It’s That Time of The Week (WIAW)

Hey ya’ll! Of course I am going to participate in my favorite day of the week. What I Ate Wednesday. Who cares if I’m a day late. It is always a party at my place. Sort of. Okay, not really because I’m just a typical nerd always doing my work and what not, BUT this weekend it actually is going to be a party. Today is my younger brothers birthday, so I’m going out and I’m going out on Saturday. Uh oh. Double trouble for this weekend. Anyways back to the subject at hand. FOOOOOOD. Thanks to Jenn for doing this every single week. I don’t know what I would do without having WIAW and getting to stalk a million blogs in one day. Cheers to that.

Lets see what I’ve been eating.

Classic Lindsay oats. Duh. Really though, I’m pretty predictable.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Oats
1/2 c. Oatmeal
1 1/2 c. water
1 banana
1/3 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. low fat cottage cheese (1%-2%)
1 packet of truvia
1 dash of vanilla extract
cinnamon
pumpkin pie spice
a sprinkle of chocolate chips

1. Prepare oatmeal in the normal fashion of microwaving water and oats in a container for about 2-3 minutes.
2. Chop up banana into small slices, then place in container and microwave for 1:30 more minutes.
3. Add in everything, but chocolate chips.
4. Sprinkle with a few chocolate chips.

Delicious. The pumpkin provides a contrast to the sweetness of all the add ins, and the cottage cheese gives the oatmeal a creamy flavor that resembles cheesecake. I’ve been on a cottage cheese and oatmeal kick, so don’t worry. I have more cheesecakey recipes coming up in the next few weeks. If you have leftover pumpkin from all the holidays or you want to eat this bowl of oatmeal, I recommend making it as soon as possible. Your stomach will be happy.

Hello newest obsession. Blood Orange Chobani Yogurt. Some people think that it is too tart, but I think it is perfect. When you combine the creamy flavor of greek yogurt with the oranges at the bottom it makes pure heaven in your mouth. It is tangy, so be warned, but those are the kind of flavors I like. Chobani has really outdone itself with its new line of flavors. The apples and cinnamon flavor is also really delicious. I have a passion fruit in my fridge, but have yet to try it. Once I do, I will let ya’ll know what I think. I had been cheating on Chobani with Oikos lately, but with the addition of these new flavors I’m baaaack.

Other new food obsession: Arctic Zero Cookies and Cream. When can you go wrong with cookies and cream? NEVER. I had to sample a couple of bad flavors in order to find this gem. For those of you that don’t know, Arctic Zero is a real low calorie ice-cream that is great when you want a sweet treat, but do not want to consume all the calories from milk fat and what not in normal ice-cream. Now don’t expect a super creamy texture from this ice-cream because obviously it is low calorie, but I like the semi-icy texture and the flavor of the cookies and cream is AMAZING. I topped it with a little whip cream and some mini chocolate chips. Hello delicious afternoon snack. Why thank you, I will gobble you up.

I’ve really been enjoying mangoes lately. While they are super tricky to cut, in the end they are worth it. I’m trying to consume a variety of fruits now instead of just eating apples and bananas because that is boring, plus each fruit provides a different type of health benefit, so why not knock out as many diseases as I can by consuming as many whole foods as possible. I’m smart. Like we didn’t know that. Random nutrition lesson: stay away from pre-cut fruits like mango because those type of foods are not required to have food labels, so you don’t know how these items are being prepared or where they come from. Food safety is so important. You don’t want a foodborne illness – could lead to your death over strawberries or something (that would be a great book title).

My future roomie would probably look down on this, but heck sandwiches are an easy thing to eat before class especially if I’m in a hurry. I’m actually going to attempt to switch to eating tofurkey and go totally pescatarian, but we shall see if I like those products or not. Anyways since I’ve been eating bread in small amounts, these sandwich thins are soo good. They are the perfect size and the bread is really soft. I also tend to always pair my lunch with carrots and dijon mustard to dip them in. Yes, I’m really weird, but I like the bitterness of the dijon.

Things I love in life: Curry, tofu. Curry and tofu. I think I crave it pretty much every day, so instead of shelling out tons of money and buying it from a thai place I decided to make my own. Unfortunately, I’m lacking brain cells right now due to overload from school. Instead of following the recipe, I added a little too much curry. Oh how this was spicy. My mouth was on fire. I think I chugged about 40 oz of water in 10 minutes. While it was really spicy, it was still good. Lesson learned though. Always follow the recipe unless you know what you are actually doing.

