italktofood

let's have a chat.

2012-02-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

It's tough having a whole bunch of friends that I can't see face to face or just call up on the telephone to chit chat.

I sometimes wish you all were living like...right next door to me. We could share french presses filled with coffee, morning runs together and you bet your bottom I'd cook you all glorious snacks.

There's a weird feeling that I get when I think about healthy living bloggers and the community. A good feeling. A feeling that we are all super similar and most likely love all of the same things.

So, I propose we all move to the same town.

Did I just take things too far?

You're right. I'll just be happy we can all write each other and creep each other on the daily :)

From the Eggs in Avocado brunch that we made on Saturday morning to another indoor picnic we had on the floor, my weekend was quite amazing.

Caprese Salad, French baguette, sardines and mustard.

So classy for college students.

This morning I woke up with the hunger for simplicity. I microwaved rolled oats with soy milk, a little honey and dash of salt and ate it out of a cute little jar with an even cuter little spoon.

I'm starting to think that eating food out of pretty dishes enhances the experience.

Oh, and you know that oatmeal was gobbled up with a big ole glass of dark black coffee.

Did you know it's national oatmeal day? I guess I have a natural ability to know when there's a national food day. I had no clue!

Fueled with nature's heavenly oats, I decided to go for a run. Unsure of how long or how many miles. I let my body gauge how it felt.

Well, my body was feeling mighty hunky, because it just kept going and going.

10.11 miles!

Mmmmm.... thank you body. You are amazing and I love you.

Post run snack: a very ripe banana with a hard boiled egg. I LOVE hard boiled eggs. So, simple. Reason number 3,567 I can't be a vegan.

I have a bunch of unfun things to do for school. A paper to write, economics studying to pretend to do and financial accounting homework.....

If we were to meet, what would you want to do?

Eat? Cook? Run? Sit? Chat?

p.s. Don't forget to enter my "i love you" giveaway!

okay, so maybe

2012-02-12T17:54:00.000-05:00

i'm obsessed.....

What are you obsessed with?

eggs in avocado

2012-02-11T13:36:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to take credit for the brilliant idea to bake an egg in an avocado, buuuuut I will share my first experience making and eating it.

Avocados are definitely nature's butter. Soft, creamy and full of great fats and vitamins. Baking an egg in it, serve it with toast and bacon and well honey....you just died and went to heaven.

Step One: Scout out firm but ripe avocados at the store. Carefully slice in half and remove the seed.

Step Two: Slice a little bit off of the back so the avocado sits up right on a pan.

Step Three: Using a small spoon, scoop out a little bit of the avocado, to make a slightly bigger hole.
(Eat the excess avocado immediately)

Step Four: Separate an egg yoke from the egg white. Place the yolk into the whole of the avocado

Step Five: Bake in a 375 degree oven for 5 minutes or until the yolk just begins to set. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step Six: Have a handsome man fry you bacon.

Step Seven: Remove all but on teaspoon of bacon fat from the pan. Slice a few pieces of bread and place the bread in the same pan as the fat. Toast bread on both sides.

Step Eight: Enjoy every moment of every bite.

Mmmmm the perfect start to the weekend.

instant karma

2012-02-10T08:16:00.001-05:00

Ello loves!

I am so pumped up to make one of you a box filled with goodies! Oh, you haven't heard about the giveaway yet? Let me update you:

click here to enter the giveaway.

I'm eating such a tasty breakfast right now.

Sliced Apple with Peanut Butter. So simple, so boss.

Today I'll be wearing my whites to school. Hurray for working in the kitchen after class.

(Insert goofball here)

Speaking of carrying knives around in my purse/bag....
I've been slipping my 9.5 inch chef's knife into my school bag instead of carrying around my entire knife bag. I'm just hoping it doesn't stab be while walking through the halls.

It's normal to bring knives to school right?

Yesterday for lunch I enjoyed a trio of mini salads. A mini cobb, mini papaya + green bean and a mini Mediterranean salad.

Love my school.

FUN STORY:

It was so pretty yesterday that I decided to go for a run outside. I was about 2 miles into the run when two boys in a big dumb red truck honk loudly as they passed me.

It really startled me because it was a weird honk and I wasn't expecting it.

As the driver and other boy looked back to see my reaction, the driver slammed and crashed into a car that was turning left. Parts of both cars flew everywhere!

The boys got out of the truck. They looked no taller that 4'7" and 17 years old.

As I ran by them, I was still so startled. I took out my headphones and yelled, "That's called karma! Doesn't feel so good does it?"

They didn't like that I said that. I am pretty positive that they yelled mean words, but before I could hear I started running faster with adrenaline.

Thanks to them, I ran 4.69 miles in 41 minutes!

Have you ever witnessed instant karma?

Do you believe in karma?

an "i love you" giveaway

2012-02-09T12:34:00.000-05:00

i love you.

Those are big words to just throw around.

Well, I do. I never imagined my little baby blog would grow bigger and become an adorable little toddler.

Good karma has just been flowing into my life recently. I'm in love, I got a scholarship at school, I have incredible support from my family and I have a blog that I love writing everyday.

I want to pass that karma on to someone. Like you :)

As a thank you for reading, thanks for the happy vibes and thank you for making my life a little bit brighter.

Oh yes, that's right. I'm getting lovey-dovey on you so hard right now.

The Giveaway

A box filled with:

1. A mix tape of my current favorite songs

2. A healthy snack

3. A not so healthy snack

4. Something homemade

5. An item that I absolutely love (not edible)

*I am purchasing all of the items. There are no products that I received for free going into this box. I just want to give a little love to one of you.

How to enter:

1. Tell me something you'd love to see in the surprise box.

2. Tweet about this giveaway "Aubrey @italktofood is spreading her love with a GIVEAWAY and it's a surprise!http://www.italktofood.com/2012/02/i-love-you-giveaway.html"

3. Follow me on Facebook

4. Follow me on Twitter

Leave a separate comment with each entry.

- this unfortunately is only open to US residents. I can't afford to ship outside the United States...

I will choose a random winner Monday, February 20th at 10am east coast time.

P.S. I have a deep craving for a BLT right about now.....

all pictures are from pinterest

What to do for your man on Valentine's Day

2012-02-08T12:37:00.000-05:00

Hey guess what, Valentine's Day is less than a week away.

Woah, don't get all "Valentine's Day is such a stupid holiday Aubrey... you really shouldn't write a post about it".

Everyone wants to get a little extra lovin and to give a little extra loving and Valentine's Day is the official day when this happens.

Random fact: I was born exactly 9 months after Valentine's Day? Yep, November 14th is my birthday.

Don't start crying if you don't have a Valentine. Soon enough you'll have one and you'll be all over the holiday.

This post is dedicated to all of you not sure what to do this year for the person you're loving on.

Specifically, for the ladies unsure what to do for your man.

What to do for your man on Valentine's Day

Make him his favorite breakfast in bed.

Waffles, pancakes, his favorite childhood cereal

Write a bunch of lovey dovey or even sexy notes and stick them in his car, shoes, pants, coat pocket, bathroom, underwear drawer and the rear view mirror in his car.

Create your own six pack of beer just for him. Pick out his favorites and have them cold and ready for the end of the day. You can make these at World Market or Whole Foods.

Better yet, order him a home brew kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop

Since V-day is on Tuesday this year, make him a killer lunch to take to work.

Include a hunky note in the brown paper bag too. Maybe a hint about what you're doing that evening.

Make him his all time favorite cookies

Wear your lace bra....and undies. You'll feel sexy and he will feel very very happy.

If it's cold in your neck of the woods,

make a picnic...INSIDE for dinner.

There's no need to go out to dinner. Only one of you can enjoy a few drinks, it's expensive and you have to drive home super full before hopping into the love making bed.

Spread out a blanket in your living room, light some candles and play some smooth music. Make a delicious spread of fruit, cheese, bread, wine, beer etc.

Make dinner together

(ignore the corny picture)

Don't make a complicated meal with a lot of instructions. Focus on enjoying each other's company instead. A simple pasta, homemade pizza or different kinds crostinis would be perfect.

Buy two tickets to a band you both like

I'll let you handle the end of the night events, but before you fall asleep.....

Tell him how much he means to you. Look him in the eyes and make a promise to each other. Plan a trip together, pinkie swear you'll do a race together or start a hobby together.

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about the store bought box of chocolates or diamonds. It's a chance to grow a little bit closer to your lover and recharge your relationship.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?

If you're single, what are you planning to do?

Do you have any other AMAZING ideas?

loving.

2012-02-07T12:52:00.004-05:00

i am loving......

dana's recipes

Gabriela's fashion posts

Chelsea's Brown Butter Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

(i wish i had one in my mouth right now)

Kelli's Brew Reviews

Bess's FITspiration posts

Bea's Beet Chip Recipes

Planks

Freaking people out at school with my Green Monsters

Eating everything out of my favorite bowl

(from Urban Outfitters)

This:

Adding peanuts to my smooth nut butter to make it crunchy nut butter.

oh yes.

What are you loving right now?

eleven things.

2012-02-07T07:12:00.002-05:00

Morning folks!

Recently, Gabriela tagged me in an “11 Random Things” survey. I would rather do this than any form of homework so here goes!

I’m supposed to:

List 11 random things about myself
Answer the 11 questions she asked me
Come up with 11 questions to ask other bloggers
Tag 11 bloggers to do this next

Eleven Random Things about me:

1. I really adore eating leftover cold curry straight from the fridge.

2. Last night I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's and was completely surprised by Audrey Hepburn's character. I had no clue the movie was so funky.

3. I really don't like talking to the people at the gym. I'm sure I look pissed off the whole time, but really, it's my signal that I don't want to chit chat.

4. I prefer beer over wine. I LOVE wine. I really do, but I think beer is an art. I like IPA's the most, but I am discovering myself in the world of beer and my beer palette is broadening.

5. I don't read enough books. I really want to, but I just don't. I blame it on all the honors English classes I took. They made me hate reading.

