Title courtesy of GLEE, Season 1

Hie-dy Ho!

I spent the weekend cooking of course! Last week I managed to make 3 recipes out of my Veganomicon cookbook…all of which were extremely delicious.

As for the “new” blog planning — it is still in full swing! Right now I am considering a new layout and different pages..and well, a whole new look all together! I’m sure you guys are going to love it! In the meantime, I will keep posting about my daily adventures while the blog undergoes some much-needed remodeling

This weekend was spent looking at foreclosed homes in the countryside of Gastonia. Jason and I like looking at homes together We visited a few with awesome kitchens and patios, others with not-so-nice kitchens and patios (not that those things are important to me or anything )

As we walked through these cold, forlorn houses, I got to thinking: What really makes a house a home??

Of course there are the obvious answers….

..like: home is where my loved one’s are (including my fur children!)…

…or: home is a place that puts a roof over my head.

Those are both great things for a home to offer, but for me a home is a little more. Walking thru desolate, empty houses made me think of items in my own home that I would be really sad to lose. For me, these items (though materialistic) have meaning. They have traveled with me from house to house…from my very first apartment, to my very first place with Jason. It would be a sad day if these things ever went missing, got broken or ruined in any way!

What items am I talking about? Well, step right this way and I will show you *In no particular order*

My bookshelves and the books that occupy them…

The cat-themed pencil holder I molded out of clay in the 3rd grade…

(No hating on my hammer-shaped pencil! )

A picture of my first cat, Spooky, that inspired said pencil holder…kept on fridge, from house to house…

Candles!!! Candles galore! Of course, candles can be replaced. I just like having them in my house – it covers up dog farts.

My cooking spoons and spices…

Wait, is that a bottle of wine? Hmmm..wonder how that got there…

Photos of my family that were passed down to me, currently hanging on living room wall…

Last but not least..my favorite one:

This one is my favorite! The story: My mom, in her twenties, and my dad (ditto) were driving down a Texas road when she spotted a huge turtle in the middle of the lane. She told my dad to stop the car, hopped out, picked up the turtle and ran it far into the field where it couldn’t get hit by a car My dad snapped this picture when she was running back to the car. And I wonder where my love of animals comes from

Moving on…The 60 Years of Photojournalism book I received for my 16th birthday…

This book is amazing. Every photo has a story behind it, and is beautiful in its own way. Definitely a book to keep on the coffee table

Humfrey! How I love him so….

Humfrey was a Christmas surprise when I was 4 years old If you press down on his heart, it beats!

My race bibs….nuff said.

(A recent addition) The painting of the gazebos that resides in Battery Park-Charleston, SC…

We visited Charleston last spring, and it was the most beautiful place I’d ever been to!

My memory boxes…

Can’t tell you what’s in’em! Well, I could..but then I’d have to kill you Haha! Just kidding

Am I the only person alive still keeping a “memory box”? It feels so silly and childish, but 50 years from now I want to look back through what I now deem important

Other things of sentimental value (kept in storage):

• The two boxes of stuffed animals from when I was a kid
• Old diaries, photo albums (dating back to 1993!)
• My creative writing notebook from high school

Glad I could share that with you guys! Today has been a decent day. I worked in front of the computer (bloggie stuff and job-hunting) for most of the day, then around 4,  I met my friend from school at the gym. I was so ready to get out of the house at that point! The computer screen was making my eyes hurt. We had a nice strength-training and cardio workout.

I am now at home contemplating what  to make for dinner

Can’t wait until you guys see the new blog layout I picked! I’d Rather Be Running is getting a complete makeover from the ground, up! ‘Tis exciting stuff

See you in a couple of days!

What are some sentimental items you keep in YOUR home??

No, but seriously — it was the best meal I’ve ever eaten.

Have you ever sat down with a homemade meal in front of you and just felt really thankful? Thankful for all of the flavors in this world, the abundance of food in America, or the fact that you just spent an hour cooking a healthy meal in the kitchen, and loved every minute of it?

I have. These past few weeks have turned me into more of a foodie than I thought could be humanly possible. I feel joy when I peel potatoes or discover a new spice Watching veggie broth and all-purpose flour go from a liquid state to a thick gravy makes me feel warm inside. How this came about, I do not know!

When I used to work 40+ hours a week at my old job, I would come home and cook up a meal for my guy and I…be it a “fast” meal like chili, or a “slow” meal like lasagna. I claimed that I “liked” to cook, but didn’t mean it. What I meant was that I liked to eat the things I cook. Because, to be completely honest – I dreaded the thought of driving 45 minutes home, standing on my feet for another hour in the kitchen, and having to clean the kitchen afterwards.

I would sit down with a hot plate of whatever in front of me, scarf it down quickly, claim it was “delicious” and head back to the kitchen for the dreaded clean-up.

That is not enjoyable eating.

I like food. I like cooking. It is one of the things in my life that I have total control over. At the end of a stressful day, cooking a delicious, healthy meal is something I look forward to. These past few weeks have been spent with me in the kitchen, making recipes that I would never have come up with on my own. Discovering new uses for vegetable broth, and how to make cookies without using animal products.

