Hoisin Shrimp and Cucumber Salad

This past week I've really enjoyed staying at home and not being at my apartment. I just like being with my family esp when my sister comes home. Like tonight!! She brought her lil' puppy, Lily and I made a yummy dinner for the family! 

I got this recipe from PBfingers for Hoisin Shrimp and a Vinegar Cucumber and Scallion Salad! I have been wanting to make this recipe for a while and when we tore apart the freezer and found a bag full of shrimp, I thought it was the perfect night to try it out! 

The picture stinks but check it out.. 

Ingredients:

• 1 seedless cucumber, sliced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 
  

And for dessert... 

In my cup:

coconut

coffee

yogurt chips

captain crunch

sprinkles

My workout was great tonight! I ran 2 miles for 20 minutes, walked for 5 mins. Then I headed to the mat for a bunch of ab and arm routines. I finished up with 15 minutes on a bike! Time to study.. have a great night!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bowl

This morning I woke up to pouring rain, again. What's with this weather??? My mom and I had plans to take the dogs for a walk bright and early but when we saw the pouring rain, we opted on sleeping in instead : ) 

When I finally got out of bed at 9 am, I made myself a delicious pumpkin oatmeal bowl... 

pumpkin oatmeal bowl:

1 cup of oatmeal mixed with 

1 tablespoon Pumpkin Butter 

sprinkle of cinnamon 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or to taste)

1 Tbl flaxseed

sliced bananas 

Yumm! The pumpkin has 0 grams of fat and 40 cals per Tbl. Not to shabby! It felt like fall, in my mouth!

After working on homework for a bit, I headed to the gym with my bff Katie! I haven't seen her in months! She goes to school at UCLA and quite possibly might be the busiest person I know. So, I was sooo excited to see her and catch up! 

Me and Katie 

(I know, sooo blonde)

After running 2 miles, followed by 25 minute intervals/hills we headed to the mat! We did an awesome ab push up combo.. 10 push ups followed by a certain ab routine, repeat! It was intense and had both of us soo sweaty! 

It's nice havin a workout buddy, and I always seem to push myself a little harder and the time flies by when you're catchin' up! 

We finished up with 15 minutes of cycling and 20ish minutes in the sauna. It was a great workout!

Time to get ready for dinner date with Kev : ) 

Lazy Dog

The only good thing about my 9 hour school day is a 1.5 hour break that I have about half way through my day, that allows me to grab a quick bite to fuel me through the rest of my day. 

Today I had a little extra time and decided to meet my mom for lunch. She was babysitting my sister's dog so we had to go somewhere that was dog-friendly.. so we landed on Lazy Dog cafe! We sat outside under a heater and it was perfect! We  had a little friend peeking over the table... 

Lily girl :) 

She was actually such a good little girl. Besides the few times she put her little paws on the table to see if she could snatch a leftover. 

We gave her a little cheese and she was a happy puppy and fell asleep in her little bag. 

For lunch my mom and I both got a cup of the warm tortilla soup. Cheese on the side. (I love their tortilla soup but boy do they pound on the cheese. It becomes a mess and no fun to eat anymore!) 

We also shared a Mediterranean Pizetti... 

Flat bread with veggies and goat cheese

drizzled with balsamic vinegar

I love lunch dates with my mommy. We try to get together at least once or twice a week even if I go home for the weekends. I am very lucky to have such an amazing mom. She sacrifices so much for me and my family. I love my mommy to death. 

Me with the best parents 

in the world!

Summer Salad

I hate this rainy weather in Socal. A lot of my friends are on Spring Break and are spending their break in pouring rain! All this rain was making me crave a summery salad! 

So after a medium intensity workout and a quick catch up with my friends Kylie and Lesley, I made this... 

In the Salad:

Lettuce

Strawbs

Chix

Blue Cheese

Balsamic Vinegar

It was super delicious and made me feel for a split second like it was summer.... And all this talk of Spring Break is makin me excited!!! Two trips in 10 tens. Woohoo! 

