Confessions of a [Foodie] Shopaholic.

Things have not quite been running smoothly in my world as of lately. That’s not to say that I’m not happy, but there seem to be some bumps in the road, literally and figuratively…

Daddy FF came to my rescue within minutes of this deflated tire, but it still ran me 45 minutes late for work, and cost me $500.00 that I would’ve much rather spent on other things.  Who knew two tires and a realignment would cost so much?

Between paying for tuition and books out of pocket, rent, and this tire malfunction, my spending is going to have to come to a halt pretty immediately.  Granted, I should have been saving money while I was living at home rent free, but I think at one point I could technically classify myself as a shopaholic.  I think it made things worse that I was too busy to actually go shopping, which made me take advantage of every opportunity to buy things online when I saw free shipping deals and huge sales.

 

Being a fan of nutritious foods, I find myself spending money on groceries from Amazon, too.  The convenience of things like pre-made quinoa and cases of unsweetened almond milk are luxuries that I may have to give up pretty quickly. 

I guess I’m going to have to find the time to become more economical about my food spending.  I can see why people resort to the 99¢ menu at the drive-thru.  So much quicker and cheaper than the time & effort it takes to put together a nutritious meal.  I just can’t bring myself to that, though, and my body appreciates it, I’m sure.

Sometimes it’s even a team effort…like the other day when I text Momma FF asking her to pick me up some organic baby spinach so I had some to add to my protein shakes, along with some frozen veggies that I could quickly steam in the microwave and add to tupperware for some veggie power on the go.

The good news is, I won’t be running out of peanut flour for quite some time, which means you’ll continue to see snacks like these on the blog.  Not that they’re pretty, but they sure are delicious. 

It isn’t always feasible to pack up my lunches AND dinners, but I try to limit myself to ONE bought lunch/dinner per week.  $7.00 for a salad like this isn’t all that impressive.  I can make myself much cheaper meals that I enjoy a whole lot more.

I’ve even been keeping shelf stable things at work like soup, bread, 100 cal kettle corn, and canned meat & fruits at work for those days when it’s just impossible for me to pull together a chopped, fresh salad from home.

On another note, entirely seperate from the things previously mentioned in this post, can I just say that it is completely unfair to be staring at this for 3 straight hours, while your boyfriend gets to enjoy a baseball game with your family?

Do you see who Jarid is holding?!  YES, it’s Bowman and YES, I was really jealous when I got the picture   Just kidding…kind of.  I’m thrilled that J got to go to the Senator’s game to watch Steven Strausburg, a major leaguer from the Washington Nationals, who was there as a step back into the game from an injury.

The whole night I was getting texts from the family.  Talk about rubbing it in!   I almost wish I had skipped class to go.  I suppose there will be other games!

Who is ready to get this weekend started?!

The Labor Day Monday off is  MUCH needed for this chick.  I can’t wait.

Are you a shopaholic?  Foodie or otherwise?

XO.

 

 

 

Bootcamp Babes.

“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading.” -Oswald Chambers

Bootcamp in the morning felt as if it came super early.  I literally felt like I had just jumped into bed as I was crawling out of it. 

It didn’t take long for my sweat flow to completely wake me up, though.  I enjoy a morning workout because it usually jumpstarts me for the day.

Momma FF started going to these classes a while ago, when she made a decision to “get healthier”.   She’s sweet and although she gets a bit annoyed at my peppy attitude for early workouts, she doesn’t mind my tagging along.

When I got home, I showered up and prepped for work, obviously making it appoint to eat some breakfast.

1/3 C. oat bran, 1 little smashed banana, sugar-free vanilla syrup, & cinnamon

I actually made this the night before, using just hot water from the Keurig, and then re-heated it in the morning.  For some reason, I think the sweetness of the banana really sets in best when they’re left overnight

Strawberry Chobani

The day at work was not a good one.  I felt frazzled and unorganized the entire day.  Thankfully, I have some of the sweetest co-workers in the world.  They constantly re-assure me that I’m doing a good job.  Amber, one of girls in my office and I went for walks on our morning and afternoon breaks!  It was gorgeous! Still nippy out, but at least the sun was shining.

Thank God for getting out of the office for a bit. 