Tonight – we had Vegan Shepherd(less?) Pie.

It brought me to tears….This delicious meal came at a critical time in my life. A time when everything else is so bland and unforgiving.

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As you know (or may not know!) I am unemployed at the moment. I’ve been unemployed since August 2010.

When August rolled around, I had to leave my job as a nanny just so I could finish up school and graduate. My internship schedule would not allow me to be a full-time nanny and work at the YMCA.

At first I was extremely excited to be working in a wellness facility, and to be able to use my nutrition skills as well! But as the six months progressed, I found that I hated it. No one was interested in Nutrition…they didn’t care about eating healthy, they just wanted to workout and leave. No one signed up for my cooking classes, not one person. The whole time I was there, I completed a total of 2 nutrition consultations.

I tried getting members to sign up for a grocery store walk-thru, where I could show them the healthier products to choose. No one signed up for that either.

It got to the point where I didn’t want to go anymore. I filled in my internship hours by volunteering for events that didn’t even relate to my field..

My heart was broken. Not only did I feel like a failure, I felt defeated….like perhaps the career path I had chosen wasn’t for me. When December finally came around, I was happy to get out of there. Finally, I could start my own career adventure and help people who actually wanted to learn more about nutrition. Or so I thought….

Since my internship and graduating, I have yet to find a job.

Maybe part of it is the economy, but I think most of it has to do with the fact that I went to school for a profession that is not in high demand in the state I live in.

People around here do not hire “Dietetic Technicians”. The closest job I’ve found is over 3 hours away. I feel angry at myself for not researching this more. It feels like I’ve wasted 3 years going to college to learn a skill that I can’t even use around here.

I spend my days applying to jobs that I don’t really want – and applying to some that I really do want, but am not qualified for. It sucks. I haven’t been this financially dependent on someone else since I was a teenager living at home. It’s not my style.

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But guess what?

I can’t keep feeling sorry for myself. Do you know that I’ve spent the past three days moping around the house in my pj’s? 

This afternoon, as I sat on the couch eating cookies and watching Grey’s Anatomy, I had a breakthrough.

I have not been living my life. I’ve been waiting on things to happen to me, or for me…and that is no way to live.

Yes, yes…I get up and apply to jobs that have nothing to do with what I specialize in (any money is good money, right?? Wrong.)..I clean the house, walk Trixie, watch TV and feel sorry for myself the remainder of the day. And then I cook…and when I cook, I’m happy. The wonderful smells help me relax and snap out of my funk.

I spend my time:

..working for hours on a puzzle..

..reading my “Veganomicon” cookbook (for the fifth time??) in front of the space heater..

So I realised that I’m not going to do it anymore. There is no reason I should feel sorry for myself for not having a job. Does it suck? Yes, completely. But it’s no reason to get depressed and spend three days straight in my pjs with unkempt hair!

Get off of it already, Stacey! Snap out of it. Do things that make YOU happy. Find ways to feel alive again!  Do things that make you feel like you have a purpose! <—is the pep talk that I gave myself when I realised that life is still happening whether I have a job or not.

We only get one life here, and then it’s gone. It can be gone in the wink of an eye, and when that time comes for me, I want to know that I’ve lived. Fully, happily and to the greatest of my ability.

My time here is what I make it. I can get up and choose to be sad all day, or I can get up and find something to do that makes me feel important or happy. I can start applying to jobs that I really want, and not settle for one’s that I know I would hate.

I can wake up and go run 6 miles if I wanted…or spend more time snuggling with Trixie.

This time could be spent training for a marathon, or blogging about my cooking adventures. Possibly volunteering at a shelter or being more of an animal right’s activist. Who knows??!!!

All I know is that I chose to not be sad anymore. I know that I will find a job I love, but in the meantime, I want to live my life. I want to wake up every morning and feel grateful that I’ve lived another day…that I get to cook and eat great food, take hot showers and spend time doing things I love.

Maybe if I focus on other things, the job situation will just sort of “fall into place”?

There is no telling!

I feel as if I’ve outgrown the “I’d Rather Be Running” title…be prepared for a new name and look for my blog! Something to work on tomorrow

Thanks for listening

Hey friends

Happy Fridayyyyy!! Hope your week has been well. I’m so glad it’s the weekend, Jason and I have hardly time together this week! It’s back to school on Monday, so we are planning on making most of these last 3 school-free days

Lordy, Lordy…. I have been eating my way through Veganomicon, and loving every minute (or bite??) of it! Vegan cooking has opened my taste buds up to a whole new world of flavor. It’s amazing how a dish changes once you get rid of the dairy in it! The other night I made cheeseless veggie lasagna, ohhh myyy gahhhh..the vegetables an sauce were so much more flavorful and satisfying.

I love how I’m not grounded down after eating a big meal. Usually after eating 2 servings of veggie lasagna, I would be popping the button on my jeans and claiming “I’m too stuffed to move”..but take the cheese away, and it fills me up perfectly.