6. This Yosemite HD Time Lapse Video takes my breath away.

7. I could eat bread, cheese and grapes for the rest of my life and be perfectly content.

8. My parents are incredible people and I love them more then they probably know.

9. I learned to swim in my Grandma's best friend's house in Los Angeles. She was the first Lois Lane in Superman.

10. I have thought multiple times about doing a juice detox or smoothie detox, but I just love eating food too much to ever do it.

11. I have been eating the same salad almost every day for dinner. It's from my school's cafe. Grilled chicken, beets, broccoli, chickpeas, green peppers, red onions....it's really quite delicious.

Questions I have to answer:

What was the last thing you watched on TV?

- I don't own a tv, but I am currently watching the Liverpool game on my laptop!

2. Based on food alone, do you prefer Thanksgiving or Christmas?

- By far I love Thanksgiving. I like having Thanksgiving food on Christmas too!

3. What’s your biggest blogging peeve?

- I think it is just straight up silly when popular bloggers complain about how many emails they have or how many comments they have to reply to. If you don't like it, then don't blog?

4. Who was your favorite Spice Girl?

- Scary Spice! When I was little, we used to all play Spice Girls during recess, but no one ever wanted to be Scary, so I proudly took her role.

5. What kind of computer do you have?

- Macbook Pro

6. Where did you go on your first date ever?

- We went to a Chinese restaurant. I had Walnut Shrimp. He had Spicy Beef. We went to the movies to see The Matrix, but I am pretty sure we weren't focused on the movie, but being nervous to hold hands.

7. How old were you when you signed up for Facebook?

- 17

8. If you could rename yourself, what name would you choose?

- Audrey, it's pretty close to my name and I just love the sound of it.

9. Would you rather have a male or female twin?

- Male, then we could experience different things in life!

10. What’s your favorite book?

- The Big Friendly Giant :)

11. Name one food you dislike because of a negative experience/connotation, not the food itself

- I am not a huge fan of mini microwave peperoni pizzas. Let's just call it a bad childhood experience...

Questions for other bloggers:

1. What's a food that you used to despise but now love?

2. Would you rather live near the beach or in the mountains?

3. Who has been the biggest influencer in your life?

4. What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

5. What kind of music do you listen to at the gym?

6. Beer or wine? Or.....straight up hard liquor?

7. How would you like to be proposed to? (Or how did he propose?)

8. What's one thing you haven't done in your life that you are DYING to do?

9. What would you want to be your last meal?

10. Did you have fun at your high school Prom?

11. What are 11 things you want right now?

Tag 11 bloggers:

1. Bess

2. Chelsea

3. Kelli

4. Callie

5. Danielle

6. Jocelyn

7. Chelsea

8. Dana

9. Stefanie

10. Jena

11. Amanda

If you weren't tagged, please answer some of the questions! I want to know what everyone's answers are!

i'll be honest

2012-02-06T15:23:00.001-05:00

I had an incredible Saturday. I also had an incredible Sunday! What's going on life?? You are being so great to me lately!

It all started with a 10 mile run in shorts and 40 degree weather. My legs were sort of numb the entire run, but I loved it.

I refeuled with my favorite snack: apple and nut butter. Mmmmmmmm.

Tyler and I watched P.S. I Love You. And no, I was not the one who suggested we watch it. When he found out I haven't seen it, he demanded I see it.

Such a cute movie! Ahhhhh. I hope that never happens to me, but it was so romantic in the end.

For dinner, we ran to the store to buy bread, brie, grapes, mustard and his favorite, sardines for a makeshift picnic in my room.

The perfect meal, if you ask me.

Okay okay okay....

I know I've been mentioning this fellow Tyler with no explanation. To be honest, it felt silly "announcing" a new relationship on the blog. However, you all read about my life and he has been apart of it! I'm giddy, happy and loving every moment of life right now.

He just started his own blog as a matter of fact. Check it out if you'd like.

Breakfast this morning was a nice mess of yogurt, GoLean cereal + almond meal.

On my agenda today:

- homework

- clean

- homework

Jealous?

What's your favorite "picnic" food?

bagels + beer

2012-02-05T11:09:00.002-05:00

Yesterday.

I loved yesterday.

Woke up and took a hungry 90 minute train ride to nyc around 9:30am.

Come 11:00am, with two hungry boys and my hungry self, the first thing on the agenda was food.

Not just any food....NYC bagels.

If you have not been lucky enough to enjoy a NY bagel, I urge you to get onto the next flight, bus, train or car and get yourself one.

They are unlike any bagel you've ever had. Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. No need to be toasted.

We headed to Ess-a Bagels.

Bagels for everyone!

I got my favorite. Whole Wheat bagel with lite scallion cream cheese.

The boys got an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and an everything bagel with lox cream cheese.

Every last bite was enjoyed.

Fueled with carbs, cream cheese and happiness, we took the nice walk down to Eataly for coffee.

Coffee for everyone!

I ordered a small cappuccino. Oh my word....one of the best I've ever had. The foam was on point.

We walked another mile or so to meet up with Chef Galen Zamarra and see his new restaurant,
Mas (Grillade).

Absolutely beautiful. Most of the food is prepared by wood fired grills.

It was around 2:30pm when we decided a beer would be the perfect afternoon delight.

We walked a few blocks from the restaurant to The Blind Tiger

They have over 30 different beers on tap and they are wonderful. The atmosphere is amazing in this little hub. Older people, young parents with their babies, young students and 20 something year old investment bankers, all filled the room. No pretentious snobs and no super trendy hipsters were there either.

They even had my favorite beer posted on the wall!

I started with a Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp IPA. And yes, I got it because of the name and the fact it was an IPA.

Winner. It was glorious.

And then all of a sudden more beer just kept appearing....and disappearing.

My favorite part of the evening was meeting new people. We had snagged a table by the window with extra seats. We met such nice folks with great stories. It's so refreshing to meet nice people in a big city.

silly pictures happened.

and at the end of the night. This happened.....

A beautiful day spent in the city.

What did you do yesterday? Anything exciting?

Banana Bread Green Monster

2012-02-03T12:29:00.001-05:00

I still look for monsters under my bed.

Yep, and sometimes I think that someday there will be a monster under there.

Which is why I have come up with a:

There's A Monster Under My Bed Procedure

1. Smile

2. Tell him that I am a nice person and that I like monsters.

3. Make him a drink.

Not just any drink....

1 Frozen Banana

1/2 cup Raw Rolled Oats

2 tbsp Almond Meal

1 tsp Honey

1.5 cups Almond Milk

3 cups Fresh Spinach

I am pretty confident that the monster would take a sip of my concoction and coo in happy delight.

girlie YouTube vloggers.....

2012-02-03T09:19:00.001-05:00

Yes, I did this:

five facts friday

2012-02-03T07:52:00.001-05:00

Fact: today is Friday and I am super thrilled about it.

Fact: yesterday I had a math and an accounting exam, ugh.

Fact: I made the greenest smoothie I've ever made yesterday for breakfast

1/2 scoop of Alive Protein powder, 1/2 frozen banana, spinach + almond milk

Fact: I brought a package of salmon to put into the salad I eat everyday from my school's salad bar. I got strange looks when I ripped open the package and poured it into the salad.

Fact: I ran 5.85 miles on the treadmill and have no idea how my knees and mind were able to handle that.

Enough about those facts! Kelsey tagged me in a 5 Random Facts post recently and I thought today would be a lovely day to do it!

Five Facts Friday

1. I am going into NYC tomorrow for day filled with tasty food and a lot of walkin.
- I'm hoping for a little nyc bagel action, pretty pictures, tasty coffee and maybe a little pork belly.

2. I have a deep craving for homemade banana bread.

3. Fitspiration photos from pinterest have actually really helped me with motivation.

Strong and beautiful.

4. I would really like to be in Mexico right now. I CRAVE the granola, coffee, the people that work at the resorts we go to, the sun and the beach.

5. I really love this video. I think she is hilarious and I love all of her videos.

QUICK! Tell me Five Facts for Friday!!!

fooood reviews

2012-02-02T08:29:00.000-05:00

Ello loves!

I quickly wanted to share with you a few tasty foods that I have been munching on lately. I love finding new snacks. For somebody who typically gets into an eating routine with the same foods, mixing it up with new food is quite thrilling.

First up:

Rhythm Superfoods Kale + Sweet Potato Chips

Who are they?

"We create delicious, clean, nutritionally powerful products which help people to achieve optimal energy. The foods we make are RAW, VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE, NUTRIENT-RICH, and always DELICIOUS."

I am a huge fan of kale chips. I love making them at home, but there's something about the store bought kind that I haven't yet mastered. Rythm Superfoods figured out how to make the tastiest of them all. Believe me, I've tried a lot of different brands. Kool Ranch is my favorite :)

I also tried their Sweet Potato Chips. If you took a sweet potato, sliced it extremely thin and then somehow made it crispy without frying it, you still probably couldn't get the same texture they managed to create. I love how each chip is literally a slice of a sweet potato. I pictured eating them with a tasty dip made with blue cheese, Greek yogurt, honey + chives.

Check out their website to get all up in their tasty chips: www.rythmsuperfoods.com

Up next!

Earnest Eats Granola Bars

Who are they?

"Earnest Eats, we are inspired by the flavorful simplicity of whole grains, hearty nuts and seeds, and the natural sweetness of fruit—they are the real stars here and we let them shine in everything we do. Our snacks are minimally processed, free of preservatives and artificial ingredients, made in small batches and baked in real baking trays! We use only premium, all-natural, whole food ingredients to give you an anytime snack you can feel good about."

There are a ton of granola bars out there. Like....too many. Well, too many filled with weird ingredients. Earnest Eats makes simple, wholesome and healthy granola bars. The Cran Lemon Zest tastes just like a cranberry lemon muffin, which I loved having in my mouth.

They came up with a "Crumble it fresh on-the-go granola" bar. What a brilliant idea! I ate a big bite of it first, but then realized it would be so much more fun to crumble it on top of a bit of yogurt or bowl of fiber cereal to add a little flavor lovin.

Want to make your mouth happy too? Check out their website and get yourself some for Valentine's Day....you deserve it: www.earnesteats.com

Bakery on Main's Oatmeal

Who are they?