Even lunch wasn’t enough to get me out of my slump, as I was finishing up a Nutrition assignment and barely had time to look at what I was shoving into my mouth, let alone enjoy it.

A simple egg sandwich and side salad.

(1 slices Arnold 10 grain bread, 1 tbsp. garlic lovers hummus, steamed kale, reduced sugar ketchup, 1 egg + 1 white, seasalt & pepper)

(Bed of romaine shreds, orange pepper, snap peas, and diced cucumber with Peach Balsamic Glaze)

The paperwork on my desk seemed to be unending and I felt overwhelmed beyond belief for the first time since I took this promotion.  It didn’t help that the other certifier was off, so everything was on me.

I’ve been frustrated with myself as far as emotions lately, too.  I don’t get attached to people easily, but I’m driving myself nuts worrying and wondering about where I stand with D.   I’ve been praying about it that God just shows me His will for the situation and for my life, whether it means being with him or not.  Patience is not one of my strengths.  Just gotta have faith that it’s all in HIS hands!

(dried mango)

 Anywho, my steam was blown off at the gym after work, which was perfect.  Somehow endorphins have maximum impact on days that I need them the most   God is good like that. 

Starting out on the Cross Ramp, I did about 45 minutes, took a break for some floor abwork, and got back on for another 15 minutes.  After the workout, I headed to my car to grab what I had packed for dinner.  I had to get to the library to submit a paper to our online database before my Nutrition class started at 7.

Spaghetti squash salted and peppered with light ragu, lima beans, and meatless quorn meatballs and garlic hummus

Class was all about lipids.  

  It was pretty interesting to find that we actually need Cholesterol in ourdiets in order to absorb Vitamin D!   That was one thing that really stuck out to me as interesting from our lecture.  From there, we went on to talk about proteins and amino acids.  All in all, it was a great class!

I made a green monster when I got home before bed, too, but my camera was dead.  It’s finally hump day and Spring is peeking through the clouds!

What was the best thing you ate today?

XO.

We Are The Champions, My Friendsss <3

Of course I was a bundle of nerves the entire day.  I had to wait for 4pm (gametime) to roll around so I could get it all out of my system.  The only thing that calmed me was a song that I listened to on the way to church, thanks to Mr. Matthew West for his encouragement…to be honest, I don’t even remember what song it was.

I’m in breakfast groove with peanut butter banana oatmeal. 1/4 C. peanut flour, 1/3 C. oats, 1 mashed banana.

  Here’s a nice little shot of me on my way to church…half asleep.  Just kidding!   I know you all asked for shots of my entire outfits, because you want to see what my fasion taste is like, but I simply didn’t have time this morning…Sorry!

Don’t mind my fuzzy jacket.  I think it needs dry cleaned pretty badly…

Anyway, on to more exciting things…like what our message was on Sunday morning.  It was all about loving people and being unselfish on a daily basis.  Thinking of everyone around us and their needs over our own. 

Since our game was at 2pm, we had to be there at 1pm to get our jerseys and warm up.  I packed lunch to eat on the way so I wasn’t playing on an empty stomach.

(Peanut flour paste: 1/4 C. peanut flour + sugar free vanilla Torani + pinch of salt & water to thin, with sugar free strawberry jam on 2 slices Arnold 10 grain bread, celery and carrots that actually went uneaten, and cherries that were also saved for later)

I couldn’t eat too much because I was so nervous, so I just stuck with my PB&J

 The game felt like it was here and gone in a flash!  We were down by TEN POINTS at half-time.  The team totally came out on fire in the second half and I got to play the entire game, not coming out one time!  It was all tied up in the fourth quarter and they fouled me on a drive to the basket.  I made a foul shot, putting us up by 1 point.  There was 17 seconds left on the clock, it was our ball, and coach called a play that we had run in practice, where someone sets a screen for me, and I take a long pass from our point guard down the entire length of the court…It worked!  I got to shoot a layup at the buzzer and we won by 3 points!

Afterwards, there was an awards ceremony where we were presented with our trophy.  Coach received “Coach of the Year“, which she totally deserved, and I was surprisingly awarded the Eastern Conference Most Valuable Player God deserves all the glory, of course.  He gives us things and can take them away in an instant.

