Holla!

Yesterday after work I headed out to go find a bridal shower gift. Kevin's cousin is getting married at the end of next month and her bridal shower is Saturday. So being that I've been so busy I didn't think until yesterday that I needed to go shopping.

So I printed off the bridal registry (thank you Lisa for registering). It makes shopping so much easier.

As I walked into the store I walked past a clearance section. Something caught my eye. Something very similar to what I've seen before.
That's right Caitlin has a plate just like this one.

Here another!

After getting what I needed for the bridal shower, I was 'marven! It was 4:30 and I knew if I just started on dinner that I would be eating in 30 mins. I just couldn't make it that long.

I grabbed a banana and sliced it in half down the middle. I thought I would try out my sunflower seed butter I'd bought. It's not nearly as sweet and savory as cashew or almond butter, so I sprinkled on some unsweetened coconut.

Then it was time to start cooking. Stir fry. With quinoa.

Always make sure you rinse your quinoa before cooking. I use a cheese cloth. I reuse it 2-4 times for the same thing before I toss it out and get a new piece.

Simmer for 15-20 mins.

I had just over 2 servings left and thought I might as well cook it all and just store the rest in the fridge for an easy grab later.

Then on to the other ingredients. I had taken out a turkey breast to thaw the night before, but I was home alone and this is a mother of a turkey breast. So I left that in the fridge for another day and went with some tofu. Smoked tofu.

Onion, snap peas, zucchini, and orange pepper.

Sauteed until the veggies were softened to my liking. Then I tossed in 1/4 cup of my cooked quinoa, and drizzled some Peanut Satay sauce over.

All plated and ready for serving. It sure did hit the spot!

After dinner I went to Hot Yoga where Janice taught again tonight. My girlfriend MJ joined me and we both left feeling like we missed Jana (the owner). We may look into switching our Hot Yoga date nights.

Who's got a case of the Mundays?

I have a bad case of the Mundays (Office Space). I will fill you in on why later, when I have more information to share.

This morning I did day 2 of my 30 Day Shred with Jilliam Michaels. It's the same workout routine for 10 days at level 1 then move on to level 2. So I knew what I was getting into at 6:15am.

I grabbed my 3lbs weights and headed to the basement to workout with Jillian (we are going to be best buds I might as well just refer to her no as Jillian).

After yesterday the shoulder presses with 5lb weights is just too much for me right now. I will have to build up to it.

Over all it was a great workout. Nothing like burning 310 calories in 27 minutes before starting your day.

After the work out I decided rather than shower right away, I wanted to eat my breakfast. Kind of gross I know.
Oatmeal

• 1/3 cup quick oats
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1.5 tbsp dried blueberries
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1tbsp chia seeds

Check out another one of my new bowls I got Friday. Too cute.

So let's rewind to yesterday, because I wasn't able to blog at my work because of my leaving my usb cord at my full time job.

So Friday morning after breakfast, Kevin and I went and did a run and then I did my Day 1 with Jillian. This is what I looked like after all that working out. I don't know that I've ever felt or been this sweaty before.

After taking a nice long shower and getting cleaned up for the day, it as 1pm, definitely time for some lunch. I made myself a wrap with, hummus, tomato, asparagus, avocado, and some smoked tofu.With a some sides. Baby carrots and some orange pepper. Instead of jamming it into my wrap this time I just ate them on the side. I also had a grapefruit.

Come 2:20, it was time for me to leave the house and head into work for my last marathon work shift (on the weekends that is).

Working 3-11.

For my mid afternoon snack I had some yogurt and granola.

I quite enjoyed this one better than the chocolate. It fits more with what I would throw together for a homemade yogurt and granola combination.
Wow, and I knew this when I packed my dinner, but Sunday is exactly almost the same as what I had Saturday just switched lunch and dinner between themselves. lol I guess I don't have room to be creative when I work 22 of 48 hours. Strawberry, raspberry nut salad, topped with homemade raspberry red wine vinaigrette.

It was a pretty quiet shift at the group home Sunday. There was only 1 kid in the house and she for whatever reason wasn't in the mood to talk with me, and just talked with the other staff.

She didn't however mind watching any of the movies I brought in to watch. We watched Monster In-Law.

