Weekend Deets

Happy daylight savings time! I am definitely more of a Fall back girl than a Spring ahead one. The extra hour of sleep helps (especially on a busy weekend like this one), but I also love when it starts getting darker earlier. I don't feel so bad laying in bed at 7pm when it's already as dark as it would normally be at 10pm! My productivity takes a hit, but the fall/winter is just so cozy and warm. 

This weekend was busy. No, BUSY. Jeff and I keep saying we are going to stop making weekend plans so that we can finally relax and I can work on decorating our apartment- maybe next week! On Friday we were able to go home (well, to my home) for dinner with my parents and a quick visit with his brother/nephew. No pictures, but my mom made steak, potatoes, and veggies. I don't eat a ton of red meat but sometimes I feel like my body is really craving it. It is so important to listen to your body!! More on that another time though. 

On Saturday morning we made the drive up to Door County, Wisconsin to visit Jeff's grandparents and enjoy some outdoor time in the woods. Every time we go up there, Jeff's dad says "Door County makes me sleepy" and he could not be more right. The cold, fresh air and long drive to get pretty much anywhere forces a 9 o'clock bed time on pretty much everyone. 

We started with a hike at Cave Point which is always beautiful. It's the perfect mix of trees, Lake Michigan, and giant rocks. Our last hike was in Hamilton, Canada and did not go well. Our feet were already sore, it was very hot out, phone service was limited, and we got lost. That was a nightmare day and we both wrote off hiking afterwards. This weekend got us back on the bandwagon! We both feel like we should start shopping at Eddie Bauer and wearing fancy hiking shoes.

Afterwards, we drove into Egg Harbor for a walk through town and some well deserved Cherry Gelato. Door County cherries are really popular up there, so when given the choice of flavors I knew I had to go with that one! 

Dinner was at a local "supper club". Jeff's grandpa swore it had the best baked chicken he had ever tasted so we all agreed to go there and get the exact same meal- served family style of course, because Wisconsin. I was skeptical at first, but he was right! It was perfectly cooked chicken that had a crispy skin and a moist inside.Even though our day was jam packed, I felt refreshed and so happy to have had the time to get out of town and spend time with family that feels like my own. 

Sunday was a blur of driving home, driving to Chicago, and grocery shopping for the upcoming week. I made sure to eat lots of veggies and prep for some healthy lunches and dinners. I hope you all had relaxing and fun weekends!

Smoothie Bowls, Chiptole Orders, and Cheesecake

This week absolutely flew by, between the Cubs winning the World Series and finishing week 2 of BBG (I've attempted this workout program twice, so I am really hoping that the third time is the charm! More on that later), I want to take a minute to slow down and talk about my three favorite eats from last weekend. 

Downtown Chicago flying the W for the Cubs win!

On Friday afternoon Jeff took the L to Evanston to meet me for an after work walk to the lake and dinner. I love Evanston. The downtown area is larger than most towns, but not overwhelming like I feel the city is. I have had a list of restaurants to try since starting my internship here, but of all places Jeff and I landed in a Chipotle. 

We both wanted something healthy and had two coupons for buy one get one free meals burning a hole in our pockets, so we said screw all the nice places I want to try and marched over to our favorite burrito joint! Sometimes you just need a little Chipotle, and that's okay. I had a bowl with chicken, pico de gallo, pinto beans, lettuce and a little cheese. Jeff had a steak burrito with pretty much everything on it- he's very far from a picky eater. Skipping the tortilla saves a lot of calories and carbohydrates, especially when you are already getting those bad boys in the rice! I love that it is so easy to create a healthy meal here, but it can also be difficult to skip the less than ideal options. Chicken, brown rice, salsa of any sort, black beans and all the veggies are our best options, but who can resist a little cheese?! We all need some of that Calcium anyways.

Next up is my home made smoothie bowl. Yes, they are gorgeous. I love ordering these from Peeled Juice Bar and really wanted to come up with an at home solution to save some $$$. Jeff and I do a lot of Aldi shopping (don't knock it 'till you try it!) and that means the available products change on a weekly basis. A few weeks ago I hit the jackpot and found tons of frozen fruit! I loaded up on raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and some strawberry granola and made plans to create my own smoothie bowls. I blended the fruit with some iced tea and topped it with sliced apples and granola. Next time I plan to incorporate yogurt, but after a cheese filled couple of days I was feeling a dairy free day. 

Lunch on Sunday was at the Cheesecake Factory. Honestly, I felt like we had eaten out too much at this point in the weekend. I was really dragging and told myself I was going to make as healthy of a choice as I could but still enjoy celebrating Jeff's birthday with his family. I hadn't been to Cheesecake in awhile, but the menu was not very compliant with what I would call "healthy eating". I chose a meal that came with a small garden salad (good!), a half chicken salad sandwich (meh), and a bowl of creamy soup (ugh). I didn't feel uncomfortably full after eating it, but I also knew I'd be ordering cheesecake and that that feeling wasn't going to last. I had the original cheesecake with strawberries on top which was, as always, to die for. Sometimes you have to splurge! 

