Severely Content

Don't know about you... but I eat a lot of oatmeal. Mostly it comes down to the fact that it just works. Quick to put together, tastes yummy and keeps me satisfied for a long time. I have fallen into the habit of microwaving my oats but I think I've figured out how to fix the bowl just so, and thus they don't seem less fluffy than stove top...

Anyways.
I put in part time hours at a popular gym in my town. Not a bad situation as I get a few extra bucks and don't have to pay for a gym membership (and this is a really nice $50/mon health club with the works). Sometimes I curse myself for agreeing to opening the damn place at 7 am on a Saturday morning though. Waking up at 6:30...ish..., throwing on semi-slummy workout gear and not brushing my hair... obviously looking presentable is not my priority. But having 10 minutes to fix my future breakfast and lunchy-like meal is.

I don't know how. But today's oatmeal mixture was the most face-rocking in a while.
Hence this post. Mostly just to remind myself how exactly I did it.

1/3 cup instant oats
1/3 cup skim milk
2/3 cup water
1 banana
1/4 cup peanut flour
dash of salt
couple dashes cinnamon
Tbsp. wheat germ

This mixture sat in the gym fridge for about an hour before I nuked it for 2 minutes.
Stirred in just a glug of vanilla muscle milk (it was there, couldn't resist for some reason) and topped with half a packet of Justin's almond butter.

Doesn't scream particularly fancy compared to other days except for maybe the last two steps? Or maybe I finally figured out the right proportion of peanut flour to oats to liquids...
Whatever it was, my stomach is happy and I'm almost not bummed I'm sitting at the gym watching people elliptical and not sleeping in or rocking a mild hangover.
Oh right, that was part of my logic for taking this shift.

oh my effing gosh

I just wrote about how much I want to try making my own pizza dough, and thus make crazy pizzas.

Enter instant inspiration. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

Project Foodblog Pizzarama!!!!


I don't even know where to start!!!!

PIZZA ICE CREAM?!

Thanksgiving Pizza... holy moly

Brie, Bacon, Balsamic Fig...

WTF.
Vacation that I leave on tomorrow, I do love the thought of you and I can't wait to have the chance to finish packing and jettison to the tropics... but I can't wait to get home, carb it up and basically make a new kind of pizza every night.
I will.
It'll be a goal.


Okay. At least one new kind of pizza a week.
You heard it here first!


PS. WHAT what I thinking when I bought a 5 lb. bag of mixed greens ($3.99!!) at the grocery store on Saturday! I'm going to turn green after consuming salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner and perhaps will become greek as I've eaten 32 OUNCES of greek yogurt in 2 days (in between the salads). Oh so fortunate that I'm no lactard. And don't worry, these were crazy awesome doctored-up salads topped with crazy leftovers and alternating with poached eggs. Nom.

Novembrrrrr

I've been keeping a mental list of dishes I want to tackle... things I say to myself I will attempt after I get back from vacation.
Saying to myself "after st.john" is equal parts having something to look forward to after some tropical bliss, and also because I won't be as concerned with what I'm eating as I've been in "bikini mode".

By the way, "bikini mode" is very hard to get into as we transition to sweater weather and I pull my beloved corduroys out. My bedroom is also going CRAZY as I haven't been able to rotate my warm and cold weather wardrobes. I'm looking at November as a month for much needed organization. And apparently, lots of cooking. And what I hope will be a new full time job.
November = Domestication?

And recommitting to this... well blog or whatever you would like to call it. If you would even CALL THAT recommitting.

So because I know the tropical brainwash will cause me to seek out more Caribbean fare post-vacation, I going to use this space as a reminder of new england and fall and everything I want to do before I come home obsessed with rum.

Cooking and Baking Goals

*Pizza dough
*Gnocchi
*French Onion Soup (lofty goals I tell ya)
*Nut Butter, ie dust off my twice used food processor
*Roasting a chicken
*Developing a boozy frosting that is still fluffy. Science may be against me.
*Shortbread (looofffftyyyyy)
*christmas flavored cupcakes for gifting (omg)


Obviously, I'm beyond stoked to be going to St. John in like 2 days, but I'm also a a tad bummed about missing another gorgeous fall weekend in New Englad. It has been spot on heeyaaa! Conflicting, no? Easy to get over though. I'm going to an island. That is pretty sweet. Maybe this will provide inspiration for an outstanding and unique pairing of something caribbean with something squashy.
Not convinced yet.

You know you read too many "healthy living blogs" when...

When you curse life (or your blender) after a Green Monster fail. Weigh your options... buy new running shoes like planned this weekend, or a Vitamix?
Don't want to waste beloved kale leaves, delicious vanilla protein powder or fresh strawberries so attempt the SIAB.
Choke down said SIAB all the while trying not to think about how much it looks like Spinach Dip or Tzatziki.
EPIC fail.

Picture was too gross, you'd shake your head at me for spooning/sipping/choking it down.

In other news, I need to find a boozey cupcake alternative. Still thinking along the lines of Yummy Treat and Liquor. The people get too full on cupcakes trying to achieve some buzz - and I knowwww I need to cut back on cupcake baking, mama samples way too much.

Ideas? I like jello... but it's not the most transportable.
Shots? Yeah... should probably just stick to shots.

In other OTHER news, I've been obsessed with poached eggs. On top of everything. Last weekend, I went to Bobby Flay's Bar Americain (swwwoooon, love this place) and had a salad with a poached egg on top of half a head of bibb lettuce. Haven't had an egg since, can't be topped.
Need new obsession... oh right, we covered this.
Shots.

Somebody's back in the kitchen!