single tear...

Dinner: I made a pizza!! I went to Trader Joes for some grocery shopping after class so that I would be stocked for next week! I made whole wheat crust ( refridgerated dough is only $1 at TJ!) and topped it with Brie and Smoked Salmon on one half, Tomato and Turkey Pepperoni and Mozzarella on the other... All sprinkled with Parm/Reggiano.
Yum Yum Yum! I had a quarter with the salmon and a quarter with the pepperoni/tomato.


Lunch:

Organic Gala Apple

Salad: Organic Spring Mix with tomato, onion, Herb Garlic Starkist Tuna, and some Annies Organic Mac n Cheese ... ( I did only a half of one serving but it looks like ALOT more in my picture!)

Body:

Run! It was absolutely GORGEOUS weather I couldn't resist ! 68 degrees, breezy, sunny!
I took the brown dog, Jack, with me on all the hills right around our neighborhood for a quick 20 minute run then we walked another 1 mile or so ( he needed to cool down!)

Strength Training: BBQ and Abs ( not too heavy though) and then Yoga !

Mind:
I have SOOO much work to do next week for classes- Big Nutrient Metabolism Exam Thursday-(glycolysis through the pentose phosphate pathway), Yogurt Presentation Tuesday, Presentation Wendesday on Increasing Childhood Obesity Rates in Northern Plains American Indian Children

I am a good way through my wednesday presentation- I need to finish that tomorrow and practice it over the weekend...

Soul:
I talked with my brother for 52 minutes!!! ( it was his birthday) I love him SOO much and miss him SOO much ( as I do my other brother and my sister too) and I wish he would move closer than 1,000 miles away. Anyhow, we talked about everything from classes, his life, my work, my running, nutrition, fitness, hurricanes, presents, holiday plans...

I haven't seen him in over 2 years ( at my sister's wedding!) We spent this amazing thanksgiving together when I was out of college.... I had just moved and he lived about 30 minutes from me. I drove to his new apartment and we spent hours chatting. We searched all over the city for this one restaurant that he was told was fabulous. We couldn't find it though! We tried going to this one building but it turned out to be apartments! We were walking back to the car when we both spotted the sign for the restaurant! So we finally got there and waited for a table. It was by far the most fantastic meal ever- they had this gigantic thanksgiving buffet, you know the kind with thirty different desserts ?! Five layered tiramisu cake, five layer red velvet, etc etc pumpkin pie galore, salmon, turkey, chicken, steak, all the veggies, four different salads, baked potatoes, potato gratin, sweet potato souffle, the list goes on. It was an amazing display and amazing in taste! The best part, over any food that night, was that I shared it with him. We laughed so much my stomach hurt. I know I will never forget it and wish I had more times like that with all my family, but I was so thankful to have that thanksgiving with family, with him...

My new Great Debate

After finally trying/finding Cliff Z-Bars recently for the first time, I emailed the Cliff company about making seasonal holiday flavors of Z-Bars. What I discovered was that Cliff DOES make seasonal Cliff Bars, but have been discussing seasonal Z-Bars. I had also found out the Cliff bars are particularly geared towards the vitamin and mineral requirements of adults, whereas The Z-Bars ( that so many bloggers out there love (inlcuding me)) are specifically made towards the nutrition requirements of children.

After reading Organic, Inc. and Slow Food Nation, I realize that bars like these are just another way that America has placed a demand for better food, available in more convienent places. This is good and bad in my opinion, because these books really discuss the information not an opnion either way, of how small farmers have been driven out by conventional agriculture's processed fast cheap product standards. Small farmers lose out, We lose out on good quality Whole food...

I am wrestling with this because I love the "bar" idea as a snack especially with having classes and training and such a busy schedule. However/Despite that its a processed packaged food albeit a HEALTHY , organic ingredient-rich packaged food... but still it doesn't necessarily support my local economy or sustain local agriculture does it?

Did you know that Kashi is owned by Kelloggs? Yes, its the same idea of "Big Food" coming in an taking over agriculture- sure Kashi products are great, but its the same practices that conventional agriculture does. BIG conglomerates making BOTH conventional, cheap, high fructose corn syrup cereals right along side with whole grain Kashi products. Yes, it makes it more available to the U.S consumer, but you are supporting conventional agri-economy even though you might not know it, you just want to make "right' decisions, eat whats "healthy". Companies like that have and want the best of both worlds.


So after talking with Cliff, although they are a "Big Food" kind of company trying to get "Organics for everyone..." - They are making huge efforts in green practices, sustainability and wholesome products.

And they offered to send me free samples of their cliff seasonal bars!!! ( which I have never had before because they seem so high in calories - which is why I immediately liked the Z-bar- more of a snack size).

Here they are with another great suprise in my mail, The Journal of the American Dietetic Association! Woohooo! They sent "Iced Gingerbread, Spiced Pumpkin Pie, Pear Apple Streudel"
they are made with organic soybeans and about 250 calories, 10g of protein....

Below... is lunch

I had some left over Kashi Pilaf, mixed with some egg beaters ( and some caraway seed and some thyme) and a nice organic spring mix salad with a little tomato, low fat mozzarella, drizzled in red wine vineagar with some chickpeas too. I HAD to have a bite of the Iced Gingerbread Cliff Bar!
DELICIOUS! Thanks Jordan!!

Tuesday

Lunch:

The leftover tuna from yesterday mixed with Annies Organic Mac n Cheese (1/2 serving) mixed with some heated up veggies ( broccoli, peas, asparagus). I made the Annies Mac n Cheese Sauce with 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt and the last of our nonfat sour cream ( 2 T ish)

Almond Joy Fun Size and An Apple!

Dinner:
("down low"... "how low can you go" )

Steak with loads of veggies (onions, mushrooms, bell p

epper blend, broccoli) with salad (Earthbound Organic Spring Mix) and mushrooms and tomato and some of me leftover Annies from lunch


"Up High Now yall...take it back one time... two hops two times" ( its from a song that popped into my head when I took the pictures)


Anywhooo....Yes, I am a big leftover person! I hate wasting food and don't mind the redundancy ever so often- I think I eat enough variety overall so I'm not worried about it. To be completely honest though, I usually make enough so that there will be leftovers so Jeff can take it to work for lunch ( save some $$$). i.e he doesn't like tuna or kashi pilaf or having yogurt or pumpkin oats for lunch and I do so we make it work!

Oh my... such a big election and I have to voice my opinion because I can, because this is my blog, and I really don't like EITHER candidate! Gasp!

I strongly feel that Obama has absolutely no clue how to make these so called "changes" that he is all about saying he will do- he has no experience and has yet to discuss any specifics on HOW he is going to change ( other than saying hes going to give 95% of people a tax cut) ! Biden I believe is a great choice and has experience. At the same time, Mccain does have a history agreeing with Bush (who I never voted for) but Palin I believe can make strong gains with the areas of Special Needs Education/Families ( a cause close to my heart). The biggest dissapointment with these two candidates was that BOTH their campaigns were AWFUL in negativity and pitting against each other to make "Americans" believe they are a better choice. Neither candidate gave me a sense of what they will actually do to make change happen- they just said that their opponent couldnt.


Anyhow, those are my feelings and I certainly would be happy with someone other than Bush in the hot seat for the next 4 years!