Workouts to Swear By

Happy hump day! Having a mid-week slump? Don't feel like dragging your body to the gym? Well then I have the perfect solution for you.

I say it all the time but I'll say it again, there are days where I just really do not feel like going to the gym. Maybe it's raining, or maybe I'm just feeling lazy. We all feel that way sometimes, but WARNING once you read this post, there will be no excuse for you to not do a quick workout in the comfort of your living room while simultaneously watching last nights' episode of Real Housewives NYC (or maybe that's just me...). 

I love love love the workouts on PopSugar.com. They're easy to do in your living room with minimal equipment necessary. I just did 2 of them and got an awesome workout. So I figured I'd share with you ASAP so you can try them too!! Be prepared to sweat...a lot...

30 minutes-->300 calories gone: 

10 minutes-->your legs and butt will be one fire within the first minute 

Let me know if you check these out! Yay Class Fit Sugar!!!! 

Have a great Wednesday!

Eating Healthy at Chipotle

Wherever you are reading this post from, there is probably a chipotle within 10 miles of you. Since opening its first location in 1993, Chipotle owner and creator, Steve Ells, has been committed to serving "food with integrity". You can watch Steve explain his mission on Nightline here. It truly is comforting to know that there are fast food chain owners out there who actually care about what Americans are putting in their bodies on a daily basis. Today, the ingredients used to make your favorite burrito are sustainably raised and produced.

I am a vegetarian (or pescetarian?) but I am so hugely impressed with the information I learned about the meat Chipotle uses in its restaurants. 100% of the pork is sourced from farmers who abide by very strict guidelines to raise their pigs in a natural way. That means the pigs are kept in normal environments, fed a vegetarian diet, and never ever ever ever fed hormones. The same goes for 100% of the chicken and beef used by Chipotle. No growth hormones or antibiotics allowed. Even the dairy cattle used are not allowed to have been given any rBGH (a very scary hormone used by commercial dairy farms to make their cows produce more milk). 

AND if that's not enough, they were the first fast food chain to stop using oil with trans fat to cook their food. HOORAY FOR CHIPOTLE! Thank you for not poisoning us!!!

Honestly, before doing research for this post, I had no idea that Chipotle was so committed to their mission of serving "food with integrity". I am so hugely impressed that I will venture to say that if there is one fast food place I would recommend to people, Chipotle is that one. 

BUT with that being said, that doesn't mean that every burrito or taco you get is going to be healthy necessarily. SO with a little help from Chipotle's online nutrition calculator,  here is what I have deemed the healthiest ways you can order at Chipotle. *spoiler alert-none of this includes a bag of chips and guac* 

1. SALAD-you knew I was going to say it. Yes, a salad is the healthiest place to start because you automatically are cutting down the carbohydrates. But I promise you can make your Chipotle meal equally as epic with a salad as you were about to do with that burrito. 

2. PROTEIN- As far as protein goes, you need some. If you're going for highest protein to calorie ratio, I would go with the chicken (180 calories and 32 grams of protein per serving)!

 However, if you are like me and don't eat chicken, or if you just don't feel like eating chicken that day, definitely go with the sofritas!! I am most excited about this because it's Chipotle's newest addition to the menu! The sofritas is basically organic tofu that has been braised with chipotle chiles, pablano peppers, and spices. It definitely has a kick to it that I love. As far as nutritional value goes, it's the lowest in calories (145 cals/serving) but the sodium content is a little high for my liking (555mg/serving) and the amount of protein isn't nearly as the chicken (only 8 g/serving). I'd definitely still give it a try though!! 

As far as the "worst" protein to choose, I would say the barbecue and the carnitas. They have the worst calorie to protein ratio (carnitas are the highest calorically with 220 cals/serving), and they are both high in sodium. So maybe just try to avoid those two. 

3. RICE- This should really go without saying but I'll remind you anyway....get the brown rice. Way more nutritional value than white rice. I promise. 

4. ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS- 

DO get black beans- they are a great source of fiber and protein! 

