what I didn’t cook & links I am loving

 

You know you had yourself quite the busy week when you haven’t taken one food picture since Monday. Gosh I wish I could get the s’mores cupcake back that I had the other night so I could share it with you < – blogger brain thinking out loud.

Aside from that s’mores cupcake (and the top of an m&m’s cupcake because I can’t resist tops of cupcakes ) I can’t even recall what else I ate this week.

Oh right! I made a few servings of quinoa early in the week which acted as my complete source of protein for just about every lunch and dinner until the pyrex container of the quinoa was empty. I completely forgot that my purpose for making the quinoa to begin with was to attempt these Lentil Quinoa Meatloaf Burgers but um, they never happened.

Neither did the mustard crusted potatoes that looked so good and perfect to serve with the steak I never cooked for my son’s dinner and instead allowed him to have boxed macaroni and cheese. And if I am being completely honest, he had more bagels with cream cheese for lunch than I care to admit to preparing (where’s the protein?!) but I packed sliced strawberries for him along with baby carrots each day which in my mind, makes it all okay.

I am going to try to remember to make those lentil quinoa meatloaf burgers and the mustard crusted potatoes early next week along with maybe trying one of the other yummy-sounding recipes listed below.

I threw in some fitness and health-related links this week too because I really liked what I read and thought you would enjoy them as well. 🙂

 

 

 

Fitness & Health

Binge Eating vs. Overeating <- There’s a difference AND yes, we all overeat sometimes.

How To Be Okay Gaining Weight < – If you love my posts, you will love this one too.

6 Common Deficiencies in Runners  < – I keep hearing about Vitamin D deficiencies this week.

How To Balance Running With Yoga and Cross Training Without Losing Endurance & Speed <- You know Jen’s blog was the first blog I ever read and still at the top of my favorite blogs list! This post is awesome and informative if you are trying to find the right balance between your workouts.

Recipes:

Spicy Sesame Zoodles with Crispy Tofu < – Already bought the zucchini.

Eggplant Cacciatore < – Chicken Cacciatore was always my favorite, I need to now make it with eggplant!

Light Coconut Shrimp & Pineapple Quinoa Skillet < – I can use the quinoa I make both for this dish and the lentil quinoa meatlof burgers that I never made last week.

Mexican Falafel < – Fun flavor twist for falafel!

17 Recipes That Swap Mushrooms for Meat < – Mushrooms really do give meatless meals a meaty texture.

Banana Ice Cream Breakfast Parfait < – My idea of a perfect meal.

Blueberry Breakfast Casserole  < – Such a great idea and so easy!

Cookie Dough Stuffed Chocolate Cupcake <- Yes, I would pick around for the cookie dough 😉

Cinnamon Baked Apples < – Love baked apples!

[bctt tweet=”What I didn’t cook and links I am loving this week #recipes #mealprep #cupcakes #linklove” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

If you have kids, what do they normally bring to school for lunch?

3 things you are doing this weekend?

Do you eat the tops of cupcakes and leave the cake part like I usually do?

Sunday’s 10K Race Recap

 

I am trying to pretend that the weather forecast is not telling me that the wind chill temperature is zero. I am ignoring the fact that the winds are gusting between 35-40 mph because I really wanted to run outside but ugh, I hate wind, especially cold wind!

Let’s just talk instead about Sunday’s last-minute Blue Ribbon Run For Prostate Cancer 10k race now, okay?

I tried really hard to time everything just right by leaving my house as late as possible to avoid waiting around in the cold and needing to use a porta potty prior to the start of the race.

Yeah, that didn’t work as planned. Even when I try to be on time/almost late, I am always early.

The potties were clean though and there was a warming tent set up at the start line (which was also the finish line).

A few minutes prior to the start (there was a 5k race which began five minutes before my 10k race), one of the trainers from Equinox led everyone in as series of dynamic stretching/warm up exercises.

It was super cold outside but my body was warm.

The only issue I have with running races in the cold weather is adjusting to the breathing in and out of chilly air.

It always bothers my nose, mouth and lungs but I think expecting it helped me to deal with it.

My first mile, per the usual, was fast (7:00 min/mile even).

I knew there was no way I was holding that pace for the duration of the race but what I loved about this race was that I stayed really consistent AND, most importantly, my thought process was happy and sane.

 

I. Felt. Terrific. Not one complaint to give you.

I felt as though I was running at my pace, not someone else’s pace like as if I stole it and had no business having it.

