Weekend escape...

Happy Friday! Yippee!

I am extra happy on this rainy Friday because I will be leaving shortly for a weekend getaway with PJ! We are heading to Delaware, and we will be running the Dogfish Dash 10k on Sunday. Believe it or not, this is the first time in our four-year relationship that we are taking a vacation alone! Usually when we plan time away, we are visiting family or  friends. I love seeing the fam or having an action packed vaca with friends, but I'm excited to spend a weekend with PJ (and Christian Grey) and no distractions.

Speaking of Christian Grey, I am already halfway through 50 Shades Darker, which is the second book in the 50 shades trilogy.  The best word to describe this book series is SEXY. If you are looking to get absorbed in a book, I would totally recommend this series. The best part about a trilogy in my opinion is that I don't get that sadness when a book is over and I can't look forward to reading  it anymore. With a trilogy, the drama continues!



Nothing too exciting has been happening with me over the past few days. On Wednesday night, this came out from the cabinet again...

I am loving my crockpot right now. I used it a bit last year, but I have already used it four times in September alone! As I stated in previous posts, I love focusing my energy on creating yummy side dishes. There are so many great crockpot recipes out there that aren't just your basic meat and potatoes meal. For example, I have tagged recipes for crockpot oatmeal,lasagna, brownies, soups, and sides! On Wednesday, I made Slow Cooked Butternut squash which I adapted from a recipe I found on FitSugar.

Slow Cooked Butternut Squash

-1.5 lbs butternut squash (peeled, seeded, medium dice)

-1 large apple, medium dice

-2 tablespoons of golden raisins

-1/2 cup orange juice

-sprinkle of cinnamon

-drizzle of agave nectar

Directions:

Place ingredients into the slow cooker, except for raisins,agave, and cinnamon. Place them in the middle so they don't burn. When cooked, mix and combine broken down apple and squash. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon, golden raisins, and an agave drizzle! ENJOY! Cook on high for 2 hours. Makes 8 servings (1/2 cup serving).

Yum. Squash, salmon, and braised kale. **TIP** When I make a veggie like Kale or broccoli and I want to keep it simple, healthy, and flavorful, I'll add a dash of balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to the veggie and it gives it a nice tanginess without compromising the vegetable's natural flavor and nutrition.

While I'm discussing food, I forgot to post this picture when I took it last Saturday and I just have to share it.

 

 

These are Eggland's Best eggs. When I opened the package to make sure there were no cracks in the eggs, I was so excited to see that each egg had been marked with the breast cancer awareness ribbon! What a wonderful way to advocate for breast cancer awareness- and let's be  honest- these eggs are adorable! Eggland's Best eggs have  less saturated fat, double the Omega 3,and  ten times more Vitamin E, compared to ordinary eggs. I would buy these little eggies more frequently, but FreshDirect doesn't carry them :( Get on it, FreshDirect!

 

On to other news. Yesterday I received a little package in the mail covered with stickers - it made my day! Momma and Dad sent me a little somethin' to brighten my day :) Don't you love "just because" gifts!? I used to receive little packages quite frequently when I was in college. They were always covered in stickers by my adorable mom and packed with special goodies .Receiving this package brought me right back to the excitment I felt when I received a notice in my college mailbox that I had a package :)

Last evening, I ran 6  long miles (YIPEE!) ,which is the last time I had to run before this weekend's race (not a race for me haha).  For someone who doesn't LOVE running, it can be difficult to motivated yourself to complete a long run. I have been training the past two weeks on a treadmill, which makes it easy to just stop running and go back  upstairs to my apartment. When running  outside you have to continue your run to get home! Here are a few strategies that I have found to help me in completing those longer runs.

1. If you're running on a treadmill, plan your run around a great tv show or movie. This is key for me.

2. Cover the treadmill time with a sweatshirt and don't keep peaking!

3. Focus on the reason you are training , whether it's to successfully complete a race or to have a personal best time. For me, picturing myself running the race with ease keeps me truckin' on.



This is what I'm going to look like when I cross the finish line on Sunday! Nothing beats the power of positive thinking, right!?

Alright, I have to go pack! I'll pop back in at some point this weekend!

XO

Sarah

Back to reality :)

Happy Wednesday, kids!

