Tue March 9,2010

Roll ‘em or Fold ‘em?

Posted by Meg under Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Meatless March, Workouts
[20] Comments

Howdy!

I don’t know how I am going to be able to concentrate at work today. All I keep thinking about is hitting the slopes. Swoosh, swoosh!

So I’ve done a fair bit of traveling over the past few years. I’ve been to Paris, London, South Africa, Hawaii, Spain, San Diego, San Francisco, Tahoe, Denver, and several other cities for the bazillion weddings we went to in 2007.

Lots of traveling = lots of experience with packing a suitcase.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all of my travels, it’s to pack light and roll your clothes.IMG_9650 I swear I can fit twice as much in my suitcase when I roll my clothes.IMG_9651I don’t roll items in the zip up compartment though. I just lay them flat. That’s usually where my underwear, socks, bathing suits, or hats/gloves in this case go. Oh, and that flowery thing is an eye mask, not a bra :)

In the past 5 years or so, I have only checked my suitcase twice. Once was on our honeymoon when we brought home several bottles of wine from Cape Town, and once was this past Christmas when I received lotions as a gift.

I always, always, pack in a carry on suitcase because I dread, I repeat DREAD having to check my bag and wait at baggage claim. I also hate when baggage gets lost. I would much rather have a smaller selection of clothes :)

How about you guys, do you roll ‘em or fold ‘em when packing your clothes?

Chris is a folder. It’s amazing we’re still together.

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Anywho-ha….

I wanted to give my legs a little break yesterday because they were a tad bit sore from my run on Sunday. But it was gorgeous out and I wanted to enjoy that last bit of sunlight when I got home from work.

So what did I do?

Jumped Rope!IMG_9670Hey, where’s my chin??IMG_9671 Oh, there it is. With a big, fat dimple in it.

Chris got in on the action as well.IMG_9675He even got a little fancy.IMG_9677 Show off.

I have no idea how long I jump roped for. I didn’t count or have a watch, I just had fun with it.

Nylah and Milo (who we’re dog sitting) watched us patiently from the dog park.IMG_9685 They quickly lost interest though.

Since our fridge is empty, with the exception of beer, we got take out pizza and salad for dinner last night.IMG_9693 Once humongous slice of cheese.

And a bowl of Greek salad.IMG_9691 The best Greek salad in Durham is at Randy’s Pizza. Seriously.

And I couldn’t resist tasting a new beer! Plus, pizza and beer go hand in hand.IMG_9690 Sierra Nevada Hefeweizen. What took you so long to come out with a Hefeweizen, SN? My favorite!

Dessert was red wine and cookies while watching Jason & Molly get hitched.IMG_9695IMG_9697 Their wedding was a lot less cheesy than I expected. And kudos to Molly for being a trooper in the rain! Did you know her wedding gown was $45,000?! Yowzers.

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Fruit smoothies were on the menu for breakfast again this morning.IMG_9699It was the same exact combo as last week. IMG_9698 Not as many bubbles but just as delicious.

I also had a whole wheat English muffin.IMG_9701 With Mara Natha almond butter.IMG_9703This breakfast made for a very happy belly :)

Gotta roll!  hehehehe…

Not sure when I’ll be back, but I will do my best to keep you updated during my travels!

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Mon March 8,2010

It’s Bar-B-Q Time

Posted by Meg under Dinner, Lunch, Meatless March
[23] Comments

Good morning friends!

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and I’m going on vacation tomorrow! Does anyone have any restaurant recommendations in Park City? I’m talking hidden gems, not the usual touristy spots.

So I had another pack of tofu that we needed to eat before we head out of town and decided to use it for dinner last night. I never thought I would have tofu twice in one week!

I followed Matt’s suggestion and made BBQ Tofu.

We used our go-to brand of BBQ sauce.IMG_9614Spicy Stubb’s! Chris actually went to Stubb’s restaurant when he was in Austin the other weekend.

