Recent Lunches, Dinners, and Desserts

My hamstring feels so much better! I may try running outside today OR I may not. I don’t mind not running, but the weather is so nice for this time of year and I already did barre and pilates so far this week. I’m just so proud of myself for realizing that my hamstring hurt during Saturday’s run and that I was smart enough to back off immediately, rest it for a few days from running/walking, and feel like myself again. I just don’t understand why people push themselves into injuries.

Recent Meals

I eat oatmeal every day for breakfast but never take a picture of it. However, I had the baked oatmeal at the Premier Diner on Monday for lunch and did take a picture because it’s such a big beautiful bowl of goodness.

From what I understand, the diner makes one batch of baked oatmeal every morning. When it runs out, they don’t make more until the next day. I was lucky to get a big bowl served with a side of milk that I pour on top to mush everything up — it’s just so good.

In other lunch news, I had this big chopped salad from Town Bagel. I would be lying if I listed the ingredients – I really don’t remember well enough to do so.

I do remember what was in this salad that I made for lunch:

• Romaine
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Mushrooms
• Onion
• Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burger
• Chickpeas
• Avocado
• Feta Cheese
• Balsamic Vinaigrette

My new routine after yoga is to come home, shower, and make mashed avocado on Ezekiel toast and/or an egg on toast. There’s mashed avocado under that egg, by the way.

The staff at Mario’s gets really confused if I walk in to order something other than “my usual” which is the whole wheat margarita pizza to go, not heated up.

I decided, on a whim, to order the eggplant pizza for a change. The girl rang it up but the man who usually boxes up my pizza put the whole wheat margarita pizza in the box first. When we told him I did something crazy and got a different slice, he boxed the eggplant pizza but they gave me the margarita pizza to take home (for free) too.

My son ate my free margarita slice so fast as a snack before I could even decide if I wanted a bite or to wrap it up.

I always say how much I enjoy the lentil pasta from Trader Joe’s – I really do! It’s so great to have on hand for a quick and easy, healthy but always tasty dinner.

I cooked mushrooms in a pan with olive oil while cooking the lentil pasta separately. Then I combined everything in the pan with the Trader Joe’s plant-based bolognese sauce. Really is such a good combination!

Apples!

I mentioned last week that I’ve been back to eating an apple almost every night.

This was an organic honey crisp warmed with cinnamon and a little bit of peanut butter.

And this apple was a Granny Smith not warmed, sprinkled with cinnamon, peanut butter, and a few dark chocolate chips.

A little blurry but I’m including it anyway!

And finally, a big box of Godiva.

Time For Our Mother’s Day Breakfast Tradition! (plus fashion favorites from the week)

Oh, hi.

I didn’t mean to miss a few posts but the days got away from me and suddenly it’s the Friday ahead of Mother’s Day weekend.

I saw the above heart pattern while walking the other morning which I assume formed naturally from the fallen petals during the rain overnight, and just couldn’t believe it. Pretty amazing, right?

Long-time readers know that my son and I have an early morning Mother’s Day breakfast tradition. Last year was the first time in ten years that we couldn’t go out for our traditional breakfast due to the pandemic (which was super disappointing).

Thankfully, we are back in action for this Sunday!

Although we haven’t firmly decided on where we will go (we rotate between Maureen’s Kitchen and Premier Diner), I know I have a bowl of baked oatmeal in my future!

I started our Mother’s Day Breakfast Tradition in 2010 simply on a whim, not realizing what I was creating for us. My son was always up so early that I randomly said, hey, let’s go out for an early breakfast to celebrate Mother’s Day. That random decision in 2010 is what started our yearly tradition which we both enjoy so very much. I will not think yet about next year when it’s very possible that my son is still away at college during Mother’s Day weekend. Nope, not thinking about it.

In case you are interested, here are the Mother’s Day Breakfast Tradition Recaps that I have on the blog.

2020: Not Our Typical Mother’s Day Breakfast

2019: Premier Diner

2018: Maureen’s Kitchen

2017: Maureen’s Kitchen

2016: Maureen’s Kitchen

2015: Maureen’s Kitchen

2014: Premier Diner

2013: Premier Diner

I can’t wait to add another recap to this list next week!

In other news really quickly, I’m loving the Drunk Elephant Littles Hair and Body Kit. I highly recommend trying this set if you want to test out the products without spending money on the full-size items. The shampoo and conditioner are great, I love the detangling spray, and even the natural deodorant is good and actually works!

