I did finally change my pajamas (my I-have-a-bad-cold) version of being really sick, throw some water on my face and brush my teeth. I logged onto my work email and drafted a couple of pitches highlighting the Fair Trade sugar used in a jam I promote at work, wrote some more thanks-for-understanding-I’m-sick-I’ll-get-it-to-you-next-week emails, and responding to a few website inquiries for the jam company.

My roommate’s pets all joined me for a cuddle session while I watched Everyday Italian on Food Network. I can’t wait until I own a puppy of my own– but these guys are really good substitutes for now– I love them like my own! Animals can sense when you are not feeling like yourself.

(Treat of the day)  le plaisir du jour: a red velvet cupcake- not the best thing to eat nursing a cold, but I can only taste really sweet or salty things– the foodie in me is missing using the tastebuds.

I also made some Calm Tazo tea

And then my last packet of Emergen-C to try and energize a bit.

Tonight, Mike is going to head up to Keystone with my roomies Emily and Chris (and Deacon-pup of course). I’m not a big skier at this poor-college-kid time of my life, so I am going to stay home and have a night to myself after a long day to myself.

On the agenda:

• Organic mac and cheese with hot chili sauce, cucumer salad with blue cheese (if the appetite permits)
• Lavender-vanilla bubble bath
• Pedicure (my sister is coming up next week and we will get mani’s I hope)
• Grocery planning for next week
• Food, Inc. Documentary on my Netflix instant queue
• Trying NOT to go crazy from being cooped up! A nice walk would do me good IF it wasn’t 15 degrees outside! Coldest Colorado Winter in 25 years.
• SleepyTime Extra tea to knock out and SLEEP

Happy Friday! I wish I could fast-forward to me next week and FEEL myself feeling better.

I actually ate some fruit today– here is a look at my breakfast. I can’t taste it.

However, I can say that I ate a great lunch the day before I got sick (Monday) at work. Leftover basil and feta pizza from Abo’s, and a salad of dark greens, spinach, blue cheese, apples and home-made breadcrumbs from some leftover Asiago-focaccia bread. My new favorite salad dressing to make: One spoonful of hummus, about a half a tablespoon of dijon mustard, some balsamic vinegar and then I just stream in enough olive oil to make the hummus and mustard smooth. Super tangy, lots of protein.

Oh– and I am OBSESSED with Whole Foods’ private label brand take on an oreo. At work, my boss wanted to start of the office groceries with a bang, so Emma, the other intern, did a fantastic job and bought some awesome stuff, including these sandwich cookies. They are going on my grocery list. It seems that I have to make two grocery trips a week– one to Target for cheap groceries, and the other to Whole Foods for my Whole Foods staples: Rosemary crackers, fresh feta, ciabatta bread, Falafel King hummus and NOW… chocolate sandwich cookies.

In addition to a great lunch, I did have one good “last supper” the night before I got sick.

Mushroom Parmesan:

First I grilled two portobellos with some olive oil

Then I added a layer of mushroom pasta sauce and grated some mozzarella

I layered everything together and sprinkled some Parmesan on top for more cheesy goodness, then Mike and I poured some vino for ourselves– it’s a meritage from California called Menage Trois, one of my many favorites that I discovered after being a cocktail waitress.

And then… 15 minutes later the cheesy veggies were done.

Mike loved it… it’s always so satisfying to get someone who loves steak hooked on veggie dishes– and a former server at an Italian restaurant no less! This one will def. stay on our radar for quick, cheap meals.

Well– here’s to hoping I don’t go crazy with my fourth day in a row cooped up at home. Tonight my roomies and BF will be skiing, so it will just be me, the cats and Gossip Girl Season 2 tonight…

After dinner, we dressed up and headed down to Denver for some fun. I wore a pencil skirt, silk slouchy tank, grey ruffly booties and red lipstick. I love dressing up. Love.

Some fun friends to celebrate with

I can say for the past couple of years I have succeeded in being pretty optimistic.  However, 2009 was filled with tragedy. Mike and I lost a close friend  sister and  to suicide, my father had more surgery in his ongoing battle with rheumatoid arthritis, and my boyfriend’s mother is facing breast cancer for the second time since October 2008. Mike and I are ready for to make 2010 as happy as we can, I hope that life lets us catch our breath a little.

So on a fresh note, I must say, I have done pretty well in making some healthy meals in 2010. Here is a little post-view of what I’ve enjoyed…I began snacking with hummus as  low-cal way to get my protien in 2008. I have wasted a lot of money on varieties I don’t like– and I have finally settled on a one and only favorite: Falafel King Hummus. It doesn’t have a strong flavor like a lot of cheaper hummus (I don’t know why– but some  hummus’ almost taste like cigarettes in my mouth– does anyone else get that) It’s very smooth and creamy. And best of all– local! From a shop right in Boulder and sold at the Whole Foods on Pearl.