"At Bakery On Main, we're all about better health and happy tastebuds living together in harmony. We hope you love our premium gluten free granola products as much as we love creating them for you. "

Like most of you, I love oatmeal. Instant, rolled, Scottish.... all of it. I love overnight oats, warm oats and raw oats in my yogurt.

Well I love flavored oatmeal too. Except, flavored instant oatmeal is typically filled with junk. I stopped panicking about my dilemma for the love of flavored oatmeal and not being able to eat healthy kind when I discovered Bakery On Main's Oatmeal.

I mean, look at those ingredients!

Oats, cane juice, freeze dried strawberries, chia seeds, flax meal, quinoa and amaranth? That's it!

Can we just escape to my childhood for a second? I LOVED the strawberry's and cream oatmeal as a young little child. My mom would buy the multipack of oatmeal and I would search every morning for the strawberry pack.

I squealed when I saw this flavor: Strawberry Shortcake!!!!1

You bet your butt, it was the first flavor I tried. Delicious. It brought me right back to my youth without the added sugar junk.

Want to hop into a bowl of Bakery on Main's Oatmeal too? Check them out: www.bakeryonmain.com.

SmartForLife Protein Bars

The people at SmartForLife decided to stuff a Rice Krispies-like bar with A TON of protein. They did a pretty fantastic job. Rice Krispies that keeps me full? Sign me up.

Green Tea + Chocolate Flavors!

Just look at that sugar, and protein content. Yes ma'am, yes ma'am.

Little bar packed with protein. The Green Tea Flavor was delicious.

You can get these bars and other stuff they make at: www.products.smartforlife.com

Hope ya'll check some of these products out!

What's the latest new product you've tried?

Best mom ever.

2012-02-01T09:30:00.001-05:00

It all started with a smoothie made with almond milk, coffee and a banana......

Insert math and marketing class.....plus a grilled chicken salad.

I have the best mom ever!!!!

My mom sent me a HUGE care package filled with coffee, nut butter, lotion, toothpaste, my favorite cereal, chocolate, new workout gear and this inspirational picture:

lovely words of wisdom

She also sent me Flackers. Crackers made with flaxseeds! They taste just like birdseed and I love them.

Opening up her care package was like Christmas morning. She puts so much thought and love into her packages. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful friend as my momma.

We watched the Liverpool game sporting jerseys like true fans. They won!

he's pretty darn cute in those glasses, huh?

A mix of raw oats, chia seeds and greek yogurt before accounting class.

7.15 miles in 60 minutes on the AMT machine + 15 minutes of spinning

Apples with almond, cashew + peanut butter

This morning's breakfast:

Cereal in a jar

It just tastes better in a jar.

Tell me something: if someone were to randomly send you a care package, what would you dream that it was filled with?

the Terrible Two's Workout

2012-01-30T12:10:00.000-05:00

Good moooooorning!

Well isn't it just a beautiful Monday? I would say so.

I am really excited to share the workout I made up today with you.

I guess I'll share the vlog I made yesterday first.......

Someone should do it, then make it harder and tell me, so I can try it too!

Ready?

The Terrible TWO's Workout

20 minutes running

(I ran 6.5-7mph)

2 minute plank

2 minutes of push ups

(i did girl pushups)

2 minutes of BURPEES

2 minutes of plank jumping jacks

20 seconds of side planks each

200 different core excersises

(sit ups, leg climbs, leg drops, side crunches etc)

2 minute of hip thrusts

2 minute wall sit

20 minutes spinning

stretch.

It was fun to keep a theme going throughout the workout. I was thinking it would be great to slowly move up to the 3's.

Janetha posted a picture of her super incredibly hot bod on instagram the other day and said it made her look super tan, so.....I did too. I just don't have the six pack she does.

Let me know if you try the workout!

So yesterday I spent the day watching The Bocuse d'Or. It was so fun to watch incredible chefs create absolute masterpieces.

The entire room was perfumed with food. Which made all of the poor bystanders starving. Oh how I wished I was the judge tasting all of it.

We satisfied our hunger with a trip to a local Greek restaurant that I've been meaning to try called Kavos Gyros.

A small place filled with super authentic Greek food.

My mind, body, mouth, belly and soul was completed after diving into the vegetarian gyro with hummus and a shared order of tabbouleh.

I adore Greek food. It's so fresh and flavorful. It's pretty darn healthy as well. Did I mention they make homemade baklava too? I would have devoured a piece if I wasn't so full. Next time I will be saving room for sure.

I hope you have a wonderful day, I'm off to work in the kitchen!

Do you like Greek food?

What's your favorite kind of food?

I love Greek and Middle Eastern, but I can't say no to a great margarita, tacos and chips with guac ;)

scone me.

2012-01-29T07:51:00.000-05:00

I decided Saturday just wasn't a good day to write a blog post.

Just one of those days, when I realize I've got nothing to blab on about.

I woke up early, helped out with chef book signings, went for a painful run (IT band and shin pain), ate a salad that wasn't all that great and watched 45 minutes worth of Grease.

It's currently 7am and I am already at school in the Hospitality office, waiting to greet anyone that walks through the doors.

Waking up at 6am on a Sunday.....

I'm going to need a lot of this....

At least I get to watch a pretty sunrise:

Rewind back to Friday. I helped out in one of the kitchens at school for the student dining.

We made 250 portions of "american" fried rice. Vegetables galore, rice, hot sauce, soy sauce...all in this gigantic bowl.

I know, you sort of want to climb into that bowl and play, huh?

Okay back to now, back in the moment, back to my breakfast:

Alive vanilla protein powder, almond milk + a banana.

I would rather be eating scones for breakfast. I love scones. I love scones so much and I would really rather be eating them with jam instead of a green smoothie. It's Sunday....Sundays are for scones, right?

Since I can't have a scone right now and you probably aren't eating a scone right now either, how about a couple mouth watering pictures, eh?

Wheat Lemon Poppyseed Scones (made with agave and low fat buttermilk)

Classic Scones by Martha Stewart

Starbuck's Style Maple Oat Scones

Sour Cherry + Chocolate Chip Scones

Apricot Scones with Amaretto Glaze

(gf) Berry Oat Scones

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Scones

Mini Blackberry Scones

Lord help me, I am drooling on my scarf.

What are you eating for breakfast?

What would you RATHER be eating?

thankful

2012-01-27T08:49:00.000-05:00

Well good happy Friday lovely people!

I have to tell you, yesterday was a GREAT day for me.

1. The day before yesterday, I was at the gym finishing up a 45 minute cardio sesh, when I suddenly got roped into taking the 9pm ZUMBA class. I danced my tush off and loved it!

2. I drank more coffee than usual and loved being a little shaky all day

3. In the middle of studying for an exam I have today, I found out that I was rewarded a MAJOR scholarship!!

4. I had a lovely workout at the gym.

5. I got an A on my math quiz.

I was on could nine ALL day.

Other things.....

I braided my hair after showering, woke up and took the braids out for some 80's throwback crimpin.

I am loving oranges lately. I've gotten over the fact that they are sometimes very messy to eat.

I tried to see how long my plank time could be.... After 1.35 minutes, I collapsed.
I will make it to 3 minutes!

I am eating this incredibly delicious breakfast right now:

Almond flour, Greek yogurt, almond meal and a few almonds

So, incredibly tasty.

I have a test today and then working in a kitchen on campus for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow is a BIG day on campus. The Bocuse d'Or Semi Finals is held here. FAMOUS chefs from all over will be arriving today for the weekend long event. I'll be volunteering for it too.

Here's a video ALL about it:

Have a great Friday!

combat wintertime blues

2012-01-26T08:43:00.001-05:00

Has anyone ever heard of S.A.D?

Seasonal Affective Disorder

It's a serious disorder. During the winter months and gloomy days, many people experience S.A.D.

Well, I'm not a psychiatrist or drug dealer that can offer "be happy" medicine, BUT I can tell you how I survive these gloomy winter days.

1. Simply think about summer days and heat. Picture it in your mind.

2. Eat food that reminds you of summer.

Grilled Pizza

Sausage, Peppers, Onions and Ricotta Pizza

Big Fresh Salads

Peach, Mozzarella + Avocado Salad

Popsicles

Sparkling Lemonade

From MadeinSonoma

3. Anytime it's sunny, bundle up and take a walk. Your body could really use the vitamin D!

4. Listen to music that reminds you of summer

5. Make Plans

1. Sign up for a spring/summer race

2. Plan a little weekend vacation

3. Look into doing a new sport this summer and get prepared for it NOW

4. Buy yourself a new summer outfit and have it ready for the first warm day

I think about how hot it gets in the summer, when my thighs are sweaty and how much I miss winter.

What do you do to combat the Wintertime Blues?

it's a baby girl!

2012-01-25T20:06:00.000-05:00

Woah, woah, woah....don't get too excited. I'm talking about my baby KOMBUCHA.

It's been roughly 4 weeks since I carefully introduced the mother to a new batch of ginger pear tea.

4 weeks is a very fast gustation period, no? Haha. I know, I can't stop with the whole "mother" thing.

Truth is, mamma made some funky looking child.

The Complete Kombucha Process

3.5 weeks later.........

Final product!!!

It's currently getting nice and cold in my fridge. I don't think warm kombucha would be extremely delicious.

What's even more GRAND, is that I can take some of that mother and brew a whole new batch! I'm trying to figure out a cool flavor. Any ideas?

I loved doing this little at-home science project. I think my next venture will be beer, but that takes down right skill so we shall see.

Have you done any science-like project at home for fun?

I like making yeast breads because it's like a surprise when the yeast makes the dough rise! As a kid, I always watched this show "ZOOM". They always had scientific arts and crafts. I would always try to replicate them at home....which in most cases, ended up in huge messes :)

P.S. I was feeling green lately. Like the new header? It's okay if you don't. I do!

workout therapy

2012-01-24T19:30:00.000-05:00

I love having days when no matter what, nothing can stop you from being in a good mood.

