Thank you all for your words of encouragement on my last post. It helps to know that I’m not the only one who freaks out in those situations, but also that in the grand scheme of things, it’s not going to matter too much.
I apologize for my unexplained absence yesterday. It has become clear to me that there is really no end in sight to the busy course and work load this quarter. You may remember that I had two papers to write last weekend. Well, this weekend I have a paper and a presentation, the weekend after I have THREE papers (one in each class), the weekend after that I have a paper and a midterm, and…well, I think you get the picture. Somehow I failed to realize that by taking classes that don’t have final exams, they are all bound to have work due on the exact same days. Not cool!
As a result, I want to give all of you the heads up that there will be days where I just can’t post or comment on blogs. I would much rather dedicate a few free days per week to writing quality posts than try to scramble to cram in quick posts every day and slack off on my school work in the process. I hope this decision won’t leave too many of you disgruntled with me. It’s just what I have to do for my sanity.
Now that the hard stuff is out of the way, today so happens to be one of those days where I have some time to spare, so let’s get to the food 🙂 This morning I woke up extra early to get in a killer workout. I did some brief cardio (20 minutes of jumping jacks, run in place, etc.) and got busy on the Arm + Shoulder routine from P90X. It felt nice to get it all out of the way so I had the rest of the day ahead of me. It also put me in the mood for a protein + carb packed breakfast.
You may be wondering, “where is the protein in oatmeal?” Let me tell ya, this is not your average bowl of oats. It was going protein cuh-razy behind the scenes. Check it out:
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
- 1/2 scoop protein powder
- 1/2 sliced banana (aka whipped)
- 1 tbsp. ground flax
- 1 tbsp. peanut butter
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
The egg whites made the consistency much more solid, so it felt less like I was eating thick soup and more like I was eating mashed potatoes, for lack of a better comparison! All part of this balanced breakfast with Coffee Cocoa.
It was nice to have a leisurely morning before work, instead of waking up 10 minutes after I was supposed to be there 
Live and learn! I’ve been going to bed earlier this week and I think it’s helping. Duh.
Work was cool and toward the end of my shift I snacked on this guy:
I think it’s definitely my favorite of all the Pure Protein bars.
After work, I rushed back to campus to help out my summer internship employer with an on-campus recruiting event. It was so much fun to catch up with some of my co-workers from the summer and also to sit on the panel and tell other students about my experience. I hope that someone else from my school will get an opportunity to experience what I did. It was truly nothing but positive! Once that was over, I came back and made myself a big lunch.
I say big because that sweet potato was not joking around! He was massive, and topped with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, he was delicious. This meal fills you up quickly!
On the side, I had 1 oz. of smoked gouda cheese. Soooooo GOUDA! 😉 Er…I mean good. I also had 2 oz. of herb chicken breast.
I spent the rest of the afternoon beginning my work on a presentation. Guess which one?! Ok, I’ll tell you: Whole Foods! I am already having a lot of fun coming up with a slide design template. I am such a geek, but I love it! I made the background look like a paper grocery bag and put the Whole Foods logo on top with a faded blue cut out from a grocery bag that says “Reusable, Recyclable” 🙂 Now you know for a fact that I’m a geek. It’s official!
Eventually, it was time for dinner. I decided to feature a new sample I recently received from Rena of Arnold Bread.
These breads are from their new Bakery Light line. Here is some more information on the new product and lifestyle diet it is made for:
“It’s no surprise that weight is once again amongst the most popular of New Year’s resolutions, and Arnold is pleased to introduce the ‘I ♥ Bread Diet,’ a program designed to help people lower caloric intake without depriving themselves. The plan is easy….simply swap out your traditional bakery products in exchange for great-tasting Arnold Sandwich Thins and Arnold Bakery Light Breads, and you can cut up to 280 calories daily – almost 15% of your recommended calorie intake!* Visit http://www.arnoldiheartbread.com/menu.cfm to find two months worth of meal plans and recipe suggestions.