Does that make sense?

I felt really comfortable the entire time and in my zone, as if this was the pace for me.

If you recall from last year, I experienced some races where my thought process was crazy and not polite.

I would spend those races questioning why I run, swearing I would never run a race again and wondering why I did this to myself.

During those races, my pace would be similar to this race but I think it felt much more challenging to hold and didn’t feel like mine.

Aside from comparing the mental stuff, I don’t really like to compare one race to another since each race course can be different and the weather conditions may vary BUT  if we bother to compare anyway, this would be a PR race for me.

I noticed at the 5k mark that I was ahead of usual.

At five miles, I noted that I was much faster than my second place for age finish at the Long Beach 5-mile race and this was my best 10k out of the three I have run to date.

I don’t even know my exact finish time. I didn’t shut MapMyRun right away and the race only gave me the gun time which was 47:59.

Either way, I know it was my fastest race yet and I finished 35th overall, 9th female and 5th in my division. Not bad, right?!

How cool that it looks as though I was flying in this picture?

Other things worth noting:

The course was slightly hilly at the start and again at the finish (which explains why I slowed a bit at the 6-mile marker) but nothing crazy.

I guess one can call the race course boring but it was local and fun to run on the service road to the LIE, through the local neighborhoods of Syosset, Woodbury and possibly Jericho (who knows, they all blend together) and the start/finish went through the Syosset-Woodbury park where I spent many a day with my son as an infant, toddler and preschooler.

I remembered how I never let him crawl on the ground when we had our baby playgroups at the park. I was nuts, I realize that now.

The race goodies at the finish line were the best I have seen yet:

A little blurry but the lady giving out the cupcakes thought I was weird for trying to take a picture so I did it real fast.

Speaking of food, I did really well considering the super late start time (9:35 am)!

I broke up my breakfast in two parts since I was most concerned that I would be hungry by the time the race began.

I split my oatmeal with mashed banana in two, having the first half around 6:00 am and the rest around 8:15 am. Both bowls with peanut butter of course and two cups of coffee (and water) spread out in between.

I did not bring fuel aka jelly beans along for this race. I normally start popping them at mile 6 and since this race ends at 6.2, I did not find them necessary.

I always call my dad as soon as I cross a finish line (if he isn’t at the race).

He’s really the only one who cares (or pretends to care) when I go into extreme detail about the race, my pace, my shoes, my breathing, what the guy in front of me was wearing and how I felt at every step.

And then I call him an hour later to rehash it all over again.

After the race, of course I did my usual, could I have gone faster?

Of course I think I could have but the truth is, if I did, I may have burned out at some point, slowed later on or even worse, not enjoyed the race at all because I was too busy pushing myself too hard.

Tina and I talked real quick after the race about working on the whole starting out slower in order to achieve negative splits and I think it is something to consider.

More 10k races are also something for me to consider. There aren’t a ton offered locally but I may seek them out more often than just focusing on half marathons.

What’s your favorite race distance?

Do you start out too fast like me or are you good at pacing yourself from the beginning?

Are you a naturally early person or always late?

 

 

Crumbs May Re-Open And Skipping A 5K Race

 

I took it upon myself to swing by the shop formerly known as Crumbs just for us to see it with our own eyes.

No sign or anything posted anywhere to explain why the doors are locked, the chairs are on top of the tables or why the bakery cases are missing cupcakes.

Although even during those traumatizing times when I would arrive at Crumbs and they would be out of cupcakes, they never offered me an explanation as to how a cupcake shop could run out of cupcakes several hours before closing time.

Fear not however, it is looking as though Crumbs may reopening under new ownership with a slightly different company vision. Click here to read all about it.

I ran ten miles yesterday morning. I didn’t mean to, it was just one of those routine runs that suddenly got extended because I was la-de-da babbling on the phone.

Note the new KushyFoot athletic socks. We will talk about them next week.

I love running alone but most of the time really appreciate an early morning phone call with a friend so we can chit-chat some miles away.

Something weird happened to me though when I wasn’t talking on the phone. I was singing. Out loud. Along with Taylor Swift.

….I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling twenty-twooooooo…twenty-twooooo…..

Since when do I sing out loud while I run? Never. Only this song. I don’t even understand.

I don’t need to tell you my pace for yesterday’s run since I spent most of it on the phone or singing like a sweaty fool which translates in runner terms to a conversation pace meaning nothing too strenuous.

