Successful Packing!

Hello!
I am off to Disney World tomorrow morning!! Whoop! It is currently 3:57 PM and I have packed nothing. My clothes are currently heaped in a giant pile in the middle of my room. But not to worry, because this year my mom and I are road trippin' which means no weight limit on my bag! Boo yah! No liquid limit on all my (completely necessary)styling products! Saweet! and I can pack all of my food in the car! (which is obviously my priority.)
I woke up this morning, did the breakfast thang... An English muffin and 2 clementines (the first half I ate while trying to find the camera :) ) Yoga and a shower followed and then I was pumped to make MY LAST GREEN MONSTER AT HOME :( It had to be epic... So I used the usual kale (3 leaves!), banana, oiko's, honey, almond milk and amazing meal...and AMAZING it was! I drank that sucker down!
Yes, I even drank it in a red party cup like the classy woman I am :) Some hummus and carrots were consumed while making the monster and then I was off to Whole Foods (for the last time, hugeee sigh, I have a slight love affair with that place) to buy my fixin's for the car! And buy I did, I probably went overboard but I plan to pack my snacks for our days in the parks so that I can control portions, calories, and most importantly, eat vegetarian and organic as much as possible.
Since I love seeing what other bloggies buy at the grocery store, I am giving y'all the whole deal... I got a little bit of everything from clementines, jazz apples, a spare jar of my favorite peanut butter, saltines (for my tummy when my mother's reckless driving takes over), organic animal crackers (my downfall and favorite treat handsdown), and a huge bag of carrots. I got other stuff too, but its already packed up.
Clearly, my priorities are in order, I will have plenty to eat and nothing to wear :) haha oy vey!
One last thing before I actually pack, I am bringing a cooler in the car, not for soda, water, or anything normal...but to keep my hummus addiction alive!!!

See that cool whip container? Yea, its not cool whip...its homemade hummus! along with the two tubs on top! You would think the world just ran out of chickpeas, but alas its just for me :) I just want to be prepared!
I probably won't blog tomorrow since we will be on the road all day, but after that prepare yourself because y'all are coming to Disney with me! I promise fun recaps, lots of pictures, and good eats!
Happy New Year everyone! Stay safe tonight!
~Jenn

L'eau

Hello World!
So I am horrible at blogging daily when the rest of my life has no schedule. I am a very organized and dependable person at school, but when I get home I just cant seem to get in gear. I took yesterday off, but I did want to mention that I tried Amazing Meal in my green monster for breakfast!
You see that dark green color...I wasn't afraid of it, in my mind it just means extra healthy! It tasted pretty legit too. I mixed in the usuals plus some blueberry oikos. A little tea and 2 clementines and I was good to go! Too bad the only place I went was the couch, where I remained...the REST OF THE DAY. OY VEY!! I was such a vegetable and not in the good way where you are like actually eating to many veggies and a parent yells at you for being so healthy (in a loving way of course!)
BUT, as a little saving grace (read: saving face) I made sure to drink lots and lots of water! This past summer I bought myself this fancy teal green Sigg water bottle and I just adore it! I saved hundreds of dollars by not having to purchase water bottles while at school, I drank more water, and I looked cute because its a cool color (DUH)! I mean let's be real, grabbing a plastic bottle every single time you want a drink is WASTEFUL...and if we are all trying to eat clean, then why should our surroundings not be clean as well? Every time I take a sip out of this guy, I like to picture the thousands of water bottles I am saving from a landfill! How motivating: doing something good for you and the planet!
While I zoned out on the couch yesterday (catching up on season 4 of Dexter), I made a personal goal to drink 4 bottles full of water! AND I DID IT! Talk about cleansing! Mah skin is glowing so bright I am surprised it is not busting through your computer!
Okay well I am pooped from all this doing nothing, so I am off to read everyone else's blogs until I pass out!
TaTa!
Jenn

No Stopping Me

Hello friends!
How are all of you today?! I have seen better days, because yesterday a yucky head-cold took over my body and is not letting go. But I assure you I am fighting back the best way I know how, by listening to my body and letting it recover naturally. I am feeling a little better post home cooked meal, so I will be venturing out to see some high school friends in a little while. Like the title says, I won't be stopped by this little hiccup :)
Onto the eats of the day. I could not wrap my head around a green monster this morning (which is how I know I am actually sick because I usually crave them!) so I had blueberry Oiko's with granola and a banana:

Hit the spot and kept me full while I edited all my pictures from the past couple of days. It was a lovely and peaceful Christmas around here, and I think I documented it all very thoroughly (read: I edited over a hundred pictures today!). I have just a slight case of OCD ;) I try no to let it get the best of me. Around 12:30 I was hanngryyy, and my poor throat just wanted something warm and soothing. Cue Amy's organic veggie soup and a tortilla with melted cheese, hummus, salsa, and raw kale.
Umm, I don't know about anyone else, but I DO NOT enjoy raw kale! Blech!!!! I tried so hard to eat it in my tortilla, but by the end this little guy just got left behind: I will officially be sticking to green monsters for my kale intake thank you!
I got a little stir crazy by mid-afternoon so I took a little jaunt to Target. BAD IDEA. It was packed! But, I was gone long enough to work up an appetite and ate about 1/2 of this: It was my first try of the Amazing grass products, and I must say, not to bad! I have definitely eaten worse bars. Plus I felt good eating something I knew was so clean and natural.
When I got home my dad informed me it would be a while until dinner, so I made a classic snack: apple with melted WF peanut butter and cinnamon It was yummmmm.
I'm pretty sure that the point of Target is to buy stuff you do not need. I purchased some new nail polish that was on clearance called "Shrimply Delight!" If the color had been ugly, I'm pretty sure I would have bought it for the title alone. Anyways, post snack I watched a French movie (working on my comprehension) and had some girl time. Wanna see??? Okay... Not exactly a winter color, but I have a Florida trip rapidly approaching that demands hot pink nails!
Din-Din came about quickly after, and I was craving meat! Must have been low iron levels because I have not eaten any red meat in over 6 months, but tonight...well that is a different story. My dad's meatloaf is no joke, it is one of my favorite things he makes and I decided that tonight was going to be a little different. I smothered it in organic ketchup (thanks Whole Foods!) and gobbled it down with loads of broccoli and 2 baby red potatoes.
I realized that eating things in moderation has given me a lot of peace of mind lately. I ate the meatloaf, enjoyed it, and am now completely content to go back to a predominately vegetarian diet. The overeating that occurred on Christmas day only reconfirmed my feelings about eating in moderation and although some days are more of a struggle than others, I feel as though I am overcoming a lot of the issues I have with food. I can't lie, finding a bloggie community completely dedicated to the subject has been a great help!
Well, that's all she wrote for today~
Jenn

Christmas Day with the fam!

Merry Christmas Everyone!
I hope you are all having as much quality bonding time with your family's as I am! Even though my sister could not fly in this year because she just started her first job post-college (yay!), my dad and I kept with tradition and went to church first thing this morning. Because I was still practically asleep, I neglected to take a picture of my green monster, but I assure you all I started my day off right! Here is our annual pre-church photo: I find that as I get older, I value these photos more and more. There is nothing as great as quality time with your dad :)
Following church, we opened gifts, which were limited this year since my parents are being beyond generous and helping me fulfill my dreams of living in D.C. for a semester and sending me to Strasbourg. Honestly, this is the best gift they have ever given me and I could care less that our tree was a little lighter underneath than usual. BUT, I could not neglect them, so I did what any great college student/daughter does...I got them Syracuse t-shirts! How cute are they!!!! They loved the shirts!
After presents, I was craving a warm bowl of oatmeal (surprise). This bowl was amazing, I think I have hit my stride with my oatmeal recipes because I really cannot get enough. Today I used, 1/2 cup of almond milk and water (each) with 1/2 cup organic oats, 1/2 banana mashed in, 1 tbsp WF peanut butter, a bunnnnch of cinnamon, and a graham on top!
Did y'all know Walgreens is open on Christmas day?! Well I didn't until I drove by one! So of course I went in for things I did not need, like this hat: I didn't actually buy it, instead I chose antlers with lights on them for tonight's christmas party. This way it won't mess up my hairdo! ;) Such a girl sometimes..anyways, I am sure there will be pictures coming tomorrow!
When I returned it was time to prep my vegan dish for the BIG meal. I was beyond excited that my dad (the chef of the house) let me cook a dish!I roasted acorn squash, carrot, yellow squash, zucchini, and broccoli dusted with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. They turned out great and every one ate some! Here is my plate: So many colors and sooo much fiber! Just the kind of meal I was craving. I took some photos of the rest of the meal just because my dad is such an amazing cook! I am sure the ham was delish, but I am really just not into eating meat anymore. But paired with red potatoes, green bean bundles and yams with marshmallows on top we had all the fixin's for a good old-fashioned southern Christmas meal! Feast your eye's on these beauties:
I refrained from that heaping pile of sugar and held out for some of my dad's infamous chocolate pie! I mean there are no words to describe it, so I will let the picture say all that I can't: I ate it like it was going out of style. I do not even feel bad because it is that good!
But now, my friends, I am in dire need of a food coma power nap before I head to my friend's christmas party. It has been a wonderful day so far and I am just so grateful for the people in my life and that I am able to spend christmas at home. I hope you are all celebrating as well!
Catch ya lata playass,
~Jenn

Ho Ho Hunnnngry!