(1 chopped apple + butternut squash sprinkled with cinnamon & splenda, then microwaved until soft; along with a huge salad of lettuce & baby spinach with chopped yellow pepper, tomato, and cucumbers; peach balsamic glaze for dressing)

I figured a celebratory dinner was in order.  When I got home, I showered and packed something to take to my cousin’s house.  She was having a pizza party for her daughter, whose birthday is on Valentine’s Day! 

After counting up my bumps, bruises, and scratches from the game (it was VERY physical), I headed out to my lil’ cousin’s birthday party.

  She was born on Valentine’s Day!  I’m a little disappointed with the quality of these pictures!  They don’t do justice to the beauty of these bruises.  They were all such gorgeous shades of purples and blues   haha. 

When it was over and I got home, I admired this stunning sunset view from our deck.  The little sister and I were on our own for the night because my parents were celebrating Valentine’s Day early and staying over at a cozy cabin somewhere.  I was glad they did.  They NEVER go and do things just the two of them, and I think it’s important that they get time to themselves.  Besides, it was nice having the chance to hang out and take care of Morgs.

I ended the night with some ice creammmm.  Because that’s the best way to end any night, right?  

It still amazes me that cookies and cream Arctic Zero manages to pack in 16g of fat-free, whey protein for just 150 calories.  Uh-Ma-Zing.  Not so amazing? The price.  Oh well, you win some, you lose some, right?  Nothing wrong with splurging every now and then.

On to States on Saturday in Western PA vs. Potomac State College!  Wish us luck!

And before you go, check out this awesome Vitatop giveaway at Oats & Spice!

XO.

Game Day.

Morning, bloggies.  I’m so glad to see so many of you have entered my Chobani giveaway!  If you haven’t yet, check it out!  There are three easy ways to enter.

My devotional today reminded me of how efficient it was to use an actual devotional book as opposed to reading everything online.  It encourages me to take down notes and reminders and acts as sort of a journal for my spiritual journey!  It’s cool how it relates training and fitness to SPIRITUAL growth in this passage!

Breakfast was simple but tasty never-the-less.  Pepperidge farm 10 grain bread with 1/2 banana & a squirt of macadamia nut butter from Artisana. 

I woke up pretty hungry since I had a game at 6:30 last night, so I had another slice of bread with fat-free cream cheese & sugar free bloob jelly.

Let’s do a little bit of a rewind to yesterday, since I didn’t get to do a normal post!  I knew I had a game that I wanted to be super energetic for, so I packed a pretty carby lunch.

1/3 C. quinoa with 1/2 small chopped sweet tater, cinnamon, a splash of unsweet almond breeze, and raisins.

This is becoming one of my FAVEE dishes.  I can’t believe it took me so long to try quinoa.  It intimidated me before, but ever since I witnessed it cook in the microwave, it’s not a fear food anymore.  Easy peasy

Speaking of peas, to go alongside my lunch, I had some.

Have I mentioned lately how much I adore canned sweet peas? 

After lunch, I finished up at work and headed to Dick’s Sporting Goods to find some compression shorts!  I would model them for you, but I think it’d be a bit inappropriate.  Just kidding.  I kinda forgot. 

They basically look like black boyshort undies and I love them for under my white uniform shorts!  I also stopped at Target to restock on my stash of NewTree Belgian Biscuit chocolate.

Dark Chocolate with Golden Flax Seeds <3

After I was finished at all the stores, I headed to the gym to suit up for my basketball game.  I haven’t mentioned this on the blog yet, but I’ve had some issues with my ribs since Saturday.  I got knocked around pretty good in our game, and they are super sore on the left side.

On the way there, I had part I of dinner.

Meet my friend Mr. Potato head.  Just a simple white potato with forty spices hummus and light ragu for sopping up the starches

Here I am, all suited up!   I chose #2 because it was the bestie’s favorite number…she had it in softball!  Coincidentally, it was her husband Jare’s favorite number before they even met, too.  He actually asked her to be his girlfriend on 2/2! I’m sure “lil’ Bo” is going to be #2 as well, so I figured it was only appropriate that “Big Bo” did the same.

For the record, my teammates are the absolute greatest.  I love each and every one of them.   The game was totally intense.  I got two fouls within the first few minutes and had to sit out most of the first half, which totally left me disappointed.  I prayed that God would keep me positive and there for my team.

