Have I Told You I Love Peanut Butter?

Today after work Bridget and I did the same routine we did yesterday. She picked me up at the train station, I ran to her car, we drove to the gym, then attended two classes.

The first class was Kickboxing, which included all of your basic kickboxing moves plus others that were a bit more challenging. Overall, I thought the class was pretty good, although it was not as challenging as I would have liked.

Following Kickboxing, I took my favorite Group Power class, which kicked my behind. Holy soreness tomorrow! Gotta love the burn.

When we got home we were both starving, so we cooked up some salmon and I stirfryed some veggies.

My creation...

Asparagus, zucchini (so good right now), carrots, and red bell pepper. I seasoned the veggies with some onion powder, garlic powder, and lots of peppa'.

I decided to put barbecue on my salmon and oh my gosh it was awesome! I love barbecue sauce and I live for fish so that's a double win.

The salmon was baked perfectly. Lots of flakiness going on, and it also had a really buttery texture. Perfection.

***

Enough of dinner, lets get on to the good stuff.  Remember today when I promised to make something for you all? Well, I never let go of promises, so make something I did!

Any guesses?

Nope, you guessed wrong. I decided on homemade cinnamon raisin swirl peanut butter. I am obsessed with PB and Co.'s Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. If you haven't tried it, then your not truly living. You must get your hands on a jar now, I mean like tomorrow.

Anyway, I came up with the following recipe and it turned out very yummy!

Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter

Ingredients:
1 cup peanuts (I used salted, whatever you prefer)
2/3 cup Raisins
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Agave (honey, cane sugar, and maple syrup would also be yummy options)
1 1/2 tbsp. Olive oil (any oil will work here)

Directions:
Add peanuts to food processor and blend until creamy (about 3-4 minutes). Stream in the olive oil, cinnamon and agave. If you like your peanut butter more or less creamy, add more oil as needed. Transfer peanut butter to container and fold in the raisins. Eat spoonfuls and spoonfuls!


Confession: I did not fold in the raisins, I put them in the food processor where they became chopped liver. If you want plump, whole raisins in your peanut butter you must fold them in.

Voila!

Cinnamony, raisony, creamy peanut butter. Yes, those are made up words.  I may even call this recipe killer. Maybe, like I said, killer is a strong word. I suggest you go make this now, so you can live a happier life! Seriously, though.

Tuesday Rant Session

I need to cook/bake, get my hands dirty in the kitchen, or whatever you want to call it. I'm going stir crazy since the last time I've actually tried a new recipe was hmmm... I don't even want to know how long ago. Thus, I turn to my blog to be held accountable for this fact.

The fact that needs to be changed immediately.

I mean come on Caroline, you just started a blog that specifically focuses on food and you've yet to post a recipe for sweet treats or meal ideas. Blogger fail. My deepest apologies.

I promise to make this up to you, tonight, after work, I will have a killer recipe for you all. At least, I hope it is killer. Killer is a strong wod so I make no promises, but I can promise that I will try my hardest. My very hardest.

What should I make?

I could make these..


Or maybe this..


No, I'm thinking more along the lines of this...my personal fave. Obviously, anything that involves peanut butter I drool over.

Speaking of drool, have you checked out Jessica's blog? There's not one recipe that doesn't make my heart swoon. Check it out, you'll die. Okay maybe that was an exaggeration, but I feel like exaggerating today, okay.

Well, after that rant I think I should hit publish now. Sorry for the random post, but I had to write about it because that's what I do when I can't stop thinking about something. Hope I didn't annoy you too much. Catch ya later for a RECIPE!!

Things I'm Loving

This morning I read on Gabriela's blog about things she liked at the moment, and I found it really interesting to see the things that she was recently loving. That being said, I've decided to do a mini-series and start with a Things I'm Loving post every Tuesday morning because I think it will be fun to see what I love at a certain moment. Also, this will help break up the normal breakfast post because, afterall, I can't continue to post pictures of cereal and Greek yogurt every morning. That's not fun for you or me! Speaking of that, I must try new recipes soon!
Also, I know my posting in the last week has been random and sometimes non-existent, but I can assure you once summer is over and I am on a more set routine at school, I will post regularly and around the same time everyday.