The moral of the story is that one bad weekend isn't going to kill your health and fitness goals. It certainly doesn't help, but you can't let yourself stay down for too long! I started Monday off with a vegetable filled bang and got right back on track.

Lasagna Soup

Even though I've been enjoying this 70 degree fall, I feel ready for chilly days and warm meals. In general, I'm a pretty boring soup maker. It's usually just whatever veggies I have laying around and some chicken stock. Sometimes I'll splurge and make broccoli cheddar, but only when I am craving a bread bowl!

Rainy day walk in Evanston, I love the houses on Lake Michigan

Since I was in the mood for soup this weekend and wanted to try something new, I decided to go with a Weight Watchers recipe for Lasagna Soup. I have to admit, I don't like the sound of eating something from Weight Watchers. It just gives off a bad vibe and makes me feel like I am solely focused on watching my weight and not just trying to live a healthy lifestyle. I know that it's a great diet and many people achieve a ton of success from it, but it's just one that not my style! I don't think concentrating on the numbers/calories/points in our food is a way to live life, not to mention it can take people down a really bad eating disordered filled road. 

As a former obsessive calorie counter, I think that most of us can agree that eating to feel full, happy, and healthy is a better route to take. The weight definitely doesn't come off as quickly or stay at the exact same number every single day, but it makes me feel a lot better about my mental health. And you really can't put a price (or number of pounds) on that, right?! Right!

Enough about me though! Onto the recipe.

Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
1 white onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
5 cups chicken stock
1 lb lean ground turkey
3/4 of a package of lasagna noodles- whole grain if your store has them!
2 cups low fat shredded mozzarella
salt, pepper, basil, and oregano to taste
Directions
1. In a large pot, saute onions and garlic until fragrant
2. Add the ground turkey and brown until no longer pink
3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and spices. Stir and bring to a simmer
4. Add the lasagna noodles and allow to cook for 10 minutes or until al dente
5. Stir in the mozzarella cheese and allow to melt into soup

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

Happy hump day! October flew by, and I am hoping November does the same. I want to focus on really feeling the holidays and getting into the spirit, but as of today I officially have one month of my internship left and after a short break (I'm calling it my grown up winter break hiatus) I finally start nursing school. It's hard not to get excited and hope for time to move fast. 

Onto the nuts! I absolutely love the smell of roasting spiced nuts in the little kiosk at the mall, it gives me a warm and cozy feeling that only cinnamon sugar can. I've never actually tried the mall nuts but can only assume that smell turns into an even better taste. 

A few months ago I received an email with a list of "healthy dessert recipes" and since then, Cinnamon Roasted Almonds has been marked as a recipe to try. Now I am all for processed sugar filled unhealthy desserts, but all in moderation. There's a time and a place for ice cream and pie- Wednesday night on the couch watching TV with my boyfriend is not one of them. So, this is where my healthy dessert love comes in. I have made everything from raw brownies to coconut oil based peanut butter cups, each one has its pros and cons but definitely gets the job done. The spiced almonds were very simple to make and turned out perfectly even though I deviated from the recipe to accommodate the amounts of each ingredient I had on hand. 

Warning: they are addicting. It's hard to eat just one serving size of almonds let alone sweet/crunchy/cinnamon-y almonds!

Once I placed them in a mason jar I realized what great gifts they would make for all of the upcoming holiday festivities. With the right ribbon and personalized note, these spiced almond jars are perfect for every hostess and coworker on your list.

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
Ingredients
4 cups of almonds
1/2 a cup of honey
1/4 a cup of sugar
1 tbsp of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Parchment paper (I used foil, but definitely wish I had used parchment)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
2. Combine honey and almonds in a bowl until well coated
3. Combine sugar, cinnamon and salt
4. Spread the almonds on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown

Why Nursing?

Every interviewer, family member, and friend has asked me why I have decided to go back to school for nursing. I feel now is as good a time as ever to put it in writing here! 

The gorgeous University of Illinois in the spring. 

I began my undergrad with no idea of what to major in (I started in Special Ed knowing I wanted to change). I grew up in a very food-centered, health conscious household, so Nutrition really stood out to me. I figured I would become a Registered Dietitian and work in private practice with the overweight/obese population. Fast forward a year, I started volunteering in a hospital and realized that was the environment I was meant to work in. 

Nutrition immersion in the dining hall. The best major with the best friends!

I started going back and forth with becoming a doctor, physicians assistant, and nurse practitioner. I love nutrition and hope to use it in my career one day, but I needed something "more" in the healthcare realm. After a ton of research and many mental breakdowns (shout out to Jeff), I decided to apply to a few masters in nursing programs. With every conversation, school visit, and "nursing" search on Pinterest, I knew I had found the perfect career. I only wish I had realized it sooner! 

Graduation, May 2016

So, long story short I finished up my Nutrition degree, completed all of my nursing school applications, and started a new job in marketing all in the last 6 months. I still LOVE nutrition and will continue to use it for the rest of my life, whether it is a part of my career or not. I also really enjoy working in marketing, but I know myself well enough to say it's not my "forever job". I was accepted into a nursing program in Chicago and immediately said yes, thinking that I would never get in (let alone get an interview) at Rush. 