Hi Everyone!
Alright, so I just got home from a little Christmas gathering at a friend's house, where I behaved myself and ended up playing DD. I had such yum food today that I decided to be this cool and come home and blog :) Nerd alert. So my darling friends got me the cutest gift ever! check it: It says "good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to Paris," amazing since I have been obsessed with all things French for the past year or so and am spending 6 weeks this summer in Strasbourg. Even though I did not get to break it in tonight, it is totally okay because I saved A BUNCH of calories and there is always tomorrow! ;)
But lets not get ahead of ourselves! I started the day anyone should...with a HUGE green monster that was soo yummy! I am officially a convert....and my friend who is crashing with me for the break even asked me to make her some! I loved it! Spreading healthy habits one person at a time! Here are our matching cups: I used a ridic amount of kale, org applesauce, a banana, a dash of agave, ground flaxseed, and a couple of spoonfuls of oikos greek yogurt that was on sale for 10 for $10 at Kroger! What a deal seeing as I am in love with their greek yogurt!
After some quality time with myself and MTV's power yoga, I was feeling some oatmeal for lunch. But not just any oatmeal, this baby is like a little surprise in each bite! Say what you will about how it looks, I don't care because it tastes glorious! I used 1/3 cup almond milk, 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup organic oats and 1/2 mashed banana and top it with a plethora of goodies: a spoonful of WF addictive peanut butter, cinnamon, a graham all smooshed up, and a vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. This recipe is AMAZING! Do yourself a favor and try it! Let me know what you think!
So my afternoon was veryyy relaxing. I ate a boring bowls of organic peanut butter pandas while watching a french movie (I am trying to maintain my language skillz!)
Après (after in french ;) ) I bonded with the parentals and pondered dinner. Check out what I came up with! A bowl o' greens and a hummus, cheese, and veggie patty tortilla of sorts with salsa on the side. I was a little skeptical but it turned out to be really good and definitely a quick meal I will be relying on next semester! Heres a close up: Ingredients are all organic plus a Gardenburger veggie patty, I am allllll over my veggie count these days.
Then, my lovely mother appears in the kitchen and decides she has to knock out a cookie craving with some slice and bake tollhouse that I was not about to eat. But, she did make me want some chocolate! Cue the grahm/PB/chocolate chip creation that hit the spot! A couple seconds in the microwave and a sprinkle of cinnamon and I curbed a craving without ruining my day! woohoo success!

Tomorrow will be a little different, as I am attending both my family's and a good friends christmas dinner, but I am determined to stay in control and keep my portions in check (aka my downfall). I'll be sure to take lots of pics of my family dinner but I don't know if I am ready to explain my picture taking to the friends family. Could get awkward. I am very much still a closet bloggie, at least for now.
Please do leave me a little note if you read this, I would love any advice or feedback y'all have! Thanks!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
~Jenn

Here we go!

Hi everybody!
I have been so inspired by all of the wonderful food blogs I have been reading that I decided to start my own! It seems like a natural progression since I love to eat, workout, and write about it (in that order!) so I thought I would give it a whirl!

So this morning I got up at 8AM for a seriously intense workout class at the local gym called Cardiosculpt. It is a bunch of interval training that incorporates sets of weightlifting with breaks (if you can even call them that) for 2 minute cardio bursts. Class did not start until 8:45, but like I said eat>working out, so I started the day with a banana sprinkled with cinnamon and about a teaspoon of my most favorite organic crunchy peanut butter from Whole Foods.

Following that butt-kicking workout I headed to gather groceries for my dad, as he so generously helps me out, I figured it was the least I could do....read: it gave me an excuse to buy hummus instead of making it :)
When I got home I was hunnnngry and it was only 11! But the tummy wants what it wants so I made some Amy's organic vegetable soup (which I highly recommend!) and had a serving of Whole Foods organic blue tortilla chips with my new hummus and some organic salsa. I threw some organic cheese on top for good measure.


It may look a hot mess, but do not be fooled because it was yummy!

My boxes of junk that I shipped home from school arrived early this afternoon, so I promptly went into crazed OCD laundry mode and combed through all my stuff. Living clear across the country from school is inconvenient like that ;)

Back to my top priority: I needed a little nosh around 2 since I ate lunch at the earliest possible time, so I had some org. grahams with more PB, a crumbled up vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie I made in an experiment yesterday, and some cinnamon.
I have a SLIGHT obsession with PB and cinnamon, I'm sure they will become eyesore ingredients in no time!
For good measure, I had a cute lil clementine to add some fruity goodness.

The hummus was screaming at me from the fridge, so I had some with a carrot to top off my now very large snack (let's just call it a baby meal!)

Cut to me on the couch for 2hrs watching Dexter episodes with my puppies Sheba and Boomer and what do you know, I brainstormed a delicious dinner! I eat dinner at senior citizen hour because at school it is the only time food is fresh...I am working on it. Talk about a nutritious meal, organic salad with fresh cucumber and roasted veggies with organic ketchup=Happy Jenn.


Such a clean eating day! I am by no means perfect, but being home for winter break with access to all this fresh food has made eating healthy SO MUCH EASIER! College is seriously difficult on the waistline!
Anywhooo, I am considering these two weeks my time to test-run recipes before I move to Washington D.C. for a semester! I want to be able to cook healthy, filling meals for myself to save money and calories. So far so good!
I'm off to primp and beautify before drinks with friends tonight!
I will try to limit alcohol calories, but you are only 21 once. :)

I would love any comments, good, bad, or otherwise from anyone who stumbles upon this!

À Demain!
Jenn

Don't Forget:

so cute right?!