Monday in Meals (WIAW)

I had gotten myself a little too busy working on Bar Mitzvah stuff over the last several days rather than working on a post for yesterday so if you were wondering where I was, there’s the answer. In fact, should I continue to randomly miss my normal posting days between now and October 15th, that will most likely always be the reason why.

You are probably tired of hearing about the Bar Mitzvah just as much as I am tired of planning it but this is my life right now. I am really getting down to the nitty gritty parts of the planning which is overwhelming and wonderful at the same time. I am looking forward to the party, of course, but I am also looking forward to when it is over so I can have some of my brain space back.

So it’s Wednesday already but we are going to look at what I ate on Monday.

My friend Dina and I both work for the same company (which I am pretty sure I have told you in the past) and since we both work remotely (or from the city office on occasion) we mixed things up on Monday by working from my house as if we were an office.

It was nice to set up our laptops at my kitchen table and work independently yet together for a change!

Breakfast:

I had my usual pre run oatmeal and coffee followed by oats in a jar after my run. I really need to stop using my almost empty peanut butter jars during the week because I really do like to save them for after my long runs on the weekend but I just couldn’t help myself.

Dina arrived shortly after I ate and we snacked on watermelon during the morning while we worked.

Lunch:

I can be so lazy in meal preparation but I wanted to put together a nice salad for us so we didn’t have to go out to eat. I have been eating out way too much and honestly, I am quite capable of making a salad that is much better than any restaurant.

I call it the Power Salad.

In the mix:

Roasted cauliflower

Roasted sweet potatoes

Roasted grape tomatoes

Quinoa

Feta Cheese

Avocado

This Power Salad does not need dressing. The flavor of the roasted vegetables combined with the feta cheese and avocado reduces any desire for additional flavor or texture.

Roasting your grape tomatoes will really heighten their flavor. Trust me, do it.

Dinner:

I picked up a spaghetti squash while I was in Stew Leonard’s so I roasted it along with some vegetables. Topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, it’s a perfect vegetarian meal.

Dessert:

I have gone back to warming up my diced granny smith apple in the evening and then topping it with the following:

Peanut Butter

A sprinkle of Skoop B-Strong

A drizzle of Midnight Moo

Trader Joe’s Muesli

It’s cooler than usual outside this morning (67 degrees) so I am looking forward to running a few easy miles before some Pure Barre. Have a great Wednesday. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Monday in Meal #WIAW #salad #vegetarian #oatmeal #Skoop #mitzvahplanning #watermelon” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today and oh, in case you haven’t entered the $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway yet, click here to learn more about my Quick and Easy Plant-Based Stir Fry recipe which also contains the giveaway information!

Who else works from home? What do you usually make yourself for lunch?

Which ingredients do you like to combine to make your idea of a power salad?

Are you running today? What’s on the workout agenda?

 

 

What I Ate Wednesday July 13, 2016

 

Lisa sent me an email yesterday morning wondering if I was having comment/comment reply issues. I had no idea that I was but after looking into things, some of your comments have been going to spam and many of my comment replies were not being emailed! I apologize if I didn’t receive your comment/you didn’t receive my reply! The replies were posting on the blog but not being sent via email/sometimes landing in spam.

Let’s take a look at what I ate yesterday and hope that your comments and my replies are received today!

Breakfast:

I always have a full mug of coffee (plus a lot of water which is unpictured) before my run. I took this picture thinking I would eat just a banana before my run but I ended up, as usual, mashing half into a small amount of oatmeal instead. I don’t know, I just like eating a bit of a warm breakfast before heading outside, even in the summer.

My favorite meal of the day: post-run oatmeal. I have been enjoying the oatmeal cold and then I add berries, mandarin orange slices, Skoop B-Strong plus Trader Joe’s Muesli and some almond milk too. Oh so good.

Lunch:

I am back to my mashed chickpeas and avocado craze! For yesterday’s lunch, I mashed my chickpeas with avocado, adding a little bit of Dijon mustard and diced plum tomatoes served with side of roasted Japanese sweet potato wedges.

Dinner:

We were planning to go to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner so I had an apple with some peanut butter before we left to hold me over between lunch and dinner.

One day I may try one of the new Super Foods salads at The Cheesecake Factory but yesterday wasn’t that day.

Dessert:

We did not order cake at The Cheesecake Factory. My son was way too full from dinner so although I always have room for dessert, I didn’t want to put him over the edge by ordering any cake knowing he wouldn’t be able to resist once he saw it < – The sacrifices one makes as a parent.

I ended up having a Quest Bar later on in the evening. I don’t even think I ate the whole thing. I sort of just picked at it while staring at my pantry and it did the trick as the something sweet before bed.

