Happy Project Hydrate Day #2!

I wanted to do something fun with the dried cherries I picked up this weekend.

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal

In the pot:

• 1/3 cup 2% organic milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 tsp flaxseed
• 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Cooked stove top till thickened up (don’t let it boil if you use milk or it will curdle). Add a chopped date and small handful chopped dried cherries.

Toppings:

• small handful chopped walnuts
• Navitas Naturals cacao nibs (*)

I wish I would have added more unsweetened cocoa powder! I will do that next time b/c the flavor combo was pretty sweet!

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Breakfast was awesome but work started out pretty stressfully. As a result, I forgot to drink any water until 10:30am because I was so distracted!

I finally remembered to drink something and made a mug of yerba mate latte (yerba mate with sugar and some cream).

Wow! Yerba Mate is so good and so much better than black tea! I think I’m converted!

I had lunch #1 around 11:30 am – marinated kale and a toasted Great Harvest honey whole wheat roll (no toppings). I felt like spacing my eats out over the day, along with my water consumption.

Mmm…kale. I can’t wait to share my recipe with you guys!

Around 2pm I had lunch #2 – Moosewood Organic Vegetarian Macaroni & Three Cheeses.

I ran into a snafu with the box when I couldn’t find the cooking directions. I noticed this end of the box looked like it should have contained instructions and upon further investigation…

I discovered the directions behind the white cardboard – they just closed the box with the wrong flap on the outside.

As you guys know, I’m not a fan of frozen meals in general, but I’ve found some really great options at Earthfare lately – perfect for busy, working me.

I love the little stories they put on frozen foods.

Nutrition Facts.

Look! An ingredient list you can read! Shocking! haha Honestly, this is why I prefer these healthy grocery store frozen meals – they use real ingredients – things I can prounce, not strange chemicals.

Overall, I thought the mac and cheese was pretty good. Not as good as my Dad’s recipe, but it’s hard to beat a homemade version, no? This version reminded me of a healthier Stouffers.

In the afternoon I met up briefly with Megan (looking all business-y and pretty in her suit!).

We took a quick chit-chat break and I enjoyed a frozen probiotic yogurt with blueberries and strawberries. The yogurt was sooo good! The perfect sweet and tart combo!

Tulsi tea in the afternoon.

I had a couple mini pieces of candy when a chocolate craving hit.

I didn’t leave work till 6:30 pm and then headed out to meet some friends for a b-day dinner.

We hit up Macaroni Grill.

I had a glass of the Placido pinot grigio.

I adore balsamic vinegar  in the olive oil for bread dipping. Yum yum!

B-day girl Dana (aka RE) digging into the foccacia. Is that stuff addicting or what?

I traded my neighbor, Jim, some of my caesar salad for a slice of his mozzarella caprese salad. Ok, make that two pieces. This is probably my fave salad at Mac Grill, but I usually don’t order it since I can finish it.

Caesar salad. Did they go heavy on the cheese or what?! lol

For my entree I got the Grilled Salmon with a teriyaki glaze, spinach orzo pasta. The fresh squeezed lemon really makes the flavors pop.

Bread – I had a couple more pieces than this. The stuff is irresistible!

I didn’t quite manage to finish my entree. I ate about half. The portions at MG are so big – I usually try to split something with hubby (he was home sick – poor guy!).

Make a wish!

Dana was a sweetheart and shared her cake. I had a couple bites. Plus, I got a small bite of tiramisu from one of Dana’s friends.

Totally snacked on a couple small pieces of granola when I got home. I may have messed up my granola bars, but the bars that didn’t cut into rectangles will still be eaten!

Happy Birthday Dana!!!!!!!!!

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Project Hydrate Day #2

I let myself get distracted and didn’t get started on my water consumption till 10:30! I think starting earlier in the day is going to be the key to my success in getting properly hydrated.

Hot tea is working really well for me. Not only does it help me keep warm in the office, it’s good for me and tastes yummy.

Consumed:

• 1 cup coffee consumed but I didn’t count it towards the total
• Pink bottle – finished around 2:30pm
• 2 cups of hot tea consumed – yay!
• 2/3 of the turquoise bottle consumed – oops! almost made it!
• 1 glass wine consumed but not counted towards the total

I know people say that you can get hydration from coffee and other foods/liquids, but I’m trying to be a stickler to start and I’m only counting the water and tea for now.

What are you counting towards your total hydration goal? How did you do with Day #2?

I kicked off today with the last of our Great Harvest cinnamon swirl bread. I really think this stuff is pretty good for you since it’s whole grain. The sugar is the unhealthiest part.

MS “sausage” for protein. Carbs + Protein + Fat = Good Breakfast

Coffee = Happy Me

Fresh Market Spring Blend Coffee = Extra Happy Me

I had a lot of stuff to take with me to work today: lunch, snacks, granola bars for my zumba friends (Kat, I gave Stacy yours – go to her class this week lady), WATER (hello Project Hydrate!), and I put a couple tea bags of my new Yerba Mate in a plastic baggie to keep at work.

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I typically don’t do so hot drinking water in the morning. I seem to consume most of it after lunch but before 4pm. If I have hot tea in the morning, I do a lot better, but I could use some more H2O. So, this morning, I reminded myself to get started on my first bottle of water. I had twice as much water to drink than normal and I really wanted to spread my water consumption over the course of the day. I started with my new pink Gaiam water bottle.

The result of my AM water-guzzling? I downsized my Starbucks Monday. Instead of a grande, I got a tall vanilla soy latte. I was feeling pretty full from the water, so I figured a tall would be just enough. Saved myself some money and calories! (Not that I’m counting, but why consume something if you’re not trying to nourish yourself or at least satisfy an indulgence of sorts).

I was so full from the water and caffeinated from the Sbucks that I wasn’t feeling tea, even though I really wanted to try my new Yerba Mate. Now I have something to look forward to tomorrow, though!

By 11am I was halfway done with the first bottle of water.

Lunch was a pretty sweet spread…

Fontina mac and cheese leftovers from last night’s dinner.

Marinated kale (I think I finally nailed the recipe…yay!)

Toasted Great Harvest honey whole wheat roll.

I was SO GLAD I prepped food yesterday! I eat so much better (healthier, cheaper, and all around better) when I prep ahead. Lunch was a little light on the protein, but I had a snack to make up for it.

In the afternoon, I had a Chocolate Oikos with some homemade granola (from my oops granola bar crumbles). So tasty…so so good!

By around 3:30pm I had finished off my first bottle of water. Hooray! The bad part was that I typically don’t consume many liquids after 4pm. I seem to wake up in the middle of the night needing a bio break if I drink much after 4. Is it just me?

Zumba workout fuel = a homemade granola bar with dried cherries, dates, and currants plus Kashi crackers.

Double header zumba class! 2 sweet hours. And my hubby came to class tonight! He said he had fun and might come back. I hope he does.

I worked on my second bottle of water during class, but only managed to finish about half the bottle.

Post workout sushi with a big glass of water. Even with this water, taking my workout into account, I don’t think I quite made my quota, but I did pretty good for Day #1.

Miso soup and salad

Mini cucumber salad

Tempura zucchini

California roll with masago

No problem finishing my cup of water after 2 hours of zumba. Phew! Dinner hit the spot, plus I got to catch up with a girlfriend.

Dessert – banana and a couple small pieces of dark chocolate. Mmm

Project Hydrate Day #1 Comments

I knew Day #1 of Project Hydrate would be pretty hard for me. Sadly, I barely consume the water in this 3 cup water bottle. Now, I usually do have a mug of coffee in the AM, plus a cup or two or hot tea during the day, plus a little water at dinner (but not too much – see above), so I know I haven’t been getting enough liquids.

To illustrate, I’m attempting to go from drinking this…

…to drinking this.

I think the key will be reminding myself to spread my liquid consumption over the entire day instead of trying to chug it all in one sitting (which is simply not healthy – do not try this at home people!).

Consumed:

• Pink bottle – finished off around 3pm
• Turquoise bottle – finished half of bottle around 8:30pm
• 1 large (probably 2 cups) of water consumed at dinner
• No tea consumed
• 2 cups coffee consumed but I did not count them towards the total

I don’t anticipate noticing many changes on Day #1, but I’d like to post some comments every day.

Comments:

• Drinking all the liquids I planned for was difficult, considering how little I was drinking before. I think I need to get started on liquid consumption earlier in the day.
• Consuming more water than normal in the morning helped curb my Starbucks habit.
• Looks like if I can drink my two mugs of tea and half a water bottle more, I’ll be meeting my planned intake.

How did you do today with Project Hydrate today for Day#1?

If you’re like me, you have a tough time getting your 8 glasses of water every day. And if you are like me, then why not join in on Project Hydrate to work on getting those very important fluids in.

(Feel free to borrow the graphic above if you’d like)

What is Project Hydrate?

Project Hydrate is a little challenge I put together to try to get myself to drink 8 cups of water every day for the rest of the month of March, starting Monday, March 8, 2010.

I typically barely get 4-6 cups of water a day, but I know I should drink more.

The Goods

I like reusable, non-BPA, aluminum bottles. They’re so much more eco-friendly than throw-away bottles of water.

I got this fabulous water bottle for Christmas.

I found these aluminum water bottles at Target today – 2 for the price of one ($12.99).

My Gameplan

I plan to use water bottles to help me gauge how much water I’m drinking. If I bring 2 water bottles with the total amount of water I need for the day, then I know I just need to drink the water from those bottles by the end of the day.