Spilling coffee on myself and my bag while juggling a bag filled with trash? - No prob

An e-mail about filing yet another FAFSA form for my student loans? - No problem

Mean people? - That's fine, it's sad you like being mean

A silly boy at the gym blasting terrible screaming rock that sounds like dying pigs during my entire workout? - No big D, I'll just turn up the volume on my headphones.

I attribute my consistent good moods with my daily dose of endorphins from working out.

Feeling bitchy? Workout
Feeling sad? Workout
Feeling fat? Workout
Feeling frustrated? Workout
Feeling bored? Workout

It's the best form of therapy!

Today's workout therapy was MAGNIFICENT.

Especially because I was sort of dreading today's workout. In the back of my mind, I knew I was going to feel better afterwards. I just had to get started and things would immediately feel good.

I even snapped a photo on the bike. Shameless photo.

The Feel Good Workout

.5 mile warm up

1,000 rep workout

Note: Instead of 10 reps per move, I did 20.

So, instead of 10x10 X 10 sets. I did 20x10 X 5.

15 minute Spinning

Total time: 1 hour and 18 minutes

Breakfast: Oats, cinnamon, splash of almond milk, chia seeds + almond flour

Outfit:

ahhhhh where's my arm??

Lunch: salad salad salad salad.

Before I leave, I wanted to tell you a fun random fact about me.

I love chocolate cold. If I could I would at all times have a Costco-sized bag of chocolate chips in the freezer.... Well, yesterday I took all of the dark chocolate I had, broke it into pieces, filled an empty jar with them and put them in my fridge.

How do you like your chocolate?

what's in your fridge?

2012-01-23T18:37:00.001-05:00

I have another Food Writing assignment. This week was "describe the contents of a refridgerator". I love how open ended her assignments are sometimes. It allows me to get a little creative.

A description of the contents of a refridgerator:

No one would have suspected him to have aged white cheddarand a terrine of foie gras in his refrigerator. He was a secret lover of fineand somewhat fancy food.

Everyday he tossed his plain greysweater on, laced up his plain shoes and ordered a cup of plain black coffee.He read the paper three hours out of the day, walked around a large park,smoked his pipe and fed the ducks until sundown. Every evening, he stops by theboulangerie to pick up a French baguette.

Standingin front of his old refrigerator, he deeply thought about his cravings and whathe fancied for dinner. His fridge was never organized in any special way, so hestarted from the top and made his way down.

A crisp English cucumber, a smallbowl of crunchy red seedless grapes, a dozen brown eggs and a wrapped sliver ofchocolate cake filled the top shelf.

Thin slices of prosciutto wrappedgently by the butcher, a quarter wheel of double cream brie, a tub of hisneighbor’s homemade olive tapenade, red cherries in a dish and thick slices ofsmoked fennel pork sausage filled the space of the second shelf.

The drawer below the shelves isstuffed tight with large honey crisp apples, a bag of bright green spinach, 3slightly wilted green onions and one lonely orange.

Perusing the shelves on the door ofthe fridge, he scans the all-natural crunchy peanut butter, strawberry jam fromhis aunt, a glass bottle filled with local whole milk, a half-filled NapaValley Chardonnay and a small jar of grainy mustard.

Still unsure, he peers into thefreezer to find his secret stash of Haagan-Dazs coffee ice cream.

A spoonful of the creamy coffeeflavored ice cream melts in his warm mouth and he’s suddenly inspired toprepare his evening dinner.

(By the way, I don't know how the heck I randomly thought about this mysterious man. I started writing and it just happened.)

After writing this short little paper, I began to wonder what other people have in their fridge.

I always found it so interesting to snoop in the fridge of the families I babysat for and my friend's fridges growing up. It was like exploring a whole new world, filled with different foods.

My family always had the basics. Eggs, non-fat milk, apples, peanut butter, strawberry jam, cottage cheese, oranges, turkey sandwich meat, low fat swiss cheese and a container with last night's left overs.
We were a pretty healthy family.

I only have a tiny baby fridge in my tiny baby dorm room. I'm making do with it. Fitting everything in it is sometimes like putting a puzzle together.

Contents of my baby fridge:

Salad, greek yogurt, nut butter, almond milk in a jar and a peanut butter jar filled with balsamic dressing. You can't see it, but there are three CORE foods bars in the little freezer.

Almond milk, fresh basil and parmesan cheese from the pizza I made on Saturday, almond flour and dark chocolate.

Not bad for a baby fridge. I can only imagine what other students on campus have in their baby fridges. I am guessing anything from a lot of beer to chinese take out and maybe leftover food from school.

Now, I have to know:

1. What's one thing you HAVE to have in your fridge at all times?

2. What's the naughtiest thing you have in your fridge/freezer right now?

3. What's the most unexpected/random thing that's in there right now?

insta-obsessed

2012-01-23T12:09:00.002-05:00

If you have an iphone, I hope you have instagram.

I love it. I think it makes life look so much more vibrant.

Chai overnight oats.

lunch yesterday: vegetable hummus wrap

I like searching #breakfast all times of the day, to see what people in other countries are enjoying. It's the simple things in life that make us happy, and by golly instagram is doing a fine job of that.

Have instagram? My username is @italktofood!

What something little that has made you a little happier lately?

my saturday

2012-01-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I ate a pancake. I went to a diner for brunch and I ate a real pancake with whipped butter and maple syrup.

I don't think I have ever tasted something so delicious. I like to keep a balanced life and try to keep the best balance I can, but I seem to restrict myself more when it comes to food. I have somehow programmed myself to not eat cravings like pancakes, burgers and ice cream. When I took a bite of that pancake, all of those dumb restrictive thoughts faded away and I enjoyed every single bite.

I think the best part is that because I never eat those things, whenever I do, I appreciate it and savor it so much more.

Did I mention that sweet potato fries were involved too?

The best part about brunch is that you can eat lunch-y food too. These were hands down the best sweet potato fries I have ever had.

With a belly full of carbs, I was prepared to watch a Liverpool soccer game with my friend Tyler. I even got to wear one of his Liverpool jerseys to transform myself into a true fan.

I got super into the game and was very sad when they lost. I almost wanted to give up on them and switch teams, but I realize that is not what loyal fans do. Because, you know...now I am a loyal Liverpool fan.

With my competitiveness at an all time high, we played racquetball at the gym. I have never really played, so I got a whole lesson on how the game works. I really liked it! It's a fun way to get out aggression and the ball can't fly over the fence like it can in tennis. I think I found a new hobby sport.

We finished the night with pizza making. I made my basic focaccia dough. We dressed it with sauce, pepperoni, cheese, freshly torn basil and broiled it into pure beauty.

The best part? As we finished up baking it, slicing eat and taking our first bite, other students came to the communal kitchen we were in and started making their own dinner.

One group was making braised short ribs with polenta and garlic bread. The other group was baking butternut squash, cranberry and bacon risotto with roasted brussels sprouts and pork chops.

I love how our school is not an average college. Cooking gourmet food together on a Saturday night is the norm around here.

It's Sunday, the snow has started to melt, the sun is shining and there's coffee that is calling my name.

Tell me:

1. What was the last food you typically don't eat, but indulged in?

2. Do you watch sports?

3. What are your favorite pizza toppings?

food, treadmill running + the GIVEAWAY WINNER

2012-01-20T09:01:00.000-05:00

Let me start by playing you this song.

It's such a pretty song. I miss the old Coldplay.

Now that I've got you in a tender loving mood from that song, THANK YOU. You all had incredible advice for me when I told you about my freak out the other day. We all seem to be in a similar situation.

What I learned:

1. I really should take a deep breath and live in the moment.

2. Start researching more into the career paths that I like.

3. Begin networking up the wazoo. I'm lucky to have the blogging community as stepping stone!

It was sort of fun sharing my Wednesday eats with you too. I suppose I will do those sort of posts more often. Especially if I eat interesting food.

So, yesterday for breakfast I invented a new combo:

Kashi Heart to Heart, almond milk, almond flour + chia seeds

And for lunch I made a Green Monster.

Peanutbutter Chocolate Protein Powder + 1/2 a banana + spinach + almond milk

Dinner was a big ole grilled chicken salad. Nothing pretty enough to photograph.

I haven't posted many crazy workouts lately because this week, my body seems to be in a little bit of recovery mode from last week. I have been working out everyday though. Mostly bodyweight workouts, lifting weights and 30ish minute treadmill workouts.

Wedneday's treadmill workout: 5 x 400 sprints:

- 1 mile warm up at pace 6.5 (9:15)

- sprinting .25 mile at pace 8.5 (7 min miles)

- Rest one minute

- Repeat 5 times

- 1 mile cool down at 6.5

(I wanted to throw up at the end of that run)

Thursday's 30 minute treadmill workout:

- 10 minute warm up at pace 6.5

- Every minute increase incline by .5% until you reach 3% (6 min)

- Increase speed to 68 and incline back to 0% for 5 minutes.

- Repeat twice

I like the short faster runs sometimes. I almost thing they are harder than longer runs because I force myself to run at a faster pace.

Okay, Okay, Okay, Okay I know you are just DYING to know if you won the giveaway.

The winner is............... Kelsey!

After working out, Kelsey said: "I typically eat an apple and carrots after working out because I don't want to get too full before lunch. But, I love protein/nutrition bars too!!!!!"

Congrats Kelsey! Please email me with your address at italktofood(at)gmail(dot)com

W.I.A.W

2012-01-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

Woah, I do What I Ate Wednesday posts?

Nope, but I took photos of everything I ate today just for fun, so why not!

Breakfast: Nature's Path Bran Oat Flakes + Almond Milk + Cinnamon

Lunch: Huge Salad

Snack: Apple and a Soy Chai made with Original Spicy Morning Glory Chai. I love it! It's low in sugar and tastes really natural. I am already planning on adding the chai to my overnight oats!

Dinner: One Can of Salmon Wrapped in Seaweed + Nut Butter Smeared on a banana. The canned salmon wrapped in seaweed is the poorest man's version of sushi. For some reason, I liked it.

What are your thoughts on W.I.A.W posts?

Would ya'll like to see more of them or not at all?

the freak out.