The first part of the break I'm heading to Vegas with my besties and our boys. I've only been to Vegas a few times and they were both low key hang by the pool see a show kind of trips. I have a slight inkling this trip could be a little wild with this bunch. 

Girls Trip in Vegas with 

my sis 2008

The second half of the trip will be spent in Utah with my family and Kevin. It was a surprise Christmas present from my sister and her fiance. We are gonna do a whole lotta snowboarding and skiing... 

Big Bear with my favoritist people :) 

But let's bring it back to reality, I still have 3.5 weeks until then! Today's workout included.

Treadmill Intervals

mins  incline  speed

0-5       0            6.5

5-7       4             3.0

7-9       4            6.0

9-11      6            3.0 

11-13    6            5.5

13-15    2           6.0

15-16    2           3.0

16-17    2           7.0

17-18    2          3.5

18-19    2          7.0

19-20  .5           3.0

Then I headed to the mat for a super fun ab routine to the song.... Baby by Justin Beiber. As totally cheesy and silly as it is it's really upbeat and a perfect song for the first part of my ab routine. I finished up with 10 mins on the not-so evil stair stepper! 

Banana Oatmeal

One school day down, one to go!! I love my schedule, because my weeks go by so fast! 

But I'm not gonna lie, my 9 hr day inched on today starting at 615! I woke up, showered and made myself a delicious banana oatmeal bowl! I got this recipe from Katie's Blog. And it was bomb!

I didn't take a pic but basically you cook a bowl of oatmeal and then melt a banana in a different bowl. (I microwaved my banana until it was gooey, approx. 35-40 seconds) Then you add the banana to the oatmeal and mix with non-diary milk and a little brown sugar. Mm such a sweet way to start my morn! 

After school I swung by the market to pick up some staples since I hadn't been in about 3 weeks. I've been living off produce from the Farmer's Market. At the grocery store I snagged this... 

Peach Flavored Water

*contains water ;) * 

This is my favorite thing everrr. I have a hard time drinking enough water, although I try. The sweet flavor with no added calories, scoreee! 

I also picked up some other things like yogurt, mushrooms, and veggie/ chix burgers. Then I headed to meet my friend, Michele, for some fro yo! She is home for Spring Break and I couldn't wait to catch up with her and enjoy a sweet coffee fro yo treat, yummm! 

Me and Mich :)

For dinner I made a quick and easy chix burger on a sandwich thin with lettuce and a thin layer of mustard. I also sauteed some fresh mushrooms that made for a perfect side to my chix burger. 

The Evil Stair Stepper

Every since I started going to the gym I have always for the most part stayed away from the dreaded stair stepper machine. For some reason it really freaks me out! But today I decided to face my fears. 

After a 25 minute interval treadmill workout and various arm routines, I braced myself and headed towards the stair stepper. I set it for only 10 minutes since I figured I should ease my way on to that monster. 

I realize to most people the stair stepper isn't too bad, and after my 10 intense minutes, I felt the burn but really enjoyed it! Looks like I'll be using it more often :) 

As I headed home, my stinkin' gas light when I off. I literally dread every time I have to get gas and I usually wait until I'm on E to finally stop and get gas. Tonight was different and after stopping to get gas I wound up a whoppin' $60 poorer :( What the effff? Kev and I always say what the eff? after watching this hilarious David Blaine spoof. We're silly. ;)

And now back at my apartment I made some yummy spaghetti squash and got excited to watch the Bachelor until I realized it's over.  So a recap: Emily and Brad are soooo cute! And although seeing them after the rose ceremony was a back to reality check, I really admire her authenticity. They are experiencing what most couples experience and I really hope they work it out! But seriously, no wonder they fight. Can you imagine seeing your boyfriend/fiance kiss other girls and tell them he has feelings for them?? Uh, no thanks!!