Similar to my tofu trial the other day, I pressed the tofu to drain the water out, then chopped it up into ~1 inch size pieces.

Then I marinated it in the BBQ sauce for about half an hour.IMG_9613And transferred to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

I baked the tofu at 350 for 20 minutes and sautéed some onions and mushrooms in olive oil in the meantime.IMG_9615Once everything was ready I assembled some BBQ Tofu sandwiches on rolls.

Layer 1- store bought coleslaw mixed with pepper and tabasco.IMG_9617 Layer 2- Sautéed onions and mushrooms.IMG_9620 Layer 3 – BBQ tofu.IMG_9622 With a little extra BBQ sauce drizzled on top.IMG_9636For an extra kick, obviously.

I think I am falling in love with tofu. I really enjoyed this!IMG_9632 I can wait to try new tofu recipes! IMG_9631 To balance out my meal, I had a side of broccoli.IMG_9634 It was frozen broccoli that I sautéed for a few minutes with S & P and a drizzle of white wine vinegar.IMG_9627 And for even more veggies, I had a side salad as well. With mushrooms, red peppers, carrots, avocado and feta.IMG_9628With Cape Cod chipotle ranch dressing.

No dessert since we hit up Local Yogurt earlier in the afternoon!

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Breakfast this morning was rushed so all I had time for was a simple bowl of cereal.IMG_9641 It was a delicious bowl nonetheless.IMG_9642 I had Nature’s Path Flax plus with blueberries and slice almonds.IMG_9640 Cereal should not be eaten without fruit on top. I’m just sayin’.

What’s your go-to BBQ sauce?

Happy Monday everyone!

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Sun March 7,2010

Blue Skies & Blue Devils

Posted by Meg under Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Restaurants, Workouts
[6] Comments

What a day, what a day.

While I anticipated making the most of this gorgeous Sunday, I didn’t sleep very well last night (story of my life!) and am paying for it this afternoon by being very lazy. I hate wasting the day away when it’s nice outside!IMG_9611 Well, I actually didn’t waste the entire day away. I met Sarah this morning for an awesome 6 mile run on the American Tobacco Trail! IMG_9610The ATT is a 22 mile long recreational trail that stretches from Durham to Wake County. And it’s nice and flat :)

Sarah is running the American Tobacco Trail half marathon in two weekends so I joined her for 1/2 of her training run this morning.IMG_9612She completed another 5 miles after I left! I loved running with Sarah. Our constant chit chatting made the 6 miles fly by and reminded me of runs with my sole sister. Thanks Sarah!

Chris and I decided to treat ourselves to breakfast this morning and made our way to Parker & Otis. Not only do they have great food, but they have a great gift shop!p&o I forgot my camera (gasp!) so the next few pictures were taken on my Blackberry.

I ordered scrambled eggs with broccoli, tomato, and cheddar.eggsWith a side of sourdough and fruit.

And Chris ordered the blueberry banana pancakes.pancakes Of which I had several bites :)

As usual, we were very pleased with our meals!

It was after breakfast that I completely crashed and could barely keep my eyes open. So rather than enjoy the weather I tried to nap for an hour. Boo. Since napping didn’t seem to help I thought maybe a little yogurt would.

So we went to Local Yogurt. A place we do not frequent enough!yogurtI got lemon yogurt topped with granola and fresh kiwi. Delicious! And perfect for a warm, sunny day.

And now I am preparing dinner tonight! Betcha can’t wait to hear what it is. Maybe? ;)

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And here’s a real quick recap from yesterday…..

I took Pokey McPokerson (aka Nylah) to the Washington Duke trail yesterday for a 3 mile jog. She trotted along and I barely broke a sweat. I was feeling strong so I dropped her off at home afterwards and continued my run for an additional 15 minutes in our apartment complex. This time I was going fast enough to break a sweat.

Lunch was a veggie burger with cheddar cheese and avocado.IMG_9587Cucumbers.IMG_9588Carrots.IMG_9589 And FSTG jalapeno chips.IMG_9594 I dipped the veggies and chips in hummus. Yum.