General Gameplan:

• Since I work at an office all day and I’m a germiphobe, I prefer to take my water with me during the weekdays.
• I’m planning to use eco-friendly water bottles, instead of standard bottled water.
• I’ll try to space out my water intake over the course of the day. It’s not safe to consume too much water at one time and your body will be better hydrated if you pace yourself.
• I get cold at the office, so I’m planning to make hot tea part of my daily water intake.
• I’m planning to drink extra water for fitness activities.
• I don’t typically drink much other than water, tea, and coffee, so I’m not really focused on drinks outside of those categories. If I drank them, I wouldn’t count sodas as part of my intake, though.

Daily Gameplan:

• Coffee doesn’t count towards total intake
• Bring 2 reusable water bottles full of water to work – each of mine hold about 3 cups.
• Drink both bottles, paced out over the course of the day
• Drink hot tea (to make up for any amount missing from the bottles – about 1-2 cups for me), also paced out

NOTE: Athletes have different requirements for proper hydration, which depend on the type of exercise and of course you. This challenge is for every day water consumption. You may want to research your activity to learn the best way to stay hydrated for your physical activity.

Players

Anyone interested in joining me for Project Hydrate? Leave me a comment or email me at thechiclife at gmail dot com and I’ll add your name (and link back to your blog if you have one).

• Abby @ Abby Normally
• Alison
• Allison @ Eat Clean Live Green
• Anuja
• Bobby @ Fusion South
• Caitlin
• Christie @ Honoring Health
• Christine @ Christine Hoenisch
• Cullen @ The Coma Times
• Elizabeth @ On Tap for Today
• Erin
• Fran @ FranCostigan.com – Diva of Dairy Free Desserts
• Gillian @ Finding My Weigh
• Jackie @ Striving to Be Fit at Forty
• Jen @ Losing the Shadow Behind Me
• Kelly @ A Local Foodie’s Fight
• Kristen @ Going Green Mom
• Lindsay @ Designer Wife
• Lisa @ Bake Bike Blog
• Mara @ What’s For Dinner
• Maura @ Irish Eyes Aren’t Smiling
• Megan @ Great Food, Hockey and Health!
• Moi @ The Chic Life
• Nicci @ Nifty Eats
• Pen @ Pen at Peace
• Serendipity @ Serendipity’s Guide to Saving
• Teresa
• Thirtyandhealthy
• You? – Join any time during the month of March

My Recaps

I’m trying to blog about Project Hydrate every day of the challenge:

• Day #1 – less Starbucks
• Day #2 – more tea

Have you blogged about your experience with Project Hydrate? Lessons learned? Changes noticed? Etc.? Email me at thechiclife at gmail dot com or leave me a comment and I’ll link to your post.

NOTE: Please join in on Project Hydrate at your own risk. It is possible to consume too much water (though I’ve heard this isn’t typically applicable for the everyday person), so please be responsible. Also, Project Hydrate doesn’t take into account athletic activities. Athletes generally require more water than the normal 8 cups a day, depending on activity. Please consult your doctor before trying any new diet or lifestyle change or to learn about the appropriate amount of water intake for your personal needs.

Happy Sunday!

After getting an early start preppign food for the work week first thing this morning…

…I dug into breakfast – Great Harvest WW cinnamon swirl bread.

And my first mug of Fresh Market Spring Blend for 2010. Yuuummmy!

Hubby and I were busy bees in the house this weekend. We did even more house work today before I got ready for a hot date.

I tried taking a picture of the bottom of my jeans, but Bailey was all up ons .

Biker jeans with the stripey stripe.

Hellllllooooo Kelsey!

Kelsey and I met up in the artsy part of town – NoDa. I love this part of town – the local spots and artsy vibe.

We hit up Revolution Pizza so I could get a bite to eat. I meant to eat at home before heading out to meet Kelsey but I forgot.

We grabbed a spot at the bar.

Since I snacked on some homemade granola bar pieces for heading out, I kept lunch light and just got the artichoke and lemon spread with flatbread.

So stellar. I loved it!

Next up, we headed to Smelly Cat, a local coffeehouse.

We had a mini photo shoot and made friends with a pretty gray pooch.

Kelsey got ice cream.

I got a tea latte – India Black Assam with soy milk. It was super foamy and tasty.

So much fun chatting it up with Kelsey ! We should do this more often!

For dinner, I had plans to make mac and cheese with the fontina hubby and I picked up at TJ’s yesterday.

I’m still trying to work out all the measurements for my Dad’s Mac and Cheese – I want to make sure I’ve got everything measured out so I can share it with you and currently, a lot of stuff is “eye-balled.”

I prepped a lot of kale tonight – 1/2 a bunch for dinner and 1/2 a bunch for later this week.

I prepped the kale for later this while dinner baked away in the oven.

Kale chips!

Golden brown fontina mac and cheese.

Dinner is served: Fontina mac and cheese, kale chips, and a Great Harvest honey WW roll, toasted with real butter.

Close-ups.

All enjoyed with some Moscato. Mmm…

Dessert – Great Harvest WW cinnamon swirl bread. So nice warmed up. Yummers!

Contest Updates

I’m so terrible about following up on contests. I love having contests and giving away things, but I always forget to follow up!

So here I’ll make some catch-ups…

• The winner of the DSLR Camera Strap cover was – Erin! (I already emailed and sent your package – hope you got it ok)
• #1 Winner of Chic Makeover Giveaway – comment #63 Katherine (I’ll email you)
• #2 Winner of Chic Makeover Giveaway – comment #38 Andrea (I’ll email you)
• #3 Winner of Chic Makeover Giveaway – comment #56 Caitlin (I’ll email you)

Congrats to the contest winners!

Project Hydrate Head’s Up

Have a hard time getting enough water every day? Get your non-BPA water bottles together and join me for Project Hydrate, kicking off tomorrow!

Reader question: What’s your favorite type of latte? Tea? Vanilla Soy? Toffee Nut?

I think I had more baking/cooking ideas for the weekend than time or people to feed. So, I decided to do only a couple of my scheduled projects this weekend – my Chic Energy Bites and more yummy, homemade granola bars.

So, first thing this morning (and I mean FIRST – even before coffee!) I got started on some granola bars. I used this recipe, Ina’s Homemade Granola Bars (with brown rice syrup), with a couple slight modifications.

Instead of using 1 cup of sliced almonds, I used 3 types of ingredients to make up the cup: sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, and chopped walnuts.

For the fruits, I used 1/2 cup each of dried fruit: black currants, dates, and cherries.

Everything looked ok when I took the bars out…but then…

Snap! Crackle! Pop! The bars were hard and crunchy. Not chewy like last time. Not sure where I went wrong this time around. I think I may have over-mixed the ingredients and possibly baked the bars just a minute or 2 too long. Hey, they still taste good, so I’m happy.

I managed to cut most of the bars ok and put them in a tupperware. Things seem to tender up in airtight containers, so I’m hoping they soften up a bit. For the broken pieces and crumbs, those will become granola! I have plenty of yogurt to eat, so I’m looking forward to enjoying my bars in both granola bar and regular granola versions.

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Fast forward to tonight…

I was a kale-prepping machine! I washed a bunch of kale and used 1/2 for dinner and 1/2 to prep for the week ahead.

After spinning the kale dry, I got started on…

A marinade! Oh yes, this was marinated kale take 2.

I made a quick marinade…

…and poured it over my freshly prepped kale. I mixed the kale to ensure every bit was covered.

Then, I added sesame seeds.

Mix mix mix and…

Ta da! Marinated Kale! I’m going to taste test it tomorrow for lunch. If it turns out ok, I’ll publish the recipe.

I also prepped leftovers from dinner, Dad’s Mac and Cheese, to enjoy later this week for lunch. Using leftovers from Sunday dinner is probably the easiest way to prep for the week ahead since you have to eat on Sunday and will already be making something. I often like to make something that I know makes for good leftovers just so I have them the next week for lunch. Tonight, we had 3 servings left. Not too shabby!

Sunday Prep Day 3/7/10:

• Homemade Granola bars with brown rice syrup
• Marinated Kale
• Leftover Mac and Cheese

What are you prepping for this week ahead?

Hubby and I had a busy day today.

We took Bailey for a walk first thing this morning to enjoy the beautiful sun.

The weather was gorgeous, though still a bit cold.

Hubby and I did another breakfast date for bagels.

Hubby and I split an egg and cheese on rosemary olive oil and got coffee. I tried the French Toast coffee and it was really tasty.

We also got doughnuts!

We hit up lots of grocery stores today. Notable picks: TJ’s organic tempeh, fontina cheese, yerba mate tea.

We picked up more Great Harvest bread – honey whole wheat rolls and cinnamon swirl (WW).

I fiiinally made it to the Fresh Market go get their most-delicious Spring Blend! It may be their best one. I also stocked up on Barney Butter.

We also got Bailey some new dog treats: Sojos Natural dog treats in peanut butter honey and Barbara’s Canine Catering Training bits in Vegetarian Bacon.

Since I’ve been trying to avoid artificial and overly processed foods as much as possible, I figure I should do the same for Bailey. I am starting to read the labels on his food too now.

I love how both the treats I picked up today have readable ingredient lists. And for an added benefit the latter was made locally! Support Local!

I grabbed a veggie juice while we were out shopping: celery, cucumber, pineapple juice. I thought it would be more pineapple-y, but it was very veggie. I didn’t love it, but it was pretty good and definitely good for me.

Hubby and I had a simple lunch…

Tomato, basil, mozzarella salads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Hubby and I busted into our cinnamon swirl bread for lunch-dessert. We burned the bread a wee bit on the thin parts. Doh!

I snacked on a Chic Energy Bite, too.

After lunch, I went with hubby to meet up with some of his friends to catch some basketball games on TV.

Hubby ordered some nachos (sans meat) to snack on. They were covered in liquidy processed cheese. Now, there are some melty cheeses (think dips) that I still like, but this wasn’t one of them. It tasted sort of like plastic or something. I was not a fan and it didn’t sit well on my stomach. Blech!