Since I have been away on business since Monday, today was my first day this week working a regular day. It feels like a Monday to me and I just proved this by typing "Happy Monday"  instead of Wednesday. I am definitely a creature of habit, so business trips tend to throw me for a loop. I'm sure I'm not the only one this happens to.  I have a daily routine that for the most part I stick to, so when I'm on someone elses agenda for work, free time, exercise, meals, etc., I tend to develop a little anxiety. :) Don't get me wrong, I love switching up my day to day work routine and I think some variation is good for me! With that said, I'm always anxious to return home to PJ, Toby, and my regular schedule.

Today, breakfast was an apple (I have about 6 gazillion from apple picking this weekend!)and two pieces of sprouted grain toast with cottage cheese and chia seeds. It was good, but I was  really in the mood for pumpkin oats and unfortunately, I used up all my pumpkin in the chili I made on Sunday. Womp, Womp. I really was kind of bummed as breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day.

My workout today left me feeling quite proud and very schweaty! As I stated in a previous post, I am running a 10k this weekend in Delaware, and I have been slowly upping my running so that I don't keel over mid-race. When I say slowly, I have been running a few miles 1-2 times per week for the past 2 weeks. I did four miles on Sunday evening and today I ran 5 miles!  Man, it felt good! I don't really like running and I don't do it much anymore, but I loved the idea of running this race with PJ so I decided to just do it (yeah, Nike slogan!). I ran the Jersey City 10k with my bff Katie last year so I know I can physically handle the challenge, but I had been running long before I signed up for that race. I thought that running again was going to be tortorous, but I am pleased to report that the process of ramping up my running has been fairly painless. I am a firm believer that the yoga I love so much  has improved my breathing which has made running easier. Yay! Another yoga benefit! The feeling I have, both mentally and physically, while training for a  race is completely different than the way I feel when I am only running to burn calories. I haven't once thought about burning calories during my runs, which is a much different mentality than my previous calorie obsessed self. Score!

I don't plan to re- incorporate running into my fitness regime after this race, but I'm happy to know that my body can handle training for a race if I should want to do another one in the future. 

I wanted to share with you an AWESOME arm workout that I have done a few times over the past two weeks. I found the workout over at The Fitnessista. Check it out here.



The Fitnessista is one of my favorite blogs, and I read a lot of blogs! Check out her site for more great workouts, nutrition information, and random musings!

Ok, thats all I have for you today! I'm going to enjoy some dinner, sip some tea, and snuggle into bed with Christian Grey (hubba hubba) ... woops, I mean PJ!

Speaking of tea....

Tea. Is. Magical. Period.

In other news....

 I was sad to hear that Andy Williams,  who is best known for his song "Moon River", passed away today. Moon River became one of my favorite slow songs when I heard it on the Sex and the City episode where Carrie and Big dance in his empty apartment before he moves to Napa (c'mon, you all know the episode, right?!) . Coincidently, it turned out to be one of my Grandpa's favorite songs, and now everytime I hear it I think of him. It's a rather sentimental song to me for this reason. I hope that Gramps and I get to dance to it sometime :)!  Take a listen- you won't be dissapointed :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flm4xcOyiCo

 

XO

Sarah

Test Kitchen

Hey Y'all!

I hope everyone's week is off to a great start. I do apologize for my recent absence, but I have been out-of-town on biz-nassss. I know you all missed me :) Something I have noticed in reviewing previous posts is that I tend to get a tad lengthy in my blog entries, which keeps me from posting as often as I'd like. I have all this good stuff (well, at least I think it's good!) to share, and instead of picking and choosing the REALLY good stuff, I'm cramming it all into one post that takes me a long time to compose. With that said, I am going to do my best to be a bit more succinct in my future posts in hopes that I can post more than just three or four days a week. We'll see how it goes as I am a chatty Kathy by nature! Some  highlights from the past few days:

I went to Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, NJ to go apple picking with a few girlfriends. We had been two years ago and loved the experience so we decided to go back!

If you examine the apple's listed on this board, you'll notice that my beloved Honey Crisp's (crack apples) are nowhere to be found. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed!

Check out this wierd apple!

Initially I thought it was bruised, but this little guy was in perfect condition (just slightly deformed)! There was a whole tree of these unique little apples.

Problem: overflowing apple bag. Solution: stuff additional apples in your Louis V!

