“Hot Feet run in the morning, then cold brews in the afternoon.”

YES PLEASE! I was having a crazy day so his  message was really appreciated. I spent much of yesterday driving to appointments, running around at work and making phone calls. Did I mention that it all started with an 8am fender bender? It was nothing serious. I was rear-ended at a traffic light and my bumper has a few scratches. I’ve never had to deal with something like this before and spent a good amount of time on the phone with a lady from my insurance company. Despite the craziness, all was not lost. I think I found an apartment with a real kitchen . Is it weird that I already have a list of goodies I want to make? At the end of August my blog will become a LOT more interesting. I can’t wait!

I went for a run this morning to prepare for my Sunday. I am planning to run about 10-miles so preparations are necessary. I fueled with a Super-Charge-Me Cookie and ran a light 3-miles. I have been playing around with a few “pre-run” foods and think I am going to wake up early and have peanut butter and banana toast before my long run. The best fuel for me seems to be some combination of banana and peanut butter.

When I got back I made a Green Monster Smoothie in a Bowl. I love cooling down with a refreshing breakfast. And this one had Dark Chocolate Dreams!

Blender: 1 frozen banana, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 scoop Dark Chocolate Dreams PB, 1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder, 2 handfuls of spinach, cinnamon, ice.

Toppings: Vanilla Granola, Coconut Butter, Handful of Blueberries (at the bottom of my bowl haha).

Lunch today is another “whatever-isn’t-spoiled-in-my-fridge” production.

Salad: Spinach, Cucumber, Tomato, Radish, Olive Oil/Balsamic

Sandwich: Thick slice of 8-grain 3- seed bread, sunflower seed butter, Crofter’s Europe Superfruit Spread.

I actually was really satisfied with lunch yesterday. I had a small snack later in the afternoon but it held me over quite nicely. The 8-grain 3-seed bread is really dense and hearty. A thick slice with nut-butter filled me right up! Amazing and delicious.

Planning a little treat for dinner tonight, can’t wait!!

Weekend Plotting,

Nora

Do you make weekend plans during the week?

]]> http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/29/hot-feet-cold-brews/feed/ 7 http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/28/night-owl/ http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/28/night-owl/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:35:19 +0000 Nora http://www.livelifeeatright.com/?p=2959

Overnight Oats: 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt, 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 banana, 1/2 TBS chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract, blueberries, 1 heaping TBS sunflower seed butter.

Despite my failing refrigerator, I broke down and bought more soy milk. I found that certain parts of my fridge are colder than others, so I am hoping that it is going to be okay for now… I am attempting to use it as quickly as possible. I made overnight oats for breakfast in a wine glass to be fancy. It kept cold and was refreshing. I also had a little something-something in the middle of the night: cold cereal and milk.

~1/3 Kashi GoLean Crunch, ~1/2 cup vanilla soy milk

I’m not sure why, but last night I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. I think it is just because I am anxious about finding a new apartment and have a lot on my mind. I was thirsty and started to get a little bit hungry. If there is one thing I know, it is that I can not fall asleep if I am hungry so I fixed myself this snack around…oh 3am. It was perfect and I slept like a baby. I miss cold cereal and milk. I cant even the last time I had it for breakfast!

Essentially everything of substance in my refrigerator has spoiled. My lunch was an effort to eat veggies, use things before they spoil and still be satisfied.

Most Random Lunch Ever:1 thick slice of 8-grain 3-seed bread, almond butter and Crofter’s Asia Superfruit Spread

Salad: Spinach, Beets, Cucumber, Tomato, Radish, Olive Oil/Vinegar.

I anticipate that I might be hungry after this so I packed dried fruit and nuts as well. Looks like nut butters and carbs and Larabars will be my main sources of nutrition for the next few days!! UGH. I miss my cheese .

Making It Work,

Nora

a cold breakfast and a crisp lunch.