I picked out a Deakin Estate Moscato to sip on for the night.

Tough Top Tidbit: I had a hard time getting the screw-off top undone. So, I applied my rubber band trick (can’t remember where I learned this one). For any containers you’re having trouble opening (like jars of pickles, etc), place a thick rubber band on the lid/top and use it gain traction. Works like a charm.

I started with an organic romaine salad with yellow bell peppers, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and Drew’s Rosemary Balsamic dressing .

For dinner, I re-heated the leftover gnocchi I had from Friday night. I placed the leftovers in an oven safe dish, topped with some fresh mozzarella and baked at 350 degrees F till heated through – about 20 minutes.

I topped the gnocchi with some fresh basil and served it with a Great Harvest WW toasted roll with real butter.

I enjoyed dinner while watching No Reservations. Cute movie! I loved how much of it took place in a restaurant. Ooh all the cooking and food!

This was pretty good the second time around. I really love re-heating leftovers in the oven. I think the flavors are so much better. Though it does take longer than the microwave, I think it’s the way to go!

Anywho, I tried, but I still couldn’t finish the gnocchi! I wrapped up the leftovers. Maybe hubby can finish them?

I did save some room for dessert. I couldn’t turn down another piece of fresh-baked cinnamon swirl. This stuff is sooo good – especially when it’s fresh! I did manage to slightly burn this piece, too. Doh!

Reader question: What’s your favorite dried fruit?

As promised yesterday, here’s my recipe for some Larabar-inspired, no-bake snack bites.

I bring you…

Chic Energy Bites – Currant Crave

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried black currants
• 1/2 cup dates
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 tbsp chia seed (ok to omit if you don’t have any on hand)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor.
2. Process mixture until ingredients are chopped into tiny bits and the mixture starts to stick together. (At first the mixture will appear very dry. As you keep going, the mixture will become more sticky, though it won’t come together like a ball of dough). Start/stop and use the pulse as you go. Check it often if you’re unsure about consistency. Also, before you start forming discs, you can make a mini ball to test the mixture holds together ok.
3. Carefully remove blade from food processor.
4. Pick up about 1tbsp worth of mixture, roll into a ball and flatten slightly to a disc shape.
5. Enjoy!

NOTE: Makes about 20 bites. Store in an airtight container.

Yummy dried black currants.

All ingredients into the food processor.

All blended up and ready to form into discs.

I made a mini test-ball to make sure the consistency was ok.

Form into discs.

So simple, so good.

The combination of fruit and nuts make these great for a pre-workout or general energy boost snack.

To enjoy:

• Eat them straight up (for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert)
• Use them as an oatmeal topping
• Chop them up over Power Toast
• Make a dried fruit and nut sammie by placing on a whole wheat dinner roll

Look for more great Chic Energy Bites coming soon! I have a bunch of good ideas in the works!

Hubby and I made a quick breakfast date trip to grab bagels.

I normally get coffee with bagels, but I couldn’t resist a tea latte fusion in Black Thai.

I celebrated Bagel Day Friday with a blueberry bagel and strawberry cream cheese. I ended up wiping off most of the cream cheese, but I still liked the flavor.

Since I’ve focused more on the quality of the foods I eat (i.e. whole grains vs refined, etc), I find that I have a harder time eating bagels. They just don’t seem to have any nutritional benefit. When I can enjoy a big bowl of oatmeal or a slice of Power Toast just as much, it’s like why bother eating the bagel? I guess I bother because I still think bagels are tasty and like to eat them once in awhile, whole grains or not.

I had two cups of hot tea today – 1st a tulsi chai masala and 2nd a cup of strawberry amanzi tea. Mmm…that strawberry tea is so good!

I re-heated my leftovers from last night – Spicy Thai Cashew Tempeh – a Clean Food recipe. The smell of tamari was intoxicating! Yuuuum!

I even had some leftover chopped scallion yesterday.

The leftovers tasted great (and you guys know I dont like leftovers). Even hubby asked for a bite.

organic navel orange.

I busted out my Martha Stewart blue food processor for a kitchen experiment, after work today.

I busted out some fun Larabar-inspired snack bites. Details and recipe going up tomorrow. Tonight was pretty busy. *update* recipe posted – click to see my Chic Energy Bites in Currant Crave. So easy – so tasty – so good for you!

I did manage to taste test 3…to make sure they were good before I posted the recipe of course.

As soon as work ended, I put together my experiment, then packed up a birthday present (including some of my goodies), changed and hit the road.

Love this turquoise wrapping and simple sparkly topper. The sparkles make the simple wrapping shine.

I met up with friends to celebrate Megan’s birthday. We hit up a local Italian restaurant.

Pinot grigio

Salad – with house tomato dressing

Bread basket

I love my carbs. I love bread – especially fresh bread served at restaurants – when it’s crispy on the outside and doughy in the middle as though it just same out of the oven. Mmm….

Our table ordered cheese sticks to share. I had to indulge.

My friend Kat ordered a dish I was considering – pasta with fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella.

She even traded a bite of her food for a bite of mine. Thanks friend!

I got the gnocchi. The restaurant makes their gnocchi from scratch in-house, so I had to try it out. So chewy and tender with a lovely tomato/mozzarella sauce. I wish they would have topped the dish with some fresh basil or something but overall it was quite tasty.

A tiramisu for the birthday girl and our table.

I had a bite – it was suuuper tasty!

Our beautiful birthday girl.

Happy birthday Megan!!!

(yes again )

Reader question: What’s your favorite thing to do to celebrate a friend’s birthday?

Early Day Eats

Since I didnt get my coconut milk oatmeal yesterday, I decided to have it today.

Coconut milk is so good in oatmeal. So good!

I also added in more dried fruit goodness: black currants and dates.

Beautiful sunny morning!

Oatmeal with a Morningstar “sausage” and my Larry’s Beans coffee. Love this coffee – and the company.

Coconut Date Currant Oatmeal

Add to a pot:

• 1/3 light coconut milk
• 1/3 water
• 1/3 Quaker rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp chia seed

Cooked stove top till thickened. Stirred in 4 chopped dried dates and a handful of currants at end of cooking to warm through (I don’t add my dried fruit early on because I like the chewy texture of dried fruit, which I think is lost when it’s added early because it soaks up the liquid and plumps up).

Toppings: simply chopped walnuts

Coconut milk in oatmeal is amazing. It totally adds another dimension to the flavor.

Hot black tea with cream and sugar to help me wake up at work.

I had a frozen meal to eat for lunch, but I got the craving for a burrito, chips, and dip. Though I used to eat out the majority of the week days for lunch, lately I’ve been doing really good about eating in. I like to still go out once in awhile – especially when I have the opportunity to take a quick walk break to get food.

While I’ve had a really easy time going meatless for Lent, there are some situations where I miss meat. Today was one of them. I always get chicken of beef burritos. I really wanted to order a meat-burrito, but I went veggie. Today I got rice and beans with guacamole, salsa, and tomatoes.

Surprisingly, I didn’t miss the meat terribly when I was eating my burrito.

I also got some chips and queso. I know the cheese is terrible, but I haven’t been able to curb the urge for hot, gooey cheese. (this is my before shot)

I did fill up on the burrito first, so I didn’t quite finish the chips or queso. (this is my after)

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Impromptu Zumba

I made an impromptu trip to take a zumba class about 40 minutes away. Since the class was so far away, I was a bit late and only got a 45 minute workout in, but it was totally worth it. I was feeling really tired after work, but I felt so energized after class! I love how zumba really livens me up.

I did some minor stretching and had an Aria protein shake after class.

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Clean Tempeh

Pizza was sounding good after my workout. I get lazier and lazier about cooking the later it gets. It wasn’t till about 8:30pm that I got home. I’ve had a lot of food dates “out” this week, though, and it really helped that I planned what I’d make tonight yesterday. And, I purchased the groceries for tonight’s dinner yesterday. Yay for planning!

I’ve started unpacking more stuff from our basement, including some cooking books. I pulled out my Clean Food cookbook recently since I remembered it has lots of good vegetarian recipes (perfect for a meatless Lent).

I decided to make Clean Food – Spicy Thai Tempeh with Cashews.

I finally got to use the tempeh I’ve had in my fridge for forever. (it was set to expire next week, so that helped me select a recipe)

I chopped the tempeh into large pieces and steamed it.

Once it was done cooking, I let it rest on a plate to cool

Aren’t red onions pretty?

I caramelized the onions before…

Crumbling the cooked tempeh into the pan. The cooked tempeh crumbled very easily. I love the idea of cooking tempeh this way and already have some ideas for more ways to use it in this fashion.

Roasted red pepper and organic cashews – to cook with the tempeh.

Sauce – ready to add to finish.

Spicy Thai Tempeh with Cashews – served with steamed broccoli, drizzled with a bit of melted organic butter.

I LOVED this! The flavors were perfect. I didn’t think it was spicy at all, but it was tasty.

I even got some seconds.

Total winner!

Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate

Since I had an entire can of coconut milk open from this morning, I decided to try out some coconut milk hot chocolate.

Organic sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder.

Mixed up with hot water.

Into my oatmeal pot, which I used to heat my coconut milk stovetop.

So rich, so tasty. I need to work on the recipe before I post it here on TCL though.

Tidbits

Check out MyRecipes.com for 10 Mexican recipes under 300 calories (click). And yes, I did say yesterday that society may be too number-crazy when it comes to diet, but I do think calorie counting can be useful. I used calorie counting, personally, in the past to work on portioning and make sure I ate enough food. Also, I scanned some of the recipes and they look to be based on whole foods AND low calorie!

I’d love for people to weigh in on my poll and add to the discussion via comments on my question – Do you think our society has gotten too caught up in figures when it comes to their diet? Click here to weigh in.