I love this heart pajama set – shorts with long sleeve tops are so my style.

I’m OBSESSED with this week’s new launch from Stoney Clover. The rainbow gingham pearl letters and rainbow gingham pearl icon patches are everything to me.

Oh, and the Beyond Yoga Space Dye Leggings with the matching cropped tank is most definitely my favorite set. If you asked me to choose between Beyond Yoga and lululemon Align pants, I would go with Beyond Yoga. This says a lot because I do love the Align pants. I just prefer Beyond Yoga I think — so much softer, really comfortable, good fit, and really flattering. The set looks SO CUTE when I wear it. (Although if I could find a petite size for the pants, that would be even better).

In lululemon We Made Too Much news, some Align pants are on sale. Now is the time to grab the Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve top on sale and put it away for next winter’s running season.

OHHH put this winter running jacket away for next winter too! Great price on sale.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”4456058″]

Have a great weekend and a Happy Mother’s Day!

 

 

Workouts From Week (higher mileage!) + 10th Annual Mother’s Day Breakfast

 

I know we care most about my Mother’s Day breakfast tradition but first, let’s chat workouts from the week.

A few things to note:

I was all about time on my feet this week. Going into the week, I knew I felt like running. Not so much about speed or workouts specifically, just about getting back a bit to my old self with some distance. Nothing crazy here and not exactly high mileage (I guess high mileage is really a relative term), but higher than my recent usual. It felt so good, too!

No matter my weekly mileage, I am pretty confident in saying that running 4 days a week is my happy maximum. Not sure how I used to run 5-6 days a week, every week. While okay, maybe once in a blue moon I may at some point run 5 days in a week, that will be a rare occurrence. 4 days, at most, seems to work best for me and feel right. It’s not too much, while not too little, and can be spaced out well enough that I only have to run 2 days in a row. I don’t really like running days in a row, which is something I’ve learned in the last year of running less.

I ever so randomly developed what I think was a (barely) 24 virus type of thing on Thursday. Out of nowhere, I had a sore throat and body aches. But that was it. I slept it off and then it was gone. No cold, no stomach virus type symptoms, no real fever. I appreciate my immune system, it very rarely lets me down for long.

All week I had intentions to run 10 miles on Saturday. The quick virus thing threatened to mess with my plan but I was completely fine even by Friday, so on Saturday, I did set out for 10 miles, knowing I could stop if I didn’t feel well. I was fine.

Monday – 7 Miles

I didn’t have to drive my son to school today plus the sun was shining early so it was amazing to get outside! In my head, I planned for 6 miles but still had a few minutes when I was done so I continued on for 7.

Tuesday – 54 Min Pure Barre (arm-focused)

I say this every time but arm-focused really means a full body workout with extra emphasis on arms. So challenging but so effective in the results which is why I love Pure Barre so much.

Wednesday – 6 Miles

I definitely felt yesterday’s Pure Barre workout in my legs so I went easy, naturally picking it up a bit as the run went along.

Thursday – 3.25 Miles

Just an easy run, a little over 30 minutes.

Friday – 30 Min Pure Barre

Saturday – 10 Miles

I was looking for an easy run and ideally, 10 miles total. I aimed for 7 assuming that once I was at 7, I could decide if I was going to continue. Since my phone wasn’t at low battery yet (totally need a new phone) and I was feeling great, I went on for 10 miles. This run passed by so quickly!

Sunday – 10th Annual Mother’s Day Breakfast Tradition!

We opted for breakfast at the Premier Diner for the first time in a few years for our Mother’s Day breakfast.

It was raining which was actually a good thing because it meant we could leave slightly later in the morning and not worry about an early crowd. I think nicer weather would have brought more people out earlier in the morning.

I always have to choose between the baked oatmeal and the whole wheat blueberry walnut pancakes that I love. This time, I went with the pancakes.

The whole wheat blueberry walnut pancakes are served with eggs whites and bananas. So delicious!

I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day and that the weather was better for you than it was for us. Relentless rain that isn’t letting up I think until later on tomorrow! Ugh, treadmill it is for me this morning.

[bctt tweet=”workouts from the week plus what I ate for our Mother’s Day breakfast tradition #workouts #running #purebarre #mothersday #pancakes #breakfast @pure_barre” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How has the weather been for your workouts? 

Did you eat anything super delicious over the weekend or for Mother’s Day?

Friday Favorites November 16, 2018

Okay it’s Friday! We won’t even discuss that it snowed a bunch of inches yesterday. I am not ready for this!