DO get the fajita veggies 

IF you want to get a salsa, your best bet is the tomatillo green chili salsa (lowest sodium content by far!!) 

I personally have the hardest time resisting the guacamole but unless you want to add on an extra 230 calories to your salad, I'd stay away from that heavenly green stuff. Maybe for a splurge every once in a while, but don't make it a habit. 

Cheese I am definitely a fan of, it'll cost you an extra 100 cals but it's not the end of the world if you choose to add it on. And don't forget the BONUS-all dairy products used by Chipotle are free of that nasty rBGH stuff! 

Sour cream...ehhh...I'm not a big sour cream person anyway so I'd say no just on personal preference, but it's kind of like the cheese. If you really feel like you can't enjoy this salad without it, then why the hell not. But in general, sour cream doesn't get the best nutritional rep because of it's high in calories and saturated fat.

Vinaigrette is a no go sir. Adds 270 cals/serving and boasts the highest sodium of all the other toppings (850 mg!!!). If that wasn't bad enough, there's a good amount of sugar in there too (12g). There is almost nothing redeeming about the vinaigrette. I promise you don't need it. 

*Notice the coloring of the ingredients! 

Green=You're doing great, order on!

Yellow=Be cautious! I won't kill you for ordering it, but I'm not proud of you either 

Red=NO! Nononononononono. If you order it, I'll be really disappointed in you, reader. I taught you better than that....

I hope this was a helpful post!! Overall, I think Chipotle is a great organization and fast food chain so I'm thrilled to be providing you with some healthy options. Comment below with any questions or other comments! As always, I love hearing from y'all :D 

*I was not contacted or compensated by Chipotle to write this post. All opinions are fully my own.*

Miami Getaway and a Recipe

Well, it's that time of year again; my favorite time of year in fact...spring!! The unforgiving winter is finally dissipating and making room for a little sunshine. I'd say the east coast has earned some warmth after such a brutal few months of polar vortexes and snow storms (I'm lookin' at you Boston!). I, for one, cannot get enough of the sunny 50 degree days that we've been having in Balty this weekend. 

BUT I owe you guys a lot of updates since I've been MIA for the past few months (blame law schools!!). Here's a look at what I've been up to as well as a yummy recipe at the end that won't even ruin that bikini bod you've been workin' on all winter long ;) 

MIAMI (insert sun emoji here)

I was fortunate enough to be offered a spot in the Miami Scholars Program at the University of Miami School of Law starting this fall! I have never been to Miami and had no idea what to expect from my visit to the school and the city, but I absolutely loved my time there. Everything from the people, to the food, to the weather (obviously) and everything in between brought me such joy. I can't imagine how anyone wouldn't want to live there!! 

I met new friends through the Miami Scholars Program :) 

Toured the campus with Mama Shelley (she came down after the scholars weekend for a mini vaca) 

Exploring South Beach

We most definitely ate our way through Miami. We went to three awesome restaurants that any foodie MUST try if you ever travel to Miami. 

1. The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS South Beach hotel-definitely a true culinary experience. The service wasn't amazing, but the food certainly was. My mom and I describe these dishes as "Top Chef" worthy. *The lighting wasn't the best for photos, so they don't do the food any justice*

Wild mushroom soup with grated cheese and an organic egg yolk

Mom's "Colada Cubana"-foie gras with coffee

King crab with raspberries (sounds like a strange combo but no...it's amazing)

Dragon Fruit Ceviche with tuna, pecans, lemon, and hibiscus

Gorgeous cheese plate

Tres Leches--cuban rum, pineapple and ‘tres leches’ ice cream

2. Sushi Samba-This place was a lot of fun. Great atmosphere and great sushi with a latin twist. A must try is the tuna sashimi seviche with coconut, tomato, serrano, grapefruit, and cilantro. Not to mention that the sushi rolls themselves were so fresh and original. We couldn't even pick a favorite roll because each bite we took was our new favorite. PS-eat outside and catch some quality people watching!

