The food post...

Happy Friday, everyone!  The other day, one of my friends quipped that, "Friday doesn't mean anything to you anymore, does it?"  Wrong.  Friday means a) I get to see my boyfriend for more than a few hours in the evening, and b) the gym will busier than usual.  Good and bad.  It means I'm another week closer to school, which is exciting, and responsibility, which is not as exciting.  I still like Fridays, thank you very much.

I've been cooking and baking a lot lately, which I mentioned in my last update.

Healthy foods and not-so-healthy foods.

Let's start with the not-so-healthy.  I've been on a bit of a cookie-kick.  

Funfetti cheesecake cookies with white chocolate chips.

I kind of made this one up based on a recipe for Eagle Brand Bars.  It involves a graham cracker base, peanut butter, honey roasted peanuts and chocolate chips.  Oh, and more peanut butter.

Cherry chip with white chocolate chips.

Double chocolate with white chocolate chips and caramel pieces.  Randomly found baking caramel at Target and had to do something... SOMETHING... with it.  

Excuse the ugly muffin tin.  These are my unbaked"breakfast cupcakes" - Egg, bacon and cheese in buttermilk biscuit dough.  

Million dollar mac n cheese.  The simplest, yet most involved (and best, IMO) thing that I like to make.  Of course, I can't eat it.  Involves white sharp cheddar, romano, and gruyere with real breadcrumbs.  

Deconstructed white (chicken) lasagna.  This, friends, is why I shouldn't be allowed on Pinterest.  

Let's compare this to "my" foods....

Pumpkin crepe with cinnamon "cream cheese" filling.  This was extremely low in calories, high in protein and surprisingly awesome.  Seriously. 

I'd forgotten how awesome my cast iron skillet can be.  Turkey breast tenderloins, browned and then roasted.  Since they're so low in fat, they typically dry out and are kinda "meh"... not this time.

Typical dinner these days.  Chicken and veggies.  

I obviously didn't make this, but it MADE MY DAY.  They have taco seasoning, too.

Pumpkin season (for me, anyway) is drawing to a close so I fully intend to overdose up until Thanksgiving.  These were pumpkin muffins, which I've been having for breakfast just about every day.  The macro breakdown is phenomenal.  Coconut flour, egg white, pumpkin, cinnamon, and protein powder are the main ingredients.

Pumpkin pancake, same ingredients as the muffins but in a different form.

Not the best picture, but my new favorite thing.  Mexican hot chocolate protein muffins.  These were a happy accident - I grabbed the cayenne instead of cinnamon one morning... Cellucor molten chocolate whey, coconut and oat flour, some pumpkin, egg white, Hershey's baking cocoa, cinnamon and cayenne.

So, yeah, I've really been loving this whole time to cook in the mornings (or time to do anything, period) thing.  Really, really enjoying.  Extra 'really' for emphasis.  

Making some gains.

It's funny (no, it's not) - turns out when you eat, you feel better.  Lift heavier.  Don't feel like passing out all of the time.  Yesterday I was dead lifting close to my body weight.  I was dead lifting OVER what I weighed this time last year.  I am very happy with all I've accomplished this year.  I have days that are better than others, and I'm still working hard on cultivating a positive inner voice, but I am making progress.  

Enough with the seriousness. 

Seriously.

I think my next post will be on the subject of gym etiquette.  Cause it's fairly nonexistent, and I have a good story.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

PEANUT BUTTER!!! And stuff.

That's right, November is National Peanut Butter Lover's Month.  Peanut butter is probably my favorite food.  Period.  Well, I adore all nut butters, almond butter runs a close second, and cashew, and that delicious chocolate hazelnut spread that I can't eat anymore... You get where I'm going with this.  Peanut butter is the best.  I would pick it over chocolate any day.

In the past, I have been know (on more than one occasion) to have eaten an entire jar with a spoon.  The fact that I typically buy the all natural, no sugar added, basically just ground peanuts version does not, in any way, make this more acceptable.  Yes, I got sick each time.  No, I did not learn my lesson right away.  You'll never find me with a pint of ice cream, wolfing it down in front of the TV (maybe watching Lifetime...)  I choose to take it to the next level, and will devour an entire container of PB in one sitting.

I eventually learned that keeping it in the house was verboten.  Even PB2, the low fat, low calorie powdered version only lasts a few days around me.  I've been spending a substantial amount of time at my boyfriend's house lately, and a jar sat unopened for months.  I was so proud that I didn't even touch it... Until a few days ago, when I baked some cookie bars that called for PB.
(I've been baking again lately, but I'll save that update for another time.  Both "normal" and "fitness" foods have been happening, and I'm in heaven.)

Since the jar was opened, I have resisted it.  This is a huge deal for me.  It's been a goal of mine to work on self-control.  My boyfriend does not eat the same way that I do.  I'm just thrilled when he eats most days, and have minimal concern regarding what he is eating.  And it's nice to have someone to bake and cook for again; I had forgotten how much I love dreaming things up in the kitchen.