Moving on to my favorites instead…

Favorite Fitness:

I received the race photos from Sunday’s 10K race, also known as the race where I finished second for my age but dropped my phone at the start, losing more seconds than I would have liked.

I am almost positive that this photo was taken right before I dropped my phone. That’s me on the left in the purple/magenta hat.

So rather than pick a favorite workout from this week, I want to mention, yet again, my favorite workout gear of all time:  my lululemon fluffover running mittens.

I’ve talked about these mittens so much over the years. They truly are the warmest and the best, I don’t understand why lululemon stopped selling them.

I love how I can remove the extra layer if it’s not too cold outside and then put it back for those really chilly mornings. That extra layer is so key!!

When I tell you it’s impossible for my hands to get cold in this mittens, I mean it. If you want your hands to be warm, mittens are the way to go. Gloves, in my opinion, aren’t as good because your fingers are separated which means you can lose the body heat.

These mittens make me happy and I always think back on all of the winter runs I’ve gone through over the years with them. Yes, I’m 100% sentimental about these mittens and can write endless paragraphs about them.

Favorite Food:

My son and I went to the diner earlier this week and I had this giant greek salad. I’m having a food identity crisis this week though. I’m not totally sure what I feel like eating and I’m tired of everything, even more than usual. I made a pizza bagel last night for dinner, that was pretty good and hit the spot.

Favorite Fashion:

Who remembers when I wrote the post, Clothes Should Make You Feel Good? Well, I bought another pair of my favorite jeans, the 7 For All Mankind b(air) Skinny Ankle Jeans.

THESE JEANS MAKE ME FEEL GOOD. And how often can you say that about jeans? 7 jeans fit me so well that I’ve invested in four pairs of them recently, varying in shades of denim. I am now choosing to wear a pair on any given day of the week in place of leggings or sweatpants. They are so comfortable, flattering, and never lose their shape which makes them worth every penny.

I do usually grab them on sale but even with the high price, I think they are worth it. I will invest my money in quality jeans that fit me well and make me happy.

I also bought a few of these Splendid Zander Long Sleeve Easy Crew Tops (which are currently on sale!). Paired with the jeans, you have an everyday, nice outfit that will always make you feel put together, comfortable, and happy.

Favorite Find:

Not really a new find but a reminder of a favorite find from the past. Coconut Oil as a moisturizer.

I was about to purchase a heavy-duty winter body moisturizer when I remembered how well regular coconut oil works! It’s life changing and so cheap!!

Have a great weekend!

[bctt tweet=”Friday Favorites on the blog today! #friday #favorites #salad #diner #running #jeans #fashion #splendid #coconutoil” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Did it snow by you yesterday? Did you end up with more snow than expected?

Any fun plans for the weekend?

Do you use coconut oil as a moisturizer too?

 

thinking out loud June 18, 2015

When you find a pair of sandals in your closet that you completely forgot you owned, you feel as though your wardrobe has been reinvented.

I have been wearing these gold sandals all week, including yesterday morning when I had to sit and wait for my car’s oil change and inspection.

I really don’t mind waiting because I enjoy their coffee selection and free wifi.

When my car was ready for me, my son and I went to the East Bay diner. Did I mention that school is basically over aside from a few random final exams?

He ordered breakfast for lunch and I went with the giant Portobello mushroom and avocado salad. Whenever I have this salad, I wonder why I am not buying Portobello mushroom caps to make at home more often.

So the other day I went to Trader Joe’s hoping to buy some new stuff but of course I ended up with the same old stuff.

I did see the new frozen roasted cauliflower and got all excited for a brief second about it.

But then I said why pay three dollars for them to roast my cauliflower when I can easily do it myself.

Although, now that I think about it, cooking frozen cauliflower is much easier on my stomach than the fresh kind.

Hmm.

I also didn’t like that they added salt. Not that I don’t need salt but I don’t like adding salt to my vegetables because I rarely feel that they need it.

Did you see they are selling frozen riced cauliflower now? You must have seen this circulating the internet this week but I saw it in person.

I didn’t buy it. The package was so small that I didn’t feel it was worth it since again, I can do it myself.

And again, they added salt.

I made these roasted potato wedges the other night without salt and let me just say, somehow they still tasted salty.

You know that my sweet tooth overpowers my cravings. It has always been this way.

I never craved or cared for chips or anything salty. On rare occasion, maybe I reach for something salty but I can’t recall when that was and if it happened, it probably involved a chocolate covered pretzel to make sure my sweet tooth didn’t get insulted.

