Good thing this is no profession of mine, or else I would be fired. Life gets in the way. I haven't even really been taking pictures of my food-- or regulating my workouts. I've mostly been doing the elliptical because of my stupid foot. If I had it my way, I would run outside everyday. Especially Virginia in the fall--it's a beautiful time to run. I actually tried to about a week and half ago, but couldn't finish. I had to run-jog-walk. I have to constantly be reminded that I don't have to push myself the way I used to. That, although frustrating, is smart. I know I shouldn't put myself in unnecessary pain, but it's strange to not be working hard anymore.

Last week, people from my J&P class were asking me all about nutrition and recommended that I have a little seminar in addition to the fitness classes. I would love that. It was a nice little preview of what I might be able to do in the future. It's just so fulfilling to be able to educate and help people.

By the way, HALLELUJAH, I think grad school will be a go. I am en route to getting my Masters of Science in Exercise Science in Exercise, Fitness, and Health Promotion. I met someone in this program who didn't seem to really care about it. I think that if one goes into that industry, he might be more excited. It's a service industry. We need to want to help people, or else it's obvious that their best interest may not be our priority. My boss once told me it was our job to make people want to go to the gym. I totally agree.

Anyway, I'd love to give a quick recap over the things I've been eating, but they haven't been too exciting. I'll upload the pictures none-the-less. I only have a few but I'll toss them in. It's unfortunate because last weekend in State College I had three delicious dinners. The first night, Alex and I went out for his birthday dinner. We went to this really outdoorsy woodsy type place called Prospector's with fireplaces, deer heads (yeah, not my thing) and some great barbecue. Alex got his birthday steak and I stuck with a peppercorn steak wrap with fries--yes, I ate them all. They were the thick cut style and we were celebrating! A bunch of people brought him birthday treats--including my former favorite cookie. Jules, if you're reading this, it's the kind from Giant that is really soft with the thick multicolored frosting with sprinkles. Yes, I spilled the sprinkles all over the bed, and yes, it was worth it. The next night, we had Kelly's, which is a restaurant in Boalsburg known for their steak. Let me tell you... although a little pricey, this place was delicious. We split a Dungeness Crab Cakes which were made with sweet bell peppers, butter and fresh vegetables, then pan seared golden brown. Alex asked where the ketchup was but it wasn't missed because it was instead served with a spicy sweet and sour Beurre Blanc. (Aka, a really tasty cream sauce). For my entree, I ordered another appetizer and a big salad. I got the Filet Mignon appetizer, which was only $7.00 and a salad for $5.00 as opposed to a $26.00 entree steak. I didn't need the 10 ounces either. It was so tasty though. My salad was good too...Fresh spinach tossed in a sweet-tart Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette dressing with mushrooms, sweet Bermuda onions, crisp bacon, egg, toasted almonds and parmesan cheese. Saturday night, we had an old reliable Chili's dinner. We split the chips and salsa and then I ordered the Quesadilla Explosion salad and a strawberry mint mojito. Not my favorite drink ever but it was still a nice upgrade from my normal water. Finally, the morning I left, we endured the 30 minute wait at the Waffle Shop (not to be confused with Waffle House) because it is just that good. I got the Western Omelet (egg whites) with fresh fruit and multi grain toast. Alex indulged in a strawberries and whipped cream waffle. I prefer the apple cinnamon waffle but it was still good. We downed like 6 cups of coffee too... SPEAKING OF COFFEE... the Peppermint Mocha is back at Starbuck's and yes, I'm in love. I want to try to create my own version of it but so far not so good. Anyway, that's a brief recap... now I'm sort of back on track.

Philly Cheesesteaks:
The recipe, a secret, passed down from an authentic Philadelphia chef (or, Alex's Dad) to me. I've been perfecting it, and now I'd like to think I've got it down pat. To have the true experience, you absolutely must serve Utz Sour Cream and Onion chips. I rarely eat these, but to legitimize the experience, they are a must.

I have a recipe book called "Healthy Home style Cooking," which I got on sale a few years ago and barely ever looked at. Recently, however, I've made three of the recipes. Two were fantastic and one was awful!

The first one we made from the book was a pasta dish with bell peppers, onion, and turkey sausage. There was some Parmesan cheese and olive oil. It was a lot of vegetables, which was good, so it was super filling. On the side, my favorite, asparagus and a salad.

The second recipe we made was also really good. It tasted like General Sao's Chicken but much less caloric. Susie made this but I'm pretty sure there was low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken, and rice. I must say, the delicata squash on the side was a strange combo, but it still tasted really good.

The one failure was a Tex Mex soup. It was actually described as a Mexican Bean soup. I love beans. Black beans, refried beans, pinto beans, whatever. I was expecting a hearty consistency that would be filling. Instead I got a watery flavorless mess, which I had to add globs of sour cream and shredded cheese to in order for it to be tolerable. It didn't go with the green beans, so I wasn't a happy camper.