I thought I’d hop on here and share some of my favorite vegan recipes so far! These are three (out of six) that I’ve chosen because they are dishes you must make. Seriously, I would feel bad about not posting and sharing these recipes! They are vegan, but I swear you will not miss the dairy! Trust me

First up – BANANA CORN PANCAKES

(Derived from Veganomicon’s “Blueberry Corn Pancakes”)

*I will never make pancakes without using cornmeal again!! The crunch and crispiness it adds  is amazing*

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 1/4 cup plain soy milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest (or you can substitute lemon extract)
• 2 ripe bananas
• cooking spray

Directions–

Preheat nonstick skillet over medium heat. In one bowl, mix together all wet ingredients. In a seperate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Mix wet and dry together, adding sliced banana into the mix. Spray pan with cooking spray, pour 1/4 cup of batter on the pan. Pancakes are ready to flip when they start to bubble on the outside. Keep going until all batter is used (made about 10-11 pancakes for me!), spraying cooking spray when necessary.

Serve with hot maple syrup on the side! Nomnomnom

Second up – SWEET POTATO AND LENTIL STEW

*Your house will smell amazing as this stew simmers! The spices bring it to life, no cheese necessary * The photos don’t do it justice. Period.

Ingredients

(Derived from “The Kind Diet”)

• 1/4 cup safflower oil (I substituted olive oil)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 small tomatoes, diced (Roma tomatoes are great!)
• 1 tsp fresh minced ginger (you can substitute 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
• 1 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander (common spice used in Indian foods, found it at Wal-Mart for $4)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• dash of salt
• 2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup dried lentils

Directions —

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, stirring frequently until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and giner – cook for 3 minutes. Stir in turmeric, cayenne, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and dash of salt. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, broth and lentils. Stir well, bring to a boil over high heat. When mixture comes to a  boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes (until lentils and sweet potatoes are soft)

Serve hot! Chewy sourdough bread would be a great side for this, or toasted pita bread for dipping! Yummy!! Please don’t tell the library I eat stew on top of their books

Ohmygah my mouth is watering just thinking of all this food! Time to get to dessert, a.k.a – the best cookies I’ve ever made or eaten…hands down.

Finally, we come to the best dessert cookie ever – CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT COOKIES

*These cookies only took 10 minutes to bake! They are, without a doubt, the best cookies I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. So chewy, so chocolaty, so delicious. Nuff said.*

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocao powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 tsp. ground flaxseeds
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (or just use regular if you are not vegan! semi-sweet would be best, not milk chocolate)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions –

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocao, baking soda and salt. In a seperate bowl, mix together the oil and sugar. Add flaxseeds, soy milk, vanilla and almond extract. Mix well. Mix together wet with dry, using a fork to stir when batter becomes too stiff to whisk. Using your hands, fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (you don’t need this! cooking spray is also another option)…roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10 minutes, once finished baking – let cookies cool for about 5 minutes. This recipe is supposed to make 36 cookies, but I made mine a little bigger

Ohhhhhh sooooo gooodddddd…heavin in cookie form. And a chocolate-lover’s dream

That should keep you busy in the kitchen You’re welcome!

This morning I woke up in a great mood, perhaps it was because of my new running tights??? Hmmmmmm?

I love these things. I could practically live in them <– still wearing them from my run this morning! My workout was awesome, here is what I did

1. 3 mile run (in under 30 minutes!!)
2. 3 x 10 chest press with 45 lbs.
3. 3 x 10 lateral pull downs with 55 lbs.
4. 100 crunches
5. 40 side planks, each side

That workout powered me up for the rest of the day! I came home to clean and bake (such a house wife over here!). Today I made more homemade hummus (Jason eats it like there’s no tomorrow) and chocolate-raspberry cookies. Recipe to come!

We have a funeral to go to tonight Funerals make me sad, but it’s good to pay our respects. Hopefully you guys are starting your weekend off with happier commitments!

Be back (<–I just typed “bake”) later this week! Happy weekend!

Today has been a good day

Let’s cut right to the chase:

Planks have changed my exercise life (and body!)

(source)

Planks work your entire core, including internal and external abdominal muscles. Your arms, back, thighs, legs and butt also get a little workout too

The good thing about an ab plank is there are so many different variations of the exercise. You know what that means? No boredom! You know what else? No gym equipment required! (Unless you want to use a medicine ball for an added challenge.) You can do them anywhere..it only takes a few minutes of your day..or just one

Ab work increases your stability, strengthens your core muscles, and (if done frequently enough!)  can decrease your waist size

Here are a few of my favorite moves :)

Plank with a Medicine Ball

(source)

This is my favorite! (I usually use a smaller medicine ball than the one in the pic) This move is pretty easy, just balance the lower half of your body on the exercise ball. Make sure your elbows are aligned right under your shoulders and hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Keep your abs tight while holding.

