Grabbing Moments

Last night while watching the show This is Us, (if you don't watch it, you should- it's incredible) the older dying grandpa talked about grabbing onto moments while you're young. When you get old and slow it gets harder and harder to grab the good moments of life so they just float around you and disappear. I really loved this metaphor and spent a little time before bed thinking about it. We are all so focused on moving forward and getting to the next stage of life that it's easy to forget about the moment we're in right now.

My new pop alternative for No Pop December

Sure, some of the moments that happen right now suck. Sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day is definitely not something I would want to spend the rest of my life doing, but today while I was laughing with my office mate about how crazy our boss is over the direction a staple needs to go I realized I was in one of those "grab-able" moments. I only have 3 days left and I am really gonna miss my newest gal pal (even if she is twice my age- I've grown to really look forward to seeing her everyday).

One of my favorite quotes has always been "I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you've actually left them". If this doesn't sound familiar to you then you need to go watch The Office ASAP. It has always resonated with me, though, because I am the queen of looking back and longing for the good old days. I still miss middle school- that's how nostalgic I am.

My lunch of choice in college- everything bagel dipped in onion and chive cream cheese

Living in the moment can be hard. Enjoying the moment can be even harder. I spend a heck of a lot of time complaining, worrying, and just being disappointed in a plethora of things. I used to worry that I didn't exercise enough, that I didn't "practice what I preach" while I grocery shopped, and that life just wasn't going to work out how I wanted it to. But have I got news for you, as soon as I actively started trying not to think that way, I felt free.

Taco Tuesday on a Monday 

I eat what I want when I want, I move in a way that feels good, and I look forward to every moment no matter how small. I don't grab them all, but I am starting to see them way more frequently. We can all learn a little something from the dying grandpa and Andy Bernard.

A sweet treat on one of my last lunch time walks in Evanston

On a completely different note, I made it through No Pizza November! Not a single slice in 30 days and I cannot wait to have some this weekend. I really enjoyed this kind of self-made challenge and plan to do No Pop December. Doesn't have the same ring to it, but it will be twice as hard! I am really addicted to pop and it is obviously pretty bad stuff, so we'll see how long I can give it up for. Let's hope for 31 straight days!

Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend filled with good food and tons of family/friend time. I spent the entire week at home with my sister who was back from college. I kicked off the holiday week on Sunday with Thanksgiving at Jeff's aunt's house. I brought a cheese plate and tons of Oreo Balls! I swear I have never met someone that doesn't love them, biggest (and easiest) crowd pleasing dessert. 

I also ate the most deliciously creamy mashed potatoes at this round of Thanksgiving. Jeff's step dad made them with sour cream and cream cheese- so unhealthy and kind of disgusting when I think about it but I promise they were some of the best potatoes I have ever eaten. As you can see I love the skin of the turkey and canned wine! #classy

I spent the rest of the week working, shopping, and baking up a storm. I made cut out cookies really early this year so I froze them until the day I needed them. I was a little hesitant to freeze completely decorated cookies, but I had more than one person tell me these cookies were better than my usual! Now I feel like I need to freeze them every time. I used a standard cutout cookie recipe, outlined them in the type of frosting you buy in a can for boxed cakes, and filled them in with a meringue based glaze. Not hard or exciting but they get the job done! Especially considering only one person really loves them! 

Next up, I made an Apple Galette with a yogurt drizzle from Cooking Light. Everything was made from scratch and whole grain which I absolutely love. I mentioned before that I wanted to make this Thanksgiving a little healthier, so this dessert was the perfect light ending to a meal I have always found to be a bit too heavy. I definitely recommend this recipe and plan to make it again for a different crowd of people. I am officially burnt out on the baking front- three desserts in one week is my limit.!

