I got in bed at 9:45 last night, and the husband wanted to workout early this morning. I said I’d make the call when the alarm went off, and I must have slept well because I was wide awake at 4:57. To the gym we went! I did the ET and a few sets of pull-ups and push-ups. The reward for getting up early is having a wide-open day at 7:30 already showered, dressed, and fed. Tomorrow I’m planning a later workout though 🙂
Before I left I had a piece of spelt bread (homemade that we got from our CSA delivery) with almond butter –
Breakfast this morning was Pumpkin Muesli.
Overnight Combo:
- 1/3 cup oats
- ~1/3 cup hemp milk
- 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 1/4 cup pumpkin (all I had left)
- 1/2 a banana
- Sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
Added This Morning:
- 1 Weetabix biscuit, crumbled
- 1 tbsp ground flax
- Drizzle more hemp
- Drizzle maple syrup
FANtastic combo of flavors!
Coffee, which I’m enjoying less these days. Not sure why!? Maybe this batch isn’t as good. Or it’s warmer weather, although on the patio I needed a warm beverage.
I determined that I really love the flavor of muesli, but it not as fun to eat as oatmeal with the almond butter and nuts. It’s a texture thing, combined with the eating process. Yes, I am overanalyzing, but it hit me this morning when I was wolfing down the muesli that that’s what the difference was. Even with a small spoon I eat this so much faster! I finally put down my spoon and left a little while the husband and I played in the garden. I put some flowers in vases 🙂
The garden mulling resulted in big manly footprints of mud on our carpet 👿 He’s not allowed off the paved part anymore!
Our sun is hiding this morning 😥 I’m taking a trip to Costco and will start some Chemistry reading. See you for lunch!
Robin says
Lunch packers:
For those of you who pack your lunch for work or school what do you carry it in? I need to start packing lunch and am looking for both a lunch bag, containers, and the type of silverware (plastic or real- not sure what most people use), and a bottle to carry my drink. Do you all refill the same bottle all day long? OR bring a few.
I would love any suggestions, I haven’t packed lunches in many years! 🙂
Allyson says
Robin-I use a lean cuisine breast cancer lunch bag. They’re in limited production, but I found my on eBay for cheap!
Kath-cute spoon! 😉
Kath says
Robin,
Best. lunch. bag. ever.
http://www.builtny.com/showPage.php?pageID=1570
Machine washable, strechy for big tupperwares, sleek.
Kath
beth says
Yeah for Costco!
Melissa (the other one) says
mmm, the muesli looks and sounds good! Yeah, I can see that though about the texture…..and I always eat hot things slower than I eat cold things!
beth says
I checked out this lunch bag. It is pretty cool, but pretty pricey! Wow! $25 for a lunch bag!!!!! I was going to suggest a insulated lunch bag from Target or Walmart that is about $12. I guess if you have money to spend go for it, but for the rest of us who may have to watch our pennies, Target and Wal-mart are the way to go!
RhodeyGirl says
Thanks for the lunchbag tip! I have been looking for one as I have been using plastic grocery store bags, and I am almost out completely (I use a reusable market bag now). I just bought the brown and mint one pretty! Totally worth the $25 (including shipping). I bet it lasts forever!
VeggieGirl says
Mmm, Pumpkin Muesli – love the Weetabix addition!
Have fun today, and good luck with chemistry!
Heather says
I’ve been curious to try Weetabix- it looks like it might add some good crunch to oats in the morning. Lovely flowers!
Robin- You might be interested in a Laptop Lunchbox. I’m a little obsessed with containers, and these are perfect (like a mini-bento lunch):
http://www.laptoplunches.com/
Lisa says
So this is for any of you food bloggers. I was thinking of starting a photo food blog just for myself really so that I can see what I’m eating and thought it would help me lose weight and make sure I’m getting a healthy balance. You know as a visual. But did you feel a little weird in the beginning taking pictures of your food everywhere you went?! I feel like my bf and friends would be like what in the world are you doing? haha I can’t seem to get over that aspect of it. dumb i know!
ps i like those lunch bags i might have to invest!
Petite Yogini says
I really like your garden table–it’s so cute.