Have you seen the twitter tag “#everydayiwakeup” – click to view – there are lots of positive ones (if you can look past the normal vulgar, random, and obscure ones, of course). Some are really inspiring.

Reader Question: What’s your favorite type of hot chocolate? Regular? White? Soy milk based?

Aww…he’s such a cute sleeper…

Had to share these cute photos of Bailey asleep on the couch last night while I blogged away. He’s such a goober when he sleeps sometimes.

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On to today…

Oatmeal with coconut milk was calling my name, but so were the eggs and Great Harvest bread which are both about to expire any day.

So, since I was WFH today, I whipped up one of hubby’s fave breakfasts – fried cage free eggs and toast – 2 servings – one for each of us.

Work was so much better today from the comfort of my house. I really think I’m more productive here anyways.

The only break I took today was to take some quick photos of Bails. He’s such a great little model.

For lunch, I heated up more of my healthy vegetarian (guess it’s actually vegan, too) 3-bean chili, which I brightened up with some fresh parsley. I love how vibrant all the colors of this chili are!

On the side, I toasted up more Great Harvest honey whole wheat, which I topped with some Laughing Cow cheese, fresh parsley, and hemp seeds.

I ended up feeling full before I finished, so I decided that rather than forcing myself to finish, I’d save it for later.

Hubby got us some doughnuts from our fave local bakery, which I enjoyed in the afternoon.

Yogi tea echinacea tea.

Yogi tea quote: “If you don’t love where you come from, you can’t love where you are going.” What do you think about this quote? Do you think it’s true? I don’t know about the quote, but personally, I am just recently coming to peace with where I came from. I’ve started to appreciate my life up till now with all the times I felt like both a success and a failure.

I had some more doughnut holes later in the day.

You guys know I love my sweets and I pretty much eat them whenever I want, though usually as a way to say “take that restrictive eating! I eat what I want!” But, I’m coming to a point where I’m becoming more open to change and to possibly even giving up some of my sweets. Note – keyword = “some”. You guys know I’m big on gradual changes, but I’m keeping an open mind and I’m planning to do some research. We’ll see how things pan out.

I met up with some girlfriends tonight for a casual dinner at Earthfare. From left to right: Michelle, Emily, Kath, Moi, and Kate.

(Group shot photo thanks to Kath)

After picking out our eats, we took a moment to capture them on our cameras.

I got a salad with romaine, baby spinach, purple cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, carrot, sprouts, bell pepper, celery, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Plus a minestrone soup.

Of course I enjoyed a whole wheat chocolate chip cookie, which I discovered this week is also vegan.

Oh and Michelle let me sample the vegan blondie she got and it was really good too! I may have to get that next time!

I made use of the Stonyfield reusable tote I got yesterday to do some grocery shopping tonight.

I picked up some staples: whole wheat pastry flour, tofu, roasted chili paste, wheatberries, walnuts, sunflower seeds and a new frozen mea to try – Macaroni & Three Cheeses.

I also got some Augisa & Co Organics vegan body lotion (locally made!) and some all natural almond extract.

It turns out the lotion is made by a lady I met once. She had the booth next to me when I was selling my handmade jewelry at a local craft show. Neat! I’m glad to see she’s doing well – I always liked her lotion.

By far the best deal was the granola and Larry’s coffee beans I scored for FREE! Yes, that’s like $15 worth of stuff for free because I am signed up for the Earthfare email newsletter and they sent out a coupon for free granola and coffee with purchase! I forgot which flavor of beans I got but the description said something about being smooth with hints of vanilla or something and that sounded pretty good to me. For the granola I selected the Berry flavor.

If you live near an Earthfare, you must sign up for the newsletter! Such great deals! You can sign up at the bottom of their homepage at earthfare.com.

Also, take their Boot Challenge. It’s easy – they show you 2 products and you guess which one Earthfare would not sell in their store due to their policy on only selling high quality, healthy products (you can read their list of banned ingredients here). After submitting your guess,they tell you which one they would not permit in their store and why. I think the challenge is a fun and easy way to learn more about products you consume. Knowledge is power people.

Oh and I swung by Barnes & Nobles quickly to pick up a gift for a friend. These aren’t the gifts for them. These are things I picked up for me: Well Being Journal and Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food. The magazine looked like a good read and though Kath said I could borrow IDofF, I decided that it may be good to keep in the house for reference, so I bought. But thanks for offering Kath!

On another tangent, I washed my new (yes, I got it for Christmas but still haven’t used it) Martha Stewart blue food processor parts today. I have a fun food project planned and just need to put it together. I’m so excited to try out my food processor – I’ve been wanting a good one for a long time!

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Tidbits

Heard about Zumba but not sure what the fuss is about? Want to know what to wear to class? What to expect? Check out my post on Zumba 101 – read the questions and answers for those new to Zumba.

I’ve answered more Formspring questions – see answers on my last post. Ask me some more questions on my Formspring profile (click).

I’m workingon some more detailed pages, but I did a quick update of my About page. Check it out.

Is Society Too Caught Up in Figures for Diet?

On another note…did anyone else see the news article today that Weight Watchers and McDonald’s have teamed up? Yup, McDonald’s is going to start promoting and selling WW-friendly meals. Is anyone else reminded of the so-called Taco Bell drive-through diet.

Is it healthy to make your WW points if all you ate that day was overly processed fast food? Are 1200 net calories of chicken sandwiches and french fries better than a day’s worth of whole foods?

I understand that counting calories, fats, and sugars really help some people lose weight, but, personally, I tend to get lost and confused trying to keep up with too many figures. I do okay focusing on one area at a time, but my best success in getting healthier has been when I returned to my roots and what my Dad has taught my family: eat the best quality food possible – the less processed the better. When I focus on eating as much whole food as possible, I have an easier time maintaining a weight loss (or losing weight) and I feel better, too. Instead of stressing over every gram of fat I’m consuming in a day, I can enjoy my food and know that I’m nourishing my body and that the fuel I’m providing it is high quality.

Do you think our society has gotten too caught up in figures when it comes to their diet (diet as in “food and drink regularly provided or consumed” as defined by Merriam Webster)? When you’re grocery shopping or deciding what to eat, what’s most important to you? Do you worry more about making sure you don’t go over your calories for the day (whether those calories include fast food and overly processed food) or do you focus more on the quality of your food (opting for whole foods, organic, etc)? Or something else?

I’ve created a poll so people can weigh in on their personal preference:

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I’d absolutely love it if you elaborated on your answer or provide an answer you don’t see in the poll in a comment.

Have you heard about the hottest cardio workout around – ZUMBA!? If you’re interested in trying a Zumba class but want to know more first, read on for some Zumba 101 questions and answers.

What is Zumba?

Zumba is a Latin-dance inspired fitness. Zumba is also exercise in disguise because you’ll get a great workout, but you’ll have FUN, too.

What to expect?

Expect a high-energy, cardio workout to upbeat music with plenty of booty-shaking. Unlike hip-hop style classes where you learn a choreographed routine with many different steps, Zumba choreography is typically pretty simple. Usually in Zumba, you’ll do the same moves or set of moves for the chorus and then a new set for the verse, but repeat the chorus-moves each time the chorus plays, etc. Zumba choreography is supposed to be so simple that anyone can do them without any experience, so if you’re on the fence about going to your first class, do it!

Can men do Zumba?

Absolutely!

Who can do Zumba?

Anyone! You don’t have to have a dance background to do Zumba. Also, I’ve seen men and women of all ages in Zumba class (though you will have to gauge your personal situation as far as health level and ability before trying a new exercise of any kind. You may also wish to speak to your doctor or health care provider).

What to wear?

Wear anything you’d normally wear to a cardio style class: comfortable clothes and tennis shoes (plus a sports bra for the ladies). Most people wear pants and t-shirts or tank tops with sneakers. You can also get some cute zumbawear online at zumba.com – I adore the cargo pants.

What to bring to a Zumba class?

Water – definitely water. A handtowel may be a good idea, too. I also like to bring a post-workout protein shake/snack.

Do you get a good workout with Zumba?

Zumba is an excellent all-over, cardio workout. I’ve even heard Zumba can be good for your core. Additionally, I’ve seen different web-sites online claiming Zumba can burn 600-1000 calories per hour! I’ve never measured it myself, but I’d believe it. But, if you want to get a maximum workout, don’t do the moves halfway. Do them like you mean them! Really doing zumba and sort of doing Zumba is like the difference between jogging and running. You’re essentially doing the same move, but you’re not going all the way in one version.

Where to do Zumba?

You can find classes online at zumba.com. You can also purchase DVDs if you want to do Zumba at home, but I highly recommend going to a group class because the group energy can help make the experience extra-awesome. You can find DVDs no zumba.com or on ebay.

My personal tips for your first zumba classes:

• Dance like no one is watching – I very much remember my first zumba class. I remember strategically placing myself in the back of the class so there would no one behind me watching while I made an idiot out of myself. As I came back, I learned a few things: the instructors mess-up, too, and that’s ok AND most importantly, that most people in class are so freakin busy trying to figure out what the instructor is doing, they are SO NOT watching you!
• Ask your instructor for tips before/after class – Zumba instructors are very nice, fun and helpful. If they did a move in class that you just don’t get, ask them to show it to you after class. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to help you and when you nail the move in class, you’ll feel like a rock star.
• Have fun – zumba is exercise in disguise. It’s a workout hidden in a party. So cut-loose and enjoy yourself. You’ll get a better workout if you let go, too.
• Dance near the front – following the instructor is much easier if you can actually see the instructor. And remember, it doesn’t matter what the people behind you think – see my first tip.

That’s it. I could write more, but really the first tip is IMO the most important.

Have any more zumba questions? Email them to me at thechiclife at gmail dot com.