Yes my fashion is back. I got so many compliments on this skirt today that I was like I MUST share this with the world. The skirt is asymmetrical and neon pink. I was wearing some black gladiator sandals, but my feet were tired from walking back from class, so I took them off. I promise to deliver more fashion on the blog again and maybe even have some posts only about fashion or maybe how fashion relates to nutrition. That would be weird. I’ll figure it out.

Hope everyone had a great WIAW and has a happy thirsty thursday!

Anyone have big plans for the weekend?
What is your favorite flavor of Cheesecake?

Top Ten Tuesday

Hey ya’ll! Hope everyone is having an amazing Tuesday because I sure know that I am. I haven’t done a top ten list in FOREVER. What is wrong with me? Usually I black out. Probably hitting the booze too hard. Just kidding. I usually fall asleep early then forget about doing a post on tuesday night. However, this tuesday I’m going to rock your world. Yes, rock. I’m in a super hyper mode because the men’s basketball team just won in a super close and important game, and I won a prize! I seriously never win anything, so I’m super happy. What will today’s topic be? Hmmm. After thinking long and hard. Haha. For ten seconds. I’m going to write about the top then things that I’m excited for. Hopefully this will bring a sunshine to everyone’s rainy cloud of finals over his or her head (yeah mostly hers because I know chicks dig my blog). Lets do this thing.

Top Ten Things That I’m Super Excited For (in no particular order because seriously that would be unfair to judge):

10. I’m going to start a food organization on campus with one of my super good friends. It’s gonna be so legit. The focus will be on special diets/healthy eating since I eat Gluten Free and she is a Vegan. With our combined power of awesomeness, we will take over campus and be THE group to join. I have a lot of creative ideas brewing in my head that involve delicious dinners, trips to the farmers market, and volunteering at a local produce or organic farm. Who wouldn’t want to join a group like that? Talking about food and eating are pretty much my life hobbies.

9. SEWING. I’m not sure if I told you or not, but I took a three week sewing class for beginners. We learned how to make a pillow, a bag, and a skirt. It was epic. Now I’m going to be on Project Runway and win. Lets not get ahead of ourselves because I still need to do some more practice on garment sewing, but that is what I plan to do over break once I get back from my super sweet trip. I also plan on buying fabulous fabric while in NYC because I want only the best for the best (me…duh).
Yes, my pillow is super cute. Plus it is food related. It seems that I can’t get away from food in my life. I guess that is a good thing since I’m a nutrition major. Also cherries are one of my favorite fruits. Especially because studies have shown that they help reduce inflammation and aid with arthritis. That is an awesome side effect of eating a delicious fruit if I do say so myself!

8. Hannukah. I’m celebrating the beloved holiday in the Holy Land, Israel. I hope people go nuts because I will. I’ll wear a tacky Hannukah sweater…I don’t think they make those, so I’ll have to make my own. Then I’ll go to all the bars in Jerusalem or wherever we are at the time, bust a move, and convince all the sexy Israeli men that I am the one for them. Hopefully there won’t be too many fights over me. A couple are okay, but damn boys you need to slow your roll.

7. New Pans! My mom got my an early present by buying me some much needed pans. My old ones were apparently super cheap and were turning black. They also burned everything, and when I cooked anything, even on low temp, I would hit the smoke point and in 5 seconds my apartment would be entirely filled with a smokey haze. It was disgusting. Now I have these nice kitchenaid pans. Great for anything. Love sauteing veggies in them.

6. Money, money, money. MONEY. Really? Are ya’ll even surprised? The Jew in me. Happens everytime. First off, my friend that I helped out with a paper or two decided to repay me through the lovely surprise of giftcards and wine. Heck I’ll just take the wine, I need it, but if you want to give me money too I’m not going to complain. One giftcard was to bath and bodyworks. THANK YOU. The other was to Specs, which is an alcoholics heaven. A warehouse of alcohol. Not that I drink or anything. They also have a deli and food products too. I haven’t used that one, but bath and body works. Oh yes. I bought me some wall plugs, so now while I’m writing this post in my room I’m surrounded by the sweet smell of oatmeal raisin cookies. I love life. Oh and I won a $25 giftcard to HEB. I’m seriously winning in life right now. Too bad I literally just got groceries.

