WIAW: Replenishing After HOT Yoga


Happy “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW)! We’ll get to the food in a minute, but first I want to cover off briefly on fitness. As you may recall, last Friday, I mentioned that I had written a post up that had somehow magically deleted.

The post was all about forcing myself out of my “fitness comfort zone” while in Boston and taking a class that I knew would be very challenging for me. I’m still going to publish that post (eventually), but in the meantime, I’m very proud to report that I ventured out of my fitness comfort zone yet again to take a 90 MINUTE hot yoga class with our German visitors.

Check out those sweat marks. HOTTT

Check out those sweat marks. HOTTT

And yep, your eyes are not deceiving you…the BF came to the class too! Clearly, out of town visitors have a big influence over us. I made sure not to sit right next to the BF because I knew I might break out laughing in the middle of the class as we admired each other’s graceful movements.

I’ve taken yoga about 6 times in my life (including 4 times for a story I wrote back in Chicago), and to put it bluntly: It’s just not my thing. Besides an extreme lack of flexibility, I generally have a hard time relaxing and focusing for long periods of time. That’s why running and circuit training are my workout “drugs of choice.” But at the same time, when I drag my restless body to a yoga class, I always feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the class that is very different from finishing a long run or lifting a certain amount of pounds.

This class was no different, and once we made it through those 90 minutes I stated, “It would be easier for me to run 10 miles then take this class again!” Now, that’s a quality workout. I have a few more thoughts on the actual class, which I’ll share later in this post, but let’s jump into the eats for this WIAW.

Breakfast was a Chobani Coconut Yogurt, topped with blueberries, figs and slivered almonds.

What's Cho Flavor?

What’s Cho Flavor?

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WIAW: Shameless Reality TV

Oh, hello everyone. And happy Wednesday to all! It’s time for another edition of “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW), and, as a bonus, I’m serving it up with a little discussion about one of my favorite guilty pleasures: shameless reality television. I watch it. You watch it. We all watch it.

No sense in denying it. Let’s embrace it and talk about our favorite shows!

But first, let’s talk breakfast. Yesterday I threw together a delicious combination. I cut a wheat pocketless pita in half and topped it with honey, bananas and some dark chocolate chips.

Simple n' Easy

Simple n’ Easy

Sweet, savory and filling. This is the perfect breakfast for when I’m in a rush or running late.

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WIAW: Ramen Noodles and the Bachelorette

Disclaimer: This Wednesday’s eats may not be the most exciting food you’ve ever seen. Hey, I wasn’t even that excited to eat the food (except the ice cream…ice cream always excites me).

I happened to tune into the Bachelorette last night (I know, I’m a day late) while eating my ice cream, and, for once in the franchise’s history, I actually thought it was the “most dramatic episode ever” (finally got it right, Chris Harrison!).

The most dramatic.episode.ever.

The most dramatic.episode.ever.

I always wonder how much I have in common with my loyal SHLB readers, and something tells me one thing that most of us share is a love for cheesy reality television.

So, let’s talk food. Then, let’s have some deep thoughts on The Bachelorette.

Breakfast yesterday was a cheesy egg white wrap. I used Flatout Wraps as the base and topped with generous amounts off eggs n’ cheese.

Mmm. mmm. good.

Mmm. mmm. good.

It was definitely a filling way to start my day!

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WIAW: The Time My Parents LET me Cook Dinner

Usually I’m in a pretty cheerful mood on Wednesdays. The week is halfway over, and I get to share my wacky eats from the previous day.

However, today, I’m leaving Omaha, and whenever I’m here for a long time, I have a hard time saying good-bye. They say home is where the heart is, and sometimes I think that my heart will always stay here. Maybe, one day, if the stars align, I’ll make my way back to the heartland for good.

In the meantime, let’s move on to a much more entertaining topic: Tuesday’s eats. The highlight of this WIAW will most certainly be the dinner that I cooked for my parents, but let’s start with breakfast.

Coffee Routine

I have a specific morning coffee routine when I stay in Omaha. Around 6 or 7 in the am, I get in my car and drive to Caribou Coffee at Hy-Vee. I love  the coffee at this place, and even more so, I enjoy the service. The people are just so warm and friendly! They represent everything I love about the midwest.

On Tuesday, along with my coffee, I ordered the Raspberry White Chocolate Scone that I had been eyeing since last week.

Creamy coffee and a scone? Don't mind if I do!

Creamy coffee and a scone? Don’t mind if I do!

It was a bit rich for breakfast, but hey, it was my last day in Omaha, so I decided to go crazy! Continue Reading →

WIAW: The Early Bird Catches the Coffee?

In today’s “What I Ate Wednesday” WIAW post, I will attempt to do something I rarely do here on the SHLB: keep it short and simple!

Tonight, I’ll be getting on a train to NYC to stay with my brother and his wife, and tomorrow morning, I’ll be getting on a plane to “Home-aha,” where I’ll be until next Wednesday. I couldn’t be more excited, but of course, being gone for a week means there are many things today before I leave!

So, let’s start with breakfast. Yesterday, me and the BF woke up at the ridiculously early time of 4:30. He had a 6:00 plane to catch to Dallas for work, and I stupidly volunteered to drive him to the airport. He’ll be flying straight from Dallas to Omaha, so I’m looking forward to seeing him on Thursday.

After dropping him off at 5:15, I had one thing on my mind: coffee. Thankfully I have discovered that everywhere I go on the east coast, somehow, a Dunkin Donuts will just pop up out of nowhere. It’s like a coffee miracle.

You never let me down...

You never let me down…

I parked my butt on the couch to watch some old Food Network shows and wake up while drinking my cinnamon iced coffee and nibbling on an old favorite, the DD reduced fat blueberry muffin.