So I was just looking at my planner and suddenly noticed I listed a 5k race for tomorrow morning with a question mark next to it.

Hmm. I sort of forgot about this race. I hate 5k races but had considered this one because it offered $150 prize for the first place winner per age group.

I like to think who I am for placing second last summer and now consider coming in first for my age a possibility.

So here’s the thing. I would love to run for the chance to win the money but already made plans to leave pretty early for a beach day with the girls.

While a 5K race is done super fast, the whole getting there, running, receiving the trophy and money (high hopes here, high hopes) and getting home would throw us all off schedule.

So I do not think I am changing my plans.

Seldom will I skip a run but I will skip races that don’t fit into my schedule. In fact, I was just thinking yesterday that I haven’t signed up for fall races yet and don’t even know that I care.

I challenge myself each week. I increase my mileage, get better at endurance, work on getting faster all without the need to train for a race.

I may sign up for some races still, I have a few half marathons in mind, but who knows.

They really aren’t all that important to me. Is that bad? I don’t think so.

Time with my son, family and friends, especially outdoor summer sunshine time is just more important to me, especially since I can still run long tomorrow morning, just a bit earlier than usual to fit all the fun in.

I really could use that cash prize though. Can you imagine how many Red Mango parfaits I could treat myself to with all of that money?

*********************

Do you sing out loud while you run?

When is your next race?

Do you need a race on your calendar to stay motivated?

What are your plans for this weekend?

WIAW – Crumbs Closed Plus Lots Of Salads

I am very sorry if you didn’t receive yesterday’s post via email. I still don’t know why exactly the glitch happened but even if I was given an explanation, it would probably be in some technical language that I wouldn’t understand enough to explain to you anyway.

Before we get on with today’s post, the answer is YES, I am well aware that Crumbs Bake Shop has suddenly closed all locations.

I am honored to have received so many notifications from basically every person I know with links to the news reports, tags on facebook and other social media shout outs.

It is quite possible the downfall of Crumbs was due to the demise in my cupcake craving back in 2012.

I loved the Fudge Brownie one, I really did, and I loved the chocolate Fudge Chip and the Boston Crème (ohh the Boston Crème).

But I just kind of got over it so my few times a week Crumbs visits came to a screeching halt.

I am glad to have had my final Crumbs cupcake on Mother’s Day.

If Red Mango should ever go out of business, it would probably mean I got over my parfait habit but I just don’t see that happening so I guess we won’t see Red Mango suddenly shutting the doors. At least I hope not. I may now live in fear of this.

Let’s talk about food. And coffee. I bought a new coffee flavor.

I was drawn to this flavor mainly because the thought of S’mores excited my tastebuds. I can’t say for sure that my cup of coffee tasted as though I was drinking marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers but the smell made me happy and knowing the name was S’mores tricked me into thinking it was a really good choice.

Sort of like picking nail polish.

I take polish selecting super seriously and like to find not just a pretty color but a polish name that fits my mood.

You should know I always avoided the color Starter Wife because I was afraid I would jinx myself by wearing it yet I still ended up divorced. Such a shame to think I went so long without wearing a pretty shade of pink.

Anyway, pre-run breakfast over the last few days has been different.

My appetite changes without warning. I was waking up in the middle of the night late last week starving which led me into the kitchen around 2:00 am for frozen banana chunks (don’t judge me or my choices) to all of a sudden not as starving in the morning before and even after my runs.

And along with the decrease in starvingness came the craving for the crunch of a super toasted English muffin instead of oatmeal.

Just half of a whole wheat English muffin topped with mashed peanut butter and banana, jelly and blueberries is the perfect amount for me to eat right before a run.

I like that I can eat this literally twenty minutes before heading outside and not feeling as though I ate at all.

I don’t know why I find this half an English muffin more satisfying than a slice of my favorite cinnamon raisin Ezekiel toast but sometimes things go unexplained.

After my runs I haven’t felt like greek yogurt so I have been repeating the English muffin and peanut butter thing with lots of fruit.

My protein may be a bit lacking these last couple of days for properly balanced muscle recovery but I am not perfect and I have been adding chia seeds to the English muffins so I can at least get credit for that, right?

And if you are curious as to how all those pints of blueberries are doing, I am plowing right through them.

I love that I hoard yogurt store spoons and I really love blueberries (or really any fruit) with peanut butter. I snack on this combo all day long.