Now, I'm finally "up to date." As exciting as breakfast is for me every day, I skipped the photo ans waited for lunch to start shooting.

Mel and I went to Asian Bistro. From the outside, it looks like a fast food in-and-out place. The inside, however, is super quaint and very nicely decorated. From the Asian art to the jazz music, the mood was comfortable and laid back. They offered a ton of specials too... including what we both ordered: two sushi rolls, a salad, and a cup of miso soup for $11.00. I didn't think I was that hungry but I cleared the plate. I got a standard boring California Roll but you can't go wrong with that! I also got the Philly Roll... it's like the one kind of sushi that's not good for you but I don't care its fantastic. I tried Mel's Salmon Avocado roll which was also really good. Gotta be honest, I was a little upset we didn't get fortune cookies.

I forgot how nice it is to have great restaurants everywhere here. In State College, it's not as omnipresent.

Because both of my two best friends have the same birthday, we went out to celebrate last night. We went to Rock Bottom in Arlington, which is a super crowded happy hour type bar. I was driving but I did nurse one beer most of the night. It was their lightest one but it was well flavored. We had to wait so long for a table but once we had the food I was a happy camper. I ordered a Santa Fe Salad (one of my favorites) with corn, black beans, salsa, cilantro, cheese, tomato, onion and a chipotle ranch. It hit the spot.

Today, I got my wisdom teeth out, so it's Slim Fast Shakes, ice cream, and yogurt for me for the next few days. Be jealous. Ciao!!!

I've been so horrible about this blog lately. But really.. not much of what I've been eating has been all that exciting so it's been easy to get behind. Sunday was nice and busy--as usual. Amie and I needed Einstein's Bagels. It was that kind of morning. We used to go basically every weekend in high school after a long night...so it felt like home. I got the potato bagel with the garlic herb cream cheese. Let me tell you...this cream cheese is unreal. It's so good! They didn't toast my bagel enough though, not cool. It was one of those mornings I felt I could eat 6 bagels. I went home and had an apple and eventually got some coffee.

It poured all day. The weather has been so disgusting. All week it's nice and then Friday rolls around and it's a downpour. How I love Virginia's temperamental weather.

For lunch I had a mixed bag. I made a pizza out of Afghan Nan bread and had a small slice of this delicious apple walnut bread from the farmer's market. This meal (although tasty) did not keep me full long at all.

Because of this, I had a small snack of banana and peanut butter on nan, another coffee with pumpkin spice creamer, and eventually crackers with cheese (unpictured)

Dinner was tacos. It was great. They hit the spot and were easy and quick. I'm back into sweets again (big surprise right?!) I had a little Edy's Slow Churn "Caramel Cone Crunch" before I passed out from a long weekend.

HAPPY HALLOWEENIE!!!

Breakfast: BRUEGGER'S!! Finally... pumpkin coffee and fantastic bagels. I had an onion bagel toasted with garlic herb cream cheese and two big cups of pumpkin coffee (and an apple). We walked around the farmers market in Old Town and I nibbled away at chocolate, bread, and pears. So good. Notice the second picture... mom and dad's famous splits.

Lunch: It stunk. We had nothing. I made scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa and a handful of almonds. I had a lot of unpictured little snacks Saturday... annoying.

Dinner: Cosi's YUM! I got the TBM (tomato, basil, mozzarella) on a wheat flat bread and potato chips. Real healthy.

I also went out... Halloween!! Let's see.. I definitely didn't shoot photos all night but I did indeed have a bite of a doughnut at around midnight. Sweet. Now I'm caught up... Hallelujah!! Talk to you soon

Just going to catch up:

Breakfast: Fiber One, Bananas, 1% Milk

Lunch: Chicken, Avocado, Lettuce Wrap, 1/2 Banana with Peanut Butter

Snack: Peanut Butter and Banana on Whole Wheat Crackers

Dinner: Pizza (Papa Johns)

The Chop House in D.C.

It's hard to even update you on the lunch and dinner I had yesterday, so I'm not going to. They were completely insignificant compared to....drum roll please... DINNER. Oh-my-I've-gone-to-food-heaven. I met my fellow JMD after work and we got some coffee (my second of the day, oops) and had to drive to Baltimore. Okay, this was a horrifying experience but the food outshines it. Once we survived to Baltimore and back to DC, we had reservations at the Chop House with her crew from college. I'm so stupid I was thinking chop like chopsticks like Asian food. Embarrassing. We get there and the smell of perfect food bliss filled the air. The entrees were huge. We saw an appetizer that was a three tiered tray. It was incredible. We ordered drinks first. Jessie and I had a glass of white wine (I forget the type) and the boys ordered beer... a whole sampling tray actually. I forgot to get that picture! Appetizers were next and actually fantastic. We had this delicious calamari (which usually I just think is okay) with an apricot dipping sauce, crab cakes and this corn bread. I also got a side salad. The entree (split between us and still a lot!) was so good. It was a steak with Gorgonzola cheese over a sauteed mushroom sauce. Don't forget the heaping mound of mashed taters. So, so good. I had a bite of another steak... blew ours out of the water. It was so tender and flavorful. I could have eaten the whole thing. Yum. So good, and highly recommended.

