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!! 

Bon Appétit Bermuda

Let's start with the food from our tropical getaway to Bermuda! Here's some of the delicious meals my family and I had the pleasure of enjoying while on vaca: 

Grilled fig and whipped goat cheese salad with balsamic glaze

Grilled peach stuffed with crab

Appetizer: sushi grade ahi tuna with squash chips and a spicy aioli 

Fresh fish was the best part about the eats in Bermuda. This dish featured seared tuna with broccolini, carrots, and sweet potato risotto (to die for!!)

Baked scallops with spinach and side beet salad

Linguini con shrimp, mussels, and scallops

Beautiful fruit salad with homemade banana bread enjoyed on the beach :) 

Roasted beat salad with balsamic and candied peanuts

Fish tasting trio (from right to left)- grouper, plank salmon, and tuna *salmon was the best!

Now just for the other fun pics of beautiful Bermuda ...

View of the bay from our hotel room 

Love them <3

Happy birthday Mama!!

Perfectly clear blue water surrounding the island

Moped riding! 

Riding on a sail boat with Captain Caleb!

The Best Salmon Recipe You'll Ever Meet

OK so my friends and I usually get together at least a few times a week and cook dinner together. It used to be that we would only make one thing: quinoa with sautéed veggies and some sort of cheese mixed in there (there's always cheese). But this summer we have been really trying to expand our culinary horizons, and what a success it's been. We've made everything from quinoa stuffed peppers and white bean stuffed sweet potatoes, to cauliflower pizza, and mahi-mahi with pineapple salsa. Last night, we decided to try our luck with a new salmon recipe and let me tell you...it's my favorite thing we've ever made. 

I found the recipe for this salmon dish on pinterest, but we modified it a bit to what I had in my pantry. If you like salmon, try it out and you won't be sorry!! 

Honey Thyme Salmon Recipe: 

Ingredients-

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp garlic powder (or 3 garlic cloves)

1 tblsp olive oil

1 tblsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 tblsp dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste 

3 salmon filets 

Instructions-

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees 
• In a small bowl, mix together ingredients  
• Place salmon filets in baking dish on top of a large piece of tinfoil 
• Pour marinade over the salmon and wrap tin foil around salmon (creating almost a chamber for it to cook in)
• Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes

OR 

• Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes
• Transfer to grill and cook for another 7-10 minutes 

We did the second cooking option and finished off the salmon on the grill. It gave a great finish to the fish, creating an almost caramelized seared top from that honey in the marinade. 

The finished product: 

We whipped up a quinoa+wild rice mix, and roasted asparagus and portobello mushrooms as our veggie. It was truly the meal from heaven.

And just because I'm eating lunch while writing this post...

here's today's lunch: 

 TJ's whole wheat wrap with sun-dried tomato pesto, hummus, spinach, and tuna. Fresh cut apple and strawberries on the side!

Yum!! 

If you're in the B'More area and didn't know... it's restaurant week!! So tonight I'm going out to dinner with friends to Sotto Sopra! They boast "contemporary italian cuisine" and their restaurant week menu looks to die for. No clue how I'm going to choose just three things to try...but a 3 course meal at a fancy restaurant for just $30?! I'll take it. 

More updates to come!! Ciao! 

☀ Summer Lovin' ☀

As always, first and foremost are the foodie updates! 

Dinner at Atwater's in Belvedere Square Market. They specialize in local foods so the menu is always changing. They also make the most amazing bread. I always pick up a loaf from them when I'm at Belvedere. 

I started with the crap and corn soup. It had a great tomato based broth with a kick to it. I loved every bite...especially those that involved dipping that hunk of sunflower seed bread into the bowl. 

For my main course I had this amazing salad with slivered almonds, goat cheese, and fresh blueberries. Perfect for a light summer salad.

We finished off the meal with a shared vegan brown and cup of café au lait ice cream. it was gone way too fast to get a picture.

After dinner it was time for a movie we've been dying to see...Begin Again. It was SOOO GOOOD. I highly recommend it, especially for anyone who is interested in the music industry. It was truly great. I laughed, I cried, and I went home and immediately bought the soundtrack. See it before it's out of theaters!!! 

Lunch event at work! They had great vegetarian options including an assortment of salads, wraps, and a baked tofu in a curry sauce. I opted for the veggie wrap, salad, and some fruit. Along with a chocolate chip cookie after because I couldn't resist :) 

I've been really into oatmeal again lately. I found this new kind that I like a lot that's made by the same company that makes my favorite granola. 

Purely Elizabeth 

I also added a little bit of flax seed and almond milk...along with a sliced banana and sprinkle of cinnamon on top!

Another lunch, but this one was at home after work. This reminds me so much of a little kid's lunch and I love it. I am such a sucker for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but this one is a little bit healthier than the traditional ;) It's sunflower spelt bread (from Atwater's Bakery) with almond butter and blackberry jam from the FM. On the side was a cup of greek yogurt with berries and the TJ's honey whole wheat pretzel sticks that are so addicting it's not even funny. 

Girl's night out at the Owl Bar! 

Pink lemonade drank in a mason jar!

My pretties 

Many a'mason jar

Friend <3

Beach time in Sea Isle, NJ!! 

First night's dinner was right up my alley....baked salmon marinated in soy sauce, olive oil, lemon, and a little bit of brown sugar. On the side was brown rice, baked asparagus and carrots with FM guac.

There is something so right about a smoothie on the beach. There was a shop a short beach walk away that made fresh smoothies with REAL fruit..not that fake syrupy stuff. I got the pineapple one with pineapple, mango, banana, and oj. So refreshing!

What would a beach trip be without the fro-yo?! Honestly I could probably get froyo every night and not get tired of it...but it does give me a stomach ache so I actually can't get it every night no matter how badly I want to. Every once in a while is ok though! Here's what was in this heavenly mixture....

Froyo: georgia peach, creamy coconut, vanilla mint. Toppings: blackberries, mochi (who knew these were so good?!), and gummy bears!

*Fun fact: gummy bears are my favorite candy. I love putting them in the refrigerator so they get a little cold. Mmmmmm I could eat a whole bag in one sitting. 

The workouts have included runs on the boardwalk, hot yoga, and a few strength training sessions with Joey. Trying to mix things up and keep it interesting! 

For funzies: 

It's a Mo-ritto

Get it? Like a burrito....ok it's funny.

And Mo obviously was NOT thrilled.

I love this quote from the cleanprogram instagram page:

It rings so true. Whether you are continuing healthy eating habits or just getting started, this is a great quote to keep in mind. I always say that clean, smart eating is a lifestyle (NOT a diet), but this quote made me realize that it's also an art. It may not always turn out perfect or beautiful, but if it makes any part of you-mind, body, or soul-feel beautiful, then it's always worth it, and I love that. 

Have a good week!! I'm off to Bermuda on Wednesday, so more tropical updates to come later  :D