So in my attempt to stop food shopping so often, I have been making due with what I have on hand for lunch.

As I said on instagram the other day, I have a knack of creating healthy, tasty and satisfying lunches with minimal ingredients.

Chick peas, leftover brown rice medley, plum tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus, peppers and lots of avocado.

Another great salad creation of mine involved sweet potatoes in place of the rice.

I highly recommend you roast a bunch of sweet potato wedges in advance and keep them in the refrigerator as an easy snack, side dish or salad ingredient.

I know I spoke yesterday all about saving money on groceries to support my summer weekend dining out habit and briefly mentioned our new weeknight meal planning but sometimes you just have no choice but to go out for dinner.

The other night, my son had an orthodontist appointment after camp. The orthodontist’s office isn’t all that close to home and the timing of the appointment combined with how cranky I get when hungry plus the traffic left us with no choice but to stop somewhere for dinner.

My son requested Whole Foods for the food bar. I hate to say no to the food bar but for the same price, I knew we could treat ourselves to The Cheesecake Factory where we would get more food on our plates plus a pleasant restaurant dining experience.

I have let you in on my Cheesecake Factory money-saving tip in the past but in case you are new or forgot, I will tell you again.

Just don’t tell them I told you to do this…

The trick for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory is to order your salad (or other dish on the menu but I don’t know why anyone would order anything other than the barbecue ranch salad) right before 5:00 pm.

Technically, you still qualify for the lunch menu pricing but your server will figure you are there for dinner and bring you the larger-sized dinner portion.

You will eat it and love it and then when the bill comes and they charge you the full dinner price, you ever so kindly and innocently inform them that you thought by ordering before 5:00 pm (which the time on the bill will clearly show – 4:52 pm to be exact for us the other night), you were ordering from the lunch menu.

Bill adjusted. Dinner for the price of lunch.

You’re welcome.

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating this week!

********************

Are you sad about Crumbs closing? Which cupcake was your favorite?

Do you pay attention to the names of the nail polishes?

If you wake up hungry in the middle of the night, what do you eat?

Favorite salad ingredients lately?

WIAW and National Running Day

 

It’s National Running Day!

National Running Day occurs the first Wednesday in June (last year on my birthday!) and is a coast-to-coast celebration of running.

It’s a day to reflect on your love of running or make the decision to lace up and give running a try for the first time!

In honor of today’s “holiday”, I took a complete rest day yesterday just to have fresh legs for a good run this morning.

I haven’t determined how many miles I will run but I did register for the Rock N Roll Marathon Series Fun Virtual Run where if you run more than a 5k today, you will receive a virtual medal.

I encourage you to sign up and run too! Click here for more info.

 I have been working on putting together some running posts for beginners since I have received a few emails and comments with questions asking for advice and tips. If you have anything specific you would like to see me cover in these posts, please let me know!

Not only is it National Running Day, it is also What I Ate Wednesday.

Since I eat to run and I run to eat, the two go very well together….

 

Breakfast:

So I have this little issue.

I like to add a handful of fresh blueberries to the pot of oatmeal while it cooks but then I slowly pick them all out and eat them before they actually make it into the bowl (or jar) for the actual meal.

So why do I bother to add them? I know I can easily just eat the blueberries out of the container but that’s not as fun.

It’s just like how I enjoy picking raisins out of the raisin bread, picking raisins or granola clusters out of a box of cereal or seeking out all of the cookie dough in a container of ice cream.

No big deal, really. I just add more blueberries on top. Okay, so the big deal is that I have no portion control on blueberries in my house which wouldn’t be a problem if they weren’t so pricey. And while I am complaining, even when blueberries aren’t pricey, when you have no control and go through containers every other day, you are constantly in the grocery store for more.

Lunch:

Proof that my favorite chick pea and avocado salad really is a portable lunch that you can make in advance.

Normally when we go to the beach we walk up to the one of the restaurants for lunch (Gino’s) but on Sunday we opted to bring our lunch.

I just packed it up in the cooler and it stayed perfect without even getting all messy inside the container. It was a perfect beach meal since it doesn’t leave you overly stuffed which is the worst feeling to have when sitting outside in a bathing suit.

I usually pack fruit for the beach as well but when my son comes with me, it’s all about extra packaged snacks that are portable and not messy.

Dinner:

I told you the other day that my plan was to make the barbeque ranch salad from The Cheesecake Factory myself this week for dinner.