Did you see my yummy peanut butter and blueberry english muffin on instagram the other day?

I honestly don’t know most of my instagram followers so I got all excited when a friend of mine texted me after seeing my post.

I really need to make those blueberry muffins again that she is referring to, they were a real hit.

And check out this text too that I received this week — Not so much about inspiring someone to eat an apple with peanut butter but the part about the price.

I should set up an apple and peanut butter stand on the corner. These stores are making a killing on my favorite snack!

Be sure to check out what everyone else is thinking about today!

[bctt tweet=”Thinking Out Loud @ #runwithspoons #traderjoes #cauliflower #diner #thinkingoutloud “]

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Are your taste buds more salty or more sweet?

How often do you overpay on snacks because you didn’t have time to make them yourself at home?

Did you try the new cauliflowers from Trader Joe’s yet? Is it worth it?

 

Unbaked Baked Oatmeal

 

 

So I think I had at least one reader paying attention to yesterday’s post….

Flowers (pink flowers!!) delivered to my doorstep. WITH CHOCOLATE.

Do you know how long I contemplated which truffle to eat first?

It’s finally Friday which means it’s time to talk about that oatmeal recipe I promised you!

I sort of explained to you on Wednesday why I am calling the new love of my oatmeal life unbaked baked oatmeal  — the texture and flavor reminds me so much of the baked oatmeal I order at the diner —but it isn’t baked!

It all came together by accident. I wasn’t even trying to replicate the baked oatmeal from the diner because as my son likes to tell me, sometimes dishes in restaurants are so good that we should leave well enough alone and not try to recreate them at home.

But then I added a mandarin orange to my ordinary bowl of oatmeal, mixed in Skoop B-Strong Viva-Nilla along with my other usual ingredients, heated it all up and suddenly, within a matter of one bite, an alarm went off in my taste buds which screamed BAKED OATMEAL FROM THE DINER! BAKED OATMEAL FROM THE DINER!

While I think the baked oatmealish texture is derived from the combination of the cooked oats and Skoop, I am pretty sure that I owe most of the flavor to the mandarin orange which was probably the last fruit I would expect to LOVE in my oatmeal.

I love it. Like really. What this little tiny orange has done to my bowl is beyond words.

I am not the first to insert the orange, I know this. Fancy people use orange zest or whatever you call it to give off the orange flavor which I know for a fact is involved in the diner’s baked oatmeal recipe.

But I am not that fancy when it comes to preparing my food nor do I have the patience to think about zesting things.

I peel an orange and throw it in the bowl.

As for the rest of your fruits in your unbaked baked oatmeal, go with what you like.

I combined blueberries and diced up granny smith apple for this bowl but I am pretty sure you can add pears, peaches and/or other berries to create a perfect bowl of unbaked baked oatmeal too.

Each time I enjoy baked oatmeal at the diner actually, I notice they vary the fruits in the recipe but it always tastes amazing.

I do not think for one second that the diner uses protein powder in their oatmeal, however, I think for this version, the Skoop B-Strong in Viva-Nilla helps to create the thick texture while adding a subtle flavor that is not to be believed.

Since this recipe is for unbaked baked oatmeal, you don’t actually need to bake anything. I used the microwave.

Which oats should you use? Up to you. I have made it with steel-cut oats only, a mix of steel-cut and old-fashioned as well as a quick version made with only old-fashioned rolled oats.

Steel-cut will make it chewier but either type will do the trick!

This oatmeal is great served immediately, but I think I adore it most once it cools for two minutes which allows time for all of the flavors and ingredients to fall into place.

Make it in advance and reheat it the next day or go ahead and eat it cold. I did that too.

Feel free to add milk and oh, if you have walnuts or pecans to throw in? Go for it. Just go for it!

Unbaked Baked Oatmeal For One

Recipe Type: oatmeal

Cuisine: breakfast

Author: meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 serving cooked oatmeal, cooled to room temperature
• 1 scoop of Skoop B Strong Viva-Nilla Protein Powder
• 1 Mandarin Orange, peeled
• Handful of blueberries
• 1/2 medium sized diced granny smith apple
• 1 tbp. nut butter of choice (I used Crunch Time)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch sea salt
• Handful of walnuts or pecans (optional but recommended!)