NOTE: Always workout to your own comfort level and ability. Be sure to consult your physician or health care provider before attempting a new exercise program.

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Also, Click here to read about my personal story with Zumba. which includes my favorite songs, zumbawear, why I love Zumba.

Join the party!

Eats of the Day

When I found those dried black currants , I decided to also pick up some dried, pitted dates. Such good oatmeal mixins, no!?

I rounded out the sweet oatmeal with a savory Morningstar “sausage” and some Earthfare House Blend coffee.

Choco-Coconut Date Oatmeal

Add to a pot:

• 1/3 cup organic skim milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (so much better than quick cooking or instant – for real!)
• 1/2 tsp chia seed
• 1/2 tsp flaxseed
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Cook stove-top until thickened (over medium low heat)

Stir chopped dates (about 4) into the oatmeal after done cooking but leave in pot to warm through.

Toppings:

• sliced almonds
• about 1 tsp unsweetened organic coconut

And you guys have said it before, but I’ll say it again, yes this looks decadent, but take a looksie at that ingredient list. No added sweeteners! I just used the natural sweetness of the dates to sweeten the bowl.

I had an early lunch #1 of a toasted AB+J (almond butter – Barney Butter and jelly – Earthfare organic pomegranate jelly)

So good toasted! If you like PB&J, you must try it toasted! I just put mine in a toaster oven on 2 toasting cycles, but your time will probably vary. You could probably also use your oven to toast it.

Lunch #2 – more healthy veggie 3-bean chili with some Kashi honey sesame crackers.

Lunch dessert – endangered species supreme dark chocolate – my last mini bar.

Work was really hard today, but nothing a good photography class couldn’t cure…

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Last Photography Class

Tonight was my last photography class. I don’t want my classes to be over! So the sad part is that they are but the good part is that I know I will take more in the future. I may not take classes again soon (only because of financial constraints), but I will.

I did some of my homework this weekend (subject = composition), but figured a couple more shots wouldn’t hurt.

I met up with Kate to grab dinner before our last class (she’s taking the class with me).

We hit up Fuel pizza and got exactly the same thing! Great minds Kate!

Side salad with balsamic dressing.

Spinach-tomato pizza.

And a cinnamon knot. So bad but so good.

Tonight, for our last class, we learned about how to use the flash properly. A lot of people say never use the flash. A lot of other people say, it’s ok to use the flash if you know how to really use it. Me, I’ll probably stick with no-flash until I can get the Canon Speedlite 430 EX II I have been lusting over for the last…oh…3 years. I don’t know how people purchase the big ticket items on a whim, but me…I need to save up (and forego the flash when other things like…I don’t know…the house? come up).

Anywho, after learning about flash, seeing our teacher do some example photos and taking our turn at practicing, our last and final class was over.

Wow, these 8 weeks of photography classes have FLOWN by! I can’t believe they’re over already. I really am sad about that. My Tuesday classes were something I looked forward to every week.

Kate, me, Emilie (our fabulous photography instructor)

Thanks to Kate for doing the class with me.

And thanks to Emilie for being an awesome instructor!

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Stonyfield Oscar Prize Pack

I got home to find a package waiting for me. My Stonyfield and Food Inc Oscar prize pack (won on Twitter) was here! Hooray!

Inside the package, I had lots of goodies: a reusable tote, a spatula, recipes, a card, a $25 gift card to Whole Foods, a Why Eat Organic CD (or DVD?)…

…a the Going Greener Guidebook, Oscar Bingo sheets, Oscar party tips, Food Inc the book, Food Inc the movie and coupons for Oikos…hooray!

I haven’t seen Food Inc yet, but I can’t wait! I’m hoping to have a Food Inc party once our house is ready…with lots of yummy vegetarian and vegan snacks.

Thank you Stonyfield for the fabulous goodies!

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More Q&A Updates

Have you seen my Zumba page yet?

Also, I’ve been working on my Formspring questions and answers, so here are some updates:

I just found a studio in town that offers Zumba. What advice would you offer to a beginner? Is it better to take the zumba class, a dvd, or a zumba light class if your just learning.

If you’re extremely nervous about going to class for the first time, then you might want to look up some videos on youtube to get an idea of what a class is like. Or, you could practice for awhile on the DVDs. BUT…honestly, I would just leap headfirst into a class. And remember to not worry about what others think – just let loose and have a good time. Do the moves as best you can – it doesn’t matter if you don’t do them perfectly. It doesn’t matter if you do them completely wrong – especially the first time. You’ll get them at your own pace. Where I dance, we say “If you’re moving, you’re doing it right.”

Was it difficult to house-train Bailey?

Not really. He’s a really smart dog (corgis in general are a smart breed) so he learned quickly. He was also really good about not chewing on things.

If someone gave you a million dollars with the restriction that you could not spend it on yourself or anyone close to you, what would you do with it?

If it was given to me to decide (as in I had to decide, not a joint decision with hubby), I’d donate money to charity, set up a vegetable garden in at least one local school (b/c I think it’s important for kids to know where their food comes from), and set up a scholarship in my parents’ names (because the older I get, the more I appreciate everything they’ve done for me). But, that’s just off the top of my head. If someone really gave me a million dollars, I’d spend a lot of time researching my ideas before committing the money.

*edited here on the blog to add that if I were really given a million dollars, I would also consult hubby to decide what to do with the money*

Do you like to travel? And if so, where would you like to visit?

Yes! There are SO MANY places I want to go! I’d really like to go to Paris, San Francisco (and wine country), and New York City some time this year, but I’m not sure that will be feasible since we’re new homeowners. I’d also really like to see Hawaii, Italy, Spain, other areas of France, Canada, The Virgin Islands, Colorado, Sedona (AZ), Fiji, The Philippines (where my mom is from), and I’d like to go back to the Bahamas (where Hubby and I got married). I’m sure there are more places I just can’t think of right now.

If there was one thing in your life you wish you could be better at, what would it be?

I’m a pretty Type A, analytical person, so I’m always working on being better at different things. If I could choose one, I think at this moment in time, it would be “organization.” I’d like to get my schedule, house, and life in general more organized. I think if I were more organized, I’d be able to focus better on other areas of my life and on those around me (hubby, family, friends).

What/who inspired you to start blogging?

I started my first blog as a means to promote my jewelry business – an idea passed around by an online group of jewelry artists I belonged to. No one read it (it was pretty boring…lol), so I converted it to a fashion blog (separate blog from TCL). I started TCL as a new blog to blog about my life and left my fashion blog to clothes/shopping/outfits.

Where did you get that yummy looking burrito?

Which one!? I eat a lot of burritos. I got one from a place called Cantina 1511 and one from a place called Energy Cafe most recently.

You asked about our fave restaurants-we live near Raleigh, we love Napper Tandy’s IRish pub, love Ella’s seafood in Calabash, the Crab Shack in Tybee Island, GA

Neat! Thank you!

What are your top three favorite stores to shop from?

I don’t know that I can just pick 3. I like different stores for different things. I grouped some here…

3 Favorite Grocery Stores:

• Earthfare
• Whole Foods
• Trader Joes

3 Favorite Clothing Stores:

• Banana Republic
• J Crew
• Nordstrom

3 Favorite Places to Shop for Plateware:

• Crate and Barrel
• Pier 1
• TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Etc.

You always have the cutest coffee mugs and tea cups! Where do you find these?

Thank you! I made a page with info on where I found some of my favorites: http://thechiclife.com/plateware

Thanks for all the great questions guys!

Have any more questions? Post them here on my Formspring page (click).

Reader question: What’s your fave way to eat PB&J? With almond butter instead? A special flavor of jelly? Toasted?

As if you didn’t already know, oatmeal was a big MUST for me today! Not only did I have a new bowl but I found the elusive dried currants at Earthfare last night.

I feel like I’ve seen several recipes calling for currants that I’ve wanted to make over the years, but I never quite seem to find currants for sale.

Ok, so currants are probably not that elusive. I’m sure they’re quite common, but for whatever reason, they have escaped me…till now.

And how cute is this bowl I found at TJ Maxx this weekend whilst shopping with my MIL? The color is perfection!

Oh yes, I had to have oatmeal today, if only to use my new bowl.

Black Currant Oatmeal

Add to a pot:

• 1/3 cup skim organic milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (got these in the bulk bin at Earthfare)
• 1/2 tsp flaxseed
• 1/2 tsp chia seed

Cooked stove top over medium low heat till thickened up. I added about 1/4 cup dried black currants for the last minute of cooking.

On top:

• sliced almonds
• light drizzle of maple syrup

For Starbucks Monday I grabbed a grande vanilla soy latte. Oh so good.

Lunch #1 – 3 bean veggie chili (prepped yesterday) and Barney Butter honey whole wheat toast.

I put the chili I brought for lunch in a bowl, but it looked like SO MUCH! I decided to only heat up about 2/3 of the chili and save the rest for later. I was so glad to have the yummy toast on the side.

I unfortunately, burned my tongue on the soup and then tried to eat it while I was running a meeting. It’s all about the mute button people.

Lunch #2 – the rest of my chili and another piece of Barney Butter WW toast.

I ended up getting hungry again about 3 hours later, so I finished off the food I had with me.

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After work, it was ZUMBA time!

Not only did I have 2 fabulous hours of zumba in back to back classes…

I got new zumbawear, too! I got a pair of wrist bands and a new hot pink zumba tank top.

Oh yea! Work it!

Did I mention Zumba is not only an amazing work out, but it’s super fun, too!? Oh yea! You can read more about me + Zumba on my fabulous new Zumba page (click)!

Special thanks to Kat for her photography skills!

After our workout, we hit up a local sushi place to celebrate Megan’s birthday. Hello Megan!

I celebrated with a sake pomegranate.

