A Taste of Spring

Ahhhhhh Sunday.  One of the better days of the week!
  This Sunday, in particular, I was excited to meet up with my Mom on the Cape.  My mom and I meet up frequently on the weekends because both my Dad and mark tend to be working; and let's face it we're best friends.  We had planned for Sunday for the entire week, until Saturday when she broke the news that my dad was off, and that the had an appointment with the cable company between 11 and 3.  Gee thanks Mom!

  To accommodate my Mom's busy schedule (sense my sarcasm), I puttered around the house a bit, and finalized my lenten themed recipes for this week's blog post, graded some students' blog posts and went to the grocery store.  Tuck and I headed down to my parents house around noon..  My mom made a delicious lunch of Turkey burgers, homemade guacamole, fresh melon and cut veggies.  She knows me too well! 
   After the cable technician left, the three of us headed to Chappaquoit Beach because the tide was perfect for walking.  During low tide, the beachfront doubles in size at Chappy, and makes for a great walking trail.  If you walk all the way to the end, you can see Black Beach, a beach only accessible by boat, that is on my top ten favorite places list.  I didn't know the tide would cooperate today, so when my dad told me, it was a pleasant surprise 

  

   

Upon arriving, Tucker was in HEAVEN!  He ran, swam, chased, leaped and pounced through the sand and ocean.  This dog was made  to be by the water, literally (ha hah).  I'll give it to him though..... this was pretty breathtaking.  My parents and I walked to beach until about 4, and then headed home.  The day was filled with hope that the snow will eventually stop, and that spring with grace us with her presence here in New England.  Below are some of my favorite snapshots from our adventure today.  I don't typically include this many photos in one post, but these were truly stunning, and I just HAD to share.

Playing  

Playing x 2

Deep sigh.. I love this one!

Gorgeous.

Air Tuck!

Best pals!

 As you can probably tell, the beach is where my soul goes to unwind and simultaneously recharge.  I am now motivated for the week to come.

xoxo,
Jeanie (and Tucker)
ps.. Many of you have messaged me asking about Tucker's eye.  Thanks so much for your concern.  As you can see, his energy level is more than normal!  The eye itself is still a bit wet, but the meds are working well.  Thanks again!

Question of the day:  Where do you go to unwind/ recharge? 

Date Night: CBS Scene

Mark I and I met at Patriot's Place for a much needed date night.  He was working nearby, and my afternoon birthday party wrapped up just in time.

  After browsing Open Table for restaurant options, we decided on CBS Scene because we figured we could watch the March Madness games with ease!  Our reservation was at 8:30 ,and we were seated right away (score).  We each ordered a light beer to sip on while we browsed their extensive menu. 

Mark ordered seared scallops over a bed of parmesan risotto.  I went for the grilled vegetables, hummus and goat cheese wrap, and added grilled chicken.  The sandwich was served with fries, which I was unaware of  when I ordered. 

Doesn't this look delicious!

 I won't lie Mark and I each had a couple, but most were thrown out.  I am specific about french fries.  I like certain restaurant's fries, but these were't my favorite.  It was great to catch up on life tonight, and simply be on a date.  This is something we need to work on: making it a point to make date nights to spend time together.  We were diligent about this over the summer, and Wednesday's were "our" night. Nothing interfered and we had a blast.  I'm hoping we recreate this tradition  once Mark's busy season is complete.  Hello date nights!

  The CBS scene was incredible!  Upon walking in there are wall to wall projection, flat screen and massive TVs.  This is the IDEAL venue to watch a sports game.  Each booth is also equipped with an individual TV and speaker.  While we ate we watched Gonzaga lose, which caused quite the uproar  in the bar area ( I had them in my bracket too ;( ).  I will definitely venture back to CBS Scene.  The food was  delicious, the menu offered MANY options ( both healthified and not),  and our service was on par.  I had some of the house-made lemon hummus in my sandwich and it was quite good.  Next time I go, I may order the hummus plater appetizer to enjoy more of this hummus.  The hummus platter was served with pita bread, veggies and olives for dipping.  Mark decided next time he wants to try the nachos because it seemed like every table was ordering  this dish.  ;)

Happy Sunday!

xoxo,

Jeanie

Question of the day:

Where is your favorite date night spot?

Mornings with Mark!

This morning was a pleasant surprise!
  As I mentioned before, Mark's work schedule has been VERY crazy lately, leaving little time to spend time just the two of us. I am typically really at good at being alone and fending for myself, but this week it started to bother me.  Although Mark is working again this week, his homeshow started later than expected leaving us the a few hours this morning to chat, spend time with the dog and make breakfast together.  This also means I skipped my second favorite yoga class of the week, but it was worth it!
  Breakfast:
  We decided to make a veggies and egg/egg white scramble with whatever we had in the fridge.

Our "scramble" veggies.  We mixed these with 4 eggs and three egg whites.