As an added bonus, consumers can go to www.ArnoldiHeartBread.com for the chance to win a year-long gym membership, consultations with an accredited nutritionist, high-end workout gear and a year’s supply of Arnold bread products by entering their favorite bread craving and a description of how they use Arnold Bakery Light and Sandwich Thins to achieve their wellness goals. A photograph capturing the essence of the essay should also be uploaded. The contest ends February 28, 2009 and geographic eligibility is noted below.”
They are meant to be low carb and come in at 40 calories per slice. I wasn’t sure how that would hold me over, but I made myself a sandwich with 2 slices of the whole wheat version with 2 tbsp. roasted red pepper hummus.
It was v. tasty. These breads are definitely not for those who are looking to make a sandwich the main part of their meal because I don’t think they will fill you up enough. But if you’re looking for an accompaniment at breakfast or a small snack, I think they’re pretty handy. Thanks, Rena!
For the rest of my dinner, I combined 1 cup Fage with 1/2 serving Kashi Go Lean and 1 tsp. maple syrup. A full cup of Greek yogurt as opposed to the smaller containers really goes a long way in keeping me full.
If you don’t look too closely, you might think it’s ice cream 😉 Yum!
I did some more work and then broke out a LightFull Satiety Smoothie.
This one was called Peachy Cream.
I’m sorry to all who may enjoy this, but I simply did not. There was something “off” about how it tasted (a little sour, even though the expiration date was fine?) and it did not remind me of yogurt or a smoothie. I had to get rid of it 🙁 But I did like the strawberry version and hopefully I’ll like the rest of them!
Instead, I went with a little slice (or bar) of heaven:
I haven’t had a ZBaR in WAY too long!! Why not?! They are my all-time fave.
Ok, so I did not catch Lost tonight (I know, it’s a crime). Bobby and I still have 4 more episodes to watch in the fourth season! I don’t want to get ahead of myself, so we’re just DVR’ing them until the time is right. I’ll have to be careful when I read your blogs so that I don’t read a spoiler!
Random Question
What does Whole Foods mean to you in 10 words or less?
Full disclosure: I may use your answers in my presentation for school! Don’t worry, your identities can remain anonymous if you so wish! To me, Whole Foods is a home away from home 🙂
whole foods = food museum. it has all kindsa interesting stuff.
I dont have one near me:( SO I guess I would say WF mean to me, ROAD TRIP!!!!
I wish we had Whole Foods where I was.
Oh, wow, tasty eats for the day! Love the oats!
WF= LIFE.
DUDE THEY KN0W AT ALL FIVE IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA! MY H0ME <3
Everything sounds SO GOOD!
Whole Foods = Food beauty, field trip to beautiful foods
Good luck with all your school work! Please post and comment only when you can – quality not quanitity sounds like an excellent plan.
You are such a positive person! It’s nice that you were so excited to go back and help the place you interned for and hope someone else from your school gets the same chance.
Please catch up on lost asap. 😀
WF = A bright peacful walk through fresh clean delights.
Heyyyy bender!! so nice to see you..i kept checking up on ur blog all day for updates!! 😀 yay its finally here. okay soo… i had my 1st pure protein bar today in s’more flavor, and i luh-ed it so much! it was v. tasty. i loved the marshmallow-y topping, yay! ill be featuring it in my blog tmrw.
whole foods= clean healthy friendly bond local decadent luxurious self-indulgent tasty
WF=My happiest place on Earth!
Good luck with all your work–I feel your pain!
Hi Jenn. No worries if you can’t post – school comes first, right? We’ll still be here. 🙂 Good luck with all the papers/projects! I’ll be sending good thoughts your way this quarter for sure. Sounds like you’ve made some headway on your Whole Foods presentation – very creative use of the brown paper bag!
I love getting my workouts done early in the morning – such a great way to start the day. I feel like I get a lot more accomplished if I don’t have to plan the rest of my day around going to the gym…which I do if I don’t go first thing in the AM.
1 cup of Greek yogurt – ALWAYS.
I love how you put half of your sandwich condiment on top of the bread. Makes me smile.
Lost was good…a little strange & confusing, but that’s why I love it!