I have eaten this salad two nights in a row. I am obsessed. I know I have already done a post on how simple this salad is to copycat but I will tell you again.

Black beans, corn, chopped up tomato, cucumber, lettuce, avocado topped off with Trader Joe’s onion rings. If you eat chicken, just chop some grilled chicken up and throw it on in.

I honestly don’t think it needs much in the way of dressing. The flavors all combined, especially with the onion rings, is really enough. I use a drop of barbeque sauce if anything.

You need to make it. Like tonight.

Dessert:

A true friend gives you all of her overripe bananas even when you tell her she should keep them and make her own peanut butter banana ice cream.

I diced them all up, froze them in a Ziploc bag and then blended them with PB2. The ice cream is sitting nicely in my freezer where it will remain until after my birthday.

I have yet to finalize my birthday cake/dessert for tomorrow night but I think I have decided what’s taking place this evening:

I think. Don’t hold me to it just yet. I take dessert selection rather seriously especially when it involves my birthday.

I scoped out The Bakery (yes, the bakery is actually called The Bakery) and I am pretty sure those seriously chocolate fudge frosted cupcakes are calling my name.

I will let you know tomorrow!

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today and if you haven’t already entered my Goodie Bag Giveaway, make sure you do. Winner to be announced tomorrow!

*************

Finish the sentence: I run for_________________

Are you known for picking the good stuff out of ice cream containers?

What do you pack to eat when at the beach?

Cupcakes: Vanilla or chocolate frosted? Chocolate all the way but part of me wouldn’t mind a bite of the vanilla. Just a bite is enough.

 

 

Who Collects Lip Balm?

As a little girl, I always liked to collect things that interested me. It started with Hello Kitty and stickers, hockey cards and sports memorabilia. As I got older, my collecting matured to collecting things in the housewares department that involved cupcakes and desserts such as dishes, paintings, ice cream bowls, napkins, dish towels….you get my point, yes?

Over the weekend I discovered a collection I didn’t even know I had.

Ever go to open up a cabinet, drawer, old handbag or, like my encounter this weekend, an old makeup case and discover a secretly stashed collection?

I discovered SEVEN different UNUSED lip balms inside of one makeup bag stuffed away in the bathroom cabinet.

While this finding is exciting, I must say that I am still using and quite satisfied using the terrific lip balms I received in the Swag Bag from the Fitness Magazine Meet and Tweet back in May.

I love the set of 4 lip balms from S.W. Basics. I try to keep track of where I place each one, which isn’t easy, but it seems there is always one in a pocketbook, makeup case or in the bathroom cabinet. I love each flavor, especially the Cocoa. They are super moisturizing with only a small list of natural ingredients.

Highly recommend.

Anyway, I am glad to have this chapstick collection because it is suddenly quite chilly here and my lips, in addition to the rest of me, are going through an adjustment period.

Friday morning’s run brought out the Lulu Lemon Brisk Run Neck Warmer that I use but don’t love. It is great because it pulls up and covers your neck and mouth until you adjust to the elements but it is not so great because it doesn’t stay up all that well.

I ran a decent 5 1/2 miles Friday morning followed by a totally fabulous 12.1 miles Saturday morning.

I am not sure exactly why I stopped at 12.1 rather than just completing one more mile to be able to tell you I ran a half marathon.

Wait, I do know why – As great as I felt, sometimes I like to end my runs on a high note, stopping with a bit more to give rather than pushing myself too far. I know I could have finished out another mile but for what?

I didn’t have a goal for Saturday’s run beyond the usual 10 miles. I always set out for a minimum of 10 miles and then make the decision if I will stop at 10, continue to 11, keep going to 12, and, if I have time and energy, perhaps up to 13 or 14.

But I stopped at 12, feeling great, hungry and ready to begin the day.

As they say, it is better to stop knowing you had 10% more to give.

I spent the 10% of energy I saved on perfecting my Saturday parfait at Red Mango.

You know you are the Queen of Parfait making when the staff as well as other patrons comment on your creation.

I am often asked what the layers of my parfait contain so here you go:

• The bottom is always strawberries.
• Then I do a layer of original yogurt (which is now Original Greek Yogurt)
• Next is a 4 part layer containing Nature’s Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Granola, a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips, lots of blueberries and either raspberries or more strawberries
• Topped with another layer of yogurt
• Finished off with more granola and chocolate chips or lately, for a bit of fun, chocolate sprinkles.