I toyed around with the idea of getting something new, but I really like my usual – simple as it is.

Miso soup and house salad with ginger dressing (my mouth will hate me tomorrow!)

Half a teriyaki rice ball – basically rice with teriyaki sauce. I doubt there’s any nutritional value in this, but it sure tastes good. As my Dad would say, it’s “like eating cardboard.” Bah…it’s tasty Dad!

PS this would have looked much more attractive if I had remembered to photograph it before halving it to share. Doh!

Tempura zucchini. I let it get cold. Note to self: cold tempura = not tasty

I also got a Cali roll (I know! boring! whatever it tastes good)

Reader question: What’s your favorite thing to order at a sushi restaurant (it doesn’t have to be sushi)?

Happy Birthday Megan!!!

I went to bed suuuper early last night. 10:30pm. I think this is late for some people, but it’s pretty early for me. It was awesome!

I forgot to mention yesterday that sweet Jessica gave all the food bloggers treats at last night’s bloggie get-together at Guglhupf’s: Ellie Krieger’s Energy Bars. Jessica and I are both big Ellie fans!

I ended up waking up before hubby’s mom, so I snacked on one of Jessica’s bars for a pre-breakfast while I worked on last night’s blog post. The bar was so tasty…I loved it! Thanks Jessica!

A bit later, we had breakfast: an egg and cheese sandwich, hash brown, and OJ.

Hubby and I went out to his aunt and uncle’s house to look at some of their old furniture. We swung by Whole Foods so I could get a veggie juice.

I got 4 veggie juice ingredients: apple, carrot, beet, and ginger.

I SO need a juicer! I grew up juicing thanks to health-food Dad, but I haven’t had a juicer of my own since…well…never. I only had juices with Dad.

I tweeted asking for recommendations and the big-time winner was Breville – specifically the Breville juicer plus. It’s on sale on Amazon for $150, but that’s still a big ticket item and one I’m not sure we can get with all the house stuff going on.

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We looked at the furniture but only came home with a night stand. The night stand has a neat story, though…hubby’s uncle purchased the night stand from hubby’s Dad.

We got back to hubby’s mom’s house and had lunch: a nice veggie/bean soup with some toast.

I think the toast was topped with eggs and veggies, but I can’t remember exactly.

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We road-tripped it home, checking the radio and twitter for updates on the Canada vs USA Olympic hockey game. I wish we wouldn’t have been in commute because it sounds like it was an amazing game. Congrats to Canada for winning!

Hubby and I hit up Earthfare for groceries for the week and for dinner.

I got the veggie burger and sweet potato fries. I couldn’t quite finish it all, but hubby helped.

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Sunday Prep Day: 3 Bean Veggie Chili

As you may remember from last week, I’m going to start using Sundays to officially prep for the work week ahead. I’m working on devising a schedule I can share with you guys, but for now, I’ll just share what I’m making.

I asked hubby if he had any preferences for lunch this week and he suggested chili. So, I decided to do a play on Ellie Krieger’s 3 Bean and Beef Chili and just made it without the beef (since I gave up meat for Lent).

Bell pepper, organic onion, organic baby carrots.

Organic kidney beans, organic pinto beans, organic small red beans (because they were out of black beans) and organic fire-roasted tomatoes.

While the veggie chili cooked…

I cleared out my spice rack. I guess this is bad to say, but several of my spices had expired! I tossed the expired spices, but kept the glass containers.

Spice/Herb Tidbit: Some grocery stores sell spices and herbs in bags, which is much cheaper than buying the stuff already bottled. So if you have a glass bottle, keep it, wash it out, and re-use it. It’s green and will save you money, too.

Since I was multi-tasking it, the chili was done very quickly. I packed up 2 small containers to take to work and one large one for hubby to nosh on, since he works from home and doesn’t need his chili individually packed.

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Goodies to Review

I had a package waiting for me when I got home…

Inside – the nicest sampler box I’ve seen – from Bertolli.

This was my Foodbuzz Tastemaker sample of Bertolli’s two new sauces, Four Cheese Rosa and /Arrabbiata, which I’ll be sampling and reviewing later.

The box even came with some recipes – 3 for each of the sauces. I saw a couple that sounded really good, but I’m not sure if I’ll try their recipes or just wing-it and make something up. We’ll see!

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Updates

You guys have been asking some really good questions on my Formspring! I wish I had the time to sit down and answer them all, but I don’t have a lot of time. And since I don’t want to half-way answer your questions, I’m trying to take my time and provide solid and detailed answers. Many questions require, IMO, a page or a post, so I’ll continue working on those.

In the meantime, check out the new Zumba page I made! I’ll be doing a Zumba 101 follow-up for those interested in checking Zumba out.

Have a great week everyone!

Reader question: What’s your favorite thing about Monday?

I managed to catch some steam in a photo from my coffee at breakfast Saturday.

We made Bailey sit off to the side so he didn’t inch up while we ate.

I had some stuffed yellow bell pepper casserole, mini hash browns and coffee cake.

Plus some Stonyfield Oikos in honey with a slice of peach.

I went out shopping with hubby’s mom and picked up some stuff at TJ Maxx: garden tools (I  hope to put these to good use soon!)

A vegetable peeler and some Mrs. Meyer’s stain remover.

Surprisingly, there were some good food items there: an honest foods bar, a Yogi raw fruit & nut bar, and some The Ginger People Crystallized Ginger Bits (going to bake some cookies with these…yum!).

But by far my best find was the one I almost didn’t get. I spotted this on one of those stands near the checkout as I was waiting in line and snatched it up. It’s so pretty and I LOVE the color!

Shopping fuel = whole foods juice. I got the one with (I think) tangerine, mango, and pineapple. It was so good. Drinks like these make me wonder why companies feel the need to put extra sugar in drinks. This was SO sweet and all natural.

The dogs are, of course, having a blast. I’m having my blast in the form of shopping and a bloggie get-together!

I got ready for dinner and put on my fave (ok only, but I still love it) sweater dress. Can you tell I’m in hubby’s childhood bedroom?

I paired the sweater dress with some of my fave slouchy boots and some tights.

Ready to go!

Just as the sun was setting, I set out to meet up with some Durham food bloggers for a bloggie outing.

We headed out to Guglhupf, a local bakery and cafe that recently started serving dinner.

I loved the interior of the restaurant – so elegant and fun. Nice ambient lighting.

I scoped out the dessert tray while I waited for the table in front of me to be seated. The tray was right by the front entrance, so I got a great preview. Then, it was on to the table…

I started with a glass of the Anton Bauer: Gruner Veltliner “Gmork” 2008. I thought it was interesting that the flavors included “sweet peas”.

Our waiter let us select a slice of bread from a large bread basket from 3 options.

I chose a piece of their house-made rye with some whipped butter on the side.

For my entree, I selected a “Small Plate”: alsation potato-leek torte: sliced potatoes layered with leeks, fresh herbs, and cave-aged gruyere paired with a petite green salad. $8

Some of the regular entrees looked really good, too, but I was determined to save room for dessert.

I kind of expected a mini torte (like a 6” round or something), but it came out in slice form, which was just fine with me. I like my tortes in all shapes and sizes.

The potatoes were the perfect texture – soft but not too soft. The overall flavor was nice and I especially liked the lightly crispy top layer.

The greens were a nice mix with a light vinaigrette style dressing.

Me and 3 others at the table ordered a side of brussel sprouts. Gotta love eating with food bloggers – we have such similar tastes! So nice to have friends who appreciate brussel sprouts.

The restaurant peeled the leaves off the brussel sprouts and sauteed them in oil, then finished them with butter. They were quite tasty cooked this way, though I usually just roast mine. I’ll have to try cooking brussel sprouts a la Guglhupf sometime soon.

Food bloggers in action.

Our waiter snapped a group shot for us. From left and around to right: Kelly of Whole Belly, Jessica of Johnstone’s Vin Blanc, Allie of Live Laugh Eat, Caroline of The Broccoli Hut, Seth, Margaret, and moi.

After we finished our entrees, our waiter brought out the dessert tray. Ooh la la! There were five delicious desserts on display, any of which I’m sure I would have loved.

Margaret got the croissant bread pudding, which had a really elegant description that I can’t remember. She shared a bite with me so I can say it’s definitely delicious.

Jessica got the dessert I almost ordered: chocolate torte with homemade marshmallows, kumquats, and candied nuts. Jessica also let me try a bite and boy was this stuff rich! Delicious, but rich. The waiter described this one as almost like candy, and he was so right. I loved the combination of flavors, though.

I ordered the apple tart. A rustic crust filled with diced apples, topped with candied pecans and served with a cinnamon ice cream. The tart was sooo delicious. I was super happy I saved room for dessert, because I was able to enjoy every bit of this – ok, minus 2 bites, which I shared with Jessica and Margaret in exchange for samples of theirs.

It’s no wonder Guglhupf has won awards. I loved everything about this place: the ambiance, the food, and the service. The mood was cozy and intimate, there were tons of great, fresh food options, and our server was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

I also had a great time seeing Jessica again and meeting some new food bloggers in person!

I had an early day Friday. I had to travel about an hour and a half away for work (with plans of being picked up my hubby at the end of the day to road trip it to his mom’s house), so I packed my stuff Thursday night. I made sure to pick out an outfit Thursday night so I wouldn’t have to think in the morning when I was still super-sleepy.