*If you would rather do a regular plank hold, just take the medicine ball away and have your feet on the floor*

Side Plank

My second favorite!

(source)      

Start out in the position A. Make sure body is in a straight line from head to toe. Rolling from you shoulder and keeping your neck neutral, lift your hips up to position B.

Side Plank Pose

This move is commonly practiced in yoga and is great for building upper body strength as well as working your abs!

To do this move, simply lay on your side (body in a straight line) and push up from  your arm, supporting your body’s weight. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Supermans with a Medicine Ball

(source)

Place abdominal area on medicine ball. Keeping balance with your left arm on the floor, raise your right arm and your left leg. Try to keep your neck neutral by not craning it up or down. Rotate – use right arm to stabilize and raise left arm and right leg.

*This move can also be done without a medicine ball. Simply lay on the floor *

I’ve been practicing plank holds for the past few months and I’ve definitely noticed a difference in my body. My waist size has decreased (my weight has stayed the same) and I definitely have better stability, especially during yoga. My abs are tight and look great <–an added bonus! I’ve also noticed that I have more stamina when doing long workouts or intense cardio sessions

Even if you only do one plank hold a day, starting out with a 30 second hold, your body will begin to reap the benefits. It is normal to be a bit shaky when first starting out, so if you start to tremble, don’t sweat it!

Keep at it and eventually you will be able hold it for a whole minute

Happy Planking!!

Hey friends

Hope your Wednesday has been well! Mine has been very…busy. I’ve been in the kitchen cooking all day long. Experimenting with this and that, and all things vegan

But guess what? I’m too exhausted to post about it tonight! For some insane reason, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. unable to fall back asleep. So instead of fighting it, I threw some mismatched clothes on and headed to the gym for some light strength training to start my day. Here is what I did:

• 3 sets of 10 overhead military presses with 20 lb weights
• 3 x 10 tricep extensions with 35 lbs
• 3x 10 bicep curls with 35 lbs
• 3 x 10 lat pulldowns with 45 lbs
• 100 crunches
• 50 oblique crunches (left/right side)
• 3 x 10 row machine using 45 lbs
• 3 x15 dead lifts with 20 lb weights

I would have liked to do more cardio, but I wanted to get back home so that I could see Jason before he left for work. I may ride the bike for 30 minutes after dinner or something! We’ll see. I’m pretty sure that if I get a minute to sit on the couch, I may never get back up

So I am going to leave you with some pictures of my adventures in the kitchen today, and I will be back tomorrow morning with the full recap! (See if you can guess what I made )

Details to come! Jason and I have “Easy A” to watch tonight! Can’t wait to see it, it look s hilarious (love Emma Stone, by the way). Nighty night loves! See you bright and early (please Lord, not at 6:30 a.m.!) in the morning!

I made it!

There have been a lot of emotional ups and downs today, but I made it and I think at the end of the day, I have a better understanding of myself and why I am making this change I’ll tell you about all of that later in the post! First-let’s get to breakfast!

A vegan breakfast was pretty easy for me to come up with. I scanned my cinnamon raisin toast ingredient list for egg or dairy product only to find that there is none of that in there, so viola! A breakfast was born. (You should also know that I take a multi-vitamin with breakfast everyday.)

Topped with natural chunky pb and raspberry jam, with two clementines on the side  Cup O Joe fo’ sho’. I missed my morning banana I usually have a banana every day with breakfast, but we seriously running low on groceries (a trip is in store for tomorrow!).

The rest of the morning was spent walking Trixie and straightening up the house. My tummy started to growl after all of that moving, so I had a mid-morning snack of bran cereal with almond milk. (I heart almond milk).

After my snacky-snack,  I tried to go to the library but it was closed for the holiday until tomorrow Boo! Oh well, you better believe I will be the first one there in the morning when they open

Instead of driving all the way back home, I called a friend to see if she wanted some company (plus, I wanted to see her cute newborn baby! He’s so precious and I just looooveeee him)

While chit-chatting in the kitchen, I realized that I was getting pretty hungry. I dug in my purse for some emergency blue corn tortilla chips (along with a unsweet tea from Dunkin’ Donuts’. Seriously Dunkin’ Donuts, why aren’t we working together yet?)

My friend-o offered up some salsa after the pic was taken

**The rest of the afternoon was poor planning on my part** Like always, I stayed at my friend’s house a lot longer than I anticipated (do you always lose track of time when you are having fun too?!) so when 2:30 rolled around without lunch anywhere in between, my tummy was pretty mad at me! Hunger hit me like a truck! After arriving back home around 3, shaky and feeling weak, I quickly looked for a vegan lunch to throw together while snacking on grapes to bring my blood sugar back up.

Veggie dogs! Of course!! Those have to be vegan. I threw a pot of water on the stove and set it to high so that the water would boil. While waiting, I grabbed the veggie dogs out of the freezer just to “make sure” that they were vegan. Guess what? They’re not! Surprise. Surprise.