There is something fun about adding a few sprinkles. I like how they spread themselves evenly throughout the yogurt so you get a taste with each bite.

I love that this sweet treat of mine is actually rather healthy.

Speaking of sweet treat, I coined a new term Saturday night: Double Dessert Happiness.

This hunk of fudgy Linda’s Fudge Cake from The Cheesecake Factory is incredible on its own but is made all the more sweeter when the person you are with orders their own chocolate dessert and welcomes your spoon on their plate.

Linda’s Fudge Cake + Hershey Bar Cheesecake + Your Spoon Having Freedom To Roam = Double Dessert Happiness.

Do you eat your cake with a spoon or a fork? In my opinion, all dessert should be eaten with a spoon. A little spoon.

It doesn’t take much to please me. Just remember to feed me chocolate cake and I will be smiling.

So it is Monday morning again. A chilly Monday morning that is. I don’t think I will be bundling up for a run though since I am due for a cross training day in the gym.  I ended up running a few slow and easy miles yesterday morning and since I am trying to not run more than 3 days in a row, I will force myself inside.

On tap for tomorrow: Tips on getting the winter workout gear you want at discount prices.

Have a great Monday!

*************************************************

I NEED TO KNOW:

Did you collect stickers as a kid?

Collect anything now that you didn’t know you were collecting?

Did you run this weekend?

Do you eat your cake with a spoon?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Escaping for Good Food

I realized this morning that I haven’t mentioned my workouts much this week.

I know I had planned on taking it easy on the running front – I forgot to tell you that I can get a little bit stubborn at times when it comes to running.

Aside from Monday’s 4.25 mile run, I also ran 5 miles on Tuesday and a surprise run of 8 miles yesterday.

I don’t normally run more than 5-6 miles on a weekday morning but it was so crisp and pretty outside yesterday and I had a little time to spare so 8 miles it was.

I kept the pace easy each day and thankfully I am feeling good.

I will do my best not to run this morning (insert elliptical machine here) so that I can enjoy tomorrow’s long run.

I am super excited that today is Friday….All week I have struggled to complete all of the work I have on my plate so instead of forcing my brain to work when it clearly didn’t want to, I took some time away from the computer at random times to relax and regroup.

The other day I needed a break to the point where I even let someone else make my Red Mango parfait.

You may think I am slightly crazy, but, I hate having someone else make my parfait. What if they don’t layer it correctly? What if they don’t put enough yogurt or they put too much yogurt? What if they get the whole ratio of fruit to granola to yogurt all wrong?

Like I always say, if I am going to eat something, not only must it be good, but it must be RIGHT.

If you follow me on Instagram, you have already seen the final parfait product. It was quite divine I tell you.

Notice the chocolate sprinkles? Yeah, that was our only glitch.

I asked for “A SPRINKLE OF DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS ON TOP” and I guess she interpreted that as, “CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES”.

It was actually really good though. I may even make it with sprinkles next time myself.

As I relaxed and walked the mall while eating my parfait (how exciting that the mall now has a Red Mango) I popped into Crumbs Bake Shop to check out the new cupcakes.

I am totally feeling the Chocolate Cream Pie cupcake. Oh yes.

But must they go ruining the pretty picture with the calorie count?

Another day this week I randomly ended up out for lunch at a place I haven’t been in a while, Cheeburger Cheeburger.

Obviously I don’t order burgers anymore but the Cheeburger menu has an awesome variety of choices including veggie burgers, salads and sandwiches.

I ordered the Portobello mushroom salad and was able to choose a ton of toppings from the toppings list. Cucumbers, artichokes, tomatoes, roasted peppers, onion rings (my fave), hot peppers, pickles, chick peas and who remembers what else.

In case you are interested, the burgers look like this:

And the cheese fries look like this:

I am all about the onion rings though. And the shake menu.

But I didn’t get a shake – the little boy loves the shakes so much that to respect the fact that I went without him, I didn’t even glance at the  list. I know, I know I am such a good mother.

Speaking of burgers and shakes, it seems that burger restaurants are all the rage these days. A new wine and burger bar is scheduled to open soon at the mall near my house.

Based upon the reviews, the food and atmosphere is a good time and the menu  even includes nonmeat options.

I am excited for Zinburger to open so I have another good place to go to when I feel like playing a little hooky.

I kinda love escaping from life for random meals during the week day or even on a weeknight. Sure, weekends are fun, but unscheduled plans at off times can be even more fun, don’t you think?