I started the 2nd half and felt great.  Everyone said that the pain in my ribs was probably just masked by my adrenaline, but I don’t believe that for a second.  It was definitely Jesus   Never underestimate the power of prayer.  He can heal bruised ribs with the snap of a finger!  Sure I’m sore, but the pain dim.

The intensity of the game was insaneee.  With three minutes to go, we were down by 5 points.  God provided the opportunity for the team to come out on top!  Actually, he provided the chance for me to score! 

I made a layup with about 1 minute to go and the referee called a foul so I had 2 points plus my foul shot.  I was uber nervous, but for some reason felt at peace at the same time.  God is so cool like that.  Funny how prayer puts you at peace like that.

I’m #31 in this picture because that’s my fave number, but the #31 jersey was too big.  After a thrill of a game and a victorious win, I headed to my car for dinner part II.

A 1 egg + 2 white fritatta with broccoli, onion, shroomies, and nooch with light ragu ontop.  I don’t think there’s anything that light ragu isn’t good on.  I could eat it just like tomato soup.  It’s perfectly sweet and the tomato basil flavors are phenom.

Dessert when I got home was some no sugar added canned mandarin oranges.  I just love canned goods.  Especially canned green beans, canned peas, and canned unsweeted fruit   Super cheap, too!

Welp, That’s all for now!  Happy friday to you all!  Have a wonderful weekend!

PS- Check out Meg’s PERFECT FOODS bar giveaway! Annnnnd Hill’s Barney Butter giveaway! One more!  Check out Carrie’s giveaway, too!

What is your favorite canned good?

XO.

Sayonara, Finals!

This chick is totally finished with her Fall 2010 semester!  It’s official.  I’m not so much excited that school is going to be over for a little while…I’m going to miss not being in class until Spring!  I’m more excited that my nutrition and health classes are next on the agenda!  Not to mention, with the Spring semester comes my chance to FINALLY play in games with my team since I’m going to be a full-time student.

Anyone know of a great site that you can sell books back to for close to what you paid?  Mine are all in great condition and our book store on campus will buy them back, but I’m pretty sure I could get more for them that what they’re willing to shell out.

To add to the excitement, I’ve selected a winner for the OH NUTS giveaway from last week!  Thanks to all of you who participated!

CONGRATS, Sophia   Please shoot me an email and I’ll get your $25 gift certificate to you stat.

Now for the food.

Breakfast was some overnight oats soaked in unsweet vanilla almond breeze with 1/4 c. pumpkin and 1 tsp. chia seeds along with some sugar free vanilla Torani. In the morning, I topped it off with some of Hillary’s homemade granola (LOVE) and finished off with a squeeze (about 1/2 a packet) of Justin’s chocolate almond butter straight to my mouth.

For lunch at the office, I had packed a random duo

Chipotle Chili & Peppers Tumaro’s wrap stuffed with baby spinach, green beans, and zucchini with a tsp. of sweet soy sauce.

Lunch dessert involved some frosting.

If you guessed pineapple Chobani, you’d be spot on.  And yes, this reminds me of icing…like the kind you would find on carrot cake!

Anyway, after work I made the long, cold trek to my car.  While I was working, I got a bit freaked out by this news…

It’s only freaky to me because it’s EXACTLY where I park.  I’ve been making sure I’m totally aware of my surroundings from now on.

I had a final last night at 6PM, so I packed a dinner to eat before hand for some brain fuel.

I took a picture at the office so you’d actually be able to see it   Baby spinach salad, fat free cottage cheese, diced red pepper, zucchini, carrots, chickpeas and fat free vidalia onion dressing with an apple and a whole wheat Tumaro’s wrap on the side with a Sonoma Jack’s pepperjack cheese wedge sprinkled with splenda.  Just like a cheese danish. Seriously.

The final went alright…I think I did better on my math one the day before, but I’m not going to complain.  I felt decent about it.

With that, I’ll leave you with one last note for today:

This verse came from another devotional that I LOVE by Oswald Chambers.  It’s called “My Utmost For His Highest“.  I love getting a new word from God everyday.

XO.