Confession: This is my breakfast from yesterday. I didn’t post this but thought it needed recognition. It was the perfect consistency and FINALLY cold because I was successful with “operation duct the fridge”. The banana/chocolate/creamy/cool combination rocks my world. It takes me back to my days at Girl Scout camp making “banana boats” with banana, chocolate chips and marshmallows in the campfire. Oh to be young again.

Real Breakfast:A rather frothy Green Monster Smoothie In A Bowl topped with Galaxy Granola and extra Coconut Butter (my peanut butter supply was low so I added extra coconut butter to the top today.)

Stay Cool Lunch:

Salad: Spinach, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, 1/3 block of 5-grain tempeh, sugar snap peas, mint. Olive Oil/Balsamic.

Apparently I really like fruits, veggies and topping everything with mint. I’m pretty sure I’ve already exceeded the recommended 5-cups of fruit and veggies…yet again.

Another Confession: I’m already excited for dinner tonight. It’s another little something-something I have been dreaming about.

Day Dreams,

Nora

]]> http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/21/functional-food/feed/ 5 http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/16/why-salad/ http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/16/why-salad/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:07:33 +0000 Nora http://www.livelifeeatright.com/?p=2707 Why Salad? Because I could never fit that much food between two slices of bread.

My big lunch box.

I devoured this at my work desk….lame I know. It helped me get through some paperwork.

Another reason why I have lunch time salads at the end of the week is because I refuse to let  good food go to waste. Salads are the perfect way to finish the contents of my produce drawer. PILE IT ON! I’m always up for a challenge.  Every week I buy the “family sized” containers of spinach. I usually have a random handful left on Friday so I celebrate “Smoothie Friday” for breakfast.

Green Monster Smoothie: 1 frozen banana, ~1.5 TBS crunchy peanut butter, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, cinnamon, vanilla whey protein powder, ice, spinach.

To curb my midday chocolate craving, I mindlessly ate a Quaker’s Delight Raspberry Mocha Cafe Square. I say ‘mindlessly’ because I’m pretty sure I wasn’t actually hungry. I just needed something to lift my spirits.

I am not in love with the ingredient list but I am in love with the flavor. It definitely gave me the pick me up I needed. I was having a somewhat “bummed out” afternoon. Chocolate solves all.

It was a long day of sitting at a computer at work followed by a 1.5 hour drive home.  I didn’t do anything taxing, however; my eyes hurt and I could easily go to sleep right now (it’s barely 6:30). I always feel slightly lethargic when I don’t have much going on during the course of the day. It’s bizarre, really. At least it’s the weekend and that is something to celebrate!!

Wine Time,

Nora

What does your work day consist of? How do you break things up?

I had a few bites of cereal before heading out and made a Jolly Green Breakfast when I returned.

My refrigerator is functioning and the temperature in my apartment wasn’t 100 degrees. I was FINALLY able to make a thick smoothie!!  The the the cold and creamy combination of banana, peanut butter and cinnamon was hearty and refreshing this morning. I’ll never get sick of these!

Jolly Green Lunch Box (literally):

It's okay...drool.

I swear adding fresh basil and mint makes my boring greens sing. My salad was looking a little light without protein and  avocado so I decided to bump up my meal with a thick slice of Pecan Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough and a Siggi’s. I have every intention on toasting the bread and topping it with yogurt. To each their own.

I’m hoping this will hold me over until dinner. I have a special “early bird”  dinner date tonight .

Jolly Green Me?….just trying to stick to the theme. Well, I’m pretty Jolly and I like to be eco-friendly and “go green”…that’s a stretch but it works!

MY DAD IS IN TOWN!!!!

Ready for the Weekend,

Nora

]]> http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/15/jolly-and-green/feed/ 5 http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/08/parisian-dreams/ http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/08/parisian-dreams/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:26:40 +0000 Nora http://www.livelifeeatright.com/?p=2500 I’m convinced that I belong in France. The land if bread, cheese and wine...I could live off that .
During my personal picnic dinner last night (*ahem* lame) I kept alternating between bites of my caprese baguette and berries. It made my heart sing. For lunch (or dinner….I packed 2 meals and can’t decide what to have when. Will post later.) today I needed to create a sandwich equal to that caliber.