Sarah says
Lisa—I photo-journaled for a while, and enjoyed it, but found I got a little OVER-obsessed with it. It does get a little weird, and journaling could be the “next best thing” as a way to keep tabs on what you’re consuming.
I love food blogs, and enjoy browsing them. But for me, personally, taking photos of everything I ate was making me enjoy food less and less. But you could always give it a try for a week or two to see how it fits into your lifestyle. And considering its “just for you”, it would mean less pressure and the occasional missing photo wouldn’t be a problem if you’re in a social setting that would make snapping photos uncomfortable. 😉
Kate says
Kath,
How the heck can you fall asleep at 9:45?!
I don’t think I’ve gone to bed at that time since I was about six years old. Did you always go to bed that early, like in college? It must be nice to get up early and get things done but 9:45 seems so awfully early…
Chelsea says
I can’t even drink hot tea right now. I get to work and pop open a Talking Rain. You would LOVE Talking Rain. It’s fruit flavored seltzer with no calories, no sweetener, and no salt. It’s a Seattle thing and since I work for Microsoft we get them stocked in our kitchens for free of course :). Yum.
Kath says
beth,
I went through my share of cheap lunchboxes before I got a more expensive one. They just rip, tear and smell and this one has lasted me the longest ever. So I think it’s worth the investment, if you have the pennies.
Kate
I haven’t not always gotten up early. My freshman year of college my first class wasn’t until 11:30 so I stayed up until 2 a.m. and got up at 10. But I realized how much I enjoy getting up early and going to bed early comes with the package. Once you do it for a while your body clock adjusts.
Chelsea ,
Sounds great!! I’m always looking for good seltzers 🙂
Kath
mel says
I’m an early bird too when I have the choice! what do you all think about Trader Joes? I’m moving to Dayton Ohio for law school in August and there is one next to my apartment! Ive never been there and was wondering if the produce is good, the prices were pretty cheap and if the store is overall worth it! there is also a Meijer and Kroger near by but that is where I shop now and I’m tired of both! Have a great day everyone
CourtneyS says
I go to bed between 9:30 and 10:00pm. I’m an early bird and like to work out in the morning, plus my boyfriend travels a lot of work so we’re up for the airport, anyway. Your body really does get used to it. I’m sleepy around 9:00 and usually read until I can’t keep my eyes open. I think it really depends on the person – some people are just night owls and that’s that! (Not me…even in college.)
I just toss tupperwares and baggies into my (big) bag. Probably not the neatest way, but it gets to work and school in one piece. I just make sure everything stays upright. I bring one big water bottle that I refill throughout the day.
Christie says
Kath do you know the calorie count of those cookies?
laurabars says
I love all the different containers and I am all for paying a bit extra for things that will last longer but Wow Kath! That was a pretty passive agressive remark you made to Beth about the pennies. I don’t think she was trying to remark that you are loaded or anything. Just giving her own opinion about lkunchboxes.
Betsy in Pittsburgh says
I don’t know if this has been discussed before, but does anybody drink Kefir? I’ve tried it in every flavor and I really like it with breakfast, especially vanilla. I only have about 3 – 4 oz because I know it’s probably something to be had in moderation. And it’s pricey!
Korin says
I got a lunch cooler at Bed Bath and Beyond for $5 that has lasted me like, 3 years. I don’t take lunch every day though, only maybe 2x per week.
Allison K. says
Betsy in Pittsburgh,
I love Kefir! It’s something that I rarely buy though..i’m not sure why. I guess in my mind I think of it as a “treat” and not as part of my normal routine, although I have no idea why.
I love your website by the way.
Kath says
Christie,
I did do the math (always do for new recipes) and they came out to around 100 calories each for 10 cookies and using 1 cup of raisins and half the brown sugar.
Laurabars (and Beth),
(Cute name!) I am sorry I was rude. I took the comment to be passive aggressive as well, given yesterday’s discussion.
Betsy,
We went through a Kefir stage a while back and just haven’t bought it again, but really liked it. It’s like liquidy, creamy plain yogurt. I would only get the plain kind though, because the flavored ones I examined were loaded with sugar. We ate it over cereal like a milk-yogurt cross.