Instructions

1. Prepare your oatmeal serving the way you like it and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Add fruit, cinnamon, salt and Skoop to the oatmeal and mix well.
3. Stir in peanut butter.
4. Place in microwave and heat in 45 second increments, at least 3 times, stirring in between.
5. Every microwave is different so if your oatmeal isn’t thick and warm after 3 rounds of heating, try another 45 seconds.
6. Allow oatmeal to cool and set for about two minutes.
7. Add more peanut butter and a drop of milk if you desire!

Serving size: 1

Notes

Feel free to use any of your favorite fruits but the mandarin orange is definitely an integral part to the flavor of this yummy oatmeal recipe!

3.4.3177

 

[bctt tweet=”You have to make this recipe for unbaked baked oatmeal! #oatmeal #breakfast @healthyskoop”]

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Have you ever added orange to your oatmeal?

Do you prefer steel-cut oatmeal or old-fashioned or a mix of both?

Who is running a race this weekend?! Fill me in!

 

Progression Running and Mother’s Day Recipes

 

I really enjoyed my work out yesterday morning. So much so that I put together a fun little graphic for you in case you want to give it a shot the next time you are in the gym unsure of what you feel like doing with yourself while you are there.

You may be wondering what a progression mile is so let’s discuss it.

A progression run is one where you begin slowly and gradually increase your pace to finish faster.

I chose to run each mile of yesterday’s workout progression style by increasing my speed every tenth of a mile.

I started at a comfortable pace  and then hit the button up every tenth of a mile so it looked something like this:

 0  –  .10 –  6.8

.10 – .20  -6.9

.20 – .30-  7.0

.30 – .40 –  7.1

.40 – .50-  7.2

.50 – .60-  7.3

.60 – .70-  7.4

.70 – .80-  7.5

.80. – 90-  7.6

.90 – 1.00 –  7.7

Each time I got back on the treadmill, I started at a faster speed. This is a great little workout and since you are only running a mile at a time, the increase in speed is totally doable mentally and physically.

Pick a comfortable pace for you; what I find comfortable may be too fast or too slow for you.

In fact, interval workouts such as this make me sweat more than just plain old running yet give you the runner’s high quickly. It’s super good for you to change up your normal workout routine to get the heart rate up there and make use of different muscles by varying intensities and moves.

Running Links of Interest:

Progression Runs

How To Achieve A Runners High

 

I think we are officially starting to feel the spring weather and with that comes that blasted ice cream truck jingling his way around my neighborhood.

If you recall from last year around this time, my silent battle with the ice cream man was just beginning.

I don’t remember who won last year but I have been hearing his music over the last several days so it is time once again for war.

I picked up this Edy’s Neapolitan and my son is all sorts of happy and obsessed with a nice bowl in the evening topping off with whipped cream.

$2.50 for the entire carton gives us several happy servings –> Take that Ice Cream Man!

Mother’s Day on Sunday. Wow. Time is flying, isn’t it?

In case you didn’t know, my son and I started an annual Mother’s Day tradition a bunch of years ago where we go out super early for breakfast.

We go to our favorite diner (the one with the baked oatmeal!) and actually try not to go there all year for breakfast just to make our Mother’s Day tradition extra special.

Here’s the thing though – we are considering switching up our breakfast location. We have two other places in mind and once we decide I will let you know.

This is a big deal around these parts and a constant conversation for the last few weeks.

I may have a ton of recipes and enjoy whipping goodies up but when it comes to a holiday such as Mother’s Day or my birthday (yes, I consider my birthday a holiday), I don’t want to cook, I want it all done for me.

That being said, I will be picking up dessert on the way to my parent’s house Sunday for dinner. I haven’t decided what that dessert is just yet but make no mistake, it will be fabulous.

If you are not like me and actually feel like cooking, here are some recipes worth checking out:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes – If a picture could define me, it would be these cookie cupcakes.

Flourless Banana Bread Muffins – I do have a few overripe bananas staring at me on my counter….

If only I had enough blueberries to go around:

Banana Blueberry Baked Pancake   – Love the concept of baking the pancakes rather than dealing with the flipping. My immediate thoughts are to sub out some ingredients and even use Kodiak Cakes for the pancake batter. Hmm

Whole Wheat Blueberry Crumb Muffins – Need these in my life.

Rosemary Brussels Sprouts with Blueberries – I have shared this one before and I am sharing again since it is still on my mind. I must make them already and you should too.

Have a very Happy Mother’s Day and a wonderful weekend!

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Are you willing to share your blueberries yet?

Is there ice cream/frozen yogurt in your freezer? What kind?

What are you doing this weekend? Baking or cooking for Mother’s Day?