I did take full advantage of the weather yesterday and went to visit Chris who was tailgating at Cameron Indoor Stadium  for the Duke/UNC game.IMG_9601Which began NINE hours before the game started! Oh boy…IMG_9604 While there I enjoyed one Terrapin, and made sure to give Chris plenty of water :)

Dinner was at Tylers Taproom to watch the basketball game.

I ordered the curried chickpea and butternut squash stew over coconut rice.

IMG_9609

I was pleasantly surprised! I ate every single bit. Normally when I’m at a bar I order a chicken sandwich with fries or something. But obviously that wasn’t happening :)

Fried pickles were also passed around to share.IMG_9608And the Blue Devils blew the Tarheel’s away! Yay Duke!

No one likes it when the other blue wins :)

How has everyone else’s weekend been going?

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Sat March 6,2010

Best Mexican in Durham

Posted by Meg under Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Restaurants
[11] Comments

Hello weekend and hello readers!

I am really excited for the next two days. Not because I have any grand plans or anything, but because it is supposed to be warm and sunny! I can’t wait to get outside. I am one of those people that gets really antsy when the weather is beautiful and I’m stuck inside. Hence why I need a new job :)

So last night Chris and I had plans to get together with Lacey and Craig, who we met at Jessica’s blogger meet up last month.

Lacy suggested her favorite Mexican restaurant in Durham, Dos Perros. Although the plans were to meet for a drink, Chris and I decided to go early to get dinner as well.

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Dos Perros! We had such a great experience.

We sat in the bar area, and started off with some beer. IMG_9554 I got a Bohemia, in an ice cold frosted glass.

And some chips and salsa.IMG_9553 Which got two thumbs up.

And our waiter was one of the nicest guys EVER. He was extremely attentive and took very good care of us.

There were three vegetarian options on the menu, and I opted to get the Chile Relleno, which was a vegetable- and cheese-stuffed pepper with black bean puree.IMG_9556 Despite its appearance, this was outstanding!! I ate half of it and then Chris and I swapped plates.

He ordered the Tortitas de Calabaza Dulce, which was butternut squash-masa cakes with kale (!!) and hominy stew.IMG_9559 Another outstanding dish, but I will say that I like the stuffed pepper better.IMG_9560 We had no problem licking our plates clean.

As soon as we finished dinner Lacey and Craig arrived, so we moved to the lounge area where I enjoyed my second beer, a Pacifico.

And we also enjoyed some desserts.

Oh my… the desserts were out of this world!IMG_9561 I got the jalapeno lime sorbet with pumpkin seed brittle.

And yes, there was a kick to it!IMG_9563 Every bite was like a party in my mouth. At first I tasted the jalapeno, then it quick changed to refreshing lime. And the pumpkin seed brittle was salty, sweet & buttery and crunchy. So, so good!

Lacey got the Mexican chocolate ice cream and Craig got the carrot cake. I wish I had taken photos of their desserts because they were equally as good! I got to try a bite of each :)

Dos Perros is definitely the best Mexican restaurant in Durham, in my opinion. It was so nice to try a new restaurant last night and I can’t wait to go back.

Thanks for suggesting we go there Lacey & Craig!IMG_9565 We had such a nice time.

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Now time for some waffles!IMG_9569 My husband may not be the best at cooking dinner, but he sure can make breakfast!IMG_9574His waffles, pancakes, and eggs are phenomenal.

I topped my waffle with Stonyfield vanilla yogurt.IMG_9571And a dash of cinnamon.

And also almond butter.IMG_9575 And big fat blueberries.IMG_9576 Yum.

I had another half of waffle since they were so good.IMG_9578 No almond butter this time though.

Gotta run!IMG_9566 Enjoy your Saturday!

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Fri March 5,2010

Challenge Your Body

Posted by Meg under Beverages, Breakfast, Lunch, Meatless March, Reviews, Workouts
[11] Comments

I don’t know how Friday got here so fast, but I like it!