Mark then added all the ingredients together and served a delicous and protein packed brekfast.  I washed this town with a cup of coffee and ationed myself at the computer while he got ready.  I decided to seek out some decent white fish recipes for the blog and to eat this week becasue fish is on sale.  Not to mention, I feel that white fish is all to tradionally served with white wine, butter and crumbs and wanted to branch out a bit.  I found some good recipes, so stay tuned!


My Workout:
  Since I skipped yoga and got a bit carried away with my white fish recipes, I had not a tremendous amount of time to  workout before a bridesmaid gathering and a bithday party at 4.  I decided to run for time at the gym; something I haven't done in a while because I was focused more on distance.  Lets just say I felt it!  I ran 4 miles at 7.8 speed with a slight incline.  I was actually sad to leave beause I was watching one of the many Bring It On movies.  Nothing like a poorly made teen movie to get me hooked!  I then got off and did an ab yoga sequence and some push ups and dips.
Yoga sequence:
down  dog
to high plank
to low plank
back up to high
knee to nose
knee to left elbow
knee to right elbow
repeat x 3

Arms:
10 push ups
10 TRX dips

So Handsome!

NIce and tired!

I returned home to an excited pup!  As opposed to walking Tuck ,which can get mundane although relaxing at times, we ventured into the backyard to play a little "tennis".  This translates into me hitting the ball and him fetching it, and repeating this process about 25 times or so!







 Ok, off to my bridesmaid gathering/ birthday party!
Happy Saturday,
Jeanie

Ps...
Hummus from Lebanon as promised:
1 can chick peas rinsed
3 TBS tahini
1/2c lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
2 TBS water
Grind in immersion blender
add salt to taste ( I added about 2 tsp total)

TGIF.... and a sick pup!

 Happy Friday!
  I was very excited for it to be Friday this morning, so excited that I almost forgot to wake up!  My Iphone died over night, leaving me sans alarm this morning.  Luckily for me, I awoke at 6:04 and started running around frantically to "get ready".  I put the "get ready" in quotes (air quotes as my students say), because this term needs to be used very lightly.  I have been VERY lazy this week and for the past couple, when dressing for work.  Getting ready this morning consisted of showering and brushing my wet hair/teeth, assembling the wet locks into a bun, throwing on my casual Friday school sweat shirt and vacating the bathroom!
  In my haste this morning, I noticed Tucker had a not-so-good looking left eye, so I made a mental note to call the vet. Even though I was late, I made it to school  with time to spare and began my day.  Due to the snow and a week filled to the brim with standardized testing, all four of my classes are in  different places.  Today started a two-day game of catch up.
  All day long I was eager to get a workout in.  I was planning on watching Say Yes to the Dress while pedaling away in the elliptical or running on the treadmill.  I thought about this countless times today and was mentally planning my attack........Does anyone else have these visions while working?
 This all changed around 1:15 when I started feeling a bit sick. I had my typical Friday afternoon headache, with a sore throat that just wouldn't quit.  I made a tea, filled up my Camel Bak a third time and hoped.  I was feeling worse come 2:40 when I departed  school. By the time I made it to pick up my furry friend, I was feeling awful.  I also realized I forgot to call and make an appointment for Tucker's now totally green eye.  gross and whoops!
  We ended up heading to the vet around 5 ,and they did a variety of tests on Tuck's eye that involved green dye.  He amazes me sometimes.  The vet poked, prodded, wiped and squirted both of his eyes countless times, and he just laid there; content with life.  He also scored some big time treats afterwards, which will be his last for a while because he weighed in at 73.3lbs!!!  This is the most my main man has ever weighed!  I had the vet check his ribs and waist to ensure he wasn't overweight ,and she  assured me he was more than fine.  I get paranoid about that sort of thing.  I want this pooch to live a long healthy life; therefore I do my best to offer his a vast variety of fitness opportunities and healthy treats!

Thanks Mom!

Upcoming weekend events I'm excited about ....

-My second favorite yoga class of the week  Saturday's at 8:30

-Dinner with Mark!  This first dinner we have eaten together in weeks, due his  long hours at work!

-A lunch/ walking date with my Mom on the cape this Sunday.  She is another one I haven't seen in ages.

All in all, It will be great! 

Questions of the Day:

What plan are you entertaining this weekend?

Do you have a favorite workout specific for the weekends?

xoxo,

Jeanie

ps... I am trying another authentic hummus tomorrow for a get-together I'm attending.  I will make sure to post the recipe ASAP.  This one is from Lebanon. ;)

BRAVO for Bananas Foster Slow Cooker Oatmeal!