Dang it! Keep in mind that we are almost grocery-less and other than a veggie dog, I hadn’t really thought of a back up plan for a vegan lunch. Oh, and the simple fact that I’m very close to eating the furniture at this point. I need FOOD and I need it NOW. The water was already boiling, so I threw some spaghetti in there and heated up some leftover broccoli in the microwave. In less than ten minutes, another vegan meal was born

There was some thinking that went into the pasta sauce. I almost grabbed one with parmesan cheese, but quickly noticed my mistake and chose a simple tomato/basil sauce instead Problem solved. I pretty much inhaled this plate. And like usual, my sweet tooth kicked in right after!

Our cabinets are full of sweets! We received a ton of candy and chocolate this Christmas, but none that is vegan…except Junior Mints.

*Jason later pointed out that these contain gelatin, which is made from animal parts that have been melted down to create a gel-like consistency* Oops. A minor mistake, I’m not going to beat myself up about it I’m still new to this vegan thing

Once Jason came home from work, we decided to hit up the gym together. Feeling as if lunch would probably be burned off, I reached for a last-minute snack before heading out of the door. Grapes and a handful of walnuts. (I promise more variety after the grocery shopping trip!)

At the gym:

• 100 crunches using exercise ball
• 40 side planks (each side)
• 3 sets of 15 incline push-ups
• 3 mile run (in under 30 minutes!!) <–Had terrible indigestion during this run. Blegh.

Besides the my tummy hurting during the run (I blame the fast eating at lunch time!), it ’twas a pretty good gym trip Once home, I threw some lentils into a huge pot for our Indian-inspired dinner! Fragrant red lentils with rice (and naan for Jason ).  Recipe link: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000222715  — simply take out the butter to make it vegan, but even if you aren’t vegan this is a great, filling vegetarian recipe!

My plate (accompanied with veggies):

Side note: Your house will smell amazing after cooking this! All of the spices used are so warm and enticing!

Dessert: There was none. Unless you count a cup of sleepy-time tea – flavored with candy cane – as dessert

So how was my first day as a vegan?

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This morning I didn’t really know why I wanted to become a vegan. I knew that it would, in some way, be more humane to animals. I also knew that, in some way, it would be better for the environment. I just didn’t know why or how. I’ve done research since then and though this is going to be a learning process for me (until I get the hang of it), I do not feel regret for choosing to live this way. After reading numerous articles on the effects that factory farming has on animals and our planet, I have never been more sure of my decision.

I know that some people may see this as strange, extreme or ridiculously restrictive, but it isn’t to me. For me, it will be a lifestyle. Do I think veganism is for everyone? Absolutely not.

Do I think the world would be a better place if we consumed less meat than we do now? Yes, I do. But I will never, ever push my beliefs on another person. I think that if someone is interested in making a lifestyle change like this, the best thing they can do is research, research, RESEARCH. Make an educated decision.

This kind of reminds me of the talk I had with Jason while we were eating dinner. Though he supports me, he admits that he doesn’t really understand why I’m going vegan. That it seems like “torture” not to eat cheese. Or that it seems like a “pain” to have to check every ingredient in our everyday foods just to see if they contain animal products. But after sitting down with him on the couch and showing him some of the articles I read that explain veganism and why people go vegan, he understood a little better.

I don’t ask that you adopt my lifestyle. I ask that you have an open-mind and try not to judge me for the decisions I make. The fact that I am probably the only vegan in a 30 mile radius is kind of hard, especially in the city I live in. I know people won’t understand it and that I may have to do a lot of explaining and defending, but that is alright with me.

All in all, I’m happy that I’ve started this journey. It feels freeing, and  I feel like more wholesome person. And I can’t wait to share the rest of the week with you! Thanks for being so supportive guys! I need all of the support I can get right now!

If you’ve ever made a major lifestyle change, please share! How did it affect you and those around you?

Thanks for your input on a few good reads

It feels good to be blogging again. I’m not even sure what I plan on writing about today, I just know that feel like writing

This weekend was a little stressful for us, actually this whole week has been stressful for us! Christmas is coming up and you can’t even turn on the radio or TV without hearing “Hurry! Buy now!” Or some crap like that. I don’t buy into that mess. I find it a little ridiculous and annoying, actually

We’ve decided not to get each other presents this year. Money is tight, and while I am still job-hunting, it may be awhile before I actually get a response to all of the applications I’ve put in! Which brings me to another note:

I’m starting my own business!!! <–Just a wee bit excited So far, I’ve planned out what services I will be offering and what area I will mainly serve. The things still left up in the air:

1. How much to charge for said services.
2. What to name the company.

It will be a home-based nutrition consultation company, something that I will do on the side at first, just to see if there is a demand for that sort of thing or not! But either way, it’s very exciting  getting out there on my own and practicing nutrition the way I want to practice it! So, yay for me!

Moving on, this weekend we took Trixie to the dog park to get her “socialized” a bit. She pretty much stayed by our side until time to go, she’s such an old fart!  Haha

I can’t imagine having a dog that plays like this:

Hehe I love watching all of the dogs at the dog park. (A few of them even play a game of fetch with me!)