Last night, I was making a "protein pop-tart" - one of my new favorite healthy desserts.  (Or pre workout meal, or snack... or lunch, some days.)  They're easy, the macros are pretty dead on, and they feel like a treat.  I was using peanut butter in the topping, and had just grabbed the jar out from behind a box of crackers where I keep it out sight. (Therefore generally out of mind.  Wait, who am I kidding...)
He walks into the kitchen and says, "are you allowed to have peanut butter?"  It made my night.  He knows I don't typically keep it around, but I hadn't explained why, and given my numerous food allergies, it was a valid question.  Long story short, this whole thing has been a victory.  I need to learn to be around foods of all sorts again.  Early on in my eating-issue-recovery process, it was just easier to never be around the item(s) that gave me troubles.  Having worked through a lot of my problems, I think it's time that I slowly start challenging myself.

The last few weeks have been wonderful.  Absolutely wonderful.  I have days that are easier than others, but holistically speaking - amazing.

Have a great day!

News

Well, I can finally break my silence.  I quit my job to go back to school & study nutrition.  Thursday was my last day, and it was surreal.  I don't think it's sunk in that I'm unemployed.  I have yet to start panicking...  Maybe I won't.
I had a great weekend; got out of town for a bit.  Much needed unplugging and relaxation.
Today was my first official day off, in my head at least, as I had planned taking Friday off for a few months.  I got up at 6, drank coffee, read.  Killed legs at the gym (new workout, and I'm sore already which is not a good sign - or an excellent one, depending on your viewpoint.)  Went grocery shopping, hung out with Willie, and prepped my super-awesome breakfast "cupcakes" for a super awesome person.
Now I'm going to FINALLY sit down.  Some people thought I'd get bored not working.  I begged to differ, and if today is any indication of what's to come, I won't get bored.  Plus, with school... sigh, not likely.  I always say that boredom is a luxury with which I am unfamiliar.  It's true.
I didn't food prep this week, which would normally have me coming slightly unhinged, but since I get to cook at home... I will survive a week without my tupperware meals.  Plus, I have a few backups anyways :)

Super exciting stuff!

There are some amazing things in the works and I will share soon, promise.
For now, here is a photo summary of some of the fun things that have been happening in my world.

A little progress in the gym, not too shabby!

My mom cleaned my apartment... (As I sat on the couch and watched golf.)

Because it's "fun and relaxing" and I'm not gonna deprive her of "fun"...

I took my dad to a Brown's game.  We didn't win, but the seats were pretty great!

This is my "great interception, Weeden" face.

Life, if nothing else, is headed in a direction that I'm very, very excited about.

I'm alive!

Really!  And I promise to update this soon, but life has been pretty hectic lately and time keeps slipping away.  But I am alive!  And so is Willie!

Ohio State Fair!

Well, I can cross one thing off of my summer list.  My life list, as well.  I finally made it to the Ohio State Fair.  I grew up in Texas, and the State Fair is a huge deal there.  And as long as I've been in Ohio, I've never gone to the Ohio State Fair. Never.  Cuyahoga and Lorain County Fairs?  Yup, always.
But never the big one.
What's this fascination with the fair?  One word:  FOOD.  Food on food on food.  The people watching is phenomenal, I adore looking at the animals, and the smells... Warm air, the sounds, the crazy-amazing smells of fried deliciousness, sweet sticky cotton candy, BBQ.... Ugh, drool.  Here's what I got this year.  It's the one thing that I always have to get. And fortunately, since my food allergies have developed (or identified, at least), it is the one thing I can still eat without negative consequence:

Roasted corn, no butter.  So good.  Not pictured:  more than one bite of corn dog and an entire caramel apple coated in chopped nuts.  That I didn't have a chance to photograph, as I was too preoccupied with devouring it.  Sorry.  

Then there were animals.  A goat bleated at me, and it was much, much louder than I had expected.  I may have jumped a little.  

It was a delightful day, and the weather was perfect.  The day just kept getting better, but it's dinner time and I'm ravenous after my PM cardio.  More later!

I said I would!

Here is a little glimpse of the tornado of food that is taking place in my kitchen at the moment:

Starting from the top left and moving clockwise, we have:  Chicken breast & summer squash, sweet potatoes & acorn squash & peppers and onions, my packed fridge, and my favorite meal each and every day:  apple eggy oats. Not pictured are my turkey muffins, which haven't been made or prepped yet, and my daily shakes.   I love food prep day!  Except I want to eat all of it NOW!  Instead, I'll have this:

Which would be my recovery shake, made with my favorite protein powder (Muscle Pharm Cookies n' Cream), half a frozen banana, plain, unsweetened Silk Almond Milk, some frozen spinach, and BCAA's courtesy of someone awesome at work.  I love sharing supplements!!! Yeah, I'm a total fitness geek, I know.
Here's the rest of my day:

Yes, I think personalized plates are stupid.  Yes, I totally just got them.  I mean, come on.  I LOVE CLEVELAND!!!  It's my adopted hometown and a pretty awesome place!  Been making some decent progress at the gym.  Had one of those days where I wasn't really feeling it.  I trained legs today, and I don't LOVE training legs.  Saturday is usually shoulders and maybe plyos.  But I missed a day and had to make it up.  Shoulders will be tomorrow, early.  So today involved legs, sprints, and a little bit of elliptical action.  And I killed it.  Strange.  I'm not complaining!  Hope you're all having a great weekend!  Gotta go pay attention before I burn about a million dollars worth of chicken.