Lucky #31

#31 has been my “lucky number” since I decided as a kid that it would forever be my basketball jersey choice, taken after my Daddy who had always been #31.  I was actually sort of obsessed with it through Middle School and High School, sometimes really believing that it was LUCKY.  The most points I had ever scored in a game was 31.  For awhile, every time I looked at the clock, it was something 31 (1:31, 12:31, 4:31, etc).  When leaving the gym and driving by the bank, the temperature read 31 degrees (during basketball season, it’s Winter, duh!).  I didn’t believe in LUCK, per say, but it was just little reminders here and there from God that He had my back Being blessed is more like it.  It had been awhile since I had thought about my “lucky number” until I received this exciting email the other day from Justin at Marx Foods!

A little confused at what I had actually won, I clicked over to the post…

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?! Seriously.  I SAW how many people entered this contest.  I mean, what kind of foodie wouldn’t go “gaga” to try and win some delicacy truffles valued at $95!!  Note:  I said, “Thank the LORD” in my comment to win them   He comes first!   Anyway, my comment was #31 and chosen by a random integer drawing.  Thanks, God   You brightened my day.

Anywho.  Back to the normal post.

Breakfast was inspired by pineapple upside down cake flavors

3 canned pineapple rings microwaved until warm and tender, mashed together with a Golden Corn Vitatop and cinnamon.  Divine.

I also had a yogurt for some protein as a mid-morning snack when I got to work, but ya’ll know what that looks like

Lunch was a mish-mosh of ingredients thrown into a tupperware container and eaten at my desk at work.

Whole wheat couscous (Fantastic Foods!) with kidney beans and some Forty Spices Tribe hummus with almost a whole can of green beans on the side.

This may be terrible for my sodium count, but I’m really digging canned veggies right now.  Beans, beets, etc.  I just chug some more water and “call it good”, like JG says.

I took advantage of my free time in the afternoon at work and studied for my last map test of the semester!  Then, I froze my butt off walking the 0.6 mile back to my car after work.  As if the temperature wasn’t low enough, the wind decided to pick up as well, cutting through me like you wouldn’t believe.

pre-workout snackie: pitted dates

I had a nice 35 minute elliptical session followed by basketball practice for 1/2 hour.  I hate having to leave early, but student comes before athlete!  I had forgotten my HR monitor, but I figured I burned about 450 calories or so. 

Afterward, I had this lovely, ruby-red tupperware container waiting for me in the car.  Justin’s, you and your almond butters are my muse <3  More on that tomorrow THANKS SO MUCH, Lauren!  I took this photo at work, obv. because car lighting in winter time sucks.

 This dish was second in the dinner line up and contained a sun-dried tomato chicken sausage, sweet peas, and more organic ww couscous.

I was seriously STUFFED after this and went to class with a fiberific food baby   It probably wasn’t good that I felt so full when we were learning about WWII and all of the concentration camps in Germany at the time.  I started feeling a little nauseous after watching a video of the terrifying conditions that some of the Jews survived. 

When I got home, I had a strawberry chobani with a tsp. of Chocolate Scivation whey protein powder mixed in for a chocolate covered strawberry effect   Mmm.  As if I wasn’t feeling lucky enough, I got a picture on my phone last night….GUESS WHO MADE IT HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL!?!

PS- DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE OH!NUTS GIVEAWAY!  Want a $25 gift card?  Click here to enter!

XOX.

 

Three R’s

I don’t know about you, but for me, weekends are the perfect time to regroup, recoop, and relax.  In that order, actually.  During the week, I sometimes feel like my schedule gets the best of me and I don’t take nearly enough time to stop and enjoy what’s actually going on around me.  OUT of my own little world.

Friday night, my teammate Eryn and I went to the campus cafeteria where the school was hosting a battle of the bands after basketball practice.  It was cheap (only $3 admittance with a student ID), but beforehand, we went to the closest grocery store and got some eats.

I grabbed a container from the salad bar and got to fixing my dinner.  Spinach, cukes, shredded carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, imitation crab, strawberries, cantaloupe, chickpeas, and some fat free Vidalia Onion dressing with a strawberry Oikos on the side.

The bands were all pretty good!   We didn’t stay the entire time, but it only because we were beat.  I walked away with a cute little bowl from one of the vendors at the show!

I’m a sucker for handmade ceramics…but seriously who could pass it up for just $5?  If you could’ve, more power to you.