After the dog park, we came home and Trixie immediately settled into her afternoon nap with the cat.

Yes, I agree. They ARE so cute.

Aside from starting my business, know what else I’m excited about? Working out!

It’s been 3 days since my last gym visit and I’m craving it like a model craves a doughnut. Bad analogy? Oh well.

I’ve downloaded some new tunes (GLEE, duh!) and I’m ready to throw on my running shoes and hit the treadmill like whoa. Just gotta wait for Jas to come home, and then it will be time!

Switching subjects:

Last night I found a new black bean burger recipe.

From here on out, I shall dub myself the “Bean Burger Queen” Bean burgers are becoming my “specialty” if I may say so. This recipe was just okay. I think I liked the pineapple rice more than the burgers themselves! The flavor was kind of “meh”. The rice that goes along with it was pretty fun to eat! Who would have ever of thought to put pineapple in rice?? Not me! But I loved it!

I think this recipe is still my favorite go-to bean burger recipe. It has a lot of flavor and a crunchy outside too. Nomnomnom. ( ‘Tis also Jason’s favorite as well!)

And that concludes my sermon on the best bean burger

This morning I woke up and went to my last Chemistry class before finals and it. is. freezing outside! Yesterday we had about 10 minutes of snow, but ohmygosh, it is so cold today! Lower 30′s and the wind is unbelievable! I’m now snuggled inside with a warm sweater and the space heater at my feet

I love the fact that technology has allowed me the pleasure of searching for a job while I sit in my flannel pajamas and drink hot tea Yay, technology!

Oh! I’ve started “Born to Run” and I love it! Can hardly put it down!

Feel free to keep sending reading suggestions! I love adding items to my list

And if you have an awesome bean burger recipe that you think is out-of-this-world, send that my way too!

I’d better go for now! See ya later in the week Stay warm folks!

It is such a beautiful day here in N.C. It’s about 70 degrees out and there is a little breeze going, so pretty It’s the perfect fall day.

Too bad I’m too exhausted to get out there and enjoy it! — I know what you are thinking: This is going to be another whiny post! I promise you, it is not

First and foremost, let me say that the Secret Clinical Strength deodorant totally rocked. I still am a little shocked by how well it worked. I know it’s only deodorant, but it’s a big deal to me because now I don’t have to worry about pit stains or smelliness at the gym. No more missing out on my workouts because I’m too embarrassed or worried about my sweatiness! That’s major!

When I first opened it, I realized it was not the solid kind, it was a liquid…and that immediately gave me doubt. I had tried the liquid kind before and it seemed to disintegrate as soon as I put it on. I quickly put some on (was taken aback by how strong the scent was!) and headed out the door to my internship. It dried very quickly and I didn’t notice it for the rest of the day! I was even back in the pool area – where they keep the temps at about 80 degrees for the swimmers – and I didn’t sweat at all.

Around 4:30 I went upstairs to get ready for my Pilates/Sculpt class and wondered for a few moments whether or not I should reapply, but I chose not to. You guys- it was fabulous! I went through the whole sweaty, high-impact class without sweating under my pits once!

In a nutshell: It’s the best I’ve ever tried and definitely a keeper I’m willing to pay the extra few dollars for something that actually works…now I can focus on my workouts instead of focusing on my sweatiness! And that’s awesome

Moving on – Who’s ready for Thanksgiving??!! Me Me Me!

I’m mostly ready for Thanksgiving because I know that the weekend after Thanksgiving, we get to get out our tiny, fake Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

I love that little tree. It’s been in storage all year and I can’t wait to bust it outta there! Along with my other Christmas goodies….such as my reindeer antler headband

It’s actually Trixie’s reindeer headband but she freaks out whenever I put it on her!

Yay for all things holiday-ish!!! By the way, Trixie is acting like she feels a lot better. Today is her last day of medication, hooray! She’s even started participating in our nightly race back to the house Every time Jason and I take her for her last walk during the night, we all race back to the house (with me announcing the person or dog that is in the lead) and usually Jason wins, except Trixie won last night! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her that energetic!

And yes, if you are wondering: we are dorks. 

Switching topics!

This past week was my last at the internship. I’ve gotten all of my hours (actually 10 hours over what I needed!) and I am now done with my co-op. And I am also one step closer to graduating! I wasn’t excited about it at first, but the closer it gets, the more freakin’ awesome it sounds! Jason keeps asking me how I’d like to celebrate and my first initial thought is always: Um, I’d like to celebrate by being accepted into the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ! That’s how! We will see about that though

I guess in the meantime, I could always use a weekend (or just a day??) in the mountains No cell phone, no computers…nothing but window shopping and hiking on the agenda…yeah, that sounds real nice.

This past week was a tough one – physically. Sometimes my insomnia doesn’t bother me that much, other times it’s like going through the day after being hit by a truck. My body begins to feel heavy and it takes so much effort to do even the smallest thing. That’s how it’s been this week. Even though I slept 10 hours last night, I woke up feeling utterly exhausted. It’s just one of those days and I’m not in a crabby mood or anything but this girl does not feel like doing anything.