5. My future roomie. She is probably one of the best people I have met since moving back to Texas. I would not survive without her. We are actually pretty much the same person, I’m just ridiciously vulgar and inappropriate and she puts up with it. She is the one I’m doing the food group with. Just so you know how awesome we are, our theme song is All I do is Win by DJ Khaled. Anyways, she is so amazing that I don’t even live with her yet and she already cooks for me. Hello and welcome to Top Chef apartment, the healthy version.
It is a wee bit blurry. Blame it on the Iphone. I didn’t have my camera on me, but she made me tofu in this peanut sauce mixed with broccoli and rice. It was seriously bangin. Spicy and sweet. My favorite combination. She even loves me so much that when I busted out my phone to take a picture she didn’t say a word. Yes for roomie understanding. I seriously can’t wait for next year. It is going to be epic.

4. Texas fight! One of my true loves in life is Texas Volleyball and right now we are ranked number 1 in the NCAA Volleyball Championship tournament. I got to go to the first two games, and we owned. I’m so excited, yet nervous, for this weekend because I want them to win, win, win. Sometimes they have rough days, plus one of their best players is out, so each game is like a new day, but I have faith in them. Just worried about the Penn state game because we have history.

3. Winter. Finally cold weather has hit Texas. Seriously, where have you been for the past month while I’ve been sweating to death? Most people think I’m crazy. Mainly because people in Texas can’t handle the cold since they didn’t live in crazy blizzard land Boston. I would much rather be cold than hot for many reasons. Sweating is just not sexy. Seriously. Plus it makes you smell bad, especially for those that aren’t wearing deodorant (you would be surprised, I know). In the cold, you can have a snuggle buddy and not want to push them off the bed for making too much body heat. Yummy beverages. Really we can stop there because those two reasons are good enough.

2. New York. I am jumping for joy. I can’t wait to explore the gluten free bakeries like babycakes, and even enjoy some non-gluten foods like dim sum (even if I will have nasty side effects – I’m in New York, so who really cares). Shopping. I have been saving up all my money to hit up the wonderful stores there. Forever21 in Times Square. Yes, I am talking to you. I will destroy you, I’m just hoping other people haven’t destroyed it because that is my one complaint about Forever21′s they are so gross. Plus I will be wearing this amazing coat while there, so nothing can ruin my trip.
It is sort of hard to see since I just realized two of my lightbulbs have burned out, but it is a BCBG grey peacoat with black accents and black bows. Super cute.

And the number 1 thing that I’m excited about is….

1. My trip to Israel. Um duh. Like you didn’t see that one coming. We just got the itenrary like a day ago, and it made me pee my pants with excitement (okay not really, but you get the picture). We are going camel riding, floating in the Dead Sea, hiking up Masada, exploring the largest open air food market in Israel, visit a winery, and umm going out at night. Let me be honest with you. I’m mainly excited to search for my Jewish husband. Maybe I’ll find one, but if not I always have my eyes open. The most interesting part of the trip will probably be sleeping in a tent in the desert. Yes, desert. Where will we go pee? I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to those adventures.

Hope everyone is having a great week (hard for most people since everyone is probably studying for finals and what not), but heck join the happy party and celebrate something.

What are you excited for?
Are you going on any fun trips for winterbreak?

Back to the Party (WIAW)

Hey ya’ll! It is my favorite day of the week. I always consider it a little holiday because many bloggers take a break from their normal routine and post up an awesome spread of their eats. Best stalking site ever. Seriously, how do you think I found most of ya’ll? We have to give a big thanks to Jenn for hosting this weekly party. I seriously do not know what some bloggers would do without her. Enough talking, lets get to the good stuff: the eats.

PB&J Oatmeal (Gluten Free)

1/3 c gluten free oats
1 1/3 c of water
1 banana
2 tbsp organic raspberry preserves (or any jam/jelly of your choice)
2 tbsp PB2
1 packet of truvia
1 tsp of vanilla

1. Make oats the night before, using normal method.
2. Next morning, slice up 1 banana, place on top of oats, and microwave for about 2:50
3. Stir up everything until banana is “melted” in oats
4. Add in vanilla and truvia packet
5. Then swirl around one tablespoon of preserves at a time
6. Top with PB2 and you are ready to enjoy

I love peanut butter. I love jelly. I’m not really a fan of the sandwiches unless they are made just right, but I thought why not try this classic combination in one of my bowls of oats. I have the best ideas. The natural sweetness from the raspberry preserves made a perfect combination with the saltiness of the peanut butter. Next time I am going to through in some actual raspberries to make the meal even better than it already is.

