The Lamptons

This morning I have a ton of things to knock off my to-do list, so this is gonna be a quick post. Yesterday I went to Fordham and had an important meeting about study abroad. After two hours of going through my options and reading reviews about all the different places, I'm pretty sure I am going here...

If I get it approved by my advisor and can get credit for all my classes I should be going to London in the Spring of 2012!! I cannot wait.

***

Breakfast this morning was a bowl of oats.

In the mix:

1/2 cup of oats

1 cup of water

a few dashes of cinnamon

half a scoop of Sun Warrior protein powder

bananas for garnish

This bowl was so good for some reason! Loved the combo of all the flavors, especially the banana.

I've got to go now! I have a ton of things to do before we head to the Hamptons this afternoon. It should be a really fun trip! 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!

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.

Fordham Nostalgia

Today after work I had plans of going back to my old stopping grounds and visiting an apartment near Fordham. My friends are not studying abroad spring semester, unlike me,  and wanted to look at an apartment for them to live in during that time. Before we left, I made a quick trip to the grocery to stock up on essentials such as greek yogurt, apples, bananas, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, hummus, tofu, etc.

We were supposed to leave around eight o'clock, so I was in a rush to make dinner after I got back from the store. I reheated a piece of salmon that Bridget had made while I was away and also had some steamed eggplant with homemade red sauce. Oh my god this sauce was sooooo good! Never again will I be buying jarred sauce.

The salmon looks like it was a small portion, but it actually was a pretty hefty amount. I'm not one to skimp on fish. I love it way too much.

After a dinner eaten in the car, we made it to Fordham in no time. I was happy to be back knowing that I will be returning in a little more than a month. I've missed it so much and can't wait to return to see everyone one and start the year.

I think I will be returning to campus this week, as I need to pay a visit to the study abroad office to talk about plans of going to London next spring. I already cannot wait for that. Anyway, it is getting way passed my bed time so I'm signing off for the night. Sweet dreams!

Long Time, No See

Hello friends! Boy has it been awhile since my last post. I didn't have internet throughout my entire trip to Michigan so I was only able to post once. I apologize, but we got back late afternoon on Saturday and I was so tired I needed a day to rest. Its feels good to be back.

candid

My trip was so much fun and I promise to show you more pictures once my sister lets me borrow them from her camera. This morning I am dreading going into to work, but trying to keep a positive attitude since its only three days! After mu long vacation, birthday, and other fun summer festivities, I have decided that this week I am going to pay special attention to eating clean. My body needs this to feel better and less sluggish. Hopefully, by the end of seven days I will feel up to par with my usual self. Nothing crazy or anything, just trying to eat a bit healthier and clean up my eats this week.

This morning for breakfast I decided on oats. Even though it's darn hot outside today (high *93), I decided that they sounded yummy.

In the mix:
1/2 cup oats
1 cup water
Half scoop protein powder
Salt
A few dashes of cinnamon

lots o' cinnamon

I can't remember the last time I had a grapefruit...it was delicious! Although I do wish I would of sub it for an apple, but considering I'm out, a grapefruit was a tasty second option.

I'm off to do the intern thing. I will catch ya later and I hope you have a great day. Hope I make the train!

11th 20th Birthday Celebration

Good afternoon! I had so much fun last night and can't wait to recap, but first breakfast. This morning I had the usual, a sandwich thin, banana, peanut butter, and cinnamon

Natural, organic peanut butter on one half, and PB and Co. cinnamon raisin swirl on the other half. Holy yum!



Olivia, Juliet, Grace, and Mwah


As I was saying before, last night I had a little get together for my 20th birthday. It seems like I have had eleven birthday celebrations since my actual birthday on July 4th. Hey, I'm not complaining or anything. The get together was low key, but I had a nice time hanging out with friends and family. My friends came over around 6:30 and we chatted while we snacked on yummy appetizers. The spread was perfect: unsalted cashews, homemade guacamole, jiacama, blue corn chips, and kale chips I made (recipe to come soon).

Kale chips..

If you've never had kale chips, they are basically deydrated kale that becomes crispy almost like a potato chip. They are super healthy and you can add any kind of sauce you want to them such as a cheese sauce or barbecue. I decided to go with my favorite, a vegan cheez sauce.