Still, look how cute they are... 

Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Every since I saw this recipe on PB Fingers, I have been dying to make them! They looked easy enough and somewhat healthy so I had to give them a try. They ended up not taking too long but the honey and pb created a bit of a sticky situation.

Sometimes I get ahead of myself when doing things when I really should READ AHEAD! I was in a fight with the sticky pb mess while trying to measure out everything else.. just a tip to measure everything out ahead of time so you just have to add and go!

They are seriously amazing. Just enough sweet and crunch and not too bad for you! Give these guys a try!

In the Pan 

Close Up

Directions:

Ingredients:

• 1/3 c. honey
• 1/3 c. dark brown sugar
• 1 c. creamy peanut butter
• ½ c. crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 5 c. bran flakes (Raisin Bran works really well!)
• 1/3 c. ground flaxseeds (optional)
• 1 c. chopped Craisins

Directions:

• Put honey in a large pot on medium heat. Add sugar and stir until melted and mixture begins to bubble. Add cinnamon and stir until dissolved.
• Stir peanut butter into the honey mixture until smooth.
• Remove from heat and stir in bran flakes, flax and Craisins.
• Press firmly into an 8X8 pan lined with foil that overlays ends. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Cookie Monster

Lately, Ive really been feeling like the cookie monster. This whole 'no-chocolate' thing is driving me crazy! How sad is this... Since I gave it up 1 week and 1 day ago, I have had two dreams about eating chocolate chip cookies! Now that's embarrassing!!

I'm not quite sure if I'm dreaming about them because I am worried that I'm accidently going to eat one without realizing it, or if I just miss them.. I'm gonna go with the later :) 

So I decided I had to try one of our delicious pastries from my work. Now Id be a bad employee if I didn't, right? ;) 

My mommy met me at Zov's and we picked out a few cookies for her coworkers and we shared one of these.. 

2 peanut butter cookies with 

pb icing in the center

This thing is dangerous! My mom and I agreed it was easily the best cookie we have had in a longgg time. Luckily, it satisfied my little craving for a cookie and I think I'll be good for another week.. maybe ;) 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Hope everyone is enjoying this fun holiday! My parents are making corn beef and cabbage for din. I'm going to pass on the corn beef but I still appreciate my mom's attempt to be festive! Maybe, I'll make a St. Patty's day treat :) 

Workout and Smoothie makin'

My workout today was eh at best. I started out with an interval treadmill workout. 

Tread:

Mins   Incline   Speed 

0-2  2.0 3.5 

2-4 2.0 5.5 

4-6 2.0 7.0 

6-8 4.0 3.5 

8-10 4.0 5.5 

10-12 4.0 7.5 

12-14  .5 3.0 

14-16  .5 5.5 

16-17 .5 7.5 

17-18  .5 4.0 

18-19  .5 7.5 

19-20 .5 3.0 

Then I headed to the mat for some leg exercises and I could barely do anything because my legs were like jello for some reason. I don't NOT have strong legs. In fact, my legs are probably my weakest compared to arms, abs, etc. 

When I got home I made myself a delicious silky smoothie that my roommate recommended with a little variation. Check it out... 

** My phone camera sucks so I apologize for my ghetto pics. They will improve soon:)

In the Blender:

1/2 cup light n fit vanilla yogurt 

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

4 ice cubes 

1/2 banana

handful of almonds

splash of soy milk (sub almond milk) 

Mix it all up and enjoy! 

Lunch Leftovers

Last night, as promised I tried out my farmers market spaghetti squash ( my first ever :) ) It turned out fabulousss! If you like pasta but are not a fan of the carbs or just like a little more texture you have to try it!

**cut squash in half**

microwave 1/2 of squash for 6 mins

take out seeds and fibers

scrap inside with a fork until it becomes spaghetti 

top with pasta sauce or salsa

I had the rest of my half for lunch today and added avacado! Headin' to the gym, catch ya later! 