These are my friends Le-La and Erin. Erin's dog Bella (she is a boxer) joined us for a girls day apple picking, and she was the hit of the apple orchard! She is probably one of the sweetest, well-behaved, and adorable dogs I have every met.

Muffin.

"Ladies, I know I'm gorgeous but please stop taking my photo!"

I love peanut brittle. I must get it from my Grandpa because it is one of his fave sweet treats. I bought this bag for him, but then rationalized that it would probably break in transit so I should just open it and eat some! Poor rationalization, fabulous peanut brittle :)

After apple picking, we grabbed some lunch and headed home to cook with our bounty of apples. The cooking experience was eventful to say the least, and MANY laughs were had. We decided not to follow specific recipes but to instead "wing it'. Note to self: never a good idea to wing it while baking!

1. We tried to make homemade apple cider= FAIL. It came out as homemade applesauce which we tried to liquefy by adding vodka and apple juice. I will say it was tasty, but it was NOT apple cider.

2. I wanted to make pumpkin Rice Crispi Treats with the pumpkin marshmallows I had seen while perusing the internet. I couldn't find them in the store, so decided to try to MAKE our own pumpkin marshmallow using pumpkin puree. FAIL. The marshmallow was not sticky due to the escaping water from the pumpkin puree. The Rice Crispi's turned to a soggy, oatmealish consistency. For the record, they tasted nothing like a Rice Crispi treat, but they did taste good in a strange way. hahaha.

3.  We substituted and added certain ingredients to the batter for the Apple Spice Cupcakes we planned to make. Due to our edits, the cupcakes had a dense consistency and tasted like muffins. As muffins they were pretty good, but we were expecting cupcakes.SEMI FAIL.

All in all, we were left with a few apple muffins after spending hours concocting recipes. It was like we were running a test kitchen. Despite the demise of the treats we had planned on, we had more fun and laughs attempting to "wing it" and in effect screwing up these recipes.

While we bustled around my kitchen and proceeded to overheat my extremely tiny apartment, Toby curled up like a kitten in the living room and napped. Smart man.

I only have one recipe to add today as I have been away for the past 2 days. On Sunday evening I made White Bean Pumpkin Chili adapted from Skinny Taste.  This dish is made in the crockpot so you can set it and forget it. I also made the Hearty Oat Loaf  with honey butter that I made a few weeks back. This meal was perfect: seasonal, comforting, filling, easy  and nutritious! I did adapt the recipe a bit and I added some additional spices (exta chilli powder and mexican spice mix) and chopped jalapeno.  When I arrived home from my meeting tonight, I heated up the leftover chili, warmed some of the bread, and feasted. Perfecto. Ok, kids I am beyond exhausted. I failed miserably at making this a shorter post, but I had a few days to cover! Before I go I have a couple things for you to check out below:

Van Gogh's Starry Night painted on a pumpkin. Pretty amazing, right? I saw this last night when I was out to dinner with my fantastic co-workers.

Something to read and think about:  I think the amount of focus the media has  put on Lady GaGa's apparent weight gain is frankly disgusting. I realize she is in the public eye and that some of this criticism goes along with the negative aspects of being a celebrity; however, can you imagine if you gained 10 pounds and magazine articles and news segments were dedicated to bashing your weight gain?! I mean, that would make even the most confident person waver.Check out what GaGa did in response to this body shaming...

http://blisstree.com/look/photos-of-lady-gaga-in-her-underwear-inspire-body-revolution-294/

YOU GO GAGA!

xo

Sarah

Put down that Iphone while you eat your pumpkin oatmeal!

Helloooooo there!

I hope everyone is doing well on this fine Saturday morning. I just finished a bowl of pumpkin oatmeal and coffee, both of which are contributing to the start of what should be a great Saturday. I haven't bloggy blogged since Wednesday, so I'll give you a quick rundown what I have been up to.

Here are the crispy lentils from Wednesday nights fire hazard.

 

Here are the lentils prior to the burn. They were actually pretty delicious! The recipe was from Whole Foods, and the dish was described as Indian baked beans. I was excited to make this because I was able to use my coconut oil for actual cooking instead of as a facial treatment!