3. OLA at the Sanctuary-Another winner! One thing that stuck out to me about this restaurant was the amazing gluten free bread they gave out. If a restaurant has good quality bread to start off the meal, I'm usually sold :D. Not only did OLA have that handled, but they also had a great assortment of fresh seafood for dinner. I had the fish of the day (a grouper type white fish) drenched with an amazing sauce and topped with more seafood. Dream come true for this fish girl. 

*Again sorry for the poor quality pics*

Mom's sugar cane tuna-"Adobo rubbed and seared, over malanga goat cheese fondue, spinach and shrimp escabeche" If that description doesn't make you want to dive into your computer and devour it...then your taste buds need help.

In addition to those 5-star dinners, we had plenty of fresh juice

And the highlight of our days on the beach...this twist on a pina colada with mint! So refreshing but we had to limit ourselves to just one a day or else we may not have made it off the beach ;)

Overall, the trip was well worth the wait and definitely much needed. I haven't officially decided where I will be attending law school but this weekend certainly made Miami a hard city to pass up! 

You might be wondering, with all that eating and beach bumming, when did you have time to workout?! 

Alright, maybe you weren't wondering that but I will tell you that I certainly made time! There was a small gym in the hotel so I was able to get in a quick workout around 5 or 6 each evening-just in time to make me extra hungry for those dinners! I usually did speed/interval work on the treadmill coupled with a 10 minute strength workout video from POPSUGAR.com. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I'm a HUGE fan of these workout videos. You can never complain about not knowing what to do at the gym again because all you have to do is follow along with one of these videos and your sweating in 10 short minutes. They're also amazing if you can't get to the gym and need a no-equipment workout to do in your living room (the number of times Lara has walked in on me doing the Pilates glut toner workout in our living room is getting to be comical). 

OK OK OK finally time for the recipe I promised you!!!! 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins--that won't wreck that spring-break-bod!

*recipe modified from Ambitious Kitchen's Skinny Banana Choco-chip Muffins*

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups spelt flour (or you can use whole wheat)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tbsp ground flax seed

2 tbsp raw shelled hemp seeds 

3 ripe bananas (mashed)

1/4 cup organic raw honey (or agave nectar

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 egg

1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup dairy free choco. chips or carob chips (really any kind of chocolate chips you desire)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 12 cup muffin tray with nonstick spray such as coconut oil

2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, flax, and hemp

3. In a separate bowl or mixer, combine mashed bananas, honey, vanilla, coconut oil, egg, alm milk. Stir or blend until well combined with a smooth creamy texture

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until well combined

5. Gently fold chocolate chips into the batter

6. Divide batter evenly among the muffin tray and bake in oven for approximately 20-25 minutes (I took mine out after 20 because I like them on the softer side) or until toothpick comes out clean

7. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes...or not...and enjoy!! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffies

Let's get real. There are two great things in this world and they are as follows:

1. Anything and everything pumpkin flavored
2. The top part of the muffin that everyone breaks off and eats first (or as Panera likes to call it, the "muffie")

What do you get when you combine these two treasures? My amazing pumpkin chocolate chip muffies!!! I finally finished perfecting the recipe today and it is ready to share with the world.

These are sure to be a treat for your family over the Thanksgiving holiday coming up so give them a try! I swear people won't even know they're healthy ;)

Recipe: 

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 cup raw cane sugar
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
dark chocolate chips (how ever many you want)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil, and egg
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well
5. Add in as many chocolate chips as your heart desires
*the batter may seem a bit liquid-y but that is ok!! It shouldn't be as thick as cookie dough
6. Using a spoon, dollop batter onto a greased baking sheet (size is up to you)
7. Bake in the oven for approximately 10-12 minutes
8. Remove and let cool (if you can resist) for 10 minutes before enjoying
9. Share with friends and family!! Tis the season...right?

so moist and delicious

Fun fact, they can also be baked to be regular muffins. Just put the batter in a greased muffin tin instead of on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes 

True confessions, I've already had 5 of these tonight...