2012-01-18T13:18:00.000-05:00

You know that moment when your eyes well up with tears and the only thing you want to do is listen to acoustic indie and cry? Whelp, I have been on the verge of that feeling for the past three weeks when I think about graduating.

I know what your thinking. "Aub? Why would you be sad about graduating??"

Well folks, because I have no clue what I want to do when I graduate in February 2013. I know it's a year away, but I can't help but thinking about my future.

Working in a kitchen drains the life out of me, serving people as a career wouldn't satisfy me, owning a restaurant is too expensive for me at the moment and working for a huge hotel or company sounds like death.

Frankly, if I could blog full time and be able to pay my student loans while enjoying a solid lifestyle of weekend hikes and writing....I would be so happy.

Let's face it....I'm not Kath, Mama Pea or any other lucky and successful food blogger. (I am not hating on them whatsoever, so don't get any crazy ideas. They are amazing hard workers and deserve it).

Today I went to talk to a counselor at my school's Career Services center. I was sort of hoping the counselor would give me brilliant ideas with phone numbers and connections to amazing people and I would be on my merry little way.

I left with tears threatening to run down my face.

In my meeting, I told her different things I would want to do after school and why. I was pretty much all over the board as far as career paths go. She told me that I really need to start focusing and narrowing those options down. From there, I can start contacting people and making moves.

So....here's what I've been daydreaming about as far as my DREAM JOB after graduating goes:

Working for a company like Kashi

- Since I started my school career with a major in Nutrition, and an obvious love for healthy food, working for a company that makes and promotes healthy food would be amazing. I would do anything too. Just working for the company with people that think alike would be satisfying.

Working as a Front of House Manager at a hip restaurant

- I like working with people and managing them too. Being in charge of the flow and happiness of customers at a restaurant would be fulfilling. I would still get a chance to be in a restaurant, experience the restaurant industry and be around a kitchen.

Writing for a magazine like Saveur or culinary website
- Writing for a food magazine would be a dream job. Obviously, I'm not a journalist major. I'm a culinary arts and business major. However, if I could write in a magazine about cooking or even working with another person who writes the article would make me happy.

Food development and research for a company like Clif Bar

- Food development is very scientific. At one point, food development was a job for a chef. Now, they are scientists because products like protein bars etc. is a very scientific procedure. They have to have someone in their company that works on new flavors and marketing right? I would be so pumped to work with new flavors, new products and research to find out what people want. This sort of sways into marketing, but I would be down for that! I'm taking a marketing class right now and it's great!

Private Chef + Caterer
- I've done a few private chef/catering gigs a few months ago and really loved it. If I could do that for a living, I would. I do think I should get a little more experience in the catering world first before venturing on to my own business, but it's in the back of my mind.

Not only do I want to get a great job after school, but thinking about where to live is a huge factor too. I have sort of narrowed my goal to San Francisco bay area. If I could get a well enough paid job there, I would expand my horizons as far as jobs go.

I am sure you all have been in my position at some point...or maybe you are right now?

Do you have any advice?

What kind of freak outs are you having right now?

My Grandma's Bacon Waffles

2012-01-17T20:48:00.002-05:00

The most recent assignment in my Food Writing class was to write an article about "brunch". I immediately thought about my grandmother and her bacon waffles......

click photo for bacon waffle recipe

We never worried that she used 3-week-oldexpired bacon. Her waffles were delicious and Grandma loved making them for usevery time we came for brunch.

Speaking of brunch, it was alwaysthe toughest meal as a little kid. My parents wouldn’t let me eat a morsel offood until we arrived. They alwayssaid, “You won’t be hungry for brunch if you eat breakfast”. This logic nevermade sense to me. After starving for eight hours while I sleep, the first thingI want in the morning is breakfast. Waiting three or more hours to cure my bodyof starvation is not a concept that a young child can accept. I always wonderedwhy we couldn’t just eat lunch? Perhaps we could just have a small snack whenwe wake up and then eat brunch? Crankiness vibrated through my body every timeI had to wait to eat brunch.

You have to understand that brunchto a child makes zero sense. It occurs at an odd time of day, we typically haveto get out of our pj’s and get dressed up, we don’t get mimosas like the adultsand we don’t necessarily want bloody Mary’s, because they’re gross, but we don’tget anything special to drink. We’re not interested in the lox and bagels andquite frankly, we’re not hung over like most brunch goers so often are. It is anunwanted change in our normal kid routine.

The 30-minute car ride to myGrandma’s for house for brunch felt like 19 hours. The only thing I could thinkabout was food. Frosted Flakes drenched in milk, strawberry jam smeared ontowhole wheat toast, peaches and cream oatmeal, or my favorite; toast with warm butterand sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Oh, how I daydreamed about breakfastevery car ride to brunch.

She opened the door, greeting uswith her large smile. I kissed her leathery cheek, whisked past her six-foottall frame and headed straight to the aged coffee table. Grandma always hadPeanut M&M’s piled high in a silver dish. It was the perfect appetizer tothe long awaited brunch.

We would sit around the smallwooden table in the middle of the kitchen. The same kitchen table my dad sat atas a little boy. I would sit on two large phone books to feel like an adult.Freshly squeezed orange juice filled small glasses for each of us. Coffee toostrong for me was poured for my parents. I impatiently sat in my chair waitingfor the feast to begin.

The little known fact that we allknew the bacon was past expiration didn’t matter. She was 90 and she was stillmaking her bacon waffles. We as a family had decided that the heat from thewaffle iron had warded off anything dangerous that the bacon might have had.

Flour, salt, whole milk, butter,eggs and vanilla were whisked together with zero effort. She would pour the thickbatter into her 20-year-old waffle iron, and gently lay two pieces of raw baconon top before closing the iron to let the waffle cook. Bacon juices seeped intothe batter as the waffle iron heated the thick waffle. Three minutes would passand her 90-year-old fingers would pluck the toasty golden waffle out of theiron and plop it onto a plate.

Butter melted into the waffle asshe spread a generous layer over every inch. Soon after, boysenberry syrup filledevery crevice. I loved the boysenberry syrup. The bacon was nestled in the middle of the waffle, notentirely crispy, but absolutely mouthwatering. Since I was the baby of thefamily and the most impatient, I was always granted to first waffle.

Running my finger along the syrupthat had dripped onto the plate, I licked the sweet berry flavor before myfirst bite. The sugar rush from the syrup gave me strength to make the perfectbite onto my fork. A large piece of juicy bacon, buttery waffle and sweet syrupfilled me up into a sleepy meditation. My fork always managed to get sticky andmy grandma knew to give me a new one mid-brunch. Taking sips of orange juiceevery other bite, I cleaned my plate in preparation for round two. Stuffing mytummy with those waffles was like a drug addict finally getting their fix.

My hunger induced temper tantrumwould soon be in the past once brunch was over. This happened every time I hadto wait for brunch. I never seemed to remember how full and utterly happy I wasafter diving into those waffles. I always kept the memory of my hunger prior tobrunch.

She passed away at age 94. I wasfourteen. We never had brunch after she passed away. We never ate bacon waffleseither. I look back on the memories of eating brunch with my Grandma. I was toocranky to notice how much love she poured into every brunch we had together. Asan adult now, I only hope to one day prepare bacon waffles for my kids andgrand children. I will be sure to always have a little snack upon their arrivaland of course, use fresh bacon.

What's your favorite thing to eat for brunch?

Did your grandma ever make something special for breakfast?

beer + dessert tasting

2012-01-17T09:46:00.001-05:00

I ADORED what you all did as a kid. Reading all of the things you ate really makes me want a pb&j and a juice box. It's fun to relish in the past and remember what life was like with no adult worries.

If I had my way, right now I would be getting on a bus with my Pocahontas backpack, getting ready for a field trip to the aquarium and checking out what mom packed for my lunch.

Well, since that is not happening, I suppose I'll put my big girl pants on and have a GREAT Tuesday.

Yesterday for breakfast, I had a nice bowl of overnight oats with cinnamon and chia seeds.

And after a FREEZING cold 6 mile run, I made a smoothie for lunch. Banana, Vanilla Teras Whey Protein and a banana.

Last night was special. I went to a beer and dessert tasting that the Brew Club hosted.

i even got a free cup.

We tasted four beers that the club had made along with four desserts that a club member's fiance made too.

It was interesting to taste homemade brew. It was actually my very first time trying it. My favorite was probably the Banana Bread. They roasted like 15lbs of bananas for a 3 gallon batch of beer. It was nutty and had a nice real banana flavor. Paired with the macaroons, the flavors melted together beautifully.

Favorite dessert? The Nutella Panna Cotta was pretty killer. Especially the crushed nuts and chocolate on top. It was paired with the Black IPA, which was tasty....but my favorite beer is an IPA, so it's tough to beat my favorite.

I love the fact that my school has fun clubs like Brew Club. It makes me proud to be a student here and happy that I get to taste and experience it all.

I'm off to class!

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY!

When I was little

2012-01-16T09:46:00.001-05:00

When I was little I...............

Would put potato chips in my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to make them crunchy.

Watch Little Rascals over and over and over again

Put so many goldfish in my tomato soup that it just looked like I poured a little tomato soup over a bowl of gold fish.

Build forts with sheets around my house and live in them for at least two days.

Beg my mom to get me Lunchables. Preferably the cool ones like the pizza making.

Cut the hair off my "My Size Barbie" and hide it under my bed.

Put Oreos in a glass, fill it with milk, let them get soggy, mush them up and eat it with a spoon.

Pretend I was the "teacher" and teach my stuffed animals.

Request Fish Sticks and Tater Tots every night for dinner.

Sneak into my mom's make up and put EVERYTHING on.

Build a cat house out of cardboard boxes and pray my cat would go in them.

(not my cat)

Eat Frosted Flakes every morning.

Your turn!

When I was little I ____________ .

When I was little I ate _____________.

seven things sunday

2012-01-15T10:14:00.001-05:00

1. Wore new Steven Madden boots yesterday. They're lined with fake fur, which make them nice and warm.

2. I had lunch at Karma Road. Roasted cauliflower, beets and carrots with vegetable peanut curry. It was a perfectly healthy lunch.