Baked Coconut Lentils

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil


• 1 yellow onion, chopped


• 1 teaspoon ground ginger


• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric


• 1 pound lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)


• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped


• 2 teaspoons gluten-free reduced-sodium tamari soy sauce


• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Method: 

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in ginger and turmeric and cook 1 minute. Add 6 cups water, lentils and dates and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir in tamari and transfer lentils to a 2-quart baking dish or casserole. Cover and bake 30 minutes, then uncover, top with coconut and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until lentils are tender and coconut is golden
I didn't have any dates on hand so I went without them.  The dish was still quite tasty, but the dates would definitely have added more to the flavor and texture.

New fave pumpkin oatmeal! I adapted the recipe from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life after salivating over it while reading the blog.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

(adapted from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life)

• 1/3 cup oats


• 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk


• 1/3 – 2/3 cup water


• 2 tsp chia seeds


• 1/2 mashed banana ( I didn't have a nanner, but the oats tasted great without it!)


• 1/4 cup egg whites


• 1/4 – 1/3 cup pumpkin


• cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice


• Various Toppings: raisins, chopped nuts, granola, nut butter, maple syrup ( I used maple syrup, almond butter, and coconut!)

Combine oats, milk, water, and chia seeds in saucepot on stovetop. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir in remaining ingredients. Continue stirring occasionally until desired consistency is reached. Add toppings and feast!

I made this gem for dinner on Thursday night. This easy pasta dish is one of my fave meals my mom makes and I finally decided to make it in my own kitchen! My mom will kill me when she sees this pic because the recipe calls for orecchiette -not noodles. When I first asked for the recipe and said that I was going to use quinoa pasta instead of regular pasta,  she told me that the dish wouldn't be the same and that I should just follow the recipe. I did intend on using regular pasta, but coincidently I forgot to buy it and only had soba noodles! I didn't feel like going out just for pasta, so I went ahead with what I had on hand. The dish came out awesome, but I would recommend using orecchiette. You were right, Mom! 

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

-1 pound Italian Sausage (I use 1/2 fennel sausage and 1/2 hot,spicy), casings removed and meat crumbled. (Turkey or chicken sausage work fine, too.) I used precooked chicken sausage, but I think the Italian Sausage is much better

·       1 pound Orecchiette pasta
·       1 pound (bunch) broccoli rabe, washed, trimmed, and cut into 3-inch pieces
·       2 cloves garlic,finely chopped
·      1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
      1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
·       3-4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
·       Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
·       Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions
1.     In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add sausage meat and cook, stirring, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a bowl; set sausage and skillet aside.
2.    Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt and broccoli rabe. Cook 1 minute and remove broccoli rabe, set aside.  Return the pot of water to boiling.
3.    Add pasta to pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.
4.    Place reserved skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and fennel seed. Cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add drained broccoli rabe, and sausage to the skillet. Cook for 3-5 minutes and then add the orecchiette. Stir to combine, adding 1-2 cups reserved cooking liquid (or chicken broth) and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.
This dish reheats very well.  Just add an extra splash of chicken broth before reheating.

 

 

  Hmmmm... I wonder what's in here?

Oh, a brown butter pumpkin spice cupcake with carmalized pumpkin seeds! I could not think of a better thing to be inside that little box. :)  My fabulous boyfriend picked this up for me in his work travels. Luckily, he was out when I enjoyed this slice of heaven so I didn't have to share :) It. Was. Amazing.

I have a few more things to share, but I have to shower and get ready to go apple picking! YAY! I will be back later with a few more fun things.

Something to think about: I have read a plethora of articles that discuss how mindless we are when we eat. We watch tv, read, or fiddle around with the computer while we midlessly munch away on whatever meal or snack is in front of us. I am TOTALLY guilty of "multitasking" while I eat, and  there are times when I have no choice but to eat while doing something else. With that said, I am making an effort to focus on just eating when I am having a meal or snack.  Have you ever tried to do nothing but eat when you are eating? IT IS HARD!!!! I find myself subconsciously reaching for my cell phone or the nearest magazine  because I am simply not used to just EATING. I challenge you to try  this and shut EVERYTHING off while you eat. If you already do this, you are pretty awesome because I find it to be a huge challenge!

xo

Sarah

 

What's burning?

Happy hump day, friends!