Things I'm Loving At The Moment

1. The Beach

Since I'm originally from a land-locked state, being in New York this summer has been a treat for me because I have access to an ocean. Usually I'd be dipping in a pool or jumping in a lake...not this summer!

2. New nailpolish



Mermaid Tears






Mochachino

 Lovin' these two colors right now. Even better, I scored the OPI polish for free from work! Win.

3. Gum, specifically Stride winterblue and Trident minty sweet twist.

I chew so much gum at work that I will probably be diagnosed with TMJ within the next month. I get so darn bored, so the sweet taste keeps my mouth happy and occupied. Anyone know of any other tips to rid boredom?

4. Coral colored/Orangey lipstick

During my birthday celebration about three weeks ago, I wore red lipstick to dinner for the first time and fell in love with it. It brings instant sophistication and beauty to anyone! So hot.

My two favorites are:

Revlon Siren:

Maybelline Coral Crush:

These two lipticks run between $5-$8 at any drug store

5. Iced Coffee from Dunkin Donuts

Bridget and I visit Dunkin Donuts at least three times a week and I think its safe to say I have an addiction. This is not good considering its costs $2.50 everytime I purchase one...it just seems so worth it. It's just that good.



My cup



How I like mine prepared: Decaf iced coffee with skim milk! No sugar, no cream. Mmmmmmm...I think an after lunch run will most definitely be necessary today.

I hope you enjoyed this post and remember I will be doing it every Tuesday morning from now on. Have a fabulous day and I will see you tonight after some much needed exercise and a fantastic dinner that I have planned! xx

The Zumba That Wasn't

Hello, friends! Hope you all had a good day so far, mine was certainly okay, just your good, old, run-of-the-mill Monday. After work today, I planned to go to a Zumba class with Bridget. We had taken one on Friday that we absolutely loved so we couldn't wait to go back and try it again.

Bridget picked me up at the train station around 6:22 and we scurried to the gym to make it to the 6:30 class. This time we had a different intrsuctor than the awesome one we had for Friday's class, so I was a bit skeptical. It turns out we were actually really disappointed with how the class was run. The Friday class consisted of modern pop songs with hip-hop moves that were really fun and HARD, this class was more salsa and mambo, which I was not a fan of.

It was not challenging at all and we were so disappointed we ended up leaving the class early in favor of doing our own workout. Oh well, at least we can count on Friday being killer.

***

Dinner

After the gym, Bridget and I came home to a meal that was ready to eat. On the menu tonight was grilled halibut and roasted broccoli. 

The halibut was so flavorful. Mr. McCarthy made it by marinating the fish in olive oil, parsley, butter, lemon, salt, and pepper for a few hours and then grilling. I went back for a little more than shown on both the fish and the broccoli. 

Doesn't seem like much, but I filled up on pickles before dinner started.

Why is fish SO good?!

flakkyyy

Its time to shower, put away clothes, pack my lunch and snuggle up in this amazing weather we're having in the Northeast. There's absolutely no humudity and it actually feels cold outside...very odd for summer in New York.

I'm not complaining, sleeping with the windows open is the absolute best feeling. Time to tackle my list of chores, g'night! xx

MIA

Sorry I was MIA this weekend, I had a ton going on. I attended this...

and this..

On Friday, I went over to a little get together at one of Bridget's friends from high school's house. It was a small gathering, but was pretty fun. I would show you some pictures, but I haven't had time to upload the hundreds of them I took this weekend.

On Saturday, I attended the Taylor Swift concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and she was beyond incredible. I am a huge fan, but seeing her live made me appreciate her singing and her great voice even more. How could you not love those lyrics?!

Last night, I went to the Goo Goo Dolls, which also starred Parachute and Michelle Branch. The concert was only okay, considering I am only a true fan of their older music. There was a lot of older folks there who were gonig crazy for the music and were dancing hardcore. It was fun to watch them haveing a good time, since our experience was only decent. The concert did, however, turn out to be a pretty eventful one...Bridget and I were huge caretakers to someone who had a little too much to drink! Luckily, we got her home safe and without consequence.

***

This morning for breakfast I ate one of my go-to, quick breakfasts: a cereal bowl

In the mix:

1 cup Kashi GoLean

1 cup 0% Chobani Greek yogurt

lots of cinnamon!!