3. I saw this sign outside of the paper and art supply store yesterday. I love it. It reminds me of that time in elementary school when we had an entire Valentine's Day party with treats and cute little valentines.

4. My friend and I decided to do an "around the world" chocolate tasting last night. I just so happened to have a stack full of chocolates from all over the world from Trader Joe's. I think I preferred the South American chocolate the best.

5. I really wanted almond flour with yogurt for breakfast, but discovered that I don't have yogurt.... So triple nut butter with a sprinkle of almond flour and an apple had to suffice.

6. I really miss Sonoma right now. I keep thinking about moving back there to work after I graduate....

7. I have a deep craving for sushi.

What are you doing today? Tell me something random.

A Dangerous Method

2012-01-14T11:43:00.002-05:00

Have any of you taken Psychology?

I took AP(college level) Psychology my senior year of high school. It was hands down my favorite class. My teacher was incredibly enthusiastic about the brain, human behavior and development.

Did I also mention my dad is a lawyer, mom is a counselor, one of my sister has her masters in marriage and family therapy, her husband is finishing his PhD in Psychology and my other sister is in law school?
Let me tell you....the dinner conversations are pretty wild. They all deal with people, personalities and problems.

I'm so happy the closest I am to all of that is feeding those people.

Last night I went to see the movie, A Dangerous Method.

"A Dangerous Method explores the turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein, the beautiful but disturbed young woman who comes between them."

It was fun to watch a movie about two huge figures in the schools of thought in Psychology. I remember learning and memorizing all of their hypothesis and methods. To see a movie about them was amazing in such a nerdy way.

Keira Knightley plays Sabina Spielrein. Her character was so disturbed and she played so well, that it made me uncomfortable.

Here's the trailer to show you what I mean:

I was comfy in my sweats the entire night.

This morning I woke up starving. I ate overnight oats in a jar. Oats, soy milk, half a banana, vanilla and salt:

I just finished a solid workout.

Workout:

2 mile sprinting warm up

Body Rock "Glory to the Booty Workout"

1 minute plank

3 sets of 12 reps of each:

Biceps, Chest, Legs Press + Triceps

A total of 55 minutes.

Not sure what else is on the agenda today. I sort of like that feeling.

Hope you enjoy your Saturday!

Enter my GIVEAWAY or just watch the rap I did for it.

CORE foods GIVEAWAY

2012-01-13T08:34:00.003-05:00

I present to you.... a CORE foods GIVEAWAY rap:

That's right! I was fortunate enough to meet these great people at CORE Foods at the Foodbuzz Festival in November. I loved their product and entire idea behind their brand.

When I received four bars in the mail today, I fell over with pure joy!

It was perfect timing too, because I had just finished a 6 mile run. I ripped the Banana Walnut bar open and dug right in. Half a bar and huge bottle of water kept me completely satisfied until dinner. When I took my first bite, I could taste all of the ingredients in the bar. Which made me think...."what the heck have I been eating in all of those other protein bars??"

Simple, fresh and straight up good for you. With minimal ingredients, the bars are naked and natural.

I want to make you fall over with joy. Which is why I am working with CORE Foods to send you some too!

To enter:

Tell me what you typically eat after working out.

For Extra Entries:
1. Follow @COREfoods on twitter.

2. Follow @italktofood on twitter

3. Like CORE Foods on facebook

4. Like italktofood on facebook

5. Tweet "Aubrey from @italktofood is doing a @COREfoods GIVEAWAY!"

(Write a separate comment for each extra entry)

GOOD LUCK!

I will announce the winner on Friday the 20th at 9am East Coast time.

* Sorry foreigners... this is open to U.S. residents only.

Too excited to try CORE Food bars too wait? You can order them here!

raise your hand if you're single

2012-01-12T09:17:00.001-05:00

Keep raising your hand if your single, but first I want to wish you a Good Morning!

I am sore from the Make it Rain(Sweat) Workout. My tush hurts in a good way.

I'm enjoying a large mason jar full of coffee and this little bowl of joy right now:

Almond flour, 0% chobani + little dollop of 3 nut butter

If you were raising your hand, you can put it down now.

I thought today would be a great day to talk about being single. Whether you're in a loving happy relationship right now or am totally heartbroken, everyone has been single at some point in their life.

Before we get a little deep, watch this video:

I'm sort of in love with all of the "shit girls say" videos. Humor like that is just hilarious to me.

Funny thing is, all of those things he/she said are so true.

Being single can seem lonely, unwanted, hopeless and boring. It can also be fun, independent and freeing. I really think it depends on who you talk to. Someone who prefers light relationships, dating and not being tied down would look at being single in a positive way. For someone who likes serious relationships, the feeling of love and is happier when they're in a relationship, views being single in a not so positive way.

For me, being single is a moment in your life when it's time to reflect, grow and learn who you are apart from anyone else.

It's hard to be alone. It's hard not to have a Valentine or someone to hold hands with walking down the street. It's hard not to have a shoulder to lean on. It's hard not to get a kiss on the forehead in the morning. It's hard not to get any needed physical loving! (I only engage in such activities if I am in a relationship). Being single can be rough.

Feeling alone is only a feeling you get, when you're not comfortable with being by yourself. Some say, "you can't love someone else, until you love yourself". I couldn't agree more. If you don't love your personality and the person that you are, someone else probably won't either.

Which is why, being single and alone is necessary. Hanging out with yourself, learning what you like and dislike or who you want to become is so important to loving yourself. Trying a new hobby might be the best thing to do. It gives you something that you can do on your own, but once you meet that person, you can share your love of that hobby with them too.

Break ups might be the worst thing in the world. Well, that or finding out your jar of peanut butter is empty. They hurt for a reason. There is a reason time is the only cure to overcoming heartbreak. The reason? That time is meant to be spent reflecting by yourself and learning from the entire relationship! Rebounding will not help. It makes you week and hurts the rebound too and that's just mean.

Being single is part of life.

Love yourself.

Grow into that person you love.

Don't go searching for that special someone.

Your heart will surprise you, when you least expect it.

What are your thoughts?

Being single is _________ .

make it rain (sweat) workout

2012-01-11T20:13:00.001-05:00

I sweat hard for 80 minutes , thanks to the workout I made up while in class. Ever since I made up the 4x25 workout, I've started to fall in love with the randomness of circuits and cardio.

I wore my heart rate monitor for the entire workout and discovered that it was mostly at 150-170 the entire 80 minutes that it took me to complete the entire workout.

Now you can understand the whole dripping sweat thing.

Make it Rain (Sweat) Workout

1 mile warm up

10 Down Dog Pushups

10 Regular Pushups

10 Jump Squat Knee Slaps

X 5

30 Second High Knees

20 seconds Punching a bag or the air

20 Plank Knees to Chest

20 One Leg Sit Ups with 8lb Medicine Ball

40 Plank Jumping Jacks

20 Scissor Jump Lunges

30 side sit ups left

30 side sit ups right

2 mile run

.5 mile cool down walking (3.5mph)

Make it Rain (Sweat) Workout with Pictures

1 mile run

10 Down Dog Pushups

10 Regular Pushups

10 Jump Squat Knee Slaps

Repeat 5 circuit times

30 Second High Knees

20 seconds Punching a bag or the air

20 Plank Knees to Chest

Repeat Circuit 5 Times

20 One Leg Sit Ups with 8lb Medicine Ball

40 Plank Jumping Jacks

20 Scissor Jump Lunges

Repeat Circuit 5 times

30 side sit ups left

30 side sit ups right

2 mile run

.5 mile cool down walking (3.5mph)

Phew, just rewriting this workout out makes my heart race.

Working out gives me such incredible boosts of happy feelings and positive vibes. I love completing hard workouts. They really clear my mind and release any stress I might have in my mind or body.

And remember........

Let me know if you give this workout a try!

make-up and beauty

2012-01-11T12:38:00.001-05:00

This could be a total fail post, but I think 2012 should be a year of trying new things.

I have never written a post about beauty, make-up and my personal routine. The truth is, I don't really care about make up all that much. I brag that I can get ready just as fast as an average man. I'm not sure if this is a positive thing or a tom-boy type of approach.

I suppose I have gotten into a routine of wearing the same make-up and applying it faster than it takes to wash it off at the end of the day. While I don't take much time, I have found my favorite products and am an advocate of buying what makes you happy when it comes to beauty products. It's worth the little extra money.

I want to share these products with ya'll just for the hell of it!

I'll start by showing you my morning face. Don't be alarmed by the amount of freckles I have. I've managed to collect a HUGE amount of them over the years.

no make-up:

with make-up:

Not a huge difference.

My goal with make up:

- cover up blemishes

- rosey up the cheeks

- define cheek bones

- curl and plump lashes

All of the make-up I use:

Foundation

I don't use foundation all over my face. Just shmear a little over my blemishes and gently blot them with a small foundation brush, which you can buy at Sephora. I really like Chanel's Vitalumiere foundation. It's super creamy, light and gentle. This is the one item I would pay good money for.

Eye Shadow

I really like this color set of eye shadow by Chanel as well. It's simple, tends to go well with every skin tone and adds a pretty shimmer. I use the dark brown in the creases of my eye.

Blush and Bronzer

Well, it's not really bronzer, but a mate brown. I use this below my cheek bones, forehead and chin. It doesn't add a "tanned" look, but simply accentuates the bone structure in your face. I use Benefit's Hoola powder. For blush, I use Korres Natural "Zea May's Powder Blush 16" from Sephora. I smile, and dust the top of my cheeks back to my ear almost.

Mascara

I have and will always use Great Lash Mascara. It is cheap and the best. I also use an eyelash curler BEFORE I apply mascara.

Lips

I've tried the whole lip gloss thing, and I just don't like it. I am obsessed with Burt's Bees classic peppermint lip balm

Perfume

I used to be obsessed with perfumes. I would buy a new one almost every month. Until I found Tocca Cleopatra. I have worn it now for almost three years. It is an expensive perfume that lasts the entire day. It's a classic smell. When you smell it in the bottle, it is VERY strong. Spray it on your arm, walk around and then smell your arm. PURE HEAVEN.