Whole Foods = vegan carob chips because that is the only place I can find them. 🙂
WF meansssss…..kind of a splurge to me. I’m such a bargain shopper these days, I honestly can’t pay some of their prices as compared to other stores! It makes me feel kinda excessive when I think of ppl who can’t afford or havent even HEARD of the crap they sell there! But i could wander those aisles for hours 😀 Good luck with your work you’ll rock it…and thanks for your break out support, the derm was good today i got my magic drugs :D!!!
First, girl, do what you’ve got to do with the posting. We’ll all still be here for you and absence will make our hearts grow fonder!
Second, way to go with the protein today! My muscles are sitting her nudging me, saying, “Why can’t you do that, woman!”
Third, I haven’t watched LOST yet either, so I won’t spoil it for you. The hubs is watching sports, so we’ll wait until we can watch it together.
Finally, Whole Foods means to me, fresh quality produce, homemade unrefined bakery goods, salad bars with every fresh and unique topping you can think of, and aisles filled with the newest, greatest and best new products for those with a healthy lifestyle! Oh…and it means a BIG grocery bill too.
Have a great night, my friend!
Whole Foods is what every grocery store should be!!
That was cutting it close on the word count 😉
I really want to try the egg white in oatmeal but I’m afraid they’re going to scramble on me! Is it possible to do it in the microwave or do you have to do them on the stove?
Hang in there with the schedule, don’t worry about us, school comes first 😀
Whole Foods is a natural high!
Please don’t apologize for having life needs that come before blog “duties”, esp. commenting. I hate that we get the mindset that commenting is a job. It’s most definitely not!
That being said – love your eats!
It sounds like your presentation is going to be fun. 🙂 I want to see your slides! Your background sounds so cute!
I found out that 1/2 cup oats alone has 5 grams of protein. Shizam!
Whole Foods; Quality foods for a quality life. 😀
Could you pass along to Rena that there are loyal Arnold/Brownberry fans who have trouble finding some of their products? Specifically the sandwich thins! 😉
Whole Foods = a unique variety of healthy products (but too expensive).
And no problem on the no-post days! I’m trying to figure out a similar routine for myself. With my new job I’m all over the place with hours because of different meetings, workshops, traveling to different cities, etc., so I’m also trying to figure out when and how to fit blogging in.
Your eats look awesome and as always I’m getting so inspired to try P90X myself!!
no worries! I’m so glad you posted a/b your busy schedule…I was curious how people manage to post so often! I, too, am already worried a/b the higher stress of trying to fit in taking pictures AND posting on a deadline when school is difficult. Thanks for getting back to me!
Oh girl, I hear ya – we gotta catch up!! I’m here for ya!!
I had a sweet potato yesterday too 😀
**To answer your question = Whole Foods is my second home.
40 calories per slice??? that is unreal! I promise not to discuss the details of lost! I’m so glad its back 🙂 Sounds like you have TONS of work to do! Post when you can, we all understand!
Hang in there with school, girly! It will all be worth it in the long run. Don’t feel bad about not posting everyday … it’s hard to keep up when times are busy. We are all in that position at one time or another.
At least you are still eating good and getting in your fabulous workouts with Tony!! 😉
Have a good day!
The Caffe Latte Lightful Smoothie is my fave flavor!
Mmm…bread and hummus. Who needs anything else 🙂
I have to tell you that my 2 daughters are now hooked on coffee cocoa! I have it waiting for them when they get home from school (decaf, of course!) Just wondering, what type of hot cocoa powder is your favorite to use? *I know you’re super busy, so if you get a chance, I’d love to know!!! Thanks for the great ideas, Jenn! Love your blog this [ ] much!!! 🙂
I always say that Whole Foods is my Disney World. Haha.
I’m so glad that I got you hooked on the sweet potato/cc combo–it’s definitely a keeper!
Don’t worry about being a little MIA because of school work, we all understand! My workload hasn’t totally hit me yet, but that could be because 3 of my books for my hardest class haven’t arrived yet so I just can’t do the reading. When they do come though, I’m screwed! Haha. Don’t stress too much, and enjoy your work on the WF project–that’s so fun!
busy busy, school comes first 🙂 plus we love the quality up in here, so make our reading worth it. kidding, it always is and it’s a delight to read 🙂 no worries girl!
whole foods? a supermarket that cares. sure they may be a little pricier (for certain things, i still know you CAN get a bargain), but they actually care about most of the things they put out, unlike the regular old supermarket. the people that work there are also nicer!