I was up at 5:30am, had a cup of coffee, got ready, was out the door around 6:15am and caught a ride with a co-worker around 6:30am

I like traveling for work, but my only gripe is not being able to control my food as well. Typically, I have healthy snacks and what not at my house and at the office. I suppose I could have packed these with me, but I didn’t. I brought a slice of Great Harvest honey whole wheat with me to eat in the car, but never quite got  around to eating it. I wasn’t all that hungry…I think I was too sleepy. lol

They had bagels and coffee at the meeting when we got there around 8:30am (had bad traffic – passed TWO wrecks!). I grabbed a yummy blueberry bagel with some honey walnut spread, which I applied lightly. Besides being healthier, I go light on cream cheese because the idea of a bunch of creamy goop on my bagel kind of weirds me out. I just like a light schmear of cream cheese toppings. Anywho, though I still love my bagel breakfasts, they don’t keep me full at all. I think because they’re typically not whole grain based and don’t really provide a lot of (any?) protein. I usually feel a bit like I’m eating air. Tasty air…but air.

Shortly after our meeting started, someone brought in a box of Krispy Kremes. I had to have one. They just melt in your mouth.

Lunch didn’t turn out so hot. I was hoping to go out to lunch with some co-workers but most already had plans or had to work through lunch. Luckily, the office had a cafe upstairs. Since I gave up meat for Lent, I didn’t have a lot of options. My choices were basically things I couldn’t or didn’t want to eat: hamburgers, chicken fingers, french fries, chips, cookies, sodas.

I tried to order an egg sandwich (for protein) but when the guy gave me a look like “you don’t want to eat that” and then basically said “you don’t want to eat that” and then showed me a yellow disc of “egg”, which he pulled out of the freezer, I quickly changed my mind. I ended up having to eat stuff I normally try to avoid.

I ended up getting some salad from the salad bar (this was the saving grace of the cafe – yay for fresh veggies!), a yogurt (not my fave brand, but I wanted some protein), and a bottled water. I remembered I had some Great Harvest bread with me, and I was SO glad to have it for lunch. That bread was a life-saver!

The salad was good, but the yogurt was waaaay too sweet! Much sweeter than I remembered. I must be used to Greek yogurt now that I’ve been eating it so frequently. I was reminded why I like plain yogurts – so I can control my own sweetener – type and amount.

I had my Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual book with me, so I took a break from my laptop to start reading it. The book was very easy to read and the rules were really straightforward and short. I’ll try to do an official review later, but the book made for a nice lunch read.

Though lunch wasn’t exactly what I’d call a normal lunch for me, I thought I’d see how it lined up with Food Rules.

First, the yogurt…

Food Rules Fail #1 – the ingredient list failed a number of the rules, including:

• #3 Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry
• #4 Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup
• #5 Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) in the top three ingredients

Food Rules Fail #2 – the packaging failed a couple rules, including:

• #8 – Avoid food products that make health claims
• #9 – Avoid food products with the wordoid “lite” or the terms “low-fat” or “nonfat” in their names.

Food Rules Fail #3 – the salad dressing didn’t do much better, failing at a couple rules also, including:

• #6 – Avoid food products that contain 5 or more ingredients
• #7 – Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.

The salad and Great Harvest bread both passed.

I thought it was really interesting comparing the Food Rules to my actual food. I remembered why I don’t buy a lot of the products and foods that I used to get before I started reading food product labels. In fact, Michael Pollan’s suggestions line up really well with food tips my Dad has passed on to me and how I’ve been eating lately anyways. Michael and my dad would get along famously!

I felt pretty full after lunch but I knew it wouldn’t last long since I had very little protein (though at least I got some whole grains in thanks to Great Harvest). In a couple hours, I was hungry again, so I had a leftover bagel from breakfast with a light spreading of hazelnut topping. It was delicious (esp that hazelnut spread – yum!), but not very filling.

I tweeted about how the other bagels left from breakfast were calling my name and Heather tweeted back suggesting I try to beat Mark’s 4 bagels in a day record. It was tempting, but I held back.

Soon enough, the work day was over. I said goodbyes to some co-workers before taking off. I haven’t seen some of these guys in months, so it was nice working with them face-to-face again, instead of just over the phone. Plus, I met some really nice people in the office – they have an amazing group of people there! Such positive vibes!

As I was leaving work, I saw this old tower. It looked pretty photogenic, so I snapped a shot.

The work day ended and hubby came by my out-of-town office to pick me up on his way to visit his Mom.

I was pretty hungry when hubby picked me up, so we pit-stopped at Starbucks and split a spinach feta wrap (protein…finally!). I also got a kid’s soy hot chocolate – adult temp – no whip. I was so glad to get some more food before sitting out the rest of the car ride.

Hubby’s mom had dinner ready for us when we got there, starting with a salad.

Sundried tilapia, shrimp/scallop scampi, broccoli, and rice. I ate almost everything but the rice, because I filled up before I could get to it. I tried to tackle the most nutritious foods first since I felt like most of my eats earlier in the day had been lacking: broccoli (can’t get enough veggies, right?), shrimp and tilapia (protein!).

I split a piece of garlic bread w/ hubby.

Plus, a couple small bites of brownie for dessert.

Lesson learned today: always be prepared. Next time I travel, I’ll be sure to pack a couple food/snack options with me…just in case.

Reader Question: Have you ever been somewhere without a lot of food options? What did you eat?

I was feeling oatmeal this morning, but…

I couldn’t resist this fresh-baked loaf of Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat hubby picked up yesterday (ok it’s like a day old, but it’s pretty darn fresh!)

I ended up with toast with real butter, a fried cage free egg and half an organic orange.

With nice, hot coffee of course.

Bailey was looking so cute today. I had to take some photos.

Hot tulsi tea (no sweetener) in Chai Masala.

I was on phone conferences during lunch, so I just grabbed some random stuff.

An Amy’s veggie burger and some pretzels (because I was craving something salty).

Edamame

Great Harvest toast with Earthfare Organic Pomegranate jelly and chia seeds.

I took care of some giveaway packages (been procrastinating on these…not gonna lie. Sorry! Things have just been so crazy around here lately!). While I still need to officially announce winners, I’ve got a few packages packed up and ready to drop off for delivery. yay!

I snacked on one of Julie’s Chai Tea Scones while I worked on my bloggie projects.

Salad for dinner – baby romaine, sunflower seeds, Drew’s Rosemary Balsamic dressing.

Pizza for dinner! I had 1 1/2 slices of cheese with bell pepper and red onion and 1 slice of cheese.

Hubby even picked up some panna cotta gelato for dessert. Yum yum!

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I have to work an hour-ish away from town and be there at 8am, so it’s going to be an early morning for me. Eek! Did I mention I still have to pack? Yup, the bad news is that I have to commute nearly 2 hours tomorrow. The good news is that it’s on the way to see hubby’s mom. We’re visiting her this weekend and I’ve got a bloggie meet-up planned, too! Fun fun!

I have several posts and pages in the work, and I finally completed one this week…

Check out my new Plateware page (click to view)!

By the way, since ladies figure skating is on tonight, I thought I’d mention…did you guys know I used to ice skate? Yep…here’s proof. Ok, rusty proof, but still…lol

So, the figure skating fan in me cannot pry myself away from the TV. Though I have to be up far earlier than normal, I can’t stop watching. Gah!

What are you up to this weekend?

Today was pretty gloomy both weather and work-wise.

I cheered the weather up with a yummy breakfast – POWER TOAST and Earthfare coffee!

Toppings:

• Barney Butter (love how creamy this gets as it warms through on the hot toast)
• Sliced almonds (almonds on almonds…I know…not very interesting, but good for texture)
• chia seeds (because chia seeds rock)

Kept it simple today.

Wonder what Bailey’s looking at?!

Work was super stressful today. I can’t really go into details but today was a challenging day.

I took a 10 minute break to grab lunch out. I felt a little guilty considering how well I’ve been doing eating in for lunch, but I do still like to splurge. I just try to keep it to once or twice out a week (leaning towards once).

Lunch: whole wheat tortilla wrap, black beans, egg white, red peppers, mushrooms (can you believe I didn’t take them out!? I am determined to like these one day!), cheese, and sauce (I forgot what kind of sauce…sorry!)

I also got a detox iced tea sans sweetener. I saved the bar for a future snack.

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Later that day…

I had some Tulsi tea (anti-stress…kick in please!) and a blueberry almond bar. Dee-lish! So-so good!

Plus a mini kit kat.

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I needed some brain relaxation after my long day, so I took a visit to see Kelsey at her work – Cafe Central !!! Kelsey’s blog, Bites + Bowls, is so upbeat and fun, it makes me want to use lots of exclamation marks with her name.

PS Scuse the blurry photos but I brought my ninja camera, and I can’t get the quick shutter speeds like I can with my DSLR.

I knew I had to visit Kelsey when I saw the most-delicious looking tea latte on her blog (click for photo).

Froooothy!

Tea time!

Holla!

I was only planning to stay for tea, but I was having such a good time, I stayed for snacks and dinner. It was really nice to veg out and relax, which I have a hard time doing when I’m at work or even home sometimes where my to-dos are calling.

I got to sample Cafe Central’s new homemade chips and queso. Omg…addicting! I will be ordering some of this next time fo sho!

Seconds on tea.

Kelsey and I split some sweet potato/black bean spring rolls.

They were served in a creamy sauce with bits of tomato. I loved the tender sweet potato and bean filling paired with the crispy wrapper.

Food bloggers in action!

While I was at the bar, I met the super cool manager (I think General Manager?) Bob. He recommended the night’s special…

…crab cake salad!

I told Bob about how I gave up meat for Lent, so instead of the bacon dressing, he suggested the white balsamic homemade dressing (all the dressings there are homemade). It was soo good – perfectly sweet but not too sweet.

I loved the greens, too. I think I tasted some peppery arugula in the mix with some marinated tomatoes and of course, a delicious crispy-on-the-outside-tender-on-the-inside crab cake.

I think I found a new favorite place in town. I can’t believe I haven’t been to Cafe Central before! CC is like my type of Cheers – a chill atmosphere, friendly people, and great food (99% homemade). Look for more visits here in the near future.