As for my hair... I wash it with normal shampoo and conditioner. I sometimes blow dry it, but mostly let it air dry. This is probably what helps me have such a short time when getting ready.

So, that's my personal make-up and beauty routine.

Hope this post was somewhat interesting :)

Wednesday Morning with Aubrey

2012-01-11T09:02:00.001-05:00

Seriously, thank you for describing to me what you ate for dinner last night. You all eat such tasty and healthy food! My favorites: kale salad with tahini and lemon and baked sweet potato with almond butter.

Last night I got to watch some friends make pickles. It's a normal thing to see on any given day of the week when you go to culinary school.

Today's Breakfast!

Overnight Oats: rolled oats, quinoa flakes, almond milk, vanilla and chia seeds.

yum.

Today's outfit:

I put on tights today. Yep, I'm a big girl today. We all know they are the least comfortable thing on the planet.

Homemade scarf, GAP skirt, Target blazer, Steve Madden Boots

Oh, and I am doing a post I've never done before later today. PRETTY excited.

what if treadmills had australian accents and told us our butts look nice while we ran?

2012-01-10T19:41:00.001-05:00

I want to know what you had for dinner tonight. Remember that and tell me what you ate at the end of this post. I am in one of those curious moods, you know?

I also want to know if you would care to know what I wear every once in a while.

I have to wear business casual daily when at school. Not sure if what I wore today fit that, "business casual" profile, but I dug it.

mom, please don't look at the clothes on my floor....I picked them up.

I wore a bracelet wrapped around my wrist a million times on the same hand as my watch. Too much clutter? Oh well, I like it.

I drank my coffee in black and white today. I know, it's a crazy skill I have.

I'm currently reading this book. It is a beautiful piece about Yosemite and it's surroundings. This fellow, John Muir describes nature better than anyone in my eyes. I highly suggest you read this. It might make you weep with the urge to go on a hike, which....is a great thing.

There's a large picture of my face!

But really I was just trying to demonstrate the joy I got from wearing a tank top outside this afternoon. I didn't even need a sweatshirt on my way to the gym...YES. I love it.

Not that it's interesting, but I ran 3.25 miles on the treadmill and then 30 minutes on the AMT machine.

By the way, treadmills are boring. I believe they should talk to me for entertainment and encouragement. Particularly in a hot Australian accent. Saying things like, "Wow, Aubrey, you are an amazing runner, your bum looks fantastic in those shorts! Keep going!".

I also didn't feel like eating a "real" dinner. I had my fair share of veggies and broccoli at lunch, so a mixture of oats, half a banana and greek yogurt hit the spot.

not the prettiest picture, I know

Okay, are you ready???

TELL ME WHAT YOU HAD FOR DINNER! GO!

tuesday morning with aubrey

2012-01-10T08:44:00.000-05:00

Good Morning!

I have to say, even though I didn't have anything big to say in last nights vlog, I sort of like doing them.
Mmm, we'll see if they continue.

I also said yesterday that I was going to do the 1,000 rep workout. Well I did it!
I was feeling really good the entire time. I noticed that the 4th set is the hardest mentally, because you're not yet halfway. See the smiley face above the 8th set? I for some weird reason had a HUGE surge of energy and it was my best set.

I was feeling a little like jell-o afterwards. It truly is an amazing workout. I know some of you have ventured into it, but if you haven't yet......try it! Even doing half of it would be good. 500 reps is still impressive!

I ate a big huge mug full of salad yesterday. The mug is about the size of my head. Nutritional yeast made it's appearance in there too. I haven't had it in a while. Twas nice (anyone else feel like KathEats when they say "twas"?)

I curled my hair for the first time in a very long time yesterday. I felt ultra girly!

I currently have my nails painted dark dark red and my hair is curled. Those two minor things really make me feel nice. Sort of geeky I know, but I'm realizing the little things are the most important.

Anywho! I have a math test that I really want to do well on today and other classes to attend this afternoon. I'll get back to ya'll real quick!

Tell me: What do you do to feel girly? Manly?

an "i don't even know" vlog

2012-01-09T17:50:00.002-05:00

why did I make this vlog?

I don't even know.

so like, hi.

2012-01-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

Good morning ladies and gents. Happy Monday.

I really wish someone could reply to me immediately after I write that. It sort of makes me feel like I'm just talking to myself.

Fact: I don't know what's going on with mother nature and her non-snowing ways, but I am okay with it. I don't believe it's global warming. I'm sure mother nature is just having a little fun with us and BAM, she'll soon be dumping snow until June.

Check out my breakfast. I'm grubbing on such delightful eats lately.

Chobani yogurt, raw oats + almond flour

I bought this yesterday:

Have you ever tried it? Apparently it's a good natural cleanser. Just 2 tsp of this in a little water and your good to go. For 4 bucks I'm willing to experiment. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm listening to this song right now.

Yesterday I had a brief daydream of this place.

ignore my nerdy outfit in this photo, please.

Yosemite....sigh. I want to be there. Just look at Half Dome in the background.
Men look at porn for pleasure. I look at pictures mountains for pleasure.

I am going to do this workout shortly. I am a bit nervous and a bit excited. I honestly never thought I would do this workout again, but it will be my third time now!

Today I am going to work on homework and more scholarship applications. Cross your fingers for me that I will one day get one these scholarships.

fact: I have been learning that only people who have on leg or are foreign receives scholarships.

And later tonight I get to go to one of my favorite restaurants in Rhinebeck, Arielle!

Tell me something extraordinary. Anything! I want to know more about EVERYTHING.

Kom-boot-chya

2012-01-08T18:35:00.001-05:00

Heeeeeello Sunday!

Yesterday was... was...was _________. Fierce? Good word.

Yesterday was fierce. I ran 10 miles in shorts over the Hudson River in beautifully warm weather. Did a little homework and later met up with a friend for dinner. It was a pretty solid day.

Today was magnificent. Woke up with a little knee pain (which I anticipated), started my batch of Kombucha, went to New Paltz with a wonderful fellow, ate a salmon taco and a ghost pepper blondie and just finished a little yoga with a quick 4 minute in a sauna session.

Oh, you wanted pictures of the food? Well okay!

This blondie....was hot. And no, not like a "she was a hot blonde".
Like a, "HOLY S#@*, that is spicy".

Today I started my very first batch of Kombucha! It was really simple and the directions were easy.

1. Find a container (my Brita water filter container)

2. Brew a gallon of water

3. Let tea seep for 4 minutes and remove

4. Let tea come to room temp

5. Add momma

6. Cover with a towel.

7. Have patience for 30 days. UGH, the worst part.

What's neat, is once you get the starter pack with the mom, you can continue to use that mom to make more kombucha forever.

Have you ever made your Kombucha?

how to be happy.

2012-01-07T11:09:00.002-05:00

I know the title of this post sounds like a self help book title, because....well, this is a self help post!

I have bad days and I have really really really good days, like most people. I've told you before that I've had a lot of "me time" in my life, which has helped me to be a little more independent as far as happiness goes.

I thought today would be lovely to share with you, what makes me happy and what I believe can help make anyone happy too.

Corny? Yes. It's okay, we all like corny at some point.

Eat healthy food: When I eat naughty food, it tastes good for a moment but the feeling soon passes, and all I am left with is guilt. I've never had a one night stand, but I am almost positive that that morning after feeling is identical to the feeling after waking up from a big beer and chips binge.

When I was a nutrition major, I had a huge belief that most health and psychological problems could be changed with nutrition. Feeling sad? Eat an apple. Feeling fat? Drink a wheat grass shot and a big glass of water. Soon, those bad-for-you food cravings will disappear and your body will feel lighter and crave clean foods. Plus, your body performs better when fueled with good nutrition. Of course, the occasional treat won't hurt, but to awaken out of a somber of depression, CLEAN FOODS ONLY.

Listen to good music: I love a lot of different genres of music. When I'm feeling down, I tend to listen to indie rock or acoustic. It fits my mood, and for some reason I feel like the sad man singing and I are relishing in the fact that we are both miserable.

This song:

After listening for a while, I actually feel better. As if we just helped each other out by letting out those emotions. I then switch to emotionless dubstep and rap to help aid me in dancing around my room or running hard.

Work out: Duh, I don't need to really get into this one that deep. It's a known fact that endorphins are released when you work out. Not only that, but sweating seems to release stress and built up emotions. After a hard workout, a sense of accomplishment causes you to feel happier.

Where clothes that make you feel pretty: even if you only feel like wearing your lacey undies and bra, it will make you feel pretty. Putting in a little effort to curl your hair or wear a skirt, will lift your mood and make you feel girly. If you are a gentleman, where a nice shirt and your fancy shoes.

Give more compliments: It's easy to feel sorry for yourself and walk around with a "poor me" attitude when things aren't going your way. Give someone a compliment. When you're in line at Starbucks, waiting to get a coffee, and you've been eyeing a girl in line because you like her boots, actually tell her you like her boots. It takes virtually zero effort, and you are making someone feel good. When you pass that forward, they will feel good about how cute their boots are. Karma will come around and someone will compliment you too. It's a positive energy type of thing.

Go for a nature walk: whether you feel up for a trail run, hike or just a walk through a trail...being in nature will give you a sense of simplicity and peace with mother nature. It takes you back to that sense scerenity and our roots.

Treat yourself: no, not in copious amounts of dark chocolate and wine. That purse you really wanted, but is not on sale and you feel like you can't afford it? Buy it! The feeling of sort of being naughty and buying something you don't necessarily need but want, will give you a rush. Cutting back on the morning trip to your favorite coffee shop to grab that expensive coffee? GO! If it makes you happy, by all means do it. Need a massage? Just get yourself one, you owe it to your stressed out body.

Cook: for some people cooking is a stressful act. Well, if that's you, skip this one and go on with your merry way. Cooking for me, is relaxing act. Even baking something simple like cookies is good enough for me. Give those cookies away to someone nice. Braising something for a long time, or making something in your crockpot is great too. Letting those smells waft into your house is a comforting feeling that can not be replicated with any store bought meal or take out. Chicken noodle soup perhaps? Mmm, that sounds so good right now.

recipe

Get into your comfy pants, light a candle and watch a movie: last night I lit my Shampure candle from Aveda and watched my favorite movie, Amelie. It was so relaxing and mellow. Feeling pressure to have a perfect friday night out on the town is the least of my concerns when there's a movie and a candle waiting for me in my room. Bonus? Take a bath right before the movie. Talk about comfy.