Yes, for once I actually recorded some of my snacks. Lets not get ahead of ourselves because I did not manage to catch everything. I may have missed a cheesestick or two, but I’m trying here. I want to live up to the WIAW greatness.
I’m being a typical Jew when it comes to my grocery shopping lately, but I buy so much produce that I have to hit up the deals otherwise I will be dropping mega wads of cash all the time on fruit. Right now, Rome apples are on sale. Rome you say? Well, unfortunately the apple does not bring back memories of a warm summer day strolling through the Roman forum while ingesting coconut gelato, but I’m not going to complain because it is still a really tasty apple. I try to eat an apple a day; however, it definitely does not keep the doctor away because I have been having some arthritic pain lately.

Thanks to my school I have made one of the best discoveries. Okay, technically I did not discover it since they came to lecture about their company, but hey I did go out and try it on my own. Welcome to My Fit Foods. The company has pre-packaged healthy meals (with all of the nutrition information on a label) for each meal of the day. They serve vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free products. It is amazing. I went in this past week when they were having a 40% off sale and got two meals to try for the price of one. Jew heaven. This is the Salmon stir-fry, and it was so delicious. There was a wide variety of vegetables with a nice side of rice and a good chunk of salmon with a spicy rub on top. What a perfect lunch time meal.

Yes, I eat green beans out of a can and I like it. No, I love them. I may be weird, but I don’t really care. I’m getting my servings of vegetables, so who cares where they are coming from. That is a lot more than I can say for most people in America. Don’t be hating on my can veggie loving.

One of the best gluten-free snacks out there. Rice pudding. These little snack packs are the perfect sweet treat to hold you over for a while. Topped with fat free cool whip to make pure perfection. Also I have a kerropi spoon that I got from this guy that worked at yogurtland. Thanks for all the free spoons. Now eating my pudding is so much more fun. I think Katie would approve, especially because I have Hello Kitty, Chococat, and My Melody.

Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash (Gluten Free)
1 lb extra lean ground turkey meat
1 diced onion
2 egg whites (I used egg white substitutes)
1/2 c. gluten free oats
1/8 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. fat-free milk

1. Turn on oven to 400 degrees, coat baking sheet with spray or use a piece of aluminum foil
2. In a bowl, mix egg whites, oats, and milk until combined
3. Add oregano, onion, garlic powder, and salt and mix.
4. Mix in turkey meat until all into a solid mass
5. Makes about 32 meatballs, roll with your hands, and place on baking sheet
6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes

I placed my meatballs on spaghetti squash. I know ya’ll are probably sick of seeing spaghetti squash, but I bought two of them and I just used up my second one. I can’t help it that I’m a little obsessed with this low calorie pasta substitute. I know nothing will replace the doughy taste of fresh pasta (trust me because I have eaten pasta all throughout Italy), but for those who are health conscious this is a pretty good sub. The meatballs had a great flavor from the oregano and garlic powder and went well with the squash. I’ll be eating these leftovers for a while.

I’m ending my day with a nice cup of hot cocoa, marshmallows, fat free cool whip, and some sprinkles. I feel like sprinkles makes everything better or at least prettier. This hot drink is soothing my throat, which is randomly sore, and making studying for my anatomy exam a little better. Although studying for anatomy, not really fun, ever. Luckily I’m a whiz when it comes to that stuff otherwise I would be screwed like 95% of the class. Three points for being smart.

Of course I’m going to leave ya’ll with a little fashion. This is sort of my low-key look. Yeah I know, low key, haha this is still dressing up for most people that go to school where I do. I just will never get into the lazy look. Its just not me. Anyways the top is forever21, pants are macys, boots are DSW, and scarf is JcPenneys. I paired it with a black leather jacket from Urban Outfitters for when I went to class.

 Hope everyone had a wonderful Wednesday and thanks again to Jenn for allowing me to shamelessly whore out my blog through WIAW!