It’s even dishwasher and microwave safe: WIN!

I crashed pretty hard when I got home that night, but knew the weekend would continue on.  Saturday morning I began with a random, yet mouth-watering breakfast.

It’s so funny that during the week, I read about how bloggers come up with these intricate, delicious breakfasts that I excuse, claiming that I just don’t have enough time in the morning (aka, I don’t want to get up any earlier than I already do).  Truth is, I’m just as content with a waning apple butter jar filled with raw tofu for breakfast.  Weird and random? You betcha.  Delicious and nutritious?  Check & check.

This was absolutely wonderful.  The tofu seriously soaked up all the flavors in the apple butter and cinnamon only infused the flavor even more. Don’t ask me where I came up with this, because I have no idea.  It did, however fuel me through a pretty nice workout on Saturday morning.

Insanity is the second best workout I could get, I think.  First being basketball, of course.  But Shaun T gets my heart rate up in more ways than one if you know what I mean HA.  Plus, biking and ellipticalling while I caught up on my One Tree Hill episode.  Anyway, 813 calories later, I made some lunch.

Roasted Garlic hummus with black beans, alfalfa sprouts, and baby spinach on a flat out light wrap. 

I just LOVE natural lighting   After I demolished my wrap, I made some okra fries in the oven and polished them off as well without thinking twice.

With obligatory reduced sugar ketchup, of course.  It was a big day, and that required big fuel.  We were going together as a family down to Lancaster for my Aunt’s 50th Surprise Birthday party! 

The party started around 6PM and we got there right around that time.  My Aunt didn’t get there until about 6:30 and we all totally caught her off guard.  Her friends, co-workers, and family all celebrated and I think she really had a great time.

I think it’s safe to say, I get a LOT of my features from Poppa FF’s side of the family.  Freckles, auburn hair, button nose, green eyes…I wish this were a clearer photo, so you could really see the depiction.

I packed some goodies since I figured the selection would be limited.  I ate them on the car ride down for dinner!  Sweet potato slices, cucumber and red pepper spears, snap peas, and a wrap in the aluminum foil made with a Flat Out light, a sonoma jacks cheese wedge and sugar free apricot jam.

It was neat to check out all the old pictures that were displayed in the house!  I love stuff like that.  See the black and white of the two kids in the bottom left hand corner of this collage?  The little guy in the bowtie is Poppa FF   What a cutie!  Haha.

Sooooo that was my Friday and Saturday…Sunday’s post still to come! 

ALSO a reminder to enter my Oh!Nuts giveaway!

I Get Down And He Lifts Me Up.

I think Audio Adrenaline sings it best…

“All I need’s another day
Where I can’t seem to get away
From the many things that drag me down, yeah
I’m sure you’ve had a day like me
Where nothing seems to set you free
From the burdens you can’t carry all alone
In your weakness He is stronger
In Your darkness He shines through
When you’re crying He’s your comfort
When your all alone, He’s carrying you”

The way to work felt like a tornado, literally and figuratively.  It wasn’t real cold, but it was super windy and rainy, leaving me to arrive at work in a drowned rat fashion since my umbrella wouldn’t go up.  Before I even arrived at my parking spot, I had been through a whirlwind.  I needed to stop for gas on the way there, and upon paying, the wind knocked my credit card right out of my hands, leaving me to scurry across the parking lot feeling like an idiot trying to catch up.  Every time I got close, it moved a little farther in another direction.  People probably got a kick out of this who were watching, but the fury was building quickly.  Next, I got stuck behind the SLOWEST creature in all of Harrisburg.

Even my cereal shake sitting in my tummy was not enough to keep me from being totally irritable.  The positive attitude that I was striving to keep quickly diminished and I’m not proud to say that I was extremely frustrated and grumpy for most of the morning.  Just felt like one thing after another!  In addition, I got to work to find that my dinner had leaked into my entire lunchbox creating a wonderful tomato mess for me to clean up.

To make matters worse, I had accidentally misplaced my Mom’s lunch for today while packing up my lunch and dinner the night before.  No one could seem to find it and I was to blame.  By lunchtime I just felt defeated.

1 Hans All Natural Chicken Sausage with spinach, reduced sugar ketchup, mustard, baby spinach, and carmelized onion on a ww thin bun with green beans, carrots, corn, and lima beans on the side.