Being happy can feel like such a hard and far away feeling sometimes. Understand that happiness is just around the corner. Sadness is only a temporary feeling.

I love what Katie said today, "It may not happen quickly, and sometimes it may feel like it won’t happen at all. But whatever you’re fighting and wherever you’re hurting, just take it. Just feel it. Peace is always coming because the burn is always temporary."

a new break (the) fast

2012-01-06T09:55:00.003-05:00

I love breakfast.

I'm not a huge fan of huge breakfasts, but when I wake up, cereal, oatmeals, parfaits or even green smoothies are on my brain.

I HAVE A NEW BREAKFAST CREATION!

I love greek yogurt. This morning I decided to make it even better by adding in a little over a tablespoon of almond flour.

Wham, bam, indeed it was magical. Protein, slightly sweet, and nice texture from the almond flour.

Past breakfast creations:

Green Monsters

Green Overnight Oats

Green Slop

PB+J Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds + Jam

Pumpkin Tofu Pudding

Pumpki n Pie Oatmeal

Pumpkin Pie Cottage Cheese

Protein Cereal

Cereal

Fruit with peanut butter....

i want to make you happy.

2012-01-05T23:28:00.002-05:00

If you haven't heard this song or seen this video....Oh my child, I am so happy I get to be the one to show you.

This song is my ringtone....and boy does it make me happy.

Some other things that I want to share with you:

I know there's the regular "shit girls say", but here were others that made my laugh like this one:

My accounting teacher showed us this fake commercial today:

Hahaha....

okay, im off to bed.

What's something funny you've seen lately?

i am not sick. i am not sick. i am not sick

2012-01-05T12:05:00.001-05:00

My immune system is usually a huge ball of strength. I can't even remember the last time I had a stuffy nose or sore face. It has probably been 2 years since the last time I had a cold.

I believe it's my vitamin enriched diet, the fact that I don't wash my apples and my stubbornness that keeps me from getting sick.

Well, folks. Something happened. Last night I tried falling asleep while my nose was leaking and constant sneezing.

I was eating Ricolas like it was my job.

Waking up this morning to a congested head and face, this cold has defeated my immune system.

I understand I can't be superhuman, so I will take this cold lightly and just let it happen.

My goal today.....DOMINATE this cold.

With lots of coffee

Lots of vegetables

Wearing my new shoes.....because we all know that helps ward off stuffy noses.

And if that doesn't work, i'll suffocate it with the scarf my mom made me.

What are your methods to getting rid of a cold?
Are you a big baby when you get sick or pretend you're a warrior and fight it off?

I ate a biscuit.

2012-01-04T14:07:00.000-05:00

Good morning folks!

Last night I went to the gym for another workout! What?? Who does that? Well, Bess does and I wanted to try it out. Nothing major. I did the 24 x 5 workout yesterday morning and last night around 8pm I went for a 50 minute run/jog/walk around my school gym. I didn't keep track but it was GRAND.

It felt good to be moving around for a second time.

This morning I woke up to this breakfast:

Oats, plain cream of wheat chia seeds and almond milk soaked overnight:

I know I am backtracking right now, but I had to tell you more about my eats in Seattle!

As you know, I ate some really tasty food. The Walrus and the Carpenter, Red Mill Burgers and Din Tai Fung.

Well, that wasn't all. I had amazing biscuits from Serious Biscuit.

You wouldn't think biscuits were particularly serious, but I am about to get serious with how delicious those biscuits were. Located in a small 6 table spot, this hole in the wall was cranking out buttery biscuits served with heartbreaking (literally) toppers.

Since there were three of us, we decided to order three and just swap plates randomly for a true biscuit eating experience.

Biscuit, Fried Chicken, Egg, Bacon + Gravy.

Fried Yellow Tomato, Bacon, Remoulade and Egg

Truffled Frittata, Caper, Arugula + Tomato Spread

Umm, hi. Stop drooling. No, don't stop! I was amazed by how extremely satisfying the biscuits themselves were. Buttery filled pillows of love. The fried chicken was my favorite.

Now, you can understand why I am on such a health kick right now!

Before I go, I also wanted to show you other tasty things I had while in Seattle.

I had a delicious Espresso Macchiato from Espresso Vivace too! Look at that design. Homegirl who poured this had skill.

On January 1st I ran 6 miles and ate a delicious salad of kale, seaweed, cauliflower and shrimp.

With a bottle of this green stuff. Celery, spinach, kale....no fruit. It tasted green and VERY healthy.

Ilana made a plate of fresh burrata cheese, tomatoes, basil, salt and olive oil. If you haven't had burrata, go get it right now. It's hard to find, but don't give up the search.

I'm off to the gym. After seeing those pictures of the biscuits again, I am reminded that I still have a biscuit tied to the inside of my thigh.

Tell me, what changes, if any, are you making this new year fitness/health/food wise?

the 4 x 25 workout

2012-01-03T14:42:00.002-05:00

NEW YEAR. NEW WORK OUT.

I was very very motivated this morning after getting home late last night from Seattle.

Back to school, back to having a gym and the time to get in a good sweat.

I decided that today would be perfect to make up a new work out too.

I call it:

The 4 x 25 Workout

1 mile run

25 reps of each:

- push ups

- Dips

- Split Jump Lunges

- Leg Drops

- Plank Jumping Jacks

- Leg Grab Reach Ups

repeat 4 times

Finish with 25 oblique V-ups.

= 4 Miles and 625 reps.

I finished in about an hour. It was really great to do 150 reps in between each mile. It really broke up the miles and made my whole body shake in the end.

If you are a visual person. Here is a break down of the workout in pictures!

1 Mile Run

25 repetitions of each:

x 4

Finish with 25 reps

I can only imagine how creative you could get with this kind structure. Let me know if you try this work out or come up with your own!!

Smell, Slurp, Taste, Spit

2012-01-03T12:16:00.000-05:00

I love Seattle. I know I have said it before, but a city that is filled with coffee lovers such as myself is the buttercream icing on the moist yellow cake.

I was lucky enough to participate in the free 3pm coffee tasting at Stumptown Coffee Roasters a couple of days ago.

If you've never been to a coffee tasting, I highly recommend it. Even your local Starbucks can do a free one if you ask. You really get to understand different coffee types, roasts and the different tastes according to where the beans are grown.

We stepped down stairs of the store front where they store roast their beans.

the roaster

To keep things simple and less boring, I'll just briefly go through what we did.

There were about 8 different coffee beans for the tasting. All from different regions.

Each coffee had 3 cups in front of them and a glass of water. The three cups are meant for you to be able to smell and later taste the beans three times so your pallet can really get a sense of the coffee.

Step One:

Grind the beans into each cup, take each cup and hold it close to your nose to take a deep breath. (Do not inhale grinds)

Step Two: Pour hot water over the grinds. Smell each cup immediately to be able to smell the essential oils that the hot water is releasing from the grinds.

Allow the grinds to brew for four minutes

Step Three: "Break" the crust of the grinds to smell even more oils. While carefully circling the crust with the spoon, keep your nose close and smell.

Step Four: Remove the crust with two spoons and discard.

Step Five: Using a spoon, slurp in a bit of the coffee. Slurping allows more oxygen into your mouth, which allows you to taste the coffee all over your tongue. Different parts of your tongue taste different things.

Step Six: Taste all of the coffees, spitting the coffee out into a cup after each slurp. (This is so your palette doesn't get overwhelmed). You also dip your tasting spoon in the cup of water to rinse off any oils. And then taste and spit them all again!

We all talked about which coffees we liked and disliked. I surprisingly didn't really like any of them that much. I really lean towards earthy dirty and dark roasts. This tasting just so happened to be a little more tomatoey, acidic and lighter coffees.

After our tasting, we headed upstairs to get a few espresso drinks.

Look at that gorgeous machine.....

I ordered an espresso macchiato. A very delicious espresso macchiato.

It gave me enough energy to stay up for New Years Eve!

I LOVED the coffee tasting. It was free and a great way to spend 45 minutes. It was very similar to wine tasting.

2012 Goals

2012-01-02T00:55:00.000-05:00

yada yada. I'm sure this is the 534th post you've read today about 2012 goals, but I wanted to do one! I want to be apart of the 2012 goal world.

After a lot of thought and a lot of food the past two weeks, I've come up with a few.

1. Get into "I'D TOTALLY GET NAKED AND BE HAPPY WITH MY BODY RIGHT NOW" shape.

You know when you are butt naked, right out of the shower looking in the mirror? I want to look into the mirror and say to myself "oh yes, look at that bod". It might sound silly, but it's reality and it's how I want to feel.

my plan:
- eat whole clean foods
- indulge only when necessary (example: a restaurant is famous for their sea salt brownie)
- keep track of what I eat and be accountable for it.
- try new workouts from BodyRock and maybe even swimming
- get inspired and constantly look at photos of fit gals to motivate me

2. Do well in school.
I want to keep up with my grades in last year of college. I want to be proud of my effort and know that I tried my very best

my plan:
- stop texting my mom while in class
- take more time to read and study

3. Plan more small events throughout my year to get me excited and constantly looking forward to something

I feel like the more there is to look forward to, especially during the winter, the better. I do have a food and wines trip in June that I will be going on, which is AMAZING.

my plan:
- sign up for weekend races
- try out a trail run race in the spring
- plan ahead for weekends in the city or even fun things around school
- stage or work for free in restaurants in the city when I have free time

4. GET READY TO MOVE AND WORK SOMEWHERE AMAZING

my plan:
I graduate in February of 2013, so I am guessing this time next year I will know where I will be moving and working after I graduate. I want to get a great job and live somewhere amazing too. I am going to work very very hard my last term of school to get the job I want.

5. Continue to keep up my blog of course!