I finally decided to do it: almonds in my cereal. I've done almonds in yogurt, oatmeal, plain, etc. but never on cereal because I thought the consistency would be strange. It wasn't! I'm a big mixer so in this little concoction was Fiber One Honey Clusters, Original Puffins, about a tablespoon of almonds, strawberries, and 1% milk. This bowl of "cereal" is much more dynamic than your average Raisin Bran breakfast. It has carbs, protein, healthy fat, and a ton of fiber. It kept me full at least through class and my workout. I might try this more often.

My foot was still achy from my Tuesday run, so I didn't dare go for a jog again. I did 32 minutes on the elliptical and then walked on an incline on the treadmill for 10 minutes. I felt like such an old fogie. What 22-year-old is too sore to run on a normal basis? Lame. I also spent about 5 minutes just stretching my right Achilles tendon. A little trick before you work out is to pinch up and down your Achilles tendon to get the blood flowing all the way through your leg. This minimizes soreness and makes for a quicker start into your workout.

Lunch was so tasty. I had mozzarella, chicken breast, and marinara sauce, so I made a panini (obsessed, I know). I also had an apple. The second picture is supposed to display the gooey melted cheese but it just looks like I'm a bad photographer. Know this, I'm not!

Snack was almonds at work... woo hoo; something new and different for me!! Coffee not pictured but c'mon, we all know I had it. I was informed by mother dearest that I was on my own for dinner. Sweet. Fine. Wegman's will never leave you lonely. So I got the Philadelphia roll sushi. Soo good! The best sushi I had was in Bel Air (or thereabouts) in Maryland on a lovely December day last year. It. Was. So. Good. Wegman's is good for a substitute but until I have the Maryland one, I'll be searching for a filler. I had some leftover asparagus and green beans and a pear for "dessert." Just a few more days of no sweets... think I can do it? I'm going to.

This week has been so hectic! I'm happy it's finally Thursday and definitely ready for the weekend. Although I'm letting go for a lot this weekend, I still have a ton of stuff to do. Updating my blog was my...hmm... not first priority. So sorry about the delay.

Tuesday I woke up early and went for a run. Two days later and my foot is killing me. Not smart. I don't know why other than I just haven't been devoted to my rehab in a while. So I'm getting a little better but still not so much. I have a ton of exercises I should probably be doing right now actually... oh well. It's hard to take your shoes and socks off at work to do rehab. Anyway, about 4.5 miles on Tuesday, again with no headphones, again with no breakfast. I could feel the energy draining about 3 miles in. My legs were lagging. It was also raining, though, and that never helps anything. If any of you have had surgery before, or tendonitis, you know when the weather gets bad, so do your joints. All the aches and pains come back full throttle. It's not enjoyable.

I got home and made a bowl of Puffins and Fiber One. Yes, not that exciting but I was hungry and just wanted a big bowl of cereal. Not pictured is my delicious cup of coffee I chugged before class. An hour in I was so exhausted I could have used more. If I don't enough sleep Sunday night, I'm messed up all week. It's awful, but true. So I sat in class eyes glazed over. Nice.

Lunch was my last avocado and chicken lunch meat with light mayo for at least a day! Ha. It's so good though...hits the spot. I had it with an apple and almonds. Oops, forgot the almonds, but I'm guessing by now, you know what they look like.

I get done with class around 5:00 and had a hair appointment. It never fails to rain when I get my hair cut. Seriously, never. For the past 4 years I cannot even think of a time where it didn't. I love getting my hair washed and head massaged. I could get my hair cut every day! They offered me coffee and showed me to the cream and sugar. Obviously I was thinking Oh yes... free coffee! They didn't have any more stirrers! I had to shake my coffee (no lid, mind you). It was a horrible idea from the start but for some reason, I acted upon it. Smart, Jessie.

After my appointment, I went home lighter without the hair. I made a snack of some leftover mozzarella and pizza sauce on the butterfly crackers. Nice little quick salty fix.

Dinner was gooood. We had the Wegman's rotisserie barbecue chicken with a sweet potato, asparagus, and a pretzel roll. this easy dinner hit the spot. I usually don't eat skin on chicken but every once in a while it's so good. All the flavor (thus fat) is in the skin of the chicken, which is why it's usually prepared boneless/skinless. Still, it was good, and for $4.00, a good deal.

An apple and peanut butter as a late night snack. Still, no sweets! This is a record for me!