Mango Monday

Don't ya love my totally cheesy title? :) This morning I woke up ay 9am.. woah! I guess my body is having a hard time adjusting to this day light's savings thing. I made myself a yummy thin bagel sandwich with a fried egg and strawberry jam and scooted out the door!

I was really feelin' the gym this morning... 

My workout:

20 mins treadmill:

sprint and hilly intervals 

Min   Incline   Speed 

0-1 min 2.0 @ 3.5

1-3 min 2.0 @ 5.0

3-5 min 2.0 @ 6.0 

5-7 min 4.0 @ 3.5

7-9 min 4.0 @ 5.5

9-11 min 4.0 @ 6.5 

11-12 min .5 @ 3.0

13-14 min .5 @ 7.5 

14-15 min .5 @ 3.0 

15-16 min .5 @ 7.5 

16- 17 min .5 @ 3.0 

17- 18 min .5 @ 7.5 

18-20 min 2.0 @ 3.5 

Then I headed to the mat for an arms and abs routine that consisted of various sit ups, curls, triceps, etc. 

I finished up with 15 mins on the elliptical for some anaerobic exercise. It felt really good and by the time I finished up I realized I'd been at the gym for 1.5 hours, which is about .5 hrs more than usual! 

Mangooos 

When I got home from the gym I poured myself a tall glass of water mixed with vanilla whey protein powder and sliced up some yummy mango. I got fresh mango this weekend at the farmers market. My roommate and her boyfriend and Kevin and  I all headed to the swap meet early Saturday morning for some fresh produce for dirt cheap. I'm talking a bag of 7 avocados for $2. Now thats a steal! I also filled up on some apples and a spaghetti squash. I'm excited to try out the squash tonight so check back for the results! But first, look how yummy this mango is.... 

Strawbs

I hope you guys eventually catch on to my little abbreviations. Strawbs=Strawberries. 

Tonight was a relaxing one. Kevin and I went to dinner, just the two of us. We drove around for 20 mins trying to pick a place not too crowded or expensive ( we both can be a little indecisive but he usually ends up choosing ;) )

Eventually we ended up at Islands. Nothing fancy shmancy, just a quick bite to eat. We shared a spinach dip app that was bomb! And each ordered a small entree. I had a chix ceasar salad, minus the chicken? There were about two tiny pieces of chicken.. Im talking need a magnifying glass tiny. So we got my din free:) 

After din we hit the hot tub to relax and soothe our sore muscles. Then Kev headed out with our friends to celebrate one of our friends 21st bdays! Its stinky being 20, but only 1 more month! I'm glad Kev got to go hang out with friends, and I headed home to catch up with my momma. 

I also enjoyed a small healthy dessert that consisted of my fav fruit, strawberries, with light cool whip. It definitely hit the spot ;) 

Lite Cool Whip only contains 20 calories 

in 2 Tbls, not too shabby, eh?

Sweet Surprise

Today was a bit of a rough day, just one of those "Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days".(Did you guys read that book when you were a kid?) I might be being a little bit dramatic and the sickness and lack of motherly "care" could be adding to it but today was just not my day. Guess who sensed I was a little off my game?.. Yup, Kevin. 

He always seems to be there for me at the right time when I need him. I mean, what more could a girl want? I was sitting at home after venting to him about my grumpiness and it was not long before I heard an unexpected knock at the door. *Around here when you're not expecting someone, it can be a little creepy to answer the door.*

 In any case, I peeked through the peep hole and Kevin was outside. He had about a 20 minute break between class and work and my apt is about 10 minutes away so he jetted over here to just hangout and check in with me. 

It's all about the little things :) 

Good thing he came when he did because 20 mins later I had to leave for yoga class which actually kicked my bootay, looks like I need to be practicing my yoga moves a little more ;) *Kevin always teases that he knows all the yoga moves. His favorite.. the triangle. hehe! 