'Twas a yummy and filling breakfast! Now I must go intern...I'm getting so sick of commuting into the city everyday and doing absolutely nothing all day. I have three more weeks left which seems like an eternity, but I know I can get through it. Summer is winding down for sure! I'll be glad when its over and hopefully it will help me land a better internship next summer. Anyway, gotta run! The train is waiting for me. Have a fantastic day!

Hello everyone! Hope you had a fantastic day. I'm sorry I wasn't able to check in at breakfast, but I got up early to hit the beach and did not wake up early enough to post before.

Off to the beach we went. Since I currently am camera-less, I could not take any pictures of the beautiful day or my eats. Breakfast was one of the usuals: greek yogurt, kashi, and strawberries instead of an apple!

Robert and I took a long walk on the beach and then hung out in the cabana till we went to lunch at the the beach club's restaurant. We both had a salad made with mixed greens, sliced mangos, sliced avocado, tomatoes, and red onions. We also ordered a side of asparagus and watermelon. Everything was really good, I wish I could of snapped a pic!

***

After an hour of Group Power and intense weight training session, I came home and dinner was ready in a flash. Tonight was teriyaki chicken and sauteed vegetables.

Started with this... romained lettuce and cucumber with balsamic vinegar

Perfectly grilled and tender chicken, just the way I like it. So summery!

I'm currently watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians and am going to get in bed early. I have an exhausting day tomorrow that entails hittin' the beach early. I certainly have a rough life. Catch ya tomorrow. Have a great night! xx

Tofu Love

Hello, everyone! Hope you had a fantastic day. Mine went by surprisingly fast, but I was glad to be outta there when 5 o'clock came around.

Earlier in the day, I decided to take a 7 o'clock spin class. I wanted an instructed workout and I knew spinning would kick me in the behind. However, this meant that I had to run home from the train station, quickly eat something, change, and boogie out the door. My train gets in at 6:32 or so, so I was in quite the hurry.

Anyway, I made it and completely an hour of spinning! During some parts I thought I was gonna die, puke, or faint. But, hey, I made it! I always tell myself that pain is only temporary.

Dinner
Tonight for dinner I decided to use of the other half of tofu from last night. However, I wanted to put a different spin on it, insert broiled tofu.

Have you ever had the baked tofu at Whole Foods? If so, you know that it's really, really firm and the outer part is almost crunchy. Well, its my absolute favorite so I tried to recreate it tonight. I would say I was successful.

Ingredients:

• 1 serving of organic firm or extra firm tofu
• Rice wine vinegar
• Low sodium teriyaki sauce
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Ground peppercorn

Directions:

• Turn oven on to high broil
• Foil a baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray
• Place tofu on baking sheet and cover with 2 tbsp. reduced sodium teriyaki sauce, 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, and ground peppercorn to taste
• Stick in oven for 13-15 minutes until desired firmness  
• Take out of oven and enjoy!

Although the tofu was not as firm as I would have liked it (I bought firm instead of extra firm), it was still pretty broiled and had a firm texture. I  added some extra teriyaki sauce to my plate to dip the tofu in, as the flavor seemed to disappear once I put it in the oven. Don't know why this happened??

On the side, I sauteed diced red bell pepper, zucchini, and chopped carrots. I sauteed them in a little bit of olive oil, sriracha (spicy!!), pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. T'was delicious!

I also had a side salad with spring mix and balsamic vinegar (x2). Also x2 on the veggies, yum.

I'm off to watch Pretty Little Liars. I can't wait to see what dramatic events will unfold this week, there's always somethin'. Tomorrow is an off day so I'm hoping to gym it, relax, maybe bake, or even see a movie. We shall see! Good night. xx

I Love You, Emily Giffin

Lately, I have been doing so much reading at work that I have asked friends to give me recommended books that they thought were fun and enjoyable. I am all for serious novels too, I just felt like reading something more light-hearted.

More than one of my friends recommended the author, Emily Giffin, specifically her novels Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I'm sure many of you are familiar with these titles, since Something Borrowed was just made into a Hollywood film starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Emily Giffin

Anyway, these books were phenomenal and I was immediately hooked. They were so enthralling that I finished Something Blue in nearly one day. I know, I need to get a life. I finished both reads within days, which, I must confess, says a lot as it usually takes me weeks to finish a book.