Another fun fact...

If you want to make them vegan, simply leave out the chocolate chips (or use a vegan brand) and substitute the egg for one of the following:

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 

or

1 tbsp ground Flax seeds +3 tbsp Water

or 

1/4 cup pureed banana

I haven't experimented with the above options but if anyone tries them out, let me know! 

If you are gluten free, then all you need to do is exchange the whole wheat flour for a gluten free flour! Again, I have yet to try this out and I'm sure some things might need to be changed around to adjust for the texture, but give it a try and let me know :)

Enjoy guys!! 

Question: What is your favorite holiday dessert recipe? Are you a cookie, cake, or pie person? 

*~*~Survey~*~*

Look how quickly I got back! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be able to consistently blog again :D

Today I'm going to follow in the steps of some of my favorite bloggers and do a survey post! Here we go...

Making: pumpkin anything! I've made pumpkin cookies, my roommate made pumpkin bread, and I may try and make these maple spice glazed pumpkin muffins later today--recipe here! Seriously, how amazing do those look.

Photo courtesy of Taste Love Nourish

Cooking: oh whoops, maybe I should have saved that first answer for here...oh well. I have been cooking a lot of my favorite tofu+veggie sautés and sweet potatoes. I won't bore you with yet another picture of this meal.
Drinking: Coffee on coffee. I usually have one cup of home brewed coffee in the morning and if I'm extra tired, I'll have another cup later in the day too. Maybe a soy dirty chai from Starbucks if I'm feeling crazy.
Reading: Right now I'm in the middle of a book called The Dinner by Herman Koch. I'm not really sure how I feel about it yet. It's an intriguing story and I want to keep reading to find out what happens, but for now, it's not my favorite book I've ever read. I'll do a more detailed review once I finish it.

One thing is for sure, The Dinner in no way compares to the book I finished at the beginning of the month. The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan is such a magical read. I guarantee any woman, at any age will love this novel. The story follows several generations of women beginning in early 1900's China and what they go through after one grave decision changes the course of their lives forever. It is truly an inspiring novel that kept me hooked until the very end. Thanks Mom for the recommendation!! 

Read it!!!

Wanting: It to stay fall forever. It's the one season that's perfect here in Baltimore. The temperatures stay cool (but not cold), the sun is out, the leaves are falling. Perfect weather for being outside.

Looking: At my law school applications...all the time.
Playing: In the leaves! Ok, I haven't really done this yet but every time I walk past a huge puffy pile of leaves, I wish I could stop and jump in.
Wasting: Too much time watching too much Netflix. They just put a bunch of HGTV and Food Network shows up on Netflix so that's my current obsession. I also just started watching New Girl! So many laugh out loud moments already and I'm 5 episodes in.

 

Sewing: My Halloween costume? jkjk no, I don't sew.
Wishing: I had time to get more sleep! Tonight is day-light savings!! Woo +1 hour of sleep!!!
Enjoying: Spending lots of time with my amazing friends

Waiting: For Thanksgiving break. We have a week off this year so I am really looking forward to going home and spending time with my family relaxing and eating amazing food :) My mom and I are already planning some new vegetarian friendly recipes to try this year
Liking: That Starbucks has switched to their red holiday cups!
Wondering: Where the year has gone?! It's already November? Seriously, 2014 has flown by and I don't know how I feel about it. 
Loving: These shoes!! Where are they from???? Me want.

Hoping: To finish all of my law school apps within the next 2.5 weeks!
Marveling: At my body and how it wasn't sore after the half marathon. I have no idea why that happened but I definitely won't complain
Needing: More than 24 hours in a day
Smelling: like sweat? Not cute, but sadly true most of the time... #gymproblems
Wearing: Tons of sweaters and scarves. It is most definitely getting colder here by the day.
Knowing: That my body is a lot stronger and can handle a lot more than I sometimes think it can
Thinking: About trying this workout later today... from Peanut butter runner

Feeling: in love with the following songs...give a listen!!