Thinking it would give me more energy, I made a trip to the gym earlier and completed 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio (elliptical/stairs), 30 minutes of strength training and 15 minutes of abs…I left feeling even worse than before! It’s funny how that happens I guess the body knows when it needs rest

Anywho, I’ve been reading non-stop all morning…it’s the only thing I can think of to do that doesn’t take hardly any effort at all. Plus, I love to read. Right now, I’m reading this:

It’s just a tad bit scary; the type of book that I definitely don’t want to read before bed! It is well-written and suspenseful, a little sad too..I only have about 5 chapters left!

I’m snuggled on my bed – still in my workout clothes, no shower yet – with the computer on my lap and fuzzy monkey slippers on my feet..see?

Jason just called across the house: “What time are we grocery shopping?” Bugger. I forgot about grocery shopping! And we have to go  today because if we don’t, we will be eating dried cereal for dinner. Boo. Better get my game face on! I’m sure the stores are swarmed with folks that are trying to buy Thanksgiving Day ingredients! BUGGER AGAIN. I was given the chore of putting together all of my recipes and making a grocery list out of them! Crap.

I better get started before he comes in here and see’s that I’m lollygagging By you guys! Have a wonderful/pretty weekend!

I haven’t written in forever! I should probably take that last post down, but I’m not gonna. It helps me to write about things and that’s how I was feeling at the time, so it shall stay posted

Oh- I’m feeling a lot better about the whole situation (by the way). Jason and I had a long talk the other night, and afterward I felt truly lucky to have someone support me as much as he does. He supports everything I do without question, he is my personal cheerleader and believes in me 100%, that’s why I love him I know that there are opportunities out there that are just waiting for me, so I’m not going to give up!

And that’s that.

Last weekend, I took a much-needed vacation so that I could go see my best friend in GA! The drive down there was full of beautiful fall trees….

Yummy food and the best coffee on Earth..

*Seriously Dunkin Donuts- let’s get together and make some great things happen..mkay? Mkay!*

(So I stopped twice! What of it?? )

I spy with my little eye…

A giant butt-crack! Oh wait. It’s just the SC peach tower

There were hugs to be had once I arrived!

Heather and I have been friends since we were 9 years old and now we’re all grown up! She is now married with 2 adorable little boys. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were playing out dramatic scenes with our Barbie dolls on her bedroom floor

The weekend away was just what I needed. Her little boy is such a charmer….

and her husband? Well he is certainly…interesting…to say the least Haha!

We went shopping, out to dinner and had some girl talk late in the night (just like old times!) and on Sunday it was time for me to go back home. I hit the road (passed the giant butt-crack once again) and arrived home 3.5 hours later to find a small package awaiting me in the mailbox!

I love surprise packages

Remember my Deodorant 101 post? No? Well, I’ll do a small recap:

I have yet to find a deodorant that can hold up during a tough, sweaty workout. I’ve tried every women’s deodorant out there, none of them have been able to pass my no-stink, no-sweat test. In the post, I expressed my desire to find a deodorant that will not stain my shirt, will not leave me stinking and will not leave me with sweaty pit stains after an intense cardio session. Trips to the gym have been skipped because I’ve been so embarrassed about all of these things!

The folks over at Secret deodorant saw the post and offered me a chance to try one of their Clinical Strength products. This is one of the deodorants I have never tried, and I figure: What have I got to lose? What I’m using right now is not working, so why not give it a shot?

I opened up the package and not only found a sample of the deodorant but a ITunes gift card too! How nice

Also with it was a nice letter that said: “….these two things used together, and we think you will have the perfect run!” Awww, they are so sweet. And yes, I am hoping to have a great run!

Jason and I have scheduled a trip to the gym once he comes home from work. Will Secret keep me sweat/stink-free during my 5 mile run tonight? We shall see! (I’ve already stuck my nose up to the top of the deodorant and it smells amazing! (It’s the “Marathon Fresh” scent <–love that name!)

As for right now – my insomnia has been a little bad this week ( 10 hours of sleep total for the past three days) so I think I may try to take a cat nap before Jason gets home in an hour! Check back Friday if you want to know whether Secret is a winner…or if I ran out of the gym because everyone was yelling “Stinky Stacey!” at me

Hope you guys are having a great week, it’s almost the weekend! Hang in there! See ya later taters

Did you guys have a good weekend? Mine went by way too fast as usual but it was a fun weekend nonetheless.

Saturday morning I woke up craving MUFFINS. Sweet, savory muffins. And Emily’s Maple Cinnamon French Toast muffins were the first thing to come to mind!

Side note: I wish that I were coordinated enough to be able to take pics of ingredients while I’m mixing them, but I’m just not Sorry! You still get the before-the-oven and out-of-the-oven pics though!

Jason walked into the kitchen all sleepy-eyed (it was 10 a.m. btw) and took alarm at the fact that I was cutting up half a loaf of bread into little cubes.