Sandwich: Sourdough Baguette, Fresh Herb Pesto, Fresh Mozzarella and Strawberries.

Salad: Romaine, Blueberries, Cucumber, Celery, Almonds, Sprouts, 1/4 avocado, balsamic/olive oil.

Side: Apple

I can already tell that it will be delicious .

Breakfast was the only thing I could handle–A Green Monster Smoothie In A Bowl.Extra soupy today because it warmed up so quickly. (Last night my ice cream started melting before I started eating. NO FUN!)

In the Mix: 1 frozen banana, handful of ice cubes, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, cinnamon, 1 TBS crunchy natural peanut butter, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 2 handfuls of baby spinach.

Toppings: ~3-4 TBS Galaxy Granola, Coconut Butter

Cool Factor,

Nora

What unique ways do you use fresh summer berries?

HAPPY 4th of July!

I’m SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad that I came home! I had the BEST sleep last night in my air-conditioned room. I even slept in for once in my life.

Sunday+Home= Dad’s Breakfast Kitchen. On the menu: 3 egg white omelet with goat cheese, spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes topped of with more goat cheese, hot sauce and cracked black pepper and a side of orange juice. After breakfast chef dad continued to exhibit his kitchen skills and whipped up a batch of his famous GIGANTIC extra foamy cappuccinos .

Because I slept in, this was more of a “brunch” today. While waiting for our feast I munched on a baby apple and hung out with a frog in my mom’s garden….no big deal.

Ribbit.

I continued my “garden adventure” later this afternoon. I became one with nature and climbed a tree….because you are never too old to climb a tree.The sky was blue, the temperature was warm but not humid and there was a gentle breeze– the perfect day. My dad and I decided that a bike ride was in order. I pulled out the Trek and went for a 2 hour ride with my dad. Half way through we stopped to walk around a near by lake where TONS of people were gathered for swimming, grilling and 4th of July celebrations. Seeing people brought together by food makes me happy. I love family time.The entire way home I kept thinking about ice cream a green monster. It was so hot and I needed something to replenish and cool me down. Once again I compromised the integrity of my dad’s beer glass and filled it with green goodness.

Sam Adams...hulkified.

Green Monster: 1 frozen banana, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 TBS crunchy natural peanut butter, Chocolate Vega Wholefood Health Optimizer, cinnamon, ice, 2 handfuls of baby spinach.

Like my mom’s garden cat? MEOW! I sipped on this green beauty outside while reading my bible: Ina Garten’s Back to Basics. She is my idol. This was the perfect afternoon, I couldn’t have asked for anything more .

I’m off to shower and bake…big grilling plans this evening. I believe one of my favorite wines might be making an appearance too .

Serenity,

Nora

What is your ideal afternoon?

]]> http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/04/garden-adventures/feed/ 9 http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/02/the-grateful-green-monster/ http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/07/02/the-grateful-green-monster/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:47:48 +0000 Nora http://www.livelifeeatright.com/?p=2357

Happy Smoothie Friday!!

I thought a Green Monster would be an appropriate way to end my week of breakfast tributes. Many food blogs have inspired me to try this and the variations are endless. That is what I love about the food blog community; the wealth of health and food knowledge and the variety. With all of the food inspiration out there, it is impossible to be bored.

To give credit where credit was do, I believe it was Angela’s blog Oh She Glows, where I first stumbled upon this green goodness. Although intimidated by the color at first, I eventually gave it a try and have been hooked ever since. It reminded me that you should never judge a book by its cover. Maybe it’s just me but I find something so refreshing and uplifting about adding greens into my smoothie. My energy levels soar.