Scarecrow by Alex and Sierra

Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran

It Was Always You-Maroon 5 

Angel-Florida Georgia Line

Bookmarking: Recipes I want to try. Here are a few....courtesy of Pinterest

Orange glazed brussel sprouts and butternut squash. Click here for the recipe!

Sweet potato quinoa soup from The Healthy Apple 

Chocolate peanut butter avocado pudding. You know you want to try it.

Opening: Up a new box of my favorite crackers from TJ's

Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps <3 

Giggling: Over Franklin's weird sleeping habits. He is the cutest and the weirdest

Take some time to think about how you might answer some or all of these. It's really interesting to see how different people interpret each trigger word. Feel free to comment with your answers if you feel comfortable!

See you guys later this week. And happy November!!

The Big Return Post

I'm back!!! So much has been going on in my life recently. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with everything so some things had to give until the craziness died down. I told myself that I should take a few months off of blogging just until all of my law school applications were in...but I couldn't do it any more. I miss it too much!!

So here's what's been going on...
It's my last semester of college
I took the LSAT
I'm applying to law school
I'm researching different potential jobs to start in January
I learned how to play football
I ran a half marathon
I got a puppy!!! - scroll down for pictures of the little guy


Yeah....a lot has been happening. So I thought I would fill this post with pictures to fully catch you guys up on everything!

Let's start with general breakfast trends. It is the best meal of the day after all :) 

Back when it was still hot here, I was really on a cereal kick for a while. With lots of fruit and a nice cup of coffee. Flax seed sprinkled on top of the cereal for that extra kick of fiber. 

More cereal! I love the TJ's or Whole Foods brand High Fiber O's

I can't drink coffee black (yet) so for now I've devised a way to fix it to my liking, while keeping it on the healthier side. No heavy cream and sugar packets here. Instead, I use coconut milk creamer and raw coconut sugar. It's so much better! 

And of course, seasonal coffee is a must. Loved this pumpkin spice blend! Right now I have a sugar cookie one that makes my whole apartment smell like freshly baked cookies when it's brewing!

Berries, gotta love 'em. 

Smoothies! This was such a good blend. Almond milk, Vega vanilla protein powder, handful of raw spinach, frozen blueberries, half a banana, and a scoop of almond butter. It's like a peanut butter banana and jelly sandwich in drinkable form!

This color reminds me of Barney the dinosaur. Remember him?

Fresh grapefruit juice! I always crave juice in the morning or after a long run outside. 

Getting tired of cereal pictures yet? I don't blame you, but it's colorful and pretty.

Finally the weather is turning fall-ish and I have been craving oatmeal more and more. It doesn't photograph as well but it is tasty and very filling. This is actually a picture of my pre-LSAT breakfast. Even using all of that brainpower, it kept me full and energized for hours. 

General dinner: 

Roasted salmon with broccolini and sweet potatoes...my new favorite food-I would be happy eating them every day. 

Another piece of salmon with broccolini but this time there was homemade vegan chili on the side! 

Roasted brussels and sweet potatoes!

Usually I'm not a big egg person unless it's in omelet form, but recently I've been enjoying them over easy and scrambled. This egg was particularly delicious with the veggies and quinoa!

Pre-lsat dinner with my friends <3 We did a big tofu + veggie sautée, goat cheese quinoa, and roasted brussel sprouts. Perfect fueling for the big day!

Hey friend

She's cute

In addition to the abundance of sweet potatoes and eggs, I've also been very much into these tofu bowls. Basically I cube pre-baked quinoa (TJ's has the best one) and throw it in a giant sauté pan with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms if I have them. Then I cook all of that together for about 10 minutes with some spices too (chili powder, cayenne, salt, pepper) and then mix it together with the quinoa. It is so filling and tastes amazing. This with a side of sweet potatoes and I am a very happy (and full) girl :)

Another home-cooked meal. Small piece of salmon with roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa and sautéd veggies.

Another tofu bowl!