Enjoy your What I Ate Wednesday! Don’t forget to check out what everyone else is eating today. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”What I ate yesterday #wiaw #cheesecakefactory #oatmeal #skoop @healthyskoop ” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Have you tried any of those fairly new super foods salads at The Cheesecake Factory? I know there is a falafel one and a vegan cobb that both look good!

Which Quest Bar is your favorite?

Emergency Snacks: Which are currently in your stash?

 

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!

 

WIAW – Day Of My Long Run

 

 

When deciding which day to feature as my What I Ate Wednesday post this week, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at what I ate on Saturday, otherwise known as, long run day.

There are some Saturdays where I am absolutely beyond starving immediately following my run which continues through the day, into the night carrying over into Sunday, no matter what I do.

But then there are plenty of Saturdays where I am just normal hungry without getting hit with the appetite monster until a day or two later, if at all.

This Saturday in particular was just a regular appetite day, with no rhyme or reason as to why, although, I do find that eating within the 30-60 minute window following a run (more like 30 minute window for me) absolutely plays a role in setting me on the right track for the day more than anything else.

Waiting too long to eat after you run (especially a long run/race!) not only hurts your recovery but will definitely affect your hunger level in a not-so-nice way.

 

Pre-run oatmeal:

Since early morning oatmeal heated up with berries involved is not very photogenic, I took the picture before warming in the microwave.

Peanut butter was added after the picture was taken.

I can tolerate blueberries before running but if it’s a race morning, I usually skip them just in case.

Trader Joe’s jelly beans go in my pocket for the road (I mean, run):

Post-run breakfast:

I quickly jump in the shower after I run and then proceed to eat as fast as possible.

I am always starving after I run, especially after long runs, which makes it easy for me to ensure I eat a recovery meal in the crucial refuel time frame.

If I get any meal right in terms of balancing my protein -> complex carbs -> fat, it’s this one right here.

The usual cooked oatmeal served cold in an almost empty peanut butter jar mixed with berries, Skoop B Strong (love it!!), a dash of salt (sodium!) and a little plain greek yogurt topped with the new Love Grown Foods Sweet Cranberry Pecan Oat Clusters and of course, more peanut butter.

Lunch:

Okay, sit down for this one.

I made a smoothie.

Yes. You heard me. SMOOTHIE.

Does this make me a healthy living blogger? OMG. I know. I never thought I would smoothie it either.

But, you see, I didn’t have time to get to Red Mango before my son’s baseball game and I sort of felt like something sweet and cold and Amanda told me that if I did it right I would fall in love….

It was a spoonable smoothie. Thick. Chewable.

It was basically a blended up version of what I had for breakfast only I added spinach and I really don’t know if I did it right but I really liked it!

In the mix: cooked oatmeal (texture!), frozen bananas and berries, Skoop B-Strong (totally obsessed by the way), a little PB2, a spoon of greek yogurt, spinach, ice and some water.

On top: The Cranberry Pecan Oat Clusters because I need to chew and obviously more peanut butter because I live on it.

I am a sweet tooth by nature but especially after long runs.

All I want after a long run or race is simple and  sweet — basically, breakfast or frozen yogurt (and maybe now smoothies) all day long.

So anyway, I always get nervous that I will need a snack while I am out and about.

The afternoons will sneak up on me and attack me with hunger that can be so extreme it makes me nauseous.

I actually didn’t need my snack while watching my son’s baseball game but I did need coffee.

Free cup free cup!

After baseball we were getting ready to go to the Islanders game. My son wanted to eat dinner at the game, I really didn’t and at this point in the late afternoon, I needed something more than a snack of cereal in my stomach.

I quickly made some of my favorite peanut butter roasted brussels sprouts for an easy salad.

Add diced apples to the brussels sprouts as they roast and then dried cranberries to top it all off, trust me.

And, as usual lately…

Baked potato kick still going strong.

I don’t know why I keep choosing big white baked potatoes over my beloved sweet but there is something so satisfying to me, not just my taste buds but the rest of my body too, so I am going with it until the craving settles down.

We planned to go out for dessert after the game but I packed a snack with me in case I got hungry during the game.

Diced apples sprinkled with cinnamon in a baggie. The cinnamon helps keep the apples fresh. So so good!

You already know the full details regarding what we had for dessert…

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today!

[bctt tweet=”OMG I had a smoothie. And liked it #wiaw #smoothies #runner #eats”]

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What do you crave after long runs?

Are you careful about eating within the refuel time frame and do you feel the difference if you miss the window?

Are you a smoothie drinker? Favorite combination lately?