When I am hungry– I usually only crave one thing like cheese and then polish off half of it without eating any fruits and veggies. Now– I will put the thing I am craving on my plate, but mix it up with other fruits and veggies to enjoy alongside for more balance. Carrots and hummus and leftover Chipotle salad have been my new favorite pairings with my cheese cravings. I am also loving Rosemary Crackers from Whole Foods as a hummus and cheese pairing.

Banana nut muffins (made with whole wheat flour, almonds, walnuts and chocolate). I mashed the bananas for like 15 minutes before I remembered that I have a food processor.At least I got a workout…

I am also loving this workout DVD. My roommate’s sister left this here after her visit and said I could have it since I liked it so much! Jillian Michaels makes you sweat! It’s also split up into circuits, so you can do the full 40 minute workout or break it up into smaller workouts if you’re short on time. I am still not intense enough to do the 40 minute circuit– I had to stop after 4 because I was so winded! New Year’s resolution: get through 40 minutes of this intense workout!

Happy 2010! I will share my resolutions shortly.

Here is a little re-cap of what I did over the holidays:

1) Made chocolate-hazelnut merengues and chocolate chip teacakes with my sister before Christmas. The teacakes are an old recipe of my mother’s and the merengues are from the December Cooking Light (one of my new favorite mags) Although I don’t have any known food allergies or intolerences, I realized that the teacakes are egg-free and the merenges are gluten-free– and delicious! Although I don’t have to worry about allergies for myself, it’s really nice to know that food industries are taking note and not making things that taste like cardboard for those on a limited diet.    Here is all I had left after baking and giving away to friends and family:

2) Gave some long overdue love to Tucker, my cat who lives with my parents.  Waiting for Santa!3) Exchanged gifts with Mike. He went all out and bought me a food processor, coffee grinder, dutch oven, and all other sorts of fun cooking things! Lots of peppermint bark, P.S. I Love You and a cute martini ornament. He and his family do a white-elephant gift exchange for Christmas, so he spoils me for Christmas!

I secured a place on the counter for the food processor but…

Unfortunately/Fortunately, we live with another couple who has a lot of kitchen stuff. I will have to tuck my kitchen babies away in the pantry until I need them because there is zero room on the counter! I love my roomies but I will be so happy when Mike and I can only have to organize our stuff.

4) Exchanged gifts with the family. Lots of comfy jammies for me, new slippers and lavender bubble bath and pillow spray. Also– some new Christmas china with snowmen on it for next year (don’t want it to get broken in the animal house)

5) Relaxed and didn’t indulge in heavy holiday food. I took lots of baths– something I never did in college. The lavender vanilla bubble bath smells like baby– so soft and powdery! As for food,  I usually eat pretty nasty when I go home– as in a diet soda and whatever chips we have in the pantry are my main staples. But my mom is on a mission to be healthier– so I can safely say that although I indulged a little (fudge, eggnog pancakes and red velvet cake) I didn’t go crazy and actually ate some pretty good things like barley soup and salads.

6) Made resolutions for a more eco-friendly Christmas next year. Although it’s pretty, wrapping paper is a huge waste! Especially when I have so many paper shopping bags saved up throughout the year. Next year I plan to use brown paper bags and cut-up Christmas cards to wrap my presents.If I send out cards, they are going to be over the web to save on paper.  I started this year by making Three-Bean Chili mix and putting it in leftover Mason jars for Mike’s family and the neighbors. I’d love to be able to make something for everyone I give to, but at this point in my life I love the thrill of getting something that someone really wanted– even if it has lots of packaging and isn’t hand-made. It’s a dilemma.

Overall, a very merry Christmas! We said goodbye to our tree on Saturday by recycling it—you won’t find Douglas F. Tree in the landfill this year! It was my first real tree and I will have fond memories of him for years to come.

]]> http://jadorganic.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/lazy-holidays/feed/ 1 Amanda 100_0551 100_0543 100_0555 100_0554 100_0522 http://jadorganic.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/the-shoes-have-arrived/ http://jadorganic.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/the-shoes-have-arrived/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:17:17 +0000 Amanda http://jadorganic.wordpress.com/?p=51 ]]> Oh joy! My new running shoes are here!! I picked them up from the office on my way to work, so they had to sit alone in my car for a few hours while at my meeting. At work  I ate a veggie burger on a whole wheat bun with swiss, some rice crackers, and organic sparkling lemon water.(no pic again… since I am new to blogging, I still have the awkwardness of not wanting to photograph my plate in public… I’ll get better)

But lo and behold…

Christmas present from the parents

I designed the colors myself… I always go for bright, funky colors. I feel like I can use them to wear with everyday stuff too instead of just running. I tried to do a bit of research before I bought these, but reviews on barefoot running shoes were very mixed.  Am I an overpronator? Underpronator? Is barefoot running actually more beneficial? No idea.