Lastly, I put together this beautiful cheese board. Everything is from Trader Joe's excluding the wood board which I found at Home Goods for $10! Such a steal. While I was standing in front of the cheese section staring at my options, clueless because I eat like 2 types of cheese, a lady came up to me and literally put a block of caramelized onion cheddar in my hands. She said someone had done that to her on a previous trip and now she's addicted so she had to pass on the recommendation. Oh My God was she right- this cheese is AMAZING. Go to TJ's and buy it today! She suggested making grilled cheese from it, which I haven't tried yet (because the cheese was gone in an hour) but can already tell it would be delicious. The other cheeses were good, and the raisin crisp crackers were a big hit too, but nothing compares to the special cheddar. The only downside was the grapes had seeds! A total mistake on my part, but I just told everyone the grapes were for aesthetic purposes and not meant to be eaten.

I am so thankful for the last six months I have had off from school. It's given me time to learn, grow, and really figure out whats important to me. I already have New Year's Resolutions picked out to keep the new growth on track! I have to say, though, that I am even more thankful to being going back to school to pursue something I love. 

Healthy Hot Chocolate

One of my worst habits is stopping off at Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts for a hot chocolate in the morning before work. I don't drink any coffee and I think buying hot tea is a waste because it's so simple to make at home. There's something about "fast food" hot chocolate that can't be recreated (read: so much whole milk and sugar I couldn't bring myself to make it) and to be honest, carrying in a cup full of a hot drink into work makes me feel like I have it all together. 

As of now I am 22 days into No Pizza November and have been thinking about other bad habits of mine I can try cutting out for a full month. This is where the need for healthy hot chocolate comes in! I am having a No (unhealthy) Hot Chocolate December and have also decided on a No Pop January. January's challenge will be much more difficult, so for now I am taking baby steps!

I have made this recipe a few times and each time I balance out the ingredients a little differently depending on whether I want more chocolate or more sweetener. The first step is to boil a mug 3/4 of the way full of water. It needs to be boiling rather hard in order to help dissolve the cocoa powder.

Next, I add about a tablespoon of cocoa powder. Stir vigorously! Trust me when I say that eating a chunk of cocoa powder off the bottom is no where near as tasty as a chunk of normal hot chocolate mix. Cocoa powder has almost all of the same benefits as dark chocolate. Antioxidant is the buzz word that comes to most people's minds which is great because they are definitely important! Whether you need to fight off an illness or your cells are just trying to function properly, antioxidants are our best friends.

The last step is to add a little sweetener and a splash of almond milk to the mug. I use Splenda Naturals and feel like one packet is more than enough for this serving size. Truvia or Sugar in the Raw would work great too! I use O Organics unsweetened vanilla almond milk to help make the texture more creamy and less watery. With so many different variations of almond milk (sweetened, unsweetened, chocolate, vanilla) there are a lot of opportunities to spice it up! My Plane Jane version is, however, delicious and helps me start the day a little healthier than I do with an uncomfortable belly full of whole milk. 

I hope you are all having a great Thanksgiving week and enjoying a break soon! 4pm cannot get here soon enough!

Thoughts on my 6 Months in the Real World

After spending 6 months in the "real world", plus another 3 months during the summer of 2015, I am finally going back to school to start the journey towards becoming a nurse! I've been counting down to January since May, so yes, finally is the right word. Before I start, I am taking the month of December off to relax and mentally prepare for the next two years of non-stop grad school. To say I am excited is an understatement, I CANNOT WAIT to start school again. I know I'll regret saying that in about 2 months from now! 

A snap from one of my last lunch time walks in Evanston

As of today I have about a week left of my marketing internship and I want to take a few minutes to reflect back on the months since graduating from U of I in May. 

Rewinding to the summer of 2015, I began working for the University of Illinois Extension. My main job was to help write and teach a pilot nutrition and gardening program for low income communities. I loved my job, worked without even thinking about being paid, and actually had the opposite of Sunday scary's- Sunday happy's? So when the opportunity arose to continue my work there upon graduation I jumped on it as soon as I was offered. When I went back, I realized on day one that it was not the same job I left back in August. 