As I was about to write this post, PJ called out from the bedroom and said "Swinny, what's burning?".  I had just eaten dinner, and I knew I had turned off the oven so I said confidently "Nothing".  I thought maybe the lentil dish I made was stinky? He came out to the kitchen and sure enough, something was in fact burning. I did turn off the oven, but I forgot to turn off one of the stove burners (eek!) and I placed the baking dish with the lentils on the hot burner and left it there while I enjoyed my dinner! OOPS! Needless to say, there were a whole bunch of crispy lentil leftovers. FAIL. I guess now I can't harass PJ for the Cajun Pizza I found in the oven over the weekend!

Last night for dinner, I made Pesto spaghetti squash with roasted tomatoes, balsamic glazed tofu, and manchego cheese. It was DELISH! I will definitely be whipping up this quick, easy meal regularly this fall!

Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes

(serves 2)

-1 spaghetti squash (cut/seeds removed)

- premade pesto

- 1 cup grape tomatoes

-manchego cheese

- fresh basil cut into ribbons

- salt and pepper to taste

- balsamic glazed tofu (you could easily use chicken!)

*To prepare the dish, preheat the oven to 375F. Place the squash flesh side down in a jelly roll pan. Fill the pan with 1/2 inch water. Bake squash for at least 35 – 40 minutes, or until you can easily pull the “noodles” out with a fork. Let cool for 5 minutes.  Roast tomatoes for 10-15 minutes.  Mix noodles with pesto (1-2 tbs per serving)  and a little salt and pepper.  Top with roasted tomatoes, manchego, and balsamic glazed tofu (make tofu while squash is baking). Enjoy!

I do enjoy making my own pesto, but in an effort to make this a speedy supper I bought pre-made pesto from Freshdirect this week. They have an awesome Green Basil and Pignoli Pesto! 

I will say that although the meal was delicious, I needed to get a second helping as the tofu and squash combo didn't fill me up with just one bowl. I used the tofu because it was in the fridge and I was going to marinate and cook it for salads this week anyways. I figured why not kill two birds with one stone? Going forward, I will probably add chicken instead of tofu to this dish as I think it would provide more "staying power".

I know this isn't a great pic, but I promise it tasted awesome. I concocted this little after dinner treat last night as I was craving something with pumpkin for dessert! I. Heart. Pumpkin.

Pumpkin Ricotta Bowl

-1/2 cup part skim (not fat free!) ricotta

-1.5 tbs of %100 pumpkin puree

-drizzle of agave nectar

-sprinkle of cinammon

-sprinkle of nutmeg

This morning I stayed on the pumpkin train with some pumpkin overnight oats.  Mine were a little soupy (but still delish!) because I added a little too much milk. Woops!

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

• 1/3 cup rolled oats


• 1/3 almond milk cup milk


• 1/3 cup pumpkin


• 1-2 tbsp chia seeds


• 1/2 banana


• Pinch cinnamon + nutmeg + salt


• A spoonful of Almond Butter

Mix everything but almond butter together and set in fridge overnight. Add toppings in AM and eat. Microwave for 20 seconds to take the chill off if you would like!

No workout for me today. I'm still sore from the Super Sweaty Circuit I completed on Monday.  I actually think I am more sore today than yesterday! Ouch.

Alright, it's off to read and hit the hay. I  just downloaded 50 Shades of Grey ( I know, I'm behind!) and I'm looking forward to reading a few pages before bed. Sleep well!

xo

Swinny

A Windy Washout..

The title of this post would have worked so much better if it was Wednesday, dontcha think?! I initially typed Wednesday after windy and then realized that it is only Tuesday! Oh, well. It rained here in New York today so luckily I was able to sub in washout for Wednesday and get my alliteration fix! :)

Last night before dinner, I hit up the Jersey City Farmer's Market to pick up my "crack apples" (aka Honey Crisps!).

Gords! Fall is here!

I picked up these little slices of heaven at my fave gourmet market.  I posted a month or so ago about the Detox Macaroons I made from Oh She Glows.They were delicious, but they didn't have much of a shape to them . I also had some issues making my own coconut butter, so I purchased these pre-made macaroons to see what "the real thing" should taste like. I am happy to say they tasted just like mine, except they have an actual macaroon shape to them (and I didn't have to make them)! If you find these at a store near you I would highly recommend picking them up!

I Love when not only are there ONLY 6 ingredients in a product, but I also know what each ingredient is (for the most part!).

I adapted this delicious Quinoa and Corn Skillet  adapted from Cheese Please by Jess. It was delicious and had three of my favorite features in a dish: 1. Color, 2. Nutrition,  and 3. Cheese!