"What Am I drinking??" Lots of coffee today. That's for sure.

“What Am I drinking??” Lots of coffee today. That’s for sure.

Yeah, I forgot to take a picture before I started eating the muffin top. Ooops.

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WIAW: Everything Avocado and Wacky Ideas

Yesterday, as I was about to make breakfast, I had a thought, “What if I try to feature the avocado in all of my meals and snacks today?”

I think I’ve been watching way too much Food Network Star, Chopped and Cupcake Wars, but I decided to run with my avocado inspiration anyway. So, this edition of What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW) will star a delicious food that most of us know and love: the avocado.

The possibilities are endless, my little green friend!

The possibilities are endless, my little green friend!

As we all know, avocados are extremely nutritious. But, whenever I think of avocados, I can’t help but think of the show, Weeds. I haven’t watched it in years, but one of the most memorable lines for me came from the character U-Turn, who was supposed to be a scary drug dealer. Though he was clearly a formidable force, the first time one of the characters met him, he rattled off a bunch of frightening threats and then stated, “You want a piece of avocado. Got that goood fat.”

Get you some of that good fat!

Get you some of that good fat!

For some reason, it cracked me up! Now, whenever I eat an avocado, I think to myself, “Mmmm, gotta get some of that goood fat.” Here’s a link to the clip, in case you’re interested (if you don’t like curse words…don’t watch this clip)

So, let’s dive right into the meals that feature some of that “goood fat.”

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WIAW: Snap, Crackle, Pop!

I’m proud to report that I’m feeling much better and can finally eat more than soups and ice cream! Just in time for “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW).

This festive edition of WIAW features not only my meals, but also a workout for your holiday weekend and a tasty cookie recipe that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.

I have a lot to cover, so let’s dive right into breakfast!

Favorite Childhood Breakfast?

When I was younger, french toast was one of my favorite breakfasts. It always felt so luxurious! We never ate it at home, so I always ordered it when we went out to breakfast. I therefore assumed that it was very difficult to make it home.

Now, that I’m older, I realize that french toast is actually very easy to whip up, so easy that I can make it in a flash on a weekday! I dipped some wheat bread in a simple  mixture of 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup egg substitute and some cinnamon and vanilla . Then, I fried it up, and smeared it with a heaping tablespoon of butter and apple butter.

Sometime Healthy Chef Special...comin' right up!

Sometime Healthy Chef Special…comin’ right up!

Fancy breakfast in five minutes! I’m special.

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WIAW: When the Cat’s Away…

It’s that time of the week again! The time where I try (but usually fail) to make my meals look pretty and appetizing for WIAW.

The BF is away on business at the moment (but luckily I have lots of friends coming to keep me company in this big house!), so I decided that this week I would cook and bake all of the foods that the BF doesn’t eat. I also wanted to keep it pretty healthy after all of the fried food and candy we ate in Nashville.

Unfortunately, I’m a bit under the weather today, so this post may be uncharacteristically short (you’re welcome).

Let’s start with breakfast, where I brought back an old favorite…

Guess what these are??

Guess what these are??

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WIAW: The Return of the Egg Muffin

Back at Sometimes Healthy Living Blog (The First Edition), I wrote about egg muffins all the time. (Just for fun, let’s call this next chapter of blogging in the Hudson Valley “Second Edition.” Makes me feel special.)

Anyway, when I lived in NYC, there is nothing I loved more then throwing some eggs and toppings in a muffin pan, baking them for a few minutes and then marveling at my super-sophisticated breakfast. A studio kitchen could not hold me back!

Firecracker Egg Muffins: Beets, Blueberries, Cream Cheese and Raisins. A must-have for 4th of July.

Firecracker Egg Muffins: Beets, Blueberries, Cream Cheese and Raisins. A must-have for 4th of July.

Although I have heard that egg muffins are SO 2012, I just couldn’t resist whipping some up yesterday for old time’s sake. Perhaps it’s because I’m inching closer to my 30th birthday (more on that later) and feeling nostalgic for my “younger days.” I can’t think of a better way to kick off this week’s WIAW than with the classic, yet always reliable egg muffin. If you’ve never heard of egg muffins (still boggles my mind that some of you haven’t!), prepare to be amazed…

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WIAW: The Ultimate Salad

It’s that time of the week again!

I must admit I’ve started to look forward to this whole WIAW ritual. I’m not sure how all my favorite healthy living bloggers take pictures of every single meal they eat, but for one day of the week, it’s kind of fun. Feels like a bit of a novelty if you will.

Every Tuesday, I put just a little more effort into my meals and snacks (must keep it real here – I DO try a littler harder than usual), so that I can post the on my blog Wednesday morning.

Last week, in honor of June being sensible snacking month, I shared some of my most useful Sometimes Healthy snacking tips. I’m no dietician (that is for sure), but I am a snacker by nature, so I feel that this qualifies me as an “amature expert”.

This week, I decided to use WIAW as a chance to share some tips for something else I happen to know a lot about: Salads. If you are a frequent Sometimes Healthy reader, you will notice that salads tend to make a regular appearance on the blog.

Nothing satisfies me more than a big, veggie/protein packed salad. Again, like snacking, this food habit can be traced back to my childhood days. Back then, I ate more than my fair share of chicken McNuggets, but unlike most children, I also housed my veggies and salads too.

What a dream child I was! (My mother may disagree on this point).

Anyway, as per usual salads will be featured in my WIAW, but this week, I’m going to share with you the method behind the madness of my monster salads.

Salad Collage

First, let’s do a quick run-down of the day’s meals:

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