Right after I was accepted to Rush, Jeff went out and bought me tons of spirit wear and gave me a photo shoot

Once October rolled around, I had not only interviewed but I had been accepted into the Masters in Nursing program at Rush University in Chicago. The next day, Jeff and I signed a lease on an apartment down the street and moved in shortly after that. It has been a complete whirlwind but I could not be happier! 

My senior year of college was filled with anxiety over the fact that I did not like where my life was headed. I was jealous of Jeff getting into dental school, angry whenever I heard about friends getting their dream jobs, and just upset over the fact that such a great season of my life was ending. BUT I have learned that if your not happy you can change it. It's okay (and good!) to be happy for people even when your own life isn't "perfect", and that everything happens for a reason- even if you don't like the timing. 

Blue Apron

For anyone who doesn't know, Blue Apron is a service that delivers uncooked meals right to your door on a weekly basis. You get a perfectly packed box filled with each ingredient in the exact amount you need for three meals. I'm talking everything from the meat to the teaspoon of garlic salt you need to complete their recipe. The recipes are by no means "easy enough to make in 10 minutes", but they do provide a challenge and a fun, stress free, cooking experience.

I received one meal box as a gift (my aunt knows me pretty well!) and then bought a second one with a 50% off coupon. Blue Apron is not cheap! Fun, worth indulging in once in a while, and delicious, but not cheap! I made 6 full meals, each resulted in two very hearty portions for my boyfriend, Jeff, and I. Below are my top 3 meals!

 Nepalese Chicken Tarkari. This was the best rice I have ever tasted. So much so that I now buy Jasmine Rice in bulk and make it at least twice a week. It's just so sticky and perfectly textured! For this meal, I made the Jasmine Rice and added cooked spinach with an array of spices. The chicken is rubbed in a curry/spice mixture and set on top of a spiced tomato sauce. I had never used (let alone tasted) curry before this meal and actually really enjoyed it. Jeff was not a huge fan and claims he will never eat anything with curry in it again. You win some and you lose some! 

Adobo Style Chicken. More Jasmine Rice! Blue Apron obviously knows that Minute Rice is not gonna cut it with me anymore. This meal had an Asian flavor that was very light and fresh. Freshly grated ginger and soy sauce were the main flavoring components for the chicken and baby bok choy. The portion sizes on this meal were relatively large but all of the ingredients were whole and healthy so I did not hesitate to eat my fair share! I love how they incorporate a "raw" component to most meals, like the sliced scallions on top of the bok choy in this one. It definitely gives me ideas for how to step up my cooking game.

Seared Salmon and Spinach-Walnut Pesto: Ugliest picture, most delicious meal. OMG was this good. I still talk and think about recreating it on a weekly basis. The flavors were so strong but combined perfectly when you took a bite of each component together. From bottom to top: purple potato and sweet onion hash, seared salmon, and a spinach/caper/walnut pesto. The pesto was to die for. I don't love any of the ingredients on their own but somehow they came together perfectly. 

The best part about Blue Apron is the fact that all of their recipes are on their website. I have linked each one in this post and encourage you to go look at them all! 

All in all, I would 10/10 order Blue Apron again. It takes the stress of missing an ingredient out and teaches new techniques with every recipe. Head over to their website for $30 off your first order, you won't regret it! 

Chocolate Mini Muffins

These babies are gluten free, sugar free, and can easily be made dairy free. In the last year I've learned that I am very sensitive to dairy products. I don't like to say lactose intolerant because I definitely still enjoy a slice of cheese pizza, but it comes at a price. I watched a very close friend suddenly become lactose intolerant- I'm talking pain like I've never seen it before- early last fall, and questioned how someone could seemingly out of nowhere develop a food allergy at 22 years old. Low and behold, a few months later I started feeling this pain (among other things that are TMI) every time I ate ice cream/ pizza/ any cheesy goodness.

I have learned to be careful now and take my dairy in small amounts, as sad as it is. I have found some great alternatives and learned to modify recipes to fit my needs. Food allergy people, I feel for you. If anyone has any great cheese substitutes, send them my way!

Onto the recipe! These muffins are super easy and quick- especially when made in mini muffin form because they only take 10-12 minutes to bake.

Chocolate Mini Muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups quick oats (grind these up in a blender to make oat flour)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup applesauce

3/4 cup milk (or any milk alternative)

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking sode

1/2 tsp salt

3-4 tsp dark cocoa powder

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well

2. Combine all of the wet ingredients and mix well

3. Mix the dry into the wet, and then stir in the chocolate chips. I save enough to put one chocolate chip on top of every muffin so when they are warmed up later it gets nice and melty.

4. Grease a muffin pan (14 regular sized muffins, 24 mini's) and spoon the batter into the pan.

5. Bake on 350 for about 12 minutes for the mini muffins and 18ish for the regular size. Stick a toothpick in at the end to make sure they are done!

6. Allow the muffins to cool and store in an air tight container.