Ingredients
(adapted from Cheese Please by Jess)

- 2 ears or 2 cups of frozen corn

- 1-2 tbs oil

-1/4 white onion, chopped

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

-1 tomato diced

-2 tbs of cilantro

-1 lime juiced

- salt

-pepper

-grated manchego cheese

-1 cup cooked quinoa

 

In a large skillet, melt a tablespoon of oil over medium heat.  Add 1/4 cup onions and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.  Add two cups of corn and saute for another 5 minutes.  Add diced tomato, jalapeno, cooked quinoa, salt and pepper.   Let cook for another 8-10 minutes.  Lastly add the cilantro, lime juice and grate the manchego cheese over the dish.  Stir together and serve in a bowl.  Enjoy!

I served the quinoa concoction with a mustard glazed salmon and braised kale.  For the salmon, I mixed whole grain Dijon and regular Dijon mustard together and smoothed the combo over the salmon. I broiled the salmon until it reached 126 degrees on my meat thermometer. On a side note, If you don't have a meat thermometer, you must buy one. It changed my life... and PJ's. This little gadget saved PJ from what we now refer to as my formerly famous "medium rare chicken". EEK!  Hey... there's a learning curve in cooking, right?

After dinner, PJ and I had tea (in our rocking chairs) and Honey Crisp apples!

Breakfast this am was coffee (duh!),  fresh melon, and a sprouted grain english muffin with almond butter and chia seeds!

Sorry for the poor pic. Lunch today was a salmon wrap with spinach and a scoop of the quinoa skillet from last night! I am not a big leftovers for dinner person, so I love when I can use the ingredients from a great dinner to create a new and fun lunch for work! Score.

 

Today was a yoga day!  If you scan the background, you can see we purchase Target's  Up and Up toilet paper :) hahaha.

Ok, time to get ready for another day and hit the hay!

xo

Sarah

Something to read and think about : Check out this article on exercise and it's impact on weight. I am in full agreement with this article's position on the relationship. What are your thoughts?

 

Happy Monday and L'Shanah Tova

Hello!

Happy Monday and L'Shanah Tova to all my Jewish friends! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend :)  I don't know how the weather was where you are located,  but here in NY it was just gorgeous!  I feel like the second September hit, the humidity and high temperatures instantly disappeared (knock on wood!) resulting in what seems to be an earlier than usual crispness in the air!  I have said in previous posts that I am a major fan of the fall, and the quick weather transition we are currently experiencing is certainly a welcome gift!  Since Saturday when I last popped in, nothing much has been going on. I spent Saturday cleaning, planning meals/ordering groceries, and vegging! PJ and I caught some of Boogie Nights on one of the movie channels and got sucked into finishing the movie. It was one of those depressing films with what I guess I would label as a happy ending. It was crazy to see a movie with Julianne Moore 15 years younger and  sporting blue eye shadow and roller skates! I decided to continue the vegg-fest and stay in on Saturday evening instead of making plans. I just really wanted to chillax and recharge the ol' batteries after my eventful Thursday and Friday evenings.  I ordered some fabulous sushi and called it a night! Yesterday morning I woke up rested and recharged and decided to hit the gym for a little run. I have said in previous posts that I don't run much anymore, but I agreed  to join PJ in a 10k road race at the end of September. This race is run by Dogfish Head, one of the breweries PJ's company represents. The race is called The Dogfish Dash  and the proceeds go to the Delaware Chapter of Nature Conservancy. I have a few things to say with regards to this "race": 1. I will not be "racing", but trotting along in hopes of making it the 6.2 miles.  2. Part(almost all!) of the reason I decided to run the race is that it is near Dewey Beach (Delaware) , and we are going to make a long weekend out of it. 3. I think it will be something fun to do as a couple! 4.I don't hate running when there is a purpose besides burning calories. 5. I am hoping they give some of their Dogfish Punkin' out at the end of the race! Yum. With all that said, I am VERY slowly trying to ramp up my running routine. The race is in two weeks, but I'm not going to go nuts training. If I have to walk, I'll walk. Speaking of pumpkin beer, after my workout yesterday I showered up, and PJ and I headed to "watch" some football with our friends. Watching football for me meant sipping a pumpkin brew, catching up on some work, and socializing. I am not a football (or any sport, really) fan. I think my lack of interest in sports is due to the fact that: A) I danced 6 days a week until I reached high school, and that was the only "sport" I had interest in. B) Neither of my parents were huge sports fans. Sometimes I do feel like a bit of an outsider as most of my friends are die-hard fans of one team or another. I, however , have gotten fairly comfy with just tagging along occasionally for the food and friendship :) This was dinner last night. Actually, this is a picture from last weekend when I ordered the SAME exact thing from VB3 restaurant. Think I am a fan of this pizza and salad!?  The only difference with last night's dinner was that I added an extra slice and nixed the glass of vino (Come to think of it, I went back for a second piece of this pizza last weekend, too!) The pizza is topped with wild mushroom, truffle, and thyme; the salad has candied walnuts, feta, and craisins. Delightful.