I am all about mixing it up, keeping it fresh and thinking out of the box.

Have a great weekend!

**********************************************************************************************************************************

I NEED TO KNOW:

What are you doing this weekend? I know a bunch of you have races  – good luck!

Do you ever play hooky during the week?

Favorite Crumbs Cupcake? Toss up for me between the Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Boston Crème and Chocolate Fudge Chip

Do the calorie counts displayed for desserts bother you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only Thursday?

Is it really only Thursday? I swear I have been a day ahead once again this week. All day yesterday I thought it was Thursday. But it wasn’t.

Oh well.  I guess my mind is already on the weekend.

I spent some time under the giant umbrella at Lifetime yesterday afternoon with friends while trying to get some work done.

No, it is not simple to work under beautiful conditions.

But I do love having the ability to work at my own pace, work from different locations and make my own schedule.

Maybe it is the only child in me, but doesn’t everyone like to do things at their own will?

Let’s take Whole Foods for example.

I had the pleasure of having lunch at the Whole Foods food bar earlier this week.

I love the fact that I can pick an endless variety of whatever combination of salads and toppings I want to load into my big blue bowl.

And then cringe when the cashier goes to weigh it.

I couldn’t even begin to list everything that went into this bowl of expensive heaven. I know that there was the curried cauliflower, a few different salad combinations involving kale and different vegetables prepared in a variety of ways, cucumbers, a sampling of a thai chick’n and definitely some of the delicious roasted sweet potatoes.

While I love being in control, I have an extremely hard time not sampling the food while I assemble. I am like a kid in the candy store when it comes to  the Whole Foods food bar.

Do you see these cupcakes? Or should we call them muffincakes?

It is a good thing they are kept under lock and key in the bakery case or I would have had a difficult time restraining myself.

I love the fact that they are cupcakes using muffins. I love the dense texture of a muffin versus a cupcake. I love the tops of the muffins the best. Especially when topped off sundae style.

While I did not buy these, they have been on my mind and I have a feeling I am headed back to get them.

I may even choose these muffincakes over popping into Crumbs for the rainbow cookie cupcake.

My problem with Crumbs is that whenever I think I am going to go into Crumbs for a cupcake, I end up in the yogurt store that is in the same shopping center.

Of course I do. I get to behave like the kid in the candy store that I truly am.

Complete freedom to create whatever I want, how I want it. And take samples too while I make it.

Since I am completely insane when it comes to exactly how my desserts are constructed, the self-serve yogurt stores catered directly to people like me.

Most people think that filling a cup with frozen yogurt becomes the lesser of the dessert evils.

But how innocent is it?

I came across one of Food Babe’s latest blog posts. I am choosing to share it with you because I truly value her opinion.

Frozen Yogurt Gone Bad

I hope you take the time to click on the link above to read her article regarding the problems with frozen yogurt.

In my opinion, everything in moderation. There are worse things you can eat.

Some frozen yogurt chains offer a better product than others and I have no intentions of giving up my Red Mango or my occasional self-serve yogurt sundaes.

A life without dessert is no life at all.

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I need to know:

How often to do eat at the Whole Foods Food Bar? Do you pay attention to how heavy your bowl is to avoid paying an insane price?

What is your favorite type of muffin?

How do you feel about frozen yogurt? Will Food Babe’s review alter your perspective?

Sounds and Smells

The winner of the Bestowed Box Giveaway is Meghan from the blog, Fitness CrEATures. Congrats Meghan!

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I am a morning person. I have never used an alarm clock in my life. If I sleep until 7:00 am it is a miracle.

I may wake up naturally but the first thing I do is look for my coffee. Pushing that button on the Keurig occurs within  minutes of getting out of bed.

However, as you know, I recently switched things up and started filling the personal KCup thingy with “old-fashioned” coffee grounds rather than using the pre-filled KCups.

I am still loving the freedom of choosing various coffees as well as saving some money. It is much cheaper to use coffee grounds and fill your own KCup thing (I should really find out what the correct term for this apparatus is) than purchase boxes and boxes of KCups.

I recently went back to an old favorite of mine from the preKeurig era – Folgers Gourmet Vanilla Biscotti.

Just as delicious as I remember.

As it was brewing, I recalled the distinct scent of the Folgers vanilla. The smell immediately made me feel like I was back in 2004, around 5:00 am, when the little boy would be up and ready to go for the day.