Kath
Betsy in Pittsburgh says
Allison K – thank you! I’m actually working to design “joeandbetsy.com” from scratch in Dreamweaver (my summer project), so hopefully by September we’ll have a shiny, new, professional site.
Kath, I need to try plain Kefir – I’ve always avoided it for some reason. But I do notice how sugary the fruit ones are – maybe that’s why I steer to the vanilla flavor. I’m sure plain would be great mixed with fruit in a smoothie.
Pearl says
Hi Kath, love the blog. One suggestion that could make it more user friendly. When one uses the “search” feature, it only searches for wrods in your posts, not in the comments. Could this be changed so that one could search for old comments as well? Thanks for all the effort you put into your blog 🙂
Justy2003 says
Mel-
I’m actually from Dayton (now in Houston) and I didn’t know there’s a Trader Joe’s around! Guess I didn’t look around much. I’m headed home for Memorial Day weekend/sister’s graduation though, so maybe I’ll stop in if I have time.
Where are you from originally and which school will you be going to?
Rahel says
Mel–
Oh, Trader Joe’s! I’ve lived in New York City for most of my life and watched my beloved city become safer– and prices skyrocket on everything from rent to the Food Emporium.
Then Trader Joe’s came…
To begin with, I love Applegate sausages. The cheapest I could find these organic gems
was at $6.99 a package, which seemed like a steal…I am a dancer, and anyone who knows ballet knows we do it for love, not the money, so….
then my friend Liz says, “uh-uh. Try TJs.” In my ignorance, I say, “what’s TJs.”
Then a few days later I walked and found said sausages for 4.99…as well as huge and cheap Barbara’s bakery cereal and their own brand of delicious SUNFLOWER SEED PEANUT BUTTER for 3.49. CHICKPEAS for 69 cents! In New York, these prices are ridiculously cheap.
I have no idea how in the world do they sell such great stuff so cheap. I don’t want to know, just in case. But you should try it!
RhodeyGirl says
kath! I made a delicious fish dish inspired by a recipe online.. It is such easy clean up and really light and tasty.. I added double asparagus (for volume), and used a teeny bit of olive oil spray instead of butter. Also added some spinach in it but I would suggest cooking the spinach separately as it added a lot of water.. I think you would love this recipe! (this site in general has some yummy recipes!)
http://eggsonsunday.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/halibut-baked-in-parchment-with-fennel-asparagus-oranges-olives/#more-465
Rahel says
Oh, Mel, one another thing the produce…it’s hit or miss. They carry in New York a 5 lb sack of oranges for cheap (which my boyfriend carries like I carry a purse), but some of it isn’t so great and it’s small. It might just be NYC, though. Maybe TJ’s in different elsewhere?
Kath– do you guys have a TJs?
Serena says
Rahel, I hear you on the “not wanting to know” how TJs can sell their products so cheap. I used to just think about how great it was, but I do sort of wonder. I think a lot of their products come from far away places – I have noticed that their produce comes from Chile or Mexico. So I guess it’s not in the spirit of buying local or being green. I do sometimes wonder what else I might not be thinking about that could be keeping their costs down.
Jennifer (one of many) says
I agree with Rahel on the produce, and I base that on experiences in Ann Arbor, MI and Chicago (currently). One thing that bugged me on Saturday was that they had bags of baby carrots, but no regular…weird! But they do have lots of great things, like their Habanero lime salsa (picked up 3 jars on Saturday…2 are gone!) with baked blue corn chips. And they have a fabulous beer/wine selection. I’ve also noticed that their prices on larabars, etc are cheaper than other grocery stores.
TJ’s is one of three places I go to complete my grocery shopping experience (along with a produce market and Target).
Sidi says
How do you manage Costco stuff. I always have to throw away at least half of it and the bill is soooo big I stopped shopping there. Any tips?
BethT says
Trader Joe’s is a pretty decent company. Unlike huge box stores like Walmart that haggle suppliers to death over prices (I know – I used to work for one of them!), they are pretty decent compared to much of corporate America. They recently started to phase out products from non environmentally friendly sources (like orange roughy from over fished waters) and they treat their employees well.