I finally decided to try making my own "green juice" since I was spending a fortune on my daily indulgence from DOCO. For the record, I would continue to go to DOCO every morning if I had an endless supply of disposable cash! Their juices are in a league of their own. In the past, I have blogged about making the Green Monster smoothie. It's delicious, but I personally like the consistency of simple green juice in the morning rather than a thick smoothie. Part of my reasoning is that I enjoy eating breakfast with my juice, and breakfast with the green monster smoothie is too much for my belly. I made a batch of this Sunday morning and enjoyed the rest of it this am! **Note** I drank half of this juice before remembering to take a photo, hence the half full glass.

Simple Green Juice

Makes about 2 large glasses

-1 small banana

-1 apple

-2 cups of kale

-2 cups of spinach

-1.5 cups of water (coconut water would be better!)

- grated ginger (to taste)

**NOTE** I did not actually measure the ingredients; these are just guestimations.  I would air on the side of caution with the water and add more to adjust the consistency.

I enjoyed my juice with a  Food For Life sprouted grain english muffin  topped with cottage cheese. Yum.

On a side note, I tried Annie's Green Goddess dressing instead of the regular Goddess dressing that I have been raving about.  The verdict: I like the traditional Goddess dressing MUCH better. Something about this variation doesn't thrill me. I wanted to share a workout with you that I found over at Peanut Butter Fingers  .  I tried it this afternoon and damnnnnn it was tough! There were some adaptations (ehhemmm..:)...)  to my workout as I thought I might keel over.

Super Sweaty Circuit

1. 15 dumbell squat to overhead press

2. 12 Burpees 3. 20 reverse lunge w/ front kick (each leg!)

4. 60 Sec. jumping jacks

5. 15 bicep curls

6. 12 burpees (ughhhh!)

7. 25 pushups (modified aka girly pushups for me!)

8. 60 sec plank

Repeat this sequence 3x with a one minute rest in between each sequence. I used 5lb weights and only went through the circuit 2x. I had done 20 min on the treadmill prior to attempting this and felt like 2x was plenty (all I could handle!). It's tough, but fun! The time goes by quickly, and you will definitely be a schweaty mess when you finish. Next time I decide to do this workout , I plan on sticking with a 10 minute walking warmup and then attempting three runs through. I'll keep ya posted :)

Alright, time to go! I will be back tomorrow :)

Something to check out:  So, not only is Blake Lively gorgeous, successful, and married to RYAN REYNOLDS (yum), she also has a pretty fantastic outlook when it comes to body image and happiness. Check out what she has to say here. For some reason, I believe her and don't think she is full of  BS like so many  of the celebrities who speak out on these topics!

xo Sarah

I heart coconut oil

Ok, people- so I bought my first jar of coconut oil and I swear it has changed my life. As someone who struggles with the occasional facial breakout ( and someone who can't leave any blemishes alone!), my friend Le-La had recommended coconut oil to me for its ability to heal blemishes and scars. I took note of the products benefits, but I didn't purchase it. This week, I had made a slight mess of my face and I knew I had to try something to help expedite the healing process. I was willing to try anything, and I remembered what Le- La had said about how the coconut oil had worked to help clear her skin. I purchased a jar of organic coconut oil, googled how to use it on the face, and within minutes I had slathered my face in that fabulously fragrant oil. I also put a dollop of the oil on specific blemishes and left the oil there overnight. Within 2 days, my face has almost completely cleared up! AMAZING. Originally, the thought of using coconut oil on my face seemed like a weird idea as oil tends to make the skin and hair greasy. For some reason the oil from the coconut does not leave greasy residue or cause blemishes!  As a bonus to clear skin, you can also use the product in your hair and for cooking!