My boss was condescending and verbally abusive, my placement for teaching was dangerous (I'm talking you could hear gun shots when you stepped outside), and I was being paid the exact same salary even though I now had a degree in what I was teaching. I constantly felt anxious, to the point where I would sit in my car before work and had to really push myself to walk in every single day. There were a few positives about the job like the short commute, two minute drive to Jeff's house (hello lunch break visits!), and the fact that I was actually using my degree in a way that helped a lot of people. All of the positives didn't outweigh the negative, though, and when I was offered a marketing internship for a medical device company in Evanston I really couldn't say no.

The best part of working in the suburbs of Chicago- Portillos Salad!

I quit my job (another very very long story that I promise would give anyone reading this second hand anxiety) and started my internship 3 days later. Working here has given me a sense of purpose and made me feel like I am part of a team, not just working for other people. Everyone has the same goal and I have learned a ton about the business behind everything that is used in a hospital. When I finally become a nurse and begin working in a hospital, I will know to listen to the reps and be open to implementing new ideas and products!

My 4 and a half months here have been wonderful, but I have made a few decisions regarding my views on working in the real world.

1. Commuting 2 hours a day is not worth it. Even if it were my dream job, I'm not doing it again!

2. Work life balance is SO important. People here work 7 days a week and at least 70 hours. Family, hobbies, and exercise are higher priority than working overtime.

3. Befriending colleagues makes the day go faster- they understand your frustrations better than anyone.

4. Background Netflix noise helps keep me on task.

5. It's okay to take a day off. I've gone four months with only one day off (besides weekends) and I feel like I'm going nuts. 

One of my favorite books I read throughout my dreaded months of commuting

Major take away: school is and will always be more fun than work. I love to learn, and anyone completing higher education most likely does too! If you're an undergrad, cherish it!! As I step into a new season of life, I can't help but be nostalgic over the last. Now, it's time to start my grown up winter break!

Shrimp Veggie Bowl

As the holiday's approach, so do the number of social obligations and days spent shopping for friends and family. Dinner is usually the last thing on my mind at the end of one of these long days. When I am unprepared and hungry, fast food becomes an easy option. I'm not here to preach about how horrible fast food is, because let's face it we all eat it at some point! Keeping veggies chopped and ingredients for go-to recipes available are two simple ways to keep yourself on track through the holidays. 

Last night I wasn't busy, but I was feeling lazy! I decided to make a shrimp & veggie bowl to increase my vegetable and fiber intake for the day. I added broccoli, onion, carrots, and mushrooms to mine but literally any assortment of veggies will work for these simple meals. Next time I am hoping to chop up some squash and potatoes for a more dense meal. 

Holding yourself accountable through November and December is so important. Whether you've started exercising again, eating healthier, or even maintaining a goal you set at the beginning of 2016- letting yourself slip during the holidays is easy. I think we should all get a jump on our 2017 new year's resolutions by starting (or maintaining) a few healthy habits through the next month and a half. 

My goals for the holiday season:

1. Eat at least 3 servings of vegetables a day

2. Continue BBG 3x per week

3. Eat 1 dessert per gathering (not a sampling of every single one!)

4. Walk or jog for 30 minutes 2x per week

These are four things I do every week with little to no effort, but with busier times approaching it will become easier for me to blow them off to spend time with family, bake, and shop. Those activities are important too, but waking up a little earlier every morning and making a few more healthy choices in the food court can make a huge difference! 

I put together this quick meal by roasting my veggies in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper on 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Next, I added the shrimp tossed in the same spices and put it back in the oven for 6 minutes. Last, I added a little more salt and pepper and through it all in bowl. It really is that easy! Approximately 25 minutes from start to finish and a delicious, extra healthy, meal ready to go. 