Jenn- No worries about not posting every single day- it makes sense when you are v. busy just to post when you have time. I think we all agree quality of quantity is the way to go.
Your cute, not geeky, with designing your powerpoint for the presentation! I’m sure it will look fab-u-lous!
I have to go to work right now, but I am going to think of what Whole Foods means to me and post another comment soon- probably while I am at work 🙂
Your project sounds like it’s going to be awesome!
Unfortunately, I don’t know what Whole Foods means to me. I don’t have one near me, and I have NEVER been to one. *Cue dramatic music*. It’s a crime, isn’t it? 🙂
whole foods is a well deserved special treat.
Hang in there with the crazy schedule!!
That pure protein is the best and SP + CC = 😀 I’ve never had Gouda, I am missing out!!
I love bread diet – subtract the “diet” from that because I’m not on a diet but that sounds pretty DELISH! I am all about bread 😉
No LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSTTTT spoils from me! It was good though!
WFs to me is a playground – I could spend hours there!
whole foods is like a freaking candy store for foodies. although it’s kind of expensive– i’m a completely broke college student at the moment!! sorry to hear about the workload, i definitely feel you on that one :-/ have a great day!!
Slight bender withdrawals yesterday for zesty but I am OK…. food looks great – I am liking your quick sweet potato…..
Whole Foods – To mean means, unprocessed natural foods that contain the intended vitamins and minerals we need each day.
YUM I love the sweet potato/cottage cheese combo!!!
Whole Foods = Foodie mecca where I could spend HOURS exploring
sorry to hear about your busy semester, but seriously, any kind of post you can handle is PERFECT! I just love hearin’ from ya, girl..and if that means only 3 times per week, that’s cool too! 🙂
Yummy eats, I love that protein packed oatmeal!
Hope today is great for you! 😉
Don’t worry about commenting and posting, we’ll still be here. I totally understand, and I’m sure it will be the same once I start school!
Whole Foods to me: I’ve died and gone to foodie heaven!
You certainly are a busy gal!!
Great eats and I’m SO jelous of your Z-Bar! I’m out and I haven’t found them in Canada yet! 🙁 Enjoy the next one for me, OK?!
Hmm WF to me is a place to try new foods, it’s a place to get excited about cooking good food for yourself and loved ones. And it’s the home of Chobani haha.
Good luck with your busy semester!
Whole Foods is whole fun for a wandering foodie.
Is that too much?
Hi! I live in chicago too and being an NU alum, (graduated 6 months ago) I know exactly how stressful the quarter system can be. Your blog is FABULOUS and I’m surprised your posts are so frequent and interesting despite the CRAZY coursework at times. 🙂 Great job!!! I’m totally a fan of your blog so thanks for your great posts!
And to me…Whole Foods means DELICIOUSLY cheap frozen mangoes & peaches to dump in my oatmeal AND the best place to go to satisfy snack cravings. 😛 I especially love the guacamole and chips sample…I hover over it whenever I see it (shhhh).
Hang in there, sweetie! We understand, life gets in the way sometimes. You have to do what is right for you!
seriously, don’t sweat the small stuff! I love reading your blog no matter how often or not you are able to find time to do so! You are so lucky to get those bread samples, I can’t believe they are only 40 calories!!!
ok so… this is what Im thinkin
Whole foods is a playground for those who are serious foodies…..ok i am so bad at this! sorry!
You do what you gotta do with school – it has to come first!
Love me the gouda cheese as well. Yum.
When you make your oats with egg whites, do you just stir them into the liquid, and cook as normal?
Thanks for getting back to me on the cocoa powder!! I bought some today – yummmmmm! I vote for spreading Coffee Cocoa across the nation!!
Whole Foods is an adventure and a comfort zone all at the same time!
Hang in there jenn! i hope the work load dwindles soon!
the eats look great and i still need to try eggs in my oats!
WF is still a bit overwhelming to me because it’s so different…