I finally just went with my own intuition about how I want my feet to feel when I run. The ones I have now are VERY restrictive on my ankles, and even after years of wearing them I can just feel the sides dig into my ankle bone when exercising for awhile.  Barefoot just sounded like the best way to go for someone who likes next to zero restiction when being active.

These babies have a tongue that is connected to one side of the shoe, so it lays evenly against your foot. One negative thing I read is that Barefoots don’t wear well for outside running. I hate to admit it, but I rarely run outside unless my roomates’ dog is giving me his puppy eyes after being cooped up all day and I take him out for a jog. Allergies flare up the asthema, and I honestly thought I was much more out of shape than I really am UNTIL I started on the treadmill because I can’t breathe when I run outside! Such a shame too… these gorgeous Colorado mountains. For now, I mostly just stick to hiking and walking outdoors. Most of the sweating happens indoors so I can get in a longer workout where I am able to breathe well.

Other than that, there were raving reviews about how comfortable these babies are. Now to try them out for myself… the goal is 1/2 hour on the treadmill, some weight training (I haven’t been working out since graduation and finals… I crave muscle soreness right now! I really do love that feeling…) and some abs work with the pilates ball.

Afterward, I have some serious laundry to do before the drive to my parents, and some packing. For dinner I am thinking leftover pasta with squash and a glass of pinot.

TREAT OF THE DAY: the pinot and a few almond-raspberry M&M’s. Is anyone else loving these gourmet (and overpriced but delicious) M&M packs they’ve got going on? I am a new fan.

Then presents between me and the boy and I am hoping I can make him watch Elf with me for the 100th time this season.

Now to sweatin’…

Here is what I concocted for breakfast this morning:

Oatmeal (too lazy for stovetop, but microwave was pretty good) I added some canned pumpkin, organic jam (a bit too tart for this bowl of oats… I am going to use a sweeter variety next time) and sliced almonds.

Of course, I had my light eggnog and Christmas blend coffee… I am going to save some for Christmas morning with the fam… we are all addicted to coffee.

With some of the giftcards I got for graduation, I’ve had a few Target splurges over the last few days… SOME were gifts for others but… reducing my trips to that store is going to be a serious New Year’s resolution of mine. I just have to come to terms with the fact that I will ALWAYS see something I want there, but I don’t need it half the time.

Considering I have a ridiculous number of brightly-colored rings in my collection… this was unneccesary, but I consider it a little gift to myself for graduating..

Don’t mind the chipped polish… when I go home to my parents I browse my sister’s extensive polish collection and give myself late-night manis and pedis while watching movies.

Since I’ve got some packing to do for the next couple of days at Mom and Dad’s and Colorado is expecting some snow… I’d like to know when I’ll get off of work today but I don’t . I am happy to have the hours, but Mike and I are also exchanging presents tonight, and I don’t want to cut it short in case I need to leave for my parent’s house tonight. I think I’ll just brave the snow on Wednesday. I have a Subaru after all… and instead of the highway, I can take Wadsworth (a really looooong road that literally begins right near my parents house and ends near mine) even if it takes me an hour instead of the usual 40 minutes.

Mikey has to work on Christmas Eve, so I feel bad leaving him all alone in the house on Wednesday night! He bought a Wii this weekend because he lost a bet… although I am sure he isn’t too sad he lost. He will have some Wii time for himself.

I am going to see if the office is open so I can get my new running shoes!

Journalism School

School of Engineering

The party the next day was especially fun…I think we all indulge a little bit much at parties when good food is spread out in front of us but I was so busy chatting with friends and family that I only had a glass of red wine, a small bowl of veggie chili and a few Chick-fil-a nuggets (Mike and I’s favorite fast food).

All my lady friends! (well, most of them anyway)

My best friend Kori had gotten in a very serious car accident the night before on my graduation. She was hit on the highway by a drunk driver going full-speed . After flipping two times and avoiding a few telephone poles, oncoming traffic, and a fairly steep drop-off, she walked to the ambulance with minor cuts and bruises. The police and the paramedics on the scene were amazed. We haven’t been the closest of friends this year, and I think this especially made me realize how petty differences should never get in the way of a friendship. Kori is now making some “second life” resolutions… she is one lucky girl! We are all lucky that she is just fine.