The day made a quick turn around when I discovered this email from Oh!Nuts.  They decided to give me a gift certificate as an early Christmas present   Along with one of my fantastic readers! Yes, that means you!

Since the holidays are just around the corner, I am eccstatic to be hosting this giveaway because the site has TONS of options for great gifts.  For example, the CHRISTMAS GIFTS BASKETS would be totall ideal for the foodie in your life:) 

To enter this giveaway, go to the Christmas Gifts Basket page and leave a comment on this post letting me know which product you’d like the most!  They’ve got Hannukah gifts as well, which you could choose instead.  Just be sure to let me know in the comments!

For a second entry, you can go to the Oh! Nuts Facebook page and leave a comment post on the wall with the url and name of your favorite  Hanukkah Gift OR Christmas Gift (be sure to post that you’re there via the Freckled Foodie’s blog ) and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done so.  A random winner will be chosen to receive a $25.00 Gift Certificate!!

A third entry would include following OhNuts on Twitter (@ohnuts)  and tweeting about the contest.  Make sure you comment on the post to let me know, too!

EX: ” Win a free Christmas Gift from http://bit.ly/dUpizt Follow @ohnuts & Retweet to enter.  ”

This may seem little to you, but for me the email about this neat little contest for the readers was the silver lining I needed.  After work, I had the typical banana & date snack before my workout and practice. 

Took a snapshot when I got to class.  850 calories burned, 173 max HR.

I had a huge test in math that I was also stressing…I finally decided I was just going to do the best I could and forget about it.  Nothing I can do at this point other than that.  Oh yeah, and I ate dinner in my car again.

Eggy sammie with garlic hummus and spinach on a thin bun.  I would’ve loved some onion on this but I was out.

Look familiar?  Yeah, same as yesterday.  Sorry for the repetition!  I wasn’t feeling too creative last night and the canned goods seemed like a good option.  The soup was basically a can of stewed italian tomatoes, a few green beans, some canned corn, and a few lima beans.  It made a big batch, so I took advantage.

When I got home, I crashed and had some protein hot chocolate with a fudgy peanut butter vitatop for dessert.  It was a soothing treat after a long hard day.  You’ve got to get joy out of the little things!

How did God show you the silver lining through troubles this week?  Did you ever have a day that you just couldn’t manage to get positive no matter how hard you tried?

XO.

I’m Unashamed.

Instead of a verse from the Bible today, I’ve got a wonderful little passage that my sweet friend, Kat sent me yesterday after reading the post.  It really hit home for me and was totally relevant to yesterday’s.  We NEVER know when God could be returning, so we better be living in a way that we would’nt be ashamed of.

The Covenant of the Unashamed

I am part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have Holy Spirit Power.
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. I am a Disciple of His.

I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, wordly talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, uplifted by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few. My Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes down for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear.

Breakfast, pre-blended reminded me of sand art.  Layers of nutrition filled me up just right.

From the bottom up: Unsweetened Almond Breeze, Chocolate Scivation Whey Protein, Fiber Select Cereal, 3 ice cubes, spinach.

I LOVE the effect of the ground cereal into the fudgy smoothie (pudding?)  It is SUPER thick, like a blizzard from Dairy Queen.  I was half tempted to try the “turn it upside down” test the way they show you when you order there how thick it really is since it stays in the cup.

I didn’t look as cute as THIS little guy while I ate mine, but it sure tasted awesome.  Look at those golden curls?!

This is my buddy, David’s little boy!  David is from Zing Bars, who I recently did a review for, and after checking out my page, he sent me these adorable photos!  Just like my stache shot!   It made me smile ear to ear and truly brightened my day. 

 

Mid morning, I had a snack of microwaved apple with cinnamon & sf syrup, but you’ll see that in the “dinner foods” picture toward the bottom.

Anywho, I took my food pics while I was packing them, since car lighting really makes things look less exciting.  Lunch, for example was delicious and a new to me dish.

Whole Wheat Earth Grains  Thin Bun with SF apricot Polaner, Sonoma Jacks cheese wedge, and 3 slices of Oscar Meyer turkey breast

On the side, I packed some broccoli salad comprised of broccoli, Pineapple Chobani, and 1/2 pack of raisins. AWESOME.  You’ve got to try it.

