Hello, 60! How’ve you been?

Written by on in Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Snacks, Tidbits and Treats

It’s a windy heat wave here in the Windy City! Temperatures have gotten as high as 60* today with wind gusts up to 30 mph. I’ll take the wind with the warmth whenever I can!

Before I get to some food, I wanted you all to know that the contest I wrote about on my last post is actually open to everyone, regardless of whether or not you purchase anything! I thought that you had to buy something initially, but I checked back today and filled out an entry form, no credit card necessary!

Last night I had to do some major crammin’ for my Economics of Gender midterm. Good news: I still had time to make a delicious dinner! For the second time ever, I whipped up my own version of Hungry Girlfredo.

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I followed the same general recipe as last time:

  • 1 entire package of Tofu Shirataki angel hair noodles
  • 1 Laughing Cow cheese wedge
  • 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
  • Garlic powder + pepper, to taste

It turned out even better, probably because I used more spice 😉 As always, make sure you dry the noodles off completely before heating. It really makes a difference in the “slimy” factor!

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All of this for under 250 calories? Eat your heart out, Olive Garden! After dinner, I made myself a little snack for studying: Kashi 7-grain crackers with Cranberry Nut trail mix from Tarjay.

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This morning, I woke up early to get in a workout before the madness of midterms + classes began. I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical, then came back and did an “adapted” Core Synergistics workout from P90X. My adapted version is basically 30 minutes instead of 50. It’s really just me picking out my favorite moves. I know it’s not the goal of the program, but some days I like following it EXACTLY, while other days I like to make my own rules!

After the sweat sesh, I cleaned up and made myself a big breakfast.

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I like to think of oatmeal as “brain food” because it keeps me full better than anything else I’ve tried, and a happy tummy = happy brain in my world 🙂 This bowl contained:

  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 sliced banana
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB

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The addition of the pumpkin really helps add volume. Love it! Of course, there was no way I could be fully prepared for my test without some Coffee Cocoa, too! Props to my girl, K, who tried my recipe here!

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I listened to some blood pumpin’ tunes on the walk to class today. It was SO nice outside! I was smiling to myself the whole way there – I probably looked like a crazy person, but no worries! Then I took my midterm…and I think it went well! We shall see. I feel like I finally have a grasp on economics. It only took me four years 🙂 And to think, when I started college I was planning to be a journalism + economics double major. HA! I’m getting a biz minor instead.

When I got back from class, I made myself the third delicious meal in a row.

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I used a whole can of Progresso Light Santa Fe Chicken Soup (love the fact that I can use up a whole can at once). Although the soup is a bit on the watery side (hence “light”), I did find plenty of goodies at the bottom of the bowl. Overall, I’d give it 3 out of 4 stars.

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On the side (and also to dip in the soup), I had some Sabra hummus on top of two slices of Arnold Bakery Light bread. I’m almost out of this bread 🙁 I really like it, but it’s not in stores yet as far as I can tell. Thanks again to Rena for the awesome samples!

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And to fulfill my need for sweet, I heated up a Deep Chocolate Vita-Muffin and topped it with 1 tbsp. of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB. Oh heaven, you look good! Oh reader, you should enter that contest! But only if you promise to share with me if you win 😉 Yes, that goes for the diamond, too.

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Now I’m off to do some good ol’ blog reading! I don’t have any other major deadlines this week, so of course you know that means I’m going to procrastinate!

Random Shout Out

I just want to congratulate Meghann on a FANTASTIC turnout for her Blogging Bake Sale yesterday. I am super pumped because I was the highest bidder for Heather’s Mixed Brown Bread. My mouth waters every time I look at the picture. I can’t wait to try it, Hangry Heather! And hurray for benefitting Meghann’s amazing race. Haha – now that’s a lot of link love for one paragraph!

“See” you in the blogosphere,

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55 Comments

  1. woooooo…..all your eats look fabulous! love that noodle dish and all your oatmeals! ooohh… that cocoa coffee loos scrumptious too! 😀

  3. Oatmeal is my go to breakfast when I have exams and mid-terms too! SO filling and delicious, hope you had a good day.

  5. I entered the contest… and can I just say that I am more excited by the prospect of winning a month of Vitamuffins that a Tiffany necklace? Haha well I guess that makes me a true food blogger!

  8. Whooo! Warm weather! It makes everyone happy, which is so nice to see! Anyway, your version of HungryGirl-fredo looks ballin’! Must try.

  9. I totally didn’t know you were in the Windy City! I’m about an hour away and can I say this weather is amazing! I was in shorts today!!!

    I’m so jealous…I can’t find that Cinnamon PB anywhere =(

  10. Yummy! I agree, pumpkin just adds so much more to oatmeal, I don’t know what I did before it!

    You are gettin’ some major studying done girl, good job!!

    I’ll totally go halfsies on the Vitamuffin contest and you can HAVE the diamond! 😉

  12. Hey Bender!

    Love the laughing cow alfredo. I was at first a little sketchy of a cheese that doesn’t require refrigeration (can you say Velveeta?), but it makes an awesome sauce, that’s for sure!

    I definitely need to break out the Coffee Cocoa this afternoon. What kind of cocoa do you usually use? Swiss Miss? You seem like a Swiss Miss kind of girl 😉

    Have a great night!!!