Funny, because back then I felt as though I could sleep till at least 9:00 am.

I would have him in his playpen waiting for Noggin to start secretly hoping he would lay down and somehow fall back to sleep.

He never fell asleep in that playpen. And I don’t even believe the parents that claimed they would find their kids asleep at the bottom amongst the toys. 

I was lucky if he made it until 6:00 am in that pen before looking for breakfast.

Isn’t it amazing how a smell can trigger such a vivid memory?

Songs trigger memories as well.

Sometimes I hear Madonna and think of myself in third grade, wearing a pink lace headband as if I was as cool as her.

Or I hear a Michael Jackson song and think of playing Beat It in my Fisher Price tape player.

My son doesn’t even know what a tape is.

I heard the song, Pocketful of Sunshine, the other morning while I was running.

I recall that song being popular a few years ago as I was going through my divorce.

Not exactly the memory you wish to trigger but hey, not all memories are pleasant.

How about smells? You know, when you get a whiff of a certain perfume, cologne or soap, you immediately associate it with someone you know (or knew)?

Seasons and holidays are  triggers too. Take Memorial Day weekend for example. First thing that comes to mind was the time my son was two and we gave him a chocolate frosted cupcake at a barbecue.

He covered his face entirely with the frosting as if it was shaving cream that needed to be worked into a good lather.

I do not have a photo from that wonderful experience (I was too busy cleaning the mess to take a picture) but I did find this one:

If the pictures earlier in the post portrayed him as cute, sweet and innocent, don’t be fooled. This is a photo that was taken of him over a holiday weekend at a barbecue at our house. He could always be found trying to get into the giant ice bucket.

Is it any wonder I drink the amount of coffee that I do?

Ah, the memories.

So, the weather forecast for this Memorial Day Weekend is not looking too good. Rain for tomorrow and colder than average for the rest of the weekend.

I had big plans of sitting by the pool and relaxing while the boy is off with his dad. I am hoping the forecast is wrong.

In addition to wanting to get my long run in tomorrow morning without having to succumb to the treadmill,  the boy is scheduled to play in his Little League All-Star Game so I hope the rain holds off!

I am very proud of my mischievous little ball player for making the team two years in a row.

Hope you have a great, long, Memorial Day weekend!

I need to know:

Have any big plans for this weekend?

Is the weather supposed to be nice where you live?

Are there any smells, songs, holidays that immediately trigger certain memories for you?

Comfort is Key

Rise and Shine! I hope it is beautiful outside where you live and that you are able to take advantage of the spring weather by doing something outdoors.

I was up and out early for my run and may I just say, I am LOVING my new Brooks Glycerin sneakers.

Foot pain? GONE!

I was very excited to get my first pair of Pro Compression socks in the mail.

I am not good at retrieving  my mail on a daily basis (I know we have discussed this) but I made a special trip to my mailbox knowing these beauties could be waiting for me.

I love the hot pink but would totally love if Pro Compression made a pair like the Little Miss Matched socks. The little girl in me secretly wants to wear knee high socks covered in cupcakes.

The pink are fun though and super comfortable. I definitely felt the difference while running as well as after running.

They even match my new shoes…and my KT Tape.

I finally found the package of pink KT Tape! Excuse me while I get excited for the little things in life.

I had a nagging pain in the lower knee/inside leg area this week. Pretty sure it occurred after running some hills last weekend combined with the poorly fitting shoes.

KT Tape to the rescue. If you have not tried this amazing product, I insist you pick up a package next time you are in the drug store. I do not know how or why it works, it just does.

I topped off my pinkness today with my Hello Kitty headband. The headband is no miracle worker but it is cute and cute counts for something, yes?

U NEED THESE FLIP FLOPS.  

With the warm weather upon us, I love to flip myself around the town in my flops. But let’s face it, flip flops do not offer the best support. Nor are they always comfortable. Especially after running.

I spotted this pretty pair at Nordstrom the other day and was immediately intrigued by the “comfort footbed” as labeled by Nike.

My feet have never been so comfy cushy in a flip flop. They may not be pink, but I am rather partial to purple these days.

The purple-green combo is fun and I intend to look into the other color combos available as well.

I may live in them this summer. I will figure out a way to make these flops work with any outfit. They are THAT comfortable.

I now understand and relate to why Tess wore her sneakers to work in the movie Working Girl.

Have a great weekend!