Him: “What are you DOING?!” (Bread is his life. The boy can eat a whole loaf of bread in about 4 days.)

Me: “It’s for our breakfast! You’ll like it, I promise.”

Him: *Grumble* “Mkay babe.” And then he proceeds to mourn the slaying of his bread on the couch.

Twenty minutes later the concoction was ready to go into the oven!

The end result:

Pure deliciousness In the middle of eating our yummy breakfast, Jason mentioned that these muffins would be perfect for dipping in maple syrup. My reaction: “Go get it!” I poured a little pool of syrup on the side of my plate for dipping, and I have to admit: he was right! The syrup brings out the cinnamon-y flavor a lot more We will definitely be making these again (and there are enough leftovers to last us for at least a few days!).

After breakfast it was on to Krewe. The YMCA - the one I intern for - was holding a fundraiser that allows children that can’t afford to attend summer camp, the chance to go. This was my first time attending Krewe and it was really fun!

There was oldies music (is it bad that I knew all of the songs?!):

Games and swings for the kids:

Tours through the old Woodside Plantation:

..and the best part: Desserts!

(and that was after everyone had been through once!) My pumpkin spice cake eaten up with none to spare! Yay!

I was holding down the ticket booth for the first part of the night…

..and then it was on to tea-pouring at the drink station!

(FYI: Jason and I did a quick 3 mile run before I had to leave for my volunteer job. Under my jeans are running shorts and KT Tape…no time to shower or fix my bed-head! ) Also: Make sure to check out my Exercise Log to see what I’m doing! I may not write about it, but I have been updating it everyday!)

Pouring tea was my favorite part. Can you guess why? I’ll give you some hints:

The drink station was set up right next to a field that fenced miniature donkeys! There were about 3 babies and 2 grown ups running around :D I went up to pet one of them and he tried to eat the drawstring off of my jacket. Then he tried to eat my camera. Then the little bugger tried to eat an apron that was lying on the ground near the fence! HAHA! One of the cooks allowed me to feed him a hamburger bun

Munch. Munch. Munch. I almost lost a finger trying to feed this donkey, but it was worth it

Ahhhhhh I love a nice day in the countryside.

We started our day with leftover muffins (even better the second time around!). I cleaned up a little bit while he finished homework and then we set out for the gym! A few days ago Paige shared an exercise routine on her blog that really caught my eye. You guys know that I love to run, but I also really, really love to strength train! Her sharing her exercise routine with us is almost like having a free session with a personal trainer, and that I cannot resist

I did a quick ten minute warm up on the elliptical and then started the first set. Jason and I had to do a few modifications because we were taking turns on the machines. (Our gym does not have a 20 lb. barbell, so we had to work with what we had!) Here are the modifications:

• 1a. Military chest press, sitting upright. 3 sets of 10 with 20 lbs.
• 1b. Hammer curls. 3 sets of 10 with 10 lb. weights
• 1c. no modification
• 2a. Seated rowing machine, 3 sets of 10 using 40 lbs.
• 2b. No modification
• 2c. No modification <–first time doing these, and they were surprisingly harder than I thought they would be!
• 3a. Tricep extention machine, 3 sets of 10 with 30 lbs.
• 3b. Lat pulldown machine, 3 sets of 10 using 55 lbs.
• 3c. No modification <–these were hard too!
• Planks: no modification. <–doing them while trying to balance on the medicine ball works your core a lot more! Sometimes my feet would move and I’d have to give it all the concentration I had not to let them go off of it.
• Back extensions: the hardest move out of all of these exercises! I didn’t even know those muscles were back there!
• I also added on 50 finger-to-toe ab crunches on here while waiting for Jason to do his planks

Wooo–weeee! This workout gave me so much energy! Go ahead and put me in the ring with a UFC fighter, I might just win Haha, just kidding! But that’s really how I felt afterwards

 Is there security at the door? Because these guns are loaded! Hehe

 Once we were home, I ran inside to smooth me up a smoothie

2 handfuls of spinach, 1 banana, 1/3 cup of frozen mango and a 1/2 cup almond milk went into this yummy Green Monster. Slurp, slurp, slurp. Along with a peanut butter covered english muffin for some chew, chew, chewiness.

The rest of the day was spent lounging on the couch with my fur-babies and playing a game of Scrabble with Jason.

* I wonder if he is trying to tell me something??* Okay, I admit it. I am a total game nerd. I love games of all kinds, but especially the ones that make you use your noodle! Jason won (of course!). You know what his winning word was? Dragqueen. I realise that the two aren’t supposed to be put together as one word, but I let him slide by with it. So, there ya go folks.

There are other recipes that I tried this weekend - two, to be exact - but I’ve got to get off of here so that I can go finish up “Half-Broke Horses” by Jeanette Walls!

My next two reads:

annnddd…

I’m excited to start reading them! I’ve read ‘In Defense of Food’ and really liked it, so I thought I might like this one too! Have a happy Monday!

Have you read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma? What do you think of it?