As promised, I went to town last night making the bananas foster slow cooker oatmeal I found yesterday on Hidden Fruits and Veggies!  The recipe is a cinch and shockingly enough, since this recipe is vegan, I had all the ingredients!  After about 10 minutes of prep work, I covered the slow cooker, turned it on low, and went to bed.
  I awoke to the most delicious aroma permeating my house!  I knew from that moment, this recipe would be a keeper.  The instructions stated that the oatmeal would form a brown film on top, and that you would need to stir before serving.  I did that, and then scooped it into 4 portioned tupperware pieces to bring to school this week.  The recipe also suggests whipped cream, nuts or other toppings.  I decided to give a dollop of vanilla greek yogurt a shot.  This was a great move, and added protein to the dish, which was an added bonus because one serving yield a measly 4 grams.

Bananas Foster Slow Cooker Oatmeal ( Copyright Hidden Fruits and Veggies)

Author: Kelly Hutchinson

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

• 1 c steel cut oats
• 1 c unsweetened almond milk (regular milk would work too)
• 3 c water
• ¼ c brown sugar
• 1 + tbsp cinnamon (additional to taste. I go up to 1 tbsp + 1 tsp)
• 2 bananas

Instructions

1. If necessary, spray your slow cooker (crock pot) with nonstick spray. ( this is def. necessary)
2. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Break the bananas up as you add them or with a spoon. Stir until well combined.
3. Set on low and cook, covered, for about 8 hours.
4. Uncover and stir well. The oatmeal will look very dark on top and may have an extra dark layer. Stir well. Some oatmeal may be stuck to the sides, scrape off and mix into rest of oatmeal (this oatmeal is still good, and in fact my favorite part).
5. Top with additional bananas, more almond milk, chocolate chips, or any other toppings you desire.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 175 Fat: 2g Carbohydrates: 37g Fiber: 4g Protein: 4g

A couple downfalls to the MOSTLY spectacular breakfast option:
1. As warned in the recipe, this will stick to the pan, but the liners create too much moisture leaving the oatmeal wet.  I have two solutions:  use a liner and then add more oats in the end, or soak the pan and deal with the mess.  This time I went with the 2nd option.
2.  There isn't a ton of protein, so I do think the greek yogurt topping is an added bonus.
3.  This oatmeal is brown and possesses a chunky consistency, not ideal or suitable for photographing!  I'm sorry I do not have pictures, but it just wan't that picturesque.  On the other hand, the taste will be worth a thousand words!

a perfect end to a crazy day....

 For those of you who reside in MA and either have school-aged children or work with school-aged children, you are WELL aware that its MCAS week(s)!  Today was day one of the Reading Comprehension MCAS for my district, and we had a snow day yesterday.. PERFECT TIMING!  

  Needless to say, I woke up as early as possible, scraped off my car and headed into work.  For the most part, my students worked hard and were diligent while testing,  but I was bored STIFF!  Come 2:30, I couldn't wait to stretch out my limbs at one of my favorite yogas classes of the week:  Wednesday @ 6pm Open Doors, East Bridgewater Studio.  The  instructor, Colleen Finn, has the BEST play list, allowing me to whole-heartedly "veg" out while twisting and contorting my body into all kinds of moves.

  Tonight she even placed a cold rock on my forehead while in savasana,  completely cooling and realizing my warm face.. Wahoo!

a cool rock + ADELE+ a well-deserved savasana = a GREAT end to a hectic day!

Another snow day....

When life gives you lemons, make pancakes (hmm....that doesn't sound right)!
  School was called off again today, due to inclement weather.  I woke up, showered, had my coffee and then got the call.  Lets just say I was less then enthused! But I have been trying all morning to think SUNNY thoughts, even though I know I will be working until a hot and sweltering June 26th!
  Since I had the time, I read my usual fit blogs more closely,  and found some great recipe ideas for this week;  starting with this morning's pancakes.  I am in love with a banana protein panackae recipe via Carrots N Cake, so I browsed her recipe page to broaden my pancake horizons.  I decided to make a traditional pancakes recipe and add fruit and other toppings to "spice" them up a bit.  The recipe is as follows and my alterations are in parenthesis

"A Really Good Pancake Recipe" (with some added protein) adapted from Carrots N Cake:

 Makes 8 pancakes

Ingredients:

I love pancakes, and I'm so cute!!!

• 1.5 cups flour (The recipe called for "all purpose" but I didn't have enough, so I mixed with whole wheat and they came out just fine)
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt (I omitted this. I typically do when baking)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 cups vanilla soy milk ( I did not have vanilla soy, so I mixed coconut, plain almond milk and a little vanilla for taste.)
• 3 oz low-fat Greek yogurt (I once again was short plain Greek yogurt, but had enough vanilla flavored so that went in the bowl)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp canola oil (I used vegetable)

Directions

• Heat and Spray pan
• Cook each pancake for 3 minutes each side
• I added toppings while they were cooking.  I used blueberries and chocolate chips for Mark.

 I have to say, these pancake really helped brighten up my gloomy mood!  Now, off to grade student blog posts and try to make this day off as productive as possible. 

xoxo,

Jeanie

Questions of the Day:

Who made the BEST pancakes you've ever had (it can be a restaurant)?  What do you think is their secret?

Websites that may interest you:

Carrots N Cake