We chatted, laughed, and hung out while some drank Skinny Girl margaritas. They are delicious, and who knew they are only 100 calories per serving? Regular margaritas are usually around 600 calories per serving! Thank you, Bethenny.

Around 8:30, dinner was served. The dinner spread was also amazing. I chose to serve halibut with a mango salsa (!), roasted broccoli, grilled zucchini, grilled chicken (for those who do not like fish, a sin right?), truffle butter pasta, and ciabatta bread with olive oil and sea salt.

My plate.. x2 on the zucchini, broccoli, and fish! I wasn't that hungry come dinner because I had filled up on guac and chips!

Birthday girl

 My mom made me wear those hideous glasses. I obliged.

We had blueberry pie for dessert with whipped cream that was reallllly good. I'm currently snacking on carrots and hummus and I am getting ready to go run some errands. I leave for Michigan tomorrow! Hope you all have had a great Friday afternoon! xx

Back To Basics

This morning I kept breakfast very simple due to the fact that my stomach has been messed up from the long weekend.

I consumed entirely too much sugar for my body to handle, and it made me realized why I try to regularly cut back my sugar in take. I love sweets, but I am not good at eating them in moderation, which becomes a problem because I end up eating way too much. In result, I feel sluggish, sick, and tired. No good. The cure this morning was oats!

In the mix:
1/2 cup oats
1 cup organic soy milk
1 tbs. cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt

I'm loving this simple combo.

Usual apple on the side

These oats were plain and simple, just the way I like them. I'm hoping they will help my stomach get back to its normal self. I just wanna feel well again. I'm off to work and then home (!). I get to leave work early today, but I have a feeling the day will dragggg on. Enjoy your day everyone and I'll be back later with a new recipe!

Shop Til You Drop

Indeed, Bridget and I shopped our little hearts out today. We woke up at 9 am and drove to Madewell to participate in their anniversary sale, did any of you guess right? It was 75% off already on sale items and 20% off everything else in the store. I love Madewell so this was a dream come true!

Before I left, I ate something for breakfast that was new to me. Last night I tried out Gina's breakfast cookie. It requires a little prep the night before, but it is so worth it! If you want the recipe, click here.

The picture doesn't give the cookie justice, but I promise it was amazing! See those little clumps of brown on top? That would be almond butter, my new obsession. Peanut butter still takes top rank, but almond butter is definitely a close second.

After I was properly fueled, the shopping begun. I ended up buying $600 dollars worth of clothes for $110 dollars total. I was in awe and so was everyone else who was in the store. Thank you Madewell!

After Madewell, we decided to stop at Steve Madden because I wanted some wedges. Thankfully, I did find some! I also bought a pair of white shorts from Abercrombie for $30 buck! It seems like the whole mall was having major sales today. Fine by me.

When we got back after five hours of shopping, we were both starving! I decided to recreate the salad I had for dinner last night.

Chicken+craisins+slivered almonds+hummus+balsamic

Carrots on the side! Bridget also brought out tortilla chips, so I've been dipping some of those in hummus as well. I'm off to the gym as soon as I publish this post. I don't know when I will have the chance to blog again today, since we are going downtown to meet some friends tonight. Have a great night!

Its Friday, Friday

Its Friday,  Friday gotta get down on Friday..woohoo I'm so thankful that today is my last day of work for the week! It went by fast! I can't wait for the weekend because two of my best friends are coming into town for my birthday. Get ready to paint the town red Grace and Olivia! For everybody else, be excited that today is hump day and the weekend consist of three days this week. Yay for the fourth!

This morning for breakfast I couldn't decide between a smoothie or cookie dough cereal. I ended up going with a smoothie because I wanted something cold and creamy!

In the mix:
almost a whole banana
1 1/2 scoop of Sun Warrior protein
a few dashes of cinnamon
2 tbsp. peanut flour
1 heaping tbsp. cocoa powder
5 ice cubes
1 cup 1% milk

Blend away!

This smoothie was exactly what I was hoping. I added a few sliced almonds and two small handfuls of Kashi GoLean for a little crunch. Twas very yummy.

crreaaammmyyy

I'm off to catch the train and start another book! This time I'm going for a much lighter novel, and hopefully this one won't make me so sad/think so much. We shall see. Have a great day everyone!