and a banana in the blender but when you see evidence of how close to nature the product is it’s awesome! It didn’t hurt that it tasted fabulous and was so easy. I blended with organic skim and water and it worked perfectly. I bet it’d work in a shaker bottle as well!
Cons? If I were to grab a packet to take with me to work, it wouldn’t be nearly as good because the first time I made it without ice, took a sip, and dumped it back in the blender with some ice cubes. I guess if I kept a shaker in my work fridge, or something it might be ok?

Then, the Breakfast Shake

Ingredients: Whey Protein, Egg White Powder, Organic Cane Juice, Cocoa Powder, Organic Bananas.

This was also delicious and had just a hint of the banana taste. It tasted a lot like a milkshake (I used unsweet vanilla almond milk). I have chocolate peppermint soymilk that I think would be fabulous with the shake, as a dessert of course. I made mine with a lot of ice and did have it for dessert.

If I had to pick a product to order, the first would definitely be a shake. I love these. During the school year my breakfast is often a quick smoothie that I drink while walking to my bus stop. I’m not willing to sacrifice sleep or AM yoga for breakfast so that’s what works for me. If those shakes are any example of what YouBar has to offer there, I’m sold! I love the other products as well, and am a big fan of customizing nutrition. Since we all have different needs, there’s no one bar fits all, but YouBar solves that problem!