The girls had a game that I wasn’t able to be at since it started at 6PM and I had class from 6-8:45.  I had a hard time staying focused cause I wished I could be there to support them, but I think they all understood that school had to come first.

I did get a nice workout in for about an hour between work and class, but my phone was dead by the time I could take a pic of my monitor.  Cross ramp for 30 min. at various levels with a little bit of running and ab work in between finished off with 10 more min. cross ramp.  400ish calories burned.  I had a few pitted dates pre-gym to fuel me.

Afterward, I had the dinner I had packed.  I put together a soup of stewed italian style tomatoes, canned corn, and green beans to accompany an egg sandwich on a thin bun with garlic hummus & spinach.

History class was awesome as usual.  We are starting to get into World War II and learning all about the dictators of the world.  It amazes me how interesting a course can be that I never had any care about before.  The professor makes a world of difference.

When I got home I had some protein hot chocolate courtesy of Scivation Chocolate Whey and a Deep Chocolate Vitatop for dipping.  It was a great choice for dessert

Hope you’re all having a wonderful week!  Can you believe its just a few more weeks until Christmas?! Neither can I…

Stay tuned tomorrow for an AWESOME giveaway in the works from Oh! Nuts!!!!

XO.

Winner, Winner Carlight Dinner!

Verse of the Day:

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.”

- 2 Peter 3:10-11

If that verse isn’t intimidating, I don’t know what is!  It’s also exciting at the same time…Heaven could be just around the corner!

Breakfast went unpictured because it was so boring and quick.  Just a simple protein smoothie with Fiber Select thrown into the mix.  I couldn’t belive how good ground up cereal is in a protein shake?  It’s like a graham cracker blizzard!

Lunch was a little more noteworthy, as I’m eating up these Kim & Scott’s pretzels that were sent to me like it’s no body’s business.  Spinach & feta is my favorite. I used the Light Ragu ontop of my steamed broccoli as dippage for the pretzel.

After the pretzel, I wasn’t all that hungry for the broccoli, so I saved it for later and munched on some Cajun Chicken Breast lunchmeat with some raw veggies.

Sugar snap peas & sliced yellow pepper.

I’m slowly learning more and more about my new position and loving every second.  It’s much more involved than my last position and I enjoy that aspect a lot.

After work, I walked back to my car.  I thought I would hate walking so far to work in the morning and evening at quitting time, but it’s been a nice wind down, in reality.

Before working out and basketball practice, I had 3/4 of a banana along with 4 pitted dates.  Sorry for the shotty picture, I was behind the wheel and food photography had to take the backseat

Obviously,  I did NOT work out for 5 hours.  Haha.  Just 30  minutes on the cross ramp & 1 1/2 hr. basketball practice.  I just hadn’t gotten a chance to snap a picture of my watch so I had to wait until I got home.  I didn’t have the band on, so it wasn’t still tallying calories, but the time ticked on…max HR 182, cals burned 916.

I feasted before class on a huge sweet tater & 1/2 packet of raw Artisana almond butter, plus my leftover steamed broccoli with marinara sauce.

Car lighting is super romantic incase you haven’t noticed. HA.

Math class stressed me out last night…we’re learning new stuff and having a test already on Wednesday.  I feel like the professor is really behind in our lectures but he’s not putting off the test even though we haven’t learned the stuff as in depth as what the test material will be.  He just zoomed through everything making minimal time for Q&A.

Tuition for Spring is due today!  I’m thinking maybe I should’ve waited to go Christmas shopping until after I had paid that…Thankfully, Momma & Poppa FF have offered to help out.  As usual, they were up waiting to make sure I made it home alright   I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents.  They have been unbelievably gracious and helpful while I’ve been juggling my schedule…if you’re reading this…THANK YOU and I love you very much.

[source]

I had a Scivation Chocolate Whey Protein shake once I got home because a full belly helps me sleep and my dinner was lacking in the protein department. 

Now on to the winner of the General Mills Gluten Free Giveaway!

 

 Congratulations, Natalia!  Beautiful name, by the way

Please email me your shipping information [mailto: freckledfoodielove@gmail.com]as soon as possible so I can get your gluten-free goodies to you!