Pre-half marathon dinner: scrambled eggs with peppers and spinach and a Whole Foods' veggie burger. I think there was also a side of quinoa that is unpictured. 

LSAT (no fun):

I was only allowed to take this ziplock bag into the testing facility. It included my id, ticket, tons of pencils, and of course, snacks on snacks. I chose to bring apples, trail mix, and crackers with peanut butter. You're only allowed to eat during the one break and I actually wasn't that hungry because of being so nervous but I was still glad I had some sort of nourishment with me.

Wore this comfortable t-shirt by Peaceloveworld to the test. It's really soft and makes me happy so I decided it was the perfect thing to wear along with lulu yoga pants for a 6 hour exam.

Boston:

Got to visit my little brother (who is not so little anymore) at Boston College the week after my LSAT. It was really nice to get away from Balty for the weekend and to spend some time with Evan. He's running track at BC and is just a super impressive individual overall. Definitely way cooler than me...clearly.

Brunch at this AMAZING vegan restaurant in Boston called Root. Let me tell you, this is the best brunch I've had in a long time. I enjoyed their tofu scramble with kale and onions and the side of sweet potato hash. They kept the ingredients fresh, well seasoned, and healthy. All things I love :)

Oh, and we obviously had to try the vegan pumpkin pancakes. Words can't express how amazing they were. 

Evan and his friend Taso at dinner! 

Powderpuff Football: 

There is a sorority football tournament every fall and this year I decided to play (after much convincing from Esme). I am SO glad she got me to do it though because it was seriously a blast. And now I know how to play football (kind of). Also we won for the third year in a row! So there's that. 

Are we intimidating?

Champions! #3peat

Half Marathon:

Training for this race started back at the beginning of September but I actually got too busy to train as well as I should have. 

The longest distance I ran in preparation for the race was 7.5 miles. But contrary to what it looks like from these pictures, I actually did most of my training outside which was a huge help come race day because I was used to the natural terrain of the city, which includes many gradual hills

Fall has been gorgeous so far. This is definitely my favorite season to run outside. 

 And then it was race day! I ran with my good friend and favorite running buddy, Katie. 

Stretching before the race! 

At the starting line!

Katie and I actually ended up running the whole race together and I can't even tell you how perfect that was. It was so nice to have her next to me the whole time. This picture was taken around mile 7.5 and we were still feeling pretty good! As I predicted given my lackluster training, I started to hit a wall around mile 8ish. We took a 30 second stretch break around mile 8.5 and consistently grabbed water and gatorade at the various hydration stations throughout the course. It was a pretty hot day actually and we were quickly becoming dehydrated. 

But we finished!!

After 2 hours of consistent running, we collapsed with our foil blankets and guzzled water. 

Yay!!

If I'm being perfectly honest, this is what I was thinking about through about 90% of the race. Pancake brunch at One World!! Y'all know that's one of my favorite places in Baltimore and let me tell you, these blueberry buckwheat pancakes did not disappoint in any way, shape, or form. 

Clearly I enjoyed my post-race meal....

Right after brunch I ran (really it was a slow walk/limp/crawl) home to pack for a quick trip to Charlotte to pick up....

FRANKLIN

Everyone meet my pup! He's a one year old miniature dachshund. He is precious and I love him tons already...if you can't tell. 

Lol I love this picture of my dad playing with Frankie

He loves to sleep curled up next to me

He is such a cuddler 

Car ride to PetSmart

Sleeping in the weirdest of positions...

He takes so many naps ...sometimes I get really jealous of his life.

You'll be seeing many more pictures of him so look forward to that ball of cuteness making many many appearances. 

In other news, I need to do a quick shout out to my friends who have been truly amazing this semester. They were always awesome, but they have gone above and beyond to be there fore me during all the craziness of my life these past few months. I am so lucky to have them in my life :) 

Alright phew! Now I feel like y'all are updated on just about everything that has been going on. I'll be back this week with a fun post!! 

Happy almost Halloween!!