  14. ive been doing the same thing with my p90x routines lately… i like getting my cardio in and weight training and its the best way to incorporate both 🙂

    mmmmmmmmmm i have to hop on the fabulous coffee cocoa train 🙂

  16. omg i’m tempted to order vitamuffins but i’m soooo strapped for money…gahhh…why don’t i get paid more for my field job? LOL!

    love the hungry gurl noodles…i remember the first time you made it too!

    glad the econ test went well! hope you get back a super duper grade! 🙂

  17. i think the 60 degree weather is heading to the northeast tomorrow. i can’t wait for a spring preview! hopefully there won’t be rain and i can run outside 🙂

  18. Hey girl! Glad your test is over and glad the weather was warm! How fun! And congrats on the bread win! Whooo hoo…I was totally eyeing that up too!

  20. Thanks for the shout out girl!! I have a feeling your coffee cocoa will be a regular Friday feature thanks to my 3 hour med term class 🙂

    Your hungry girlfredo sound fabulous! This weather needs to stay around as long as possible!!

  21. I love your creative little recipes and cute eats! Everything is so perfectly plated and portioned!
    Economics is so hard. You are ambitious lady!

  22. Good eats! I was the SAME way going to/from class and the gym today. It needs to stay like this. It’s wonderful smiling and jamming to my iPod in the spring-like weather 😉 (You should share your playlist sometime!)

    Glad to hear your midterm went well. Congrats for being finished!

  28. Yep it’s been about 70* here–love it!

    I really like your idea to combine pumpkin oats with the cinnamon swirl PB–I bet they complement each other quite nicely:)

  30. Tofu noodles? I don’t think I have ever came across that before. Interesting. Thanks for the link

    Sometimes it’s best to just make your own rules, especially when it comes to workin’ out. I like your upbeat attitude so early in the morning (at least it’s early for me) 🙂

  32. Thanks for the post! i love your blog so much 🙂 and i love hearing about the p90x videos, i reallly really want to buy it but am not sure because its so expensive! do you think its worth the cost?

  34. Glad to hear things are going well with school AND the weather there! We’ve had some nice days lately, too, and it’s making me itch for spring 🙂

  38. everything looks delightfully delicious!!!! especially the trailmixes from “tarjay”. i love tarjay! and cinnamon raisin swirl pb&co makes *everything* taste better-couldnt agree more!

  39. and PS_that is BY FAR my favorite oat combination. EB>>i highly suggest that you make those oats at night (without warming them up of course) and let them sit in the fridge while u sleep so the flavors mix together-this is called overnight oats-which i hesitantly made a video on and posted up today in my blog let me know what u think!)

  43. oooh I totally think of oatmeal as my brain food too. 🙂 FOr the first time ever, I put pumpkin into my oats, and it REALLY does bulk up the volume. I thought my bowl was going to overflow. 😛 Good for you for that business minor! I did it too and I REALLY loved it. hehehe Hope you got all the annoying classes out of the way (i.e. I heard poli sci with the female professor SUCKS. My friend dropped her minor just because of that class *sigh*) Anyway, enjoy your procrastination week!!!

  44. Mmm.. I’ve been wanting to try that Hungry Girlfredo for a while now. maybe I might! Enjoy that nice weather! It’s funny that you refer to 60 as “warm” 🙂

  46. Thanks for the tip on the contest!

    And I think that wind is headed to the East Coast next — I hear the DC area will be gusty tomorrow! Be careful not to get blown away!

    Also, the oats look yummy! So full and filling with all the pumpkin flavor and color, yummy!

  47. I love what you’ve done with your Shirataki noodles. Those things are the best, but I ALWAYS forget to dry them off – slimy little suckers! I need to try your version as I love creamy cheesy platter of pasta!

    I love that you made your own workout version of the P90X DVD…gotta keep things interesting, and 30 minutes is much easier to fit in than 50. 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there – totally adds up, ya know?

    I almost majored in business…until my first economics class. No thanks. 🙂

  49. Hey! Love your blog– I just subscribed:)

    Question– do you make your oatmeal on the stove or do you make it in the microwave? I usually make my breakfast at work in the microwave (I have Kashi hot cereal) but I would love to try to make your pumpkin almond milk creation. I typically don’t have a lot of time in the mornings and was wondering how you do it.

  53. Jenn- I have so much to say about this post… I hope I remember everything.

    First off, I think I had the EXACT same breakfast of pumpkin oats on Monday. Don’t you just love the cinnamon raisin pb??? I totally agree about oatmeal being the best thing to make me feel full all morning long. Good minds think alike.

    The hungry girlfredo is calling my name. I’ve been wanting to try the tofu noddles and I just bought some laughing cow cheese wedges…

    Thanks for mentioning that you don’t need to purchase to enter the giveaway.

    Lastly, I’m so glad your mid-term went well and enjoy Heather’s bread- I’m sure it’s delish.

  54. That is so what I’m going to make with the tofu shiritaki noodles I picked up awhile ago. I got them, because I knew I wanted to try them, then never could decide what to do with them. But all of those ingredients live in my fridge on a regular basis, so I’m set! Woo!

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