After yoga I treated myself to a sweet treat. Since I couldn't have any chocolate I figured peanut butter fro yo would have to do.. Although the chocolate mocha looked amazing, I licked my bowl of pb goodiness clean before I even pulled in the complex!

Mediterranean Style Lunch

I've been a bad eater today.. I had a yogurt before my walk this morning at around 8am and didn't eat again until after work at around 3! Thats not good at all, especially when I've been out and about doing things and I have really low blood sugar. It's hard to not get hungry at work when all these yummy smells and decorative plates of food are constantly in your face. My work specializes in American plates with a hint of mediterranean cuisine. Naturally, when I got home I prepared a whole wheat tortilla wrap with a layer of hummus, chix, and peppers. It was delicious!

I'm definitely having chocolate withdrawals on my first day of Lent. After finishing up a salty wrap, nothing sounds better than a sweet snack : ) I'm thinkin' a little (maybe medium size) spoon of peanut butter? Yes please!  

Fresh Air

I've spent the last two days plopped on the couch with a box of kleenex and a bottle of advil. So this morning when I woke up feeling MUCH better, I decided to take advantage of this beautiful Southern California day, and go for a walk! Morning walks are my favorite and I'm usually accompanied by a dog (or two:) ) but this morning I decided to fly solo. Not that I don't love my pups but I was a little short on time and wanted to just have some time alone. The walk was just beautiful and the weather was perfect! Check out the view from my street.. 

I decided to walk to my favorite coffee shop about 1.5 miles away ( so about a 3 mile walk). Since, I have been pretty sick I decided I should probably take it a little slow my first day back. So off to Cyrano's I went.. and this is what I got..

Iced Vanilla Chai Tea Latte 

They have the best Vanilla Chai Teas ever! If you are a local and you haven't been there, you MUST check it out! It's so fun to go down there on Saturdays and Sundays with the fam because there are always tons of people from the "hood" (our neighborhood) hanging around with their dogs. On my walk back I ran into a couple runners and dog walkers and it put a smile on my face to see so many people being active on such a pretty day. I feel so blessed to live in such a gorgeous area with friendly folks out n' about! Now off to work then to run a few errands! Hope you all enjoy this day as much as I will! :) 

No More Chocolate!

This past weekend I was in Bakersfield with Kevin's family celebrating his birthday. It was a lazy relaxing weekend, which is JUST what I needed. We laid by the pool, went to the show and just spent time together. We enjoyed a nice home cooked meal before we hit the road yesterday that consisted of potatoes, chix, garlic bread, and beans. Protein packed meal! While we were sitting at the din table, the discussion of Lent came up. Guess what I decided to give up.. (drum roll please).... CHOCOLATE. How sad is that?? I don't know if I will survive but I have faith in myself. I called my mom this morning and insisted she give up the same, I need a buddy, duh! So since I only have 1 more day until I'm choc-free for over a month, I'm trying to eat as much chocolate today as possibly, kidding ;) And I wanted to share with you guys this delicious recipe for "flourless" chocolate oatmeal cookies.. yummm :) 

before

after :) 

Recipe:

Bowl 1:

1 cup rolled oats (preferably not instant)

1/2 cup of sugar or splenda(healthier) 

4 T cocoa powder

pinch of salt 

Bowl 2: 

2 egg white 

1.5 tsp vanilla

1/4 c olive oil 

Whisk bowl 2, add to bowl 1 and mix. Place 12 little round cookies on parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to .5 inch with a fork. Bake on 350 for 12 mins and Enjoy!! Recipe thanks to Kalyn's Kitchen. 