Now, don't go thinking your going to read something similar to Jane Austin or John Steinbeck, these books are more light-hearted. However, the author, Emily Giffin, writes in a really personal way, which I loved. I highly recommend you get your hands on one of these asap!

***

On to breakfast!

Today I decided on oatmeal. I used to feel the need to sweeten my oats as I thought the flavor was bland, but now I thoroughly enjoy the taste of them when their plain.

In the mix:
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup water
half a scoop of Sun Warrior
dash of cinammon
chia seeds

cha cha cha chia!

Well, I'm off to my last day of interning. Hope you all have a lovely day and I'll be back later tonight!

Pump It Up

Hello all! Hope everyone had a good day. I think I can definitely say that I did, despite the lack of work for me today at the office. What's new.

Ever since the company I intern for, OK! Magazine, got bought out by another company, they have not had much for me to do since the employees themselves are still trying to learn the new rules, people, and environment. So what I have come to do all day is read. Yes, read for six or seven hours of my workday, and I am definitely not complaining.

Today after work, I had plans to attend a Group Power class. So I rushed home, obviously my train was late, and quickly ate an apple with peanut butter. I sample four different kinds and finally decided that my favorite peanut butter is Wild Harvest organic. Holy yum!

After Group Power, which by the way kicked my a**, I came home to prepare dinner. I had been thinking about it all day, so I was very anxious. On the menu tonight was a tofu scramble.

Tofu Scramble

Ingredients:

• half a block of organic, firm tofu (I used Nasoya)
• 1 stalk of broccoli
• 1 red bell pepper
• half a zucchini
• 2 tbsp. or more of reduced sodium teriyaki sauce
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger 
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• black pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

• Place the block of tofu in a tofu press or between two paper towels or plates, and put something heavy on top of the plate or towel to rid excess water from the tofu. This will make the tofu extra firm
• Chop the zucchini, broccoli, and red bell pepper into desired size
• Cut the block of tofu in half, since this recipe only calls for one serving 
• Dice the tofu and place all ingredients into a greased pan on medium heat. I used Pam
• After the veggies and tofu start to sizzle, add the teriyaki sauce, ground ginger, garlic powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes
• Cover the skillet and let cook for about ten minutes. Check occasionally to make sure nothing is burning 
• If you want the veggies to be more or less steamed, adjust the heat or allow the dish to cook for a few minutes longer
• Enjoy!

This dish was not only so easy and fast to make, but it was really good! I haven't had tofu in awhile and it definitely made me remember why I like it so much. This dinner is perfect if your pressed for time and need a quick, easy, and healthy dinner.

Look how firm the tofu is?! I think I need to invest in a tofu press soon. You can add whatever veggies, seasonings, and sauces you want to this recipe, the options are endless! I used what I had on hand, but I can imagine onions, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, or corn would work well in this dish as well.

Well, I hope you give this recipe a try, it definitely will not dissapoint. I am off to take a much needed shower and then hop in bed. I am thinking of taking a 5:45 am spin class tomorrow morning, so I better boogie to bed or I will probably bail when my alarm goes off tomorrow. We shall see. G'night!

Hot, Hot, Hot

Today in New York is supposed to be just that. I feel like this guy. The high is around 95* on top of the unbearable humidity. I will be stuck in an office, instead of laying out on a breezy beach. I think of the times when I was little when summer meant going to the pool everyday and playing with friends for endless hours a day. Those days are over my friends, long gone. C'est la vie.

This morning for breakfast I was feeling something cold so I went to my go-to breakfast: a yogurt bowl.

In the mix:
6 oz. plain Chobani
1 cup Kashi GoLean
a few dashes of cinnamon

I enjoyed my breakfast alongside an apple and a big glass of water. I gotta stay hydrated in this heat!

I am hoping that work will be a bit more eventful today. Yesterday, I did absolutely nothing all day, and I mean nothing. I read 250 pages out of Something Blue, which I absolutely adore. It has given me a whole new love for New York, plus I really like the author, Emily Giffin, and her impressive writing style. Sorry for the quick post, but I have to get to the train! Have a great day.