It has been a trial and error process to find the smoothie that has worked for me. I take my inspiration from Jenna, and add a big ‘ole glob of crunchy natural peanut butter right into the mix, and from Kath by eating it SIAB style (smoothie in a bowl) with a spoon and topping it off with granola and a coconut butter “magic shell”. (Love finding coconut ‘candy’ surprises in my smoothie!). I often will add my own twist with copious amounts of cinnamon or even canned pumpkin to give it a hearty feel.

In my mix today: 1 frozen banana, handful of ice cubes, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein (prefer chocolate but I’m out), 1 big TBS crunchy peanut butter, cinnamon and lots of baby spinach.

Toppings: Coconut Butter, Nature’s Path Vanilla Almond Granola, Galaxy Granola (post photo handful)

Everyone in the food blog community is different, however; our commitment  is the same–healthy living, healthy attitudes and lots of fun along the way.

Cheers,

Nora

In other news Galaxy Granola is back in my life! I felt like I needed just one more item in my cereal collection. I tried their regular vanilla a while back and loved that it kept it’s crunchy texture in my smoothies and yogurt through the last bite. They were out of the regular so I picked up the “not sweet vanilla”. It had a great texture and I consumed several handfuls from the bag; however, the flavor just was not the same. In an attempt to keep my yogurt cold for my lunch box, I placed it back in the decrepit refrigerator post photo…and left it there, boo . It ended up being okay because one of my co-workers gave me a couple of “f-oreos” (fake oreo cookies) later in the afternoon which made up for it . When I got home I had Siggis on my mind. I had a pre-dinner snack at 5:30pm  of Siggi‘s and Galaxy Granola. The yogurt was so thick and held the heavy granola on my spoon with ease! I liked the flavor but I actually thought it was a bit too thick. I’m a big Greek yogurt fan, and I hate to admit that I ended up adding vanilla soy milk in at the end because it felt chalky. Maybe I just need to try the plain.

Homeward Bound,

Nora

What is your favorite granola? (flavor and/or brand)

Super-charge me!

Replenish me. (Like my mom's window treatments?)

Good Morning! Good Morning! Good Morning! I am a ball of energy today (clearly) and it’s all because I started off on the right foot. I was wide awake at 5:45am and it was a lovely 64 degrees out. I decided to take advantage of the peaceful morning and go for a run. Before heading out I had a super-charge me cookie. A cookie first thing in the morning? YES PLEASE! No wonder I’m in such a good mood .

I ran a slow and steady 40 minutes. It was peaceful as always and I even had some warming “hellos” and “good mornings” from other early birds out running, walking and biking. Maybe it’s just me but people seem more friendly at 6am than 6pm.

After my run I had to multitask and have breakfast while getting ready for work. I decided on a big ‘ol Green Monster to refresh and replenish. I went a bit heavier on the peanut butter today, and it tasted even more AMAZING!

In my blender: 5 ice cubes, 1 large frozen banana, ~1.5 (?) TBS crunchy natural peanut butter, cinnamon, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (ran out of chocolate and randomly found this in my pantry), 1 cup vanilla soy milk and 2 cups baby spinach.

I’m titling my lunch box today, “I Love You Produce, Please Don’t Die.” I had some lettuce in the fridge walking a fine line between life and death and avocados tend to go bad in the blink of an eye. Since I am not one to waste, I used my soon-to-expire produce and packed a salad, sandwich and standard apple for lunch today.

Salad: almost bad lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, feta cheese, 1 large carrot, broccoli, chopped almonds, balsamic.

Sandwich: whole wheat bread, Farmer’s Market hummus, clover sprouts, vine ripe tomato and avocado.

After yesterday’s snack attack, I packed an emergency kit for work:A variety of crunchy and nutty to satisfy whatever my craving may be. I’m already eying that Cashew Cookie Larabar for later:). I forgot still had a few of those in my collection.

Bring it on Tuesday,

Nora

What do you do for “snack emergencies”?