And, if you’re in the area, go visit Kelsey for the best tea latte. Yummers! And if you don’t like tea, you can visit Kelsey anyways because she rocks and will take great care of you.

Kelsey – thank you so much for taking care of me tonight and cheering me up. I had a blast and will be back soon!

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Bailey wanted to share some of his tricks with you guys. I’m planning to do a video soon, but here are some photos for now from tonight:

Sit

Lay down

Play dead

Sit up

Stand.

Good boy!

Tidbits

You guys are asking some really good questions on my Formspring page! I love them! I want to give really good answers for all of them, so apologies for not answering immediately, but I want to think on them. In the meantime, feel free to keep asking by visiting my Formspring page.

If you haven’t voted, check out my poll. I’m looking for feedback to make sure that I’m giving my readers what you guys want most. So far, my “eats” is the most popular! Go here to vote (click). You can also send in requests to my email at thechiclife at gmail dot com.

And, lastly, have you seen my Best Posts page yet? I’ve tried to group some of my favorite posts here with lots of tidbits and ideas – from healthy eating to budgets.

Reader question: Do you have a favorite local restaurant/bar where you hang out? What’s it’s name, and what is it about the place that makes you love it?

Today started off good but then quickly not-so-good.

I think a good, healthy breakfast is the perfect way to start the day, because I kick things off feeling energized and nourished.

In today’s bowl: rolled oats, 1/2 milk, 1/2 water, flaxseed, chia seed, sliced banana and unsweetened organic coconut sprinkled on top.

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Things took a turn for the worse when, whilst in my car at 9:15am, I got a phone call from a co-worker who reminded me that I was supposed to be on a phone conference for work, running a LiveMeeting at 9:00am. Big-DOH! I felt like an a$$.

I hauled it to the office and got on the meeting as soon as possible and wrapped up as best possible, but wow…that was so unprofessional.

But, you know…everyone makes mistakes. The best thing you can do with mistakes is learn from them.

Here are my tips for handling mistakes at work:

1. Take responsibility – acknowledge the mistake
2. Don’t make excuses – no one wants to hear them anyways
3. Apologize – call or email the person you let down/offended/whatever and apologize
4. Learn – figure out where things went wrong
5. Apply – don’t let it happen again – use your new knowledge the smart way

Today, I acknowledged that I was late for today’s meeting. I didn’t make excuses by blaming traffic. I emailed my co-worker to apologize for being late to today’s meeting. I learned that I need to pay better attention to my schedule and probably get to work earlier. Im hoping to be more aware of my calendar and work on going to bed and waking up earlier so this doesn’t happen again.

And you know what my co-worker emailed back? “It happens to the best of us ” (yes with a smiley). I am lucky to have an understanding co-worker who helped ease my embarrassment.

In shocking news, I broke away from my cubicle to take a real lunch break with some co-workers. I got a combo with 2 slices of pizza, 3 garlic knots (with marinara), and a coke.

I ended up eating 1 1/2 slices of pizza, 2 garlic knots, and half the coke. It was too much food and I had plans for an early dinner.

And what did I do with those leftovers?

I traded them in for a treat!

Sweet hubby felt bad about my morning starting off so rough and brought me a cupcake, so I gave him my leftovers. Fair deal, right? Ok, just sweet hubby then. <3

I normally like to pair indulgent treats with healthy meals to help them balance out, but I wasn’t going to sweat it today. I enjoyed every bite of this delicious vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing. Mmm…

I actually forgot about my lunch plans and packed some soup for lunch today. This worked out well because I was able to eat my “lunch” for dinner at my desk, before photography class.

I had leftover roasted tomato + black bean soup and 10 kashi honey sesame crackers.

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Then, it was photography class time!!! I can’t believe I only have one class left.

Tonight we learned about composition.

I brought a Luna Cookie in Peanut Butter Chocolate. It reminded me a lot of a Clif ZBar both in texture and taste. I like ZBars, so I was good with the flavor/texture. I also liked that the calories were under 200 – this is hard to find sometimes. It seems easy to find a meal bar but not so easy to find a snack bar < 200 calories.

We got a fun homework assignment so I’m hoping for good weather this weekend so I can have some photography fun!

Hubby gave Bailey a bone earlier in the day and said since Bailey got a treat, I got one (see cupcake above).

I couldn’t believe the bone was still intact by the time I got home.

Hubby said Bailey was carrying the bone around like his baby.

He’s so silly sometimes!

Over and Out

Remember to tell me what you want to see here on The Chic Life by voting on this poll (click)

And ask me anything (keep it clean, though, please!) on my Formspring page

Reader Question: Have you ever made a mistake at work? What did you do to bounce back from it? What did you learn?

Happy Monday!

Thank you to everyone who’s voted in my TCL-content survey. If you haven’t voted already, I want your feedback! Pretty please,of course. Click here to check out the options or vote in the sidebar to the right (gonna leave it up there for at least a week). By voting, you help tell me what to blog about – what you come to TCL to see and what you’d like to see in the future.

I was running a bit later than I wanted so I decided to sip my coffee while I put lunch together and just take breakfast to work.

Anywho, today, as most days, I was the crazy bag lady. I don’t know how people take everything to work with them that they need for the day. (and scuse the face..I think I was turning around or something).

I often have:

• My purse
• A bag with work-out clothes/shoes
• Laptop bag
• Bag with lunch/breakfast

Anywho, all these bags just won’t stay on my shoulders…it drives me crazy!

i brought something to eat for breakfast, but I decided to save it for an afternoon snack and splurge on something for Starbucks Monday.

I got my usual drink – grande vanilla soy latte.

For my splurge, I also got a spinach-feta wrap. And by “splurge” I mean cost-wise. These little sammies are relatively healthy at around 280 calories with a whole wheat tortilla and egg white. I wasn’t completely impressed with the ingredient list since I couldn’t read some of the ingredients, but not a bad option for “fast food.”

Btw, like my tights? I decided to wear boots today since it was raining and soggy pants drives me bonkers. As for the tights, I like the way the look but HATE the way they feel on. They’re tight and binding and constricting. Ugh!

Tights tip: Buy one or two sizes up so they don’t fit quite so tight. Helps a little but I still don’t love them.

For lunch, I had a salad with my salad bar toppings and some stuff from the fridge/freezer:

• baby romaine
• bell pepper
• purple cabbage
• sprouts
• celery
• sunflower seeds
• hemp seeds
• rosemary balsamic dressing

I also had leftover roasted tomato + black bean soup, which I prepped yesterday, and some Kashi honey sesame crackers.

Tulsi tea in Sweet Rose to stay warm in my cubicle and to try to ward off potential colds.

As planned breakfast made a return in the afternoon in the form of snack. I like to load up on snacks on the days I have mega workouts and 2 hours of zumba call for good snacks.

I opened the yogurt yesterday to serve with last night’s soup and decided the leftovers would be good for breakfast, which then turned into a snack. I crumbled in half an Earthfare strawberry scone.

I wanted the taste a little sweeter so I added in some sliced banana. Plus I got a good fruit serving in. Score!

On my way home from work, I ate half a Larabar in pistachio. I saved the other half for between my 2 back-to-back cardio workouts.

Zumba!

I tried to take some photos using the timer during class. I am apparently not so good at this, but it’s hard to set up the camera and then get back into the dance. Plus, I don’t want the other participants to think I’m a weirdo!

Hopefully, I’ll do better next time.

Kat tried to help and take some photos but I guess we were moving too fast. Oh well, A for effort – thanks Kat!

As for dinner, it was the return of the sushi!

I started with miso soup and a salad with ginger dressing. I like the soup because it’s healthy but the salad I eat because I like the flavor.

I also got a Cali roll with masago.

Tempura zucchini – for taste. Not sure how healthy a veggie is once it’s battered and deep fried. lol But, I do like a good splurge after an a$$-kicking workout.

I enjoyed some dessert at home – Green + Black dark chocolate and skim organic milk.

Tidbits + National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Remember to vote in my poll – I really value your feedback and would love to hear from you via the poll or email – thechiclife at gmail dot com – what do you want to see more of on TCL? What do you love most about TCL?

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I’m still answering Formspring questions – click here to ask me something and see my previous answers.

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I ordered some books I’ve been wanting to get for awhile, and I was so excited to see them here already today:

• More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally by the wonderful Fran Costigan (yes, the one who made my Bake Sale for Haiti biscotti! The recipe is in this book so I can’t wait to try it!)
• Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (I’d like to learn more about vegan baking – it seems like a healthier way to indulge over tradition baking. The verdict isn’t in, but I’d like to experiment)
• Michael Pollan Food Rules (Ok, I wanted to get In Defense of Food, but Kath is going to let me borrow that and I needed to spend $5 to get free shipping on amazon, so I figured this would be a good buy)

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It’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week from February 21st-27th. Check out NEDA for some great information for those suffering with ED or friends and family of someone who is or if you’d just like to become more aware of ED. The web site says “Everyone can do just one thing to raise awareness,” so I thought blogging about this would be a good way to help.

With this week in mind, I thought I’d mention that there are some great inspirational projects you can participate in to help encourage positive body image and self-love.

If you’d like to help promote positive body image and self love to lots of people – strangers, friends, co-workers – why not post an Operation Beautiful note somewhere – or maybe a couple places?

If you’d like to promote self-love and positive body image for yourself (hey, we need to encourage ourselves from time to time, too), check out these ideas for ways to love yourself the way you are:

• Participate in the Heart Yourself Campaign – a single self-love word written in a heart – so easy yet so powerfully encouraging
• Check out the Size Healthy fun at Oh She Glows
• Look into The Clean Eating Mama’s Power of Love project

What do you think about positive body image and self love inspirational projects?