I have been using the oil on my face each day and leaving it on for about 1 hour. I then rinse it off and dab it on specific areas that need extra attention if you know what I mean! For information about the benefits of coconut oil, click here!

Let's move on to some of the cooking and meals that have taken place over here in the past few days.

On Wednesday night, this bad boy came out of hiding, and I'm sure glad he did! I happen to think the crockpot is on of the most fantastic inventions ever.

I made this awesome bean and corn chilli that I adapted from Skinny Taste . For the recipe, click here. I topped the chilli with a dollop of Chobani and cilantro. DELISH. It was so easy, filling, and nutritious! I will be making this again for sure. I doctored the original recipe a bit by adding fresh minced garlic and more spices than the original recipe called for.  Also, I used lean ground turkey instead of the chicken. I cooked the turkey separately, and then mixed it in to PJ's dish. I was personally fine without the meat as we had this hearty dish on the side....

I whipped up this hearty oat loaf  that I adapted from sweet tooth sweet life to go with the chilli! This bread rocked my socks off, and PJ and I have been munching on it quite frequently since Wednesday!

Hearty Oat Loaf

Ingredients:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 cup whole wheat flour

- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp quick-cooking oats, divided (*I only had old-fashioned oats, and it tasted totally fine)

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 3 tsp baking powder

- 3/4 tsp salt

- 1 egg

- 1-1/2 cups fat-free milk ** I used almond milk which worked perfectly!

- 3 tbsp canola oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flours, 1/2 cup oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, combine the egg, milk, and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Spread batter into an 8- or 9-in. round baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Sprinkle with the remaining oats.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.  Serve warm.

I topped this bread with honey butter  ( 1tbs of melted butter mixed with 1 tsp of honey!) which was delicious paired with the oaty bread.

Thursday morning I had an extremely early breakfast presentation, and I wasn't feeling particularly hungry before the meeting. I picked this juice up at Starbucks to tide me over until I was ready for a real breakfast. I will say, I did not love this juice. Yes, there are lots of good ingredients in it, but you can taste the sugary apple juice and pineapple juice that were used instead of real, fresh apple and pineapple. I will admit that I may be a little bit spoiled from my frequent trips to the fresh juice bar in Jersey City.

Cheapest Honey Crisps I have found so far this year. I picked these up at the farmers market in Jersey City on Thursday night, and I was kicking myself for spending $3.11 p/lb at a market the day before! As expensive as these apples are, they are damn well worth it!

PJ Loves Honey Crisps. Chomp Chomp Chomp.

Another delicious fall item that I consumed this week was my fave pumpkin beer, Dogfish Punkin' Ale. I love pumpkin beers (and pretty much anything else pumpkin!).

Last night, PJ and I went to a wedding for one of his fraternity brothers. It was an absolutely beautiful wedding, and the weather was perfect for the outside evening ceremony and cocktail hour. I didn't take many pics, but one thing I particularly loved were the favors provided by the bride and groom.

I couldn't fit a pic of the whole card, but instead of traditional favors they donated to a rescue foundation for doggies! What a great idea! I have received some cool wedding favors, but in my opinion, donating to a foundation that saves animals is the best favor I  have ever received.

They had a photo booth! PJ and I have never done a photo booth together, so I was pretty psyched to get this pics! What is even funnier than our goofy faces is that every couple who did the photo booth had the same progression of pics: nice smiles, kissing, then goofy faces. We all had a good laugh over it! If you and you significant other have photo booth pics, check if they follow the same line-up as ours! I bet they do :)

I apologize AGAIN for the demon eyes, but my camera wizard will not correct them! PJ looks very handsome, dontcha think?  :)

Brekkie this AM was a hunk of my healthy oat loaf, a honey crisp apple, and some cottage cheese! I put the broiler on to heat and crisp up the bread, and I hadn't even put the bread in I noticed smoke coming out of the oven. Hmm....

When I opened the oven, I found this charred substance. Apparently, PJ put pizza in the oven the other day to heat up and forgot about it. Cajun breakfast pizza, anyone?!

Alright, it's a beautiful day and I have some things to get done around the apartment! I'm hoping to get my yoga on later today!

Have a beautiful Saturday!

XO

Sarah