ABCs of Me

A.   Age: 20

B.    Bed time: 1030 most week nights, 11-12 weekends. I need my 8 hours or no one is happy the next day! :)

D.   Dogs: I have two. Sometime three if you count my sister's. Look how cute they are  

Bear 

and Sophie 

E.    Essential start to your day: Make my bed! I literally make my bed every morning. Boring, huh?

F.  Favorite color: Purple. My room is even purple. That was a fun project, not!! 

G.  Gold or silver: Gold and Silver. I like to switch it up but I usually stick to gold. 

H.  Height: 5'3" .. and a half? Sometimes I like to push it :) 

I.   Instruments you play: About two songs on the piano including A Whole New World (Aladdin) 

J.   Job title: Hostess 

K.  Kids: One day:) 

L.  Live: Orange County 

M. Mom’s name: Tamara 

N.  Nicknames: Lo, Lo Town, Loski, Lo-ey

O.  Overnight hospital stays: None, thank goodness! 

P.  Pet peeve: People who rush me/difficult people.

Q.  Quote from a movie: "Get in the Water! Get in the Water! I'm sorry, please baby, get in the water." The Notebook 

R.  Righty or Lefty: Righty 

S.   Siblings: One older sis, Katherine. She's my bestie.  

T.   Time you wake up: 6 or 7 on weekdays, 8 or 9 on weekends. I love getting up early so I can tackle a few more things in the morning. That doesn't always happen.. 

U.   Underwear: Hanky Panks. They're a little overpriced (ok, a lot!) but they're the best, right?

V.    Vegetables you dislike: Green beans. Yuck!  or garbanzo beans. any beans really. 

W.   What makes you run late: When people rush me! Kidding, but I hate when I am rushed! See pet peeve.

X.    X-rays you’ve had: Couldn't tell ya

Y.    Yummy food you make: Baked goods are my specialty. But I also love making sweet salmon and marinated asparagus, and salads with fruit, cheese and chicken or salmon. 

Z.     Zoo animal favorite: monkeys! 

Cow Tongue and Cupcakes

Well I bet you're all wondering what the heck my title is all about!! Welp tonight, I ate cow tongue. 

I am visiting Kevin's family in Bakersfield this weekend (hence, the lagging on my updates!) for his birthday. We went out to dinner tonight to one of the most popular places in town, Woolgrowers where they serve Basque food. Until tonight, I'd never heard of Basque but apparently its a big thing here in town specializing in A LOT of red meat. Awesome. 

It actually turned out to be really fun and delicious. Every person gets served the same 6 or 7 courses BEFORE your entree! I opted out on selecting a main course as I'm not a "red" meat eater and 7 courses is plenty for my belly. But boy did I leave there completely stuffed! 

My menu for the evening:

cabbage soup and bread (beans and salsa were also served) 

salad

vegetables soaked in a yummy oil/vinegar dressing 

french fries 

chicken 

shrimp scampi

and last but not least the infamous cow tongue... 

(They also brought our spaghetti, green beans, regular beans)

At first I cringed at the thought of eating cow tongue as I'd been warned several times by Kevin and his mom that this would be served. I tried to prepare myself and amp myself up enough to at least try a tiny bit even though I am not a big meat eater and come on, its cow tongue!!! Before we got there I told myself I was definitely going to try it but as soon as the brought it out (yes, in the shape of a tongue) I definitely had second thoughts. Luckily, I had already consumed 2 glasses of the best wine ever so I didn't chicken out. Kev cut me a tiny, Im talkin' fingernail size, piece and I'm pretty sure I swallowed it whole. So if you ask me how I liked it, I really couldn't tell ya. All I can say is it is really slimy! Yuck! But I'm so proud of myself for trying it :) 

To top off the night we sang Happy Birthday and ate cupcakes, yummmy! I had the turtle one and ate it all up! Besides the few bits Kev sneaked without me looking ;)

Turtle Cupcake: 

Chocolate cake 

Carmel Filling 

Choc and Vanilla Icing 

It was bomb! Good thing Kev and I had a great workout this morning. He kicked my butt and had me doing all kinds of strength training exercises I'd never heard of. We decided we're great workout buddies :) 

Now that all that food is in our bellies we can hardly move off the couch. Catch ya tomorrow! 