What I Ate Wednesday

Every Wednesday I look forward to reading other foodie bloggers WIAW (what I ate Wednesday) posts. They give me so many ideas for recipes and ways to incorporate cool new foods into my diet in addition to making me feel like I'm not alone in the food obsession department. I do have one question though, how the heck do they post what they ate all day Wednesday on a Wednesday morning?! Is it really WIAT? I keep taking all my pictures on Wednesdays and then by Friday I gather up the motivation to post. So here we go!

Breakfast lately has been a packet of oats, a handful of Pumpkin O's, and a spoonful of peanut butter. There is nothing worse than eating breakfast at 6am, and then being out of your mind starving by 8am. For me, I need fat in the morning. Either nut butter, nutty granola, or cheese needs to make its way into my stomach so that I don't feel the need to pause for a snack before 10am. Fat = Full.

Lunch this week has been a combination of different sandwiches made with left over meat (ham, pork, steak) and veggies on a nutty/grainy bread. I went a full month bringing salad for lunch every single day, so a week off has been a very welcomed change. I forgot how boring lettuce and Italian dressing is. Switching up your diet is so important! I feel fuller, I've actually lost a few pounds, and my poop schedule is perfect. (TMI but I love talking poop)

Dinner was steak nachos! Definitely my splurge night of the week, but so so worth it. I ate a solid third of this pan. From top to bottom it went: chips, refried beans, skirt steak, queso fresco, lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacamole. SO GOOD! This was my first attempt at creating a dish from one of my favorite Mexican restaurants and I think with a few tweaks, the homemade version might be even better. Using authentic ingredients makes a huge difference, American cheese just doesn't cut it sometimes. 

Missing our short trip to Door County last weekend

This weekend I am looking forward to some home improvement projects and relaxation. I can't wait to finish my book- Lottery by Patricia Wood, and bake a few healthy sweets for the week ahead. It's never too late to get on track, even with the holiday's approaching! 

Whole Grain Lasagna Roll Ups

Let me start by saying I promise I eat things other than lasagna. After making the lasagna soup I posted last week, I had half a package of lasagna noodles left and decided to make a recipe I had pinned awhile ago. The website I found this recipe on claimed that they were easier to make than actual lasagna.. no. They were time consuming and very slippery! The rolls are much easier to serve and determine portion size, but definitely not easier to assemble.

That being said, you really cant put a price on perfect portion sizes. Exactly two noodles, two tablespoons of cheese mixture, two spoonfuls of sauce/meat mixture, and a little sauce and cheese on top was the exact right amount for a "full" dinner. When I think about making "full" meals I always think of my body as a machine. I have to check off certain boxes (carbohydrates, protein, & fat) and satisfy certain requirements (those of my stomach and intestines). If one part is missing or goes unsatisfied, then the process remains incomplete. The goal is to have a running machine by the end of the day so that all of my inputs balance out. 

This is a really technical way of thinking about food, but it helps me remember that I am not eating just because I am bored or because something tastes good. I am eating to nourish my body and keep it in good working condition- like a machine! That doesn't have to mean eating only veggies and boiled chicken, though. Healthy food can be delicious and flavorful.

As easy as it is to just eat the bad stuff (because lets face it, it's delicious and almost always more convenient), lets focus on turning the good stuff into something we can enjoy and even look forward to. I really think this recipe does just that!

Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients

 12 whole grain lasagna noodles

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

16 ounces pasta sauce

15 ounces ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1.5 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

dried basil, salt, & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Saute chopped onion, garlic, and ground turkey until browned.

2. Cook lasagna noodles according the package.

3. Mix together the ricotta, egg, mozzarella, salt, pepper, and basil.

4. Begin assembly by spreading 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture on a noodle. Next, spread a spoonful of pasta sauce, and then a spoonful of the ground turkey mixture.

5. Roll the noodle and place in a casserole dish. Repeat with remaining 11 noodles.

6. Spoon pasta sauce over the 12 roll ups, and then sprinkle the 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese on top.

7. Place a sheet of foil over the casserole dish loosely. 

8. Bake the rolls at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.