Back to Work

Last night I fell asleep on the couch (I feel very “off” lately) and didn’t plan my meals for today… which meant that I had a cup of coffee this morning and NO breakfast. Although it was DELICIOUS Starbucks Christmas blend and light eggnog,  it didn’t fuel my body in the morning.  In addition, if I am going to spend a lot of money on a bag of coffee, I feel like it needs to be fair trade and organic, if possible. I will let myself enjoy this Christmas blend, but I need to start supporting the people who grow the coffee I consume and as far as I know.. Starbucks coffee isn’t fair-trade.

To atone for my lack of breakfast, I downed two glasses of ice water, a clementine and a banana when I got to work. I knew I wanted a Coke for dinner (I can’t shake my occasional craving for soda… even when I was at my most fit) so I avoided those pesky chocolate covered pretzels that lurk at the office. (Well, I had two, but that’s pretty controlled compared to other days where they are my lunch). One of our clients had Dish delivered, which is my new favorite sandwich spot in Boulder. (Sorry no pic… but lots of veggies and yummy cheese on ciabatta).

Today was a fairly hectic day at work due to all of the days I missed for finals and graduation. To my surprise, the lovely ladies at Fresh Ideas Group (FIG for short) had prepared a little post work-day rendezvous in the FIG kitchen to celebrate my graduation. There was a lovely spread of fruit, cheese, salami and crackers and some organic pinot noir!

Due to my small lunch, I had my fair share of salami and cheese on crackers while only having a couple slices of pears… not a total disaster but something I can be better at.

I got a very nice card and a giftcard to SALT, this new restaurant on Pearl Street. Mike and I will go for a post-grad celebration dinner after New Years.

When I pulled up to our apartment, I saw that the boys were already home and had lit the Christmas lights both inside and out… who knew 23-year-old boys cared! Also, there were finally some presents from Santa under the tree for me! And that’s not all… my new running shoes came today from UPS but no one was here! So… sadly the apartment office closed at 6 so I will have to wait to tomorrow to get them. (It makes me sick to know they are right across the street but I can’t use them!!)

As for dinner, Mike and I chopped some leftover mushrooms and red pepper, threw them in some marinara, boiled some whole wheat penne and toasted some ciabatta fora quick dinner.

I boiled some organic butternut squash to add to mine since Mikey’s not a fan

And, my long-awaited, cold cola!

But I hardly had any of it because…

I don’t know what’s wrong, but off-and-on for the last year or so I have had lots of pain in my throat. Recently, the pain is more sharp than just sore. It’s possible I have strep with no other symptoms, but according to Web MD I may have tonsillitis… or “object in throat”… which made me laugh because who uses Web MD when they are choking?

Either way, I am going to use my parent’s humidifier when I go home for Christmas in case it’s just the Colorado dry weather… and if it doesn’t get better I am going to give Dr. Mayhew a visit. (She is such a cool lady… but her coolness factor might go down if she tells me I have to get my tonsils removed).

“White Christmas” just came on the television (Mike is really into old movies lately and I think it’s pretty cute) and I think the hot tub is waiting (maybe the steam will help the throat).

Happy Almost Christmas!

]]> http://jadorganic.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/tis-the-season/feed/ 0 Amanda 13031_1225013900319_1078140269_30681333_5700347_n 13031_1225015500359_1078140269_30681340_3517342_n 16335_799410148593_10235066_46181359_1994435_n 21!! 069 100_0522 100_0524 100_0525 100_0526 100_0529 http://jadorganic.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/finals-crunch/ http://jadorganic.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/finals-crunch/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:02:17 +0000 Amanda http://jadorganic.wordpress.com/?p=16 ]]> Welcome to my blog! I will be up and running in a more concrete way when I am not straining my eyes over a textbook starting… tomorrow!

I feel as though all of the goals that I discussed can’t happen until it’s not necessary that I know everything about the history of modern philosophy for an exam.

It’s so frusterating but I am so close! This is my desk these days… notice the Miller Lite keeping me going…I know that apparantly I am supposed to miss my college days or something… but the only thing that has only made me marginally sad is not to be amongst all of the lovely buildings here in Boulder. I can always come and visit.

This is a pretty view of the lake on campus (Journalism School Lake… I think it’s called??!? hehe) I remember how lost I was the first day on campus… I was at least 10 minutes late to all of my classes. Once, I even ended up in a wooded area behind Folsom Field instead of the geology building.

But you know what? The campus will be soooo much better walking my future dog around it rather than sitting in a classroom writing essays.

Farewell my new alma mater… I don’t think I can truly miss you until my last final is over. Thanks for the bachelor’s degree, my boyfriend and 128 credits…most of which brought me new perspective, a little stress, but a lot of very fun times.