And for dessert...

For dinner I sliced the rest of my red pepper and some orange bell peppers and tossed them in the pan. I added chicken (frozen from trader joes, I cheated but its so easy!) when the peppers were partly cooked and topped off a whole wheat pita with avocado and my peppers. Soo good! Afterward I thought about how adding a little spread of hummus to the pita would have perfected it. Oh well, next time! Then is was dessert timee! I have been wanting fro yo from yo land for like 3 weeks now so I decided to treat myself. I was headed to Kev's and decided to surprise him with his favorite flav coconut with strawbs! And for me.... 

In my cup:

peanut butter (duh :) ) 

vanilla wafer

lil bit of devils food cake (new flavor I had to try!)

strawbs

bluebs

coconut

Bagel Lovers

I was at the grocery store today looking for some yummy new things (I'm sick of my ol' boring recipes) when I passed the bagel section. Bagels are a weakness for me but since they have mucho carbs I have tried to stay away from them for a while. Well, theres a solution: Bagel Thins! Here's what's in these bad boys: 

Bagel Thin Facts:

110 cals in each one

19 net carbs 

5g fiber

0g trans fat

Not too shabby, huh? So naturally I snagged the 100% whole wheat ones off the shelf and ate one for lunch with a thin layer of garden vegetable 1/3 less fat cream cheese paired with sliced peppers and carrots with a tablespoon of hummus. It made for a completely satisfying nutrious meal. Check it out... 

my delicious bagel sandwich 

For dessert I wanted to try out these new protein PB cookies. I'm still trying to perfect this one.. I don't think I added enough water and possibly cooked it too long! They crumbled... but at least they were tasty :) 

Ingredients: 

vanilla protein power

peanut butter

little bit of water 

*microwave*

Mini Vaca

I've been lagging on blogging about my somewhat crazy weekend last week so I finally snagged a couple minutes to tell you about my "mini vaca." I was asked to housesit last weekend for a friend of a friend who I have only met once. They live in a huge house in Laguna Niguel so naturally, I didn't want to stay alone so Kev decided to tag along for the weekend. The lady let us stay in their beautiful guest house and we had the whole weekend to relax and take care of an adorable 4 month old puppy. It really was a relaxing getaway from the "orange bubble" expect for a few minor mishaps. We got locked out of the house twice and I had to climb through a doggy door 4 times. We also got stuck in horrible story traffic on our way to LA for a work thing that Kev had to do and therefore we missed din with my sis and Cam. (We have been planning a dinner with them for about two months and ALWAYS have to reschedule. So frustrating!) 

Despite the madness, look at this cutie we got play with and love for a weekend...

Indy

two cuties :) 

After a stressful weekend we decided to head to the Cheesecake Factory for yummy din and the best Reeses Cheesecake that we shared for a nutritious breakfast the next morn ;) 

Me and Kevin 

Experimenting with Cauliflower

Tonight I took a teeny weeny break from my 8 hour study sesh to make a yummy nutritious meal. I had experimented with my friend Katie this past summer and I remember making this really delicious roasted cauliflower and onion dish with a rosemary dressing. So I thought I would try to replicate this meal. Turned out pretty darn tasty! 

Chopped cauliflower and onions 

*dressing: oil with italian spices and garlic salt*

15 minutes- 450

(turn half way through)

I have a HUGE craving for fro yo right now but no one else does.. I guess applesauce will have to do:) 

Peanut Butta Cookies

Last night I went home for a nice home cooked meal and to catch up with my sis who is also staying at my parents this week. What did we have for din?? My all time favorite meal: salmon! My mom makes it perfect, just enough sweet just enough salt. I also caught up on the Bach (my votes go to Emily and Brad). I needed a lil' extra something sweet so I decided to whip up some super easy super delicious flour-less peanut butter cookies! (Thanks to Julie from PBF who shares my love for peanut butter + healthy foods) My family always makes fun of me for my "flour-less, sugar-less, fat-less" concoctions but everyone ate them up and said they were delicious! I made a batch of 12 and ate half of the rest of the dough.. quite possibly the best part:) 

Check out these bad boys....