BethT says
Sidi, I only buy the following from Costco:
– chicken for my husband (you can freeze it and use it as you need)
– frozen bagged shrimp
– toilet paper
– oatmeal (the Quaker old fashioned kind – it is so cheap by comparison)
Basically non perishables and things that I can freeze. I also read the labels very carefully to see what the cost per ounce is, to make sure it’s really cheaper than the grocery store.
DaisyMay says
i live alone so it is so hard to buy for one. especially since my apartment only has a college style fridge and we have an ant problem right now. FUN FUN FUN
caitlinbo says
sidi – we buy packs of deli meat (they come in like 3 lb packages), split them, and freeze whatever we wont eat immediately. we also freeze red meat and buy the bags of flash frozen chicken and salmon. meat is definitely cheaper at costco, and to me — the frozen stuff tastes the same. my fiancee buys frozen fruit there too for smoothies… it tastes delicious and is much cheaper than fresh.
we also buy produce that takes a while to go bad (like apples or pears) and avoid stuff like tomatos, bananas, etc.
Tina says
During the week, I’m in bed at 9 every night. I’m such a grandma! I don’t usually get to sleep until around 9:30, but I need a lot of sleep and get up at 5:25 for the gym.
caitlinbo says
and we buy the double pack loaves of bread and freeze one…. our freezer is stuffed 🙂
beth says
Kath,
No problem! I went back and read yesterday’s posts, and I see why maybe you were a little on edge about the pennies comment. I really did not mean anything by it!
MizFit says
darn.
am I too late to send you my costco list?
🙂
Carter says
I found sundried tomatoes at Costco for $7.99 for a 2 lb. jar. That was one of the best deals I’ve seen there, since the same tomatoes are about $6 at Harris Teeter for a 6oz. jar.
natalie says
I was wide awake at 4:57 to Kath but I hadn’t fallen asleep yet 🙁
I love how you eat breakfast outside I think i’m gonna start doing that once it stops being so rainy!
Kath says
Pearl ,
I agree that it’s annoying not to be able to search the comments, and I have tried to find a way to change it, but I have no idea how. Sorry!
RhodeyGirl ,
Thanks! That does look like a good combo of flavors.
Sidi ,
We also only buy non-perishables like oats, LaraBars, cereal, canned things, frozen berries.
DaisyMay ,
My parents had an ant problem all through my child years and I have to admit I’ve eaten my share of ant-filled things without realizing they’d gotten into the box! Ewww!
beth ,
Glad you’re not annoyed with me 🙂
MizFit ,
You would have been too early – like me!
natalie ,
Still up at 5!!? Partying on a Monday night? Studying all night? Working? Insomnia? Poor you (or lucky you, if it was choice #A)
Kath
Rahel says
Serena and Jennifer (one of many) and others:
I do my produce shopping at Fairway most of the time and go to greenmarkets in the summer. For those of you who’ve never been to greenmarkets, go! It’s buying local (usually) and if you make friends, you can get discounts and freebies!
yaz says
Oh Kath, don’t be mean…let the husband play in the mud just take his shoes off before he goes into the house. 😉
I just realized I’m talking about Matt as if he where a child or a puppy. Sorry Matt!
Phoebe says
Mud (and snow) in the house is one of those constant battles. My dad is from California and my mom is from Michigan and she firmly believes that my dad doesn’t have the wiping-off-shows/shaking-snow-off-boots INSTINCT because he didn’t grow up with having to do it. She is always annoyed with his tracking stuff into the house. However my dad is currently on my mom about not wiping the dog’s paws off well enough (he thinks he does a better job). There’s always something to bicker about 🙂
natalie says
Aww Kath I wish I wish partying! I just can’t fall asleep! It’s been happening like the for the past week. Any advice?
Kath says
Natalie,
I have trouble sleeping sometimes and it’s almost ALWAYS light-related. I have an eye mask that I put on and I fall right to sleep. I think it’s related to the moon cycles. See if that might help?
Kath
natalie says
Thanks! 🙂