So I’ll be honest and let you know that I had my alarm set for the gym this morning and I rolled back over and went to bed. Actually, I don’t even think I rolled over, I just closed my eyes again. My stomach felt like a ton of bricks and I didn’t think I would get the best workout in. Excuses, excuses, I know.

Once again I went to the gym during lunch. More on that later!

To fuel my afternoon workout, I had an awesome breakfast.

A fruit smoothie!

The secret ingredient was POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice.IMG_9529I received a case of POM Wonderful juice to try so I figured I would incorporate it into my breakfast this morning. Thanks POM Wonderful!

POM’s pomegranate juice has superior levels of powerful antioxidants that neutralize harmful free radicals.

Also, all of POM Wonderful Juices:

  • contain no added sugars, preservatives or colors
  • are a good source of potassium
  • are gluten-free
  • are flash pasteurized to retain both flavor and nutrients
  • are certified kosher

In addition to 8oz of POM juice, my smoothie contained:

  • Frozen blueberries
  • Frozen strawberries
  • Frozen pineapple
  • Vanilla yogurt
  • Milk
  • Flax

IMG_9533 Chris was in charge of the ingredients and blending. He is the smoothie king!IMG_9534 The final product was delicious and refreshing. I used our Blue Devils Tervis Tumbler in honor of the Duke/UNC basketball game tomorrow night. IMG_9537 I still haven’t tried adding veggies to my smoothies yet. Someday….

In addition to my smoothie I had 1/2 a Thomas Whole Wheat bagel.IMG_9539With almond butter.IMG_9540I will never get sick of bagels and almond butter.IMG_9541 How a bird would view my breakfast :)

Workout time!

I didn’t want to spend too much time running on the treadmill since this weekend is supposed to be warm and sunny and I hope to get two longish runs in, so I did a treadmill/elliptical combo instead.

I don’t always feel like the elliptical gets my heart rate up (at least not as much as running does), which is why I like to include running sprints in between. Plus, this is how I avoid training plateaus.

Today’s cardio included:

  • 5 minutes ellipticizing – level 8
  • 5 minutes running – speed 8.0
  • repeat two more times for a total of 30 minutes

If I decided to do the elliptical for a half hour at the same speed, my body would have screamed “please change things up! This is getting boring and you’re not working me hard enough!” This is why I rarely run or do the elliptical at the same speed for a long period of time. When you change up the intensity of your workout, you challenge your body more.

I did a quickie strength training session as well, which included:

  • 2 sets of 10 bicep curls – 15lb free weights
  • 2 sets of 10 tricep extension – 20 lb free weights
  • 2 sets of 10 single arm row – 15lb free weights
  • 3 sets of 20 stir the pot on stability ball

Because I only had time to do 2 sets of each exercise, I challenged my body by using a heavier weight than I normally do, which made each set more difficult.

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I was more than ready for lunch when I got home!

I whipped up an Amy’s veggie burger.IMG_9544 Which had cheddar cheese, avocado, and roasted red peppers on it.

I also had left over brussel sprouts.IMG_9542 I’m sure my mom is cringing at these right now :)

Yay for a veggie filled lunch!IMG_9546 A handful of blueberries filled my belly when I got back to work.IMG_9547Moments after I ate my blueberries I received an email that there was cake from Costco in the kitchen.

Ya’ll know I am normally not a sweets person, but every once in a while I will take advantage of free office treats. Especially on Fridays!

The icing was a little much for me, so I left most of it on the plate. But boy was it a nice afternoon surprise!

Tonight Chris and I are trying out a new Mexican restaurant in Durham. New as in we haven’t been there before :) Margaritas anyone?

Q for U -

Do you tend to change up your speed when working out? If I am training for a race and trying to build endurance, my speed usually remains more constant, but when I’m not training for a race I like to change things up often.

Happy Friday!

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