While watching the movie I grabbed the apple I had packed with me and a banana from the group home kitchen. Proud of myself for turning down blueberry muffins and frozen yogurt.
I hope everyone else is having a decent start to the day. Though it is raining here today, the air is warm and the sky is supposed to clear for a bit in the afternoon before it starts to rain again.

100th Post

Wow how completely opposite of what I try and focus on here at MirandasJeans, LOL but still kind of funny.

[Source]

I almost blew right past this anniversary without realizing it. I knew 100 was coming up soon, but I didn't think it would have hit it yet. But here we are. I have made many losses and a few gains since starting here. But I can't believe how I truly love to blog. I love that I have somewhere I can go back to and see what I've been doing, how I've been feeling and over all doing a lot of self reflection. I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I do.

I was pretty excited to try what I had made for lunch. I had bought myself some new Tofu. This is Soyganics Smoked Tofu. I used it in a wrap I prepped last night with 1/8 avocado, 1/2cup alfalfa sprouts, 1 crimini mushroom and some yellow pepper.I really enjoyed this tofu. I wouldn't buy it all the time as a go to tofu. It's a fair bit more pricey than regular non smoked tofu. Also I didn't enjoy when I was heating it up to brown the sides in the frying pan that it smelt like hot dogs. *bleck*

Like I said I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the smoky flavour it had without me having to marinade it. I enjoyed it's texture and firmness.

More than half way through eating my side to my wrap I realized I forgot to take a picture. So this is what was left of my 14 baby carrots and 3 chopped stalks of celery.

I hate when carrots have a tough woody centre. It completely ruins the carrot for me.

Check this sucker out after having chew the goodness from it. It doesn't even look like it wants to be eaten. Maybe that was it's plan all along. Hmmmm. lol

Two questions today: 1) How do you enjoy your tofu? Do you have a specific brand you always buy or do you try others? 2) How do you celebrate mini milestones?

p.s right now I am fightting the strong temptation to go to the office reception area to eat a Timbit (Tim Hortons version of a donut hole).

Veggie head

Wow! I took this picture around 7:30 this morning. Look at what a beautiful day it is turning out to be at such an early hour. Spring has sprung!

Today is another day of rest of me. I woke up at 5am, not to my alarm going off, rather Kevin's alarm going off, as he had to be at work for 7am. It felt nice to see that it was 5am and know that I could roll over and go back to sleep for almost another 2 hours. I woke up before my alarm by 10 minutes, but stayed in bed just looking out the window and being relaxed. Wow I can't believe how badly I need this break. The best part is, when I wake up I don't feel bad for missing (spin today) class. I have other forms of exercise planned for this week that don't involve my regular routine.

For breakfast I made a Berry Cherry Green Monster.

1 tbsp dried cherries 2 tsp dried blueberries, 1/8 cup fresh blueberries, 1/4 cup raspberries, 5 strawberries, 1 beet, 2 cups baby spinach and 1 cup almond milk.

*Note to self, dried blueberries are too little to get blended up, and then only cause an annoyance when drinking your GM through a straw blocking the flow*.

Off to work I went, with no am workout.

Overall the office is pretty quiet today. Boss is away at another branch, and the other caseworkers are in and out. Kind of makes me sleepy it being so quiet like this.

For snack I bypassed my fruit I packed for the yogurt.

Peach Mango

Surprise surprise! More cauliflower rice, just like I predicted. lol Sorry that it kind of looks kind of not so tasty, I promise you it is. Avocado & Cauliflower. Swirly whirly beet. Sliced carrot & zucchini. With Tofu fried in Peanut Satay sauce. All rolled together.

Now I made this wrap last night, and yes the veggies did turn the wrap slightly soggy, but nothing that having made it fresh and letting it sit fr 30 mins wouldn't have caused.

For lunch I was really missing some granola of some sort from my morning snack. I look at my morning snack as a second mini breakfast. And Kevin has said 'we are breakfast people'. So thankfully I work beside a grocery store. I went over knowing I wouldn't find real true granola, so I headed for the cereal aisle & the yogurt section. This is what I grabbed. I layered this in a cup with my fruit.

Mango & Strawberry.

Question: Do you feel guilty when you are missing your regular workouts. Do you regularly make time for yourself to rest and recover (i.e. work out free days) or do you keep going until you injur yourself.

~ M ~