1 cup sugar, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 egg

350 (10-15 mins depending on size)

*optional: choc chips*

Since I had about half my weight in PB cookies last night (kidding, of course ;) ) I hit the gym bright n early for a full body workout. 

My workout:

Cardio

2.5 mile walk with pups

1 mile- 6.2 treadmill 

Legs

1 min- wall sit

20 lunges- with two 5 lb weights in hand 

45 sec- wall sit 

20 lunges- two 5 lb weights in hand 

30 sec- wall sit

20 lunges- two 5 lb weights in hand 

Abs 

25 crunches- toes up

25 crunches- legs up to the right

25 crunches- legs up straight

25 crunches- legs up to the left

25 crunches- legs up straight

25 jack hammers (legs out then back to chest seated at 45 degree angle)

25 crunches- legs up straight

25 toe reachs

25 crunches- legs up straight 

40 heel reaches

Arms 

45 curls each arm with 5 lb weights 

2x

1 minute plank

10 push ups 

Then I followed my workout with a 15 minute sesh in the sauna and an apple. I was nice and sweaty and ready to run some errands! 

Two of My Favorite Things: Weddings and Romance

This morning was a hurried one. Woke up, showered, made breakfast which consisted of an Alternative bagel sandwich with a fried egg, half of a grapefruit and vanilla chai tea! It was a bomb breakfast that gave me just enough energy to hit the books for an extra hour of studying (on top of the 9 hours I studied yesterday) and to power through my exam. 

Now that thats over, I needed to snag a little break in between classes. My go to when I have a break: Nora Robert's Bride Quartet. If you are like me and many girls, you might be obsessed with weddings. Ok, obsessed is a strong word. Maybe, interested? Anyway, these books are about 4 best friends who make their lives about their wedding planning business and fall in love along the way. It is so romantic and since I love lovee weddings and romance these are the perfect fix! Check em' out... 

Back to Reality

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was.. interesting, check back later for a post on my mini vaca! But sadly, today I had to snap back to reality because I had tons to do! I slept in a little this morning (9am!) and when I woke up realized all that I had to do. 

I started my mornin' off with a Vanilla and Cranberry Lite Yogurt with Chia seeds (Thanks to a suggestion from Julie's Peanut Butter Fingers). They are great!! They add just enough texture, like Julie I am such a texture person. They also give carry a huge pack of Omega 3's (more than salmon!) and they help curb your appetite if you're looking to loose weight, which I am not. I just like the little added crunch!

Then I headed to the gym for a cardio and ab workout! 

10 minutes- 6.0 treadmill 

10 minutes- stair stepper 

10 minutes- elliptical 

Ab workout 

25 crunches- legs up in table top

25 crunches- legs up to the right

25 crunches- legs up to the left 

25 jack hammers 

25 crunches- legs down 

40 arm to heel reaches 

 

Planks

1 min- hold plank 

10 push ups

10- right side plank reaches (hand up cross body and reach below torso)

10- left side plank reaches (same as above) 

*repeat entire plank workout! 

I am a little sore today because Kevin and I did the Panther Ab workout yesterday! I whooped his booty! ;) (he might disagree) Then I had a chai tea and a bowl of bluebs (aka blueberries) for a snacky snack. 

Time for Lunch!! Today for lunch I had an Asian Tuna Salad. Yum! 

Avacado, Tomtoes and Tuna over bed of lettuce

tossed with light Asian Dressing

And I can't forget to mention the dark chocolate heart I had for dessert! I needed a little sugar kick before I bury my head in books again!