Monday, November 7, 2011

I'm Back!!!

Sorry I've been absent from the blog world. Things have been pretty cray cray. My dog passed away and in the midst of that I had to take the MPRE (required ethics exam before being allowed to practice law) and work on a paper for school. So, I've been spending most of my time just trying to keep my head above water. Anyway, I'm glad to be back posting on the good old blog, so I'll just jump right in!

Saturday, my roomie and I went to Founding Farmer's to celebrate being done with our ethics exam! Founding Farmer's is an amazing restaurant that showcases American classics with a focus on being ec0-friendly. I've been there before for brunch with my manfriend, but by the time my roommate and I arrived it was lunchtime. We both went with the Chicken and Waffles, and I ordered mac n cheese and sweet potatoes as my sides.

I also had a beer. It was great. And absolutely necessary.
That was the only noteworthy meal of the weekend. Today I jumped back into my healthy habits, and made a yummy dinner. I made Bertolli spinach and ricotta pasta with spicy chicken sausage on a bed of spinach.

I hope to try and be able to keep up with a more normal blogging schedule, but with the end of the semester rapidly approaching (and FINALS), I can't really predict what my schedule is going to be like. Thanks for reading and have a great evening!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Thankful Things Thursday

I'm taking a cue from Ali and doing a Thankful Things Thursday post! Today's been a rough one, but there are still so many things to be thankful for.

1. My doggy, Pander, aka PBear, pander bear. He's 14 years old (98 in human years!) and on his last legs. He also happens to look a lot like Bardot, except he's a full Boston. They also share a common disdain for...everything... and super hilarious personalities. He lives back home (Ann Arbor, MI) with my mom while I'm in school, so it's hard not being there to see him and cuddle him. But, I'm thankful to have spent almost my whole life with a wonderful dog who is a part of so many cherished memories.


2. That as of today at 7p.m., I'm done with classes for the week. I need this. Like really need this. I have a 25 page paper to write by Tuesday (um, what?) and a stupid lawyer ethics test next Saturday. These two things appear to be insurmountable, but whatevs.

3. Grey's Anatomy. Yeah I know I just told you about the academic stuff I need to do, but Grey's is pretty high up on my priority list and I'm not gonna miss it just because I have some silly paper to write.

4. In approximately one month, I will be done with my externship. It's been great at all, but dealing with child abuse cases day in and day out is emotionally exhausting.

5. Chipotle! I know you're not supposed to reward yourself with food blah blah blah, but f that, this week was hellish and I deserve Chipotle. A chicken burrito bowl to be exact.


I really should be able to come up with more than 5 things that I'm thankful for, but like I said, it hasn't been the best of days/weeks. Better luck next time.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

What I Ate Wednesday

Hello everyone! How was your Wednesday? Mine was good because I actually got back to my apartment at a reasonable hour!

Let's back track. My Wednesday mornings usually start with a workout since I don't have class until 11. I started my workout with 30 easy minutes on the elliptical, reading the November issue of Self magazine.


Afterwards, I did a random mix of strength training moves that included:
-ball exchanges (abs)
-kettleball swings (20lbs)
-bicep curls
-lunges
-clean & press

Let's get to What I Ate Wednesday! Prior to going the gym, I made a quick breakfast of pumpkin oats. In the mix went:
-1/3 oats
-2 heaping spoonfuls of canned pumpkin
-1/3 vanilla soy milk
-cinnamon
-nutmeg
-touch of maple syrup
-ground flaxseed
-teaspoon of Dark Chocolate Dreams
-teaspoon of Mighty Maple

For lunch, I had leftover frittata.

Mid-afternoon snackage occurred around 3 while I was at my internship. I had string cheese and my absolute favorite Kind bar, Almond & Coconut Flavor.
I was looking forward to dinner all day! Since I felt like I was on a roll making my favorite indulgences healthier, I thought I'd try my hand at pita pizza!

It turned out sooo good. For the sauce, I combined canned crushed tomatoes with garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes. I then peeled a stick of mozzarella string cheese and layered it on top of the sauce. Other toppings: onion, green pepper, diced tomato, and TURKEY pepperoni. The stats on the turkey pepperoni were great compared to regular pepperoni. 17 slices was only 70 calories, and 8 grams of fat. I put the pita directly on the oven rack, at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. It was really tasty, you should give it a try!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Potatoes = Devil

Greetings! Today was another busy day for me; my last class let out at 8. Like I said yesterday, on long days I always want dinner in a flash. I was craving potatoes all day. Potatoes are probably my favorite food, with pizza being a close second. I love french fries, hash browns, and ESPECIALLY potato skins with all the fixings. Tonight, I used an idea that I found because of the Her Campus/Self Magazine Lose the Freshman 15 diet and exercise program; the Chicken Baked Potato.

I diced chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper and grilled it on the George Foreman. I didn't feel like waiting around to bake the potato in the oven, so I popped it in the microwave for about 4 minutes. I topped the potato with the grilled chicken, shredded cheese, Chobani plain Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), salsa, and chives. I served it with a side of steamed broccoli. Easy, delicious, and satisfied my potato craving without all of the the bad stuff that I usually top them with. Success!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Manic Monday and Ham & Veggie Frittata

Good evening! Today was a typical Monday -- go, go, go for me from start to finish. I had class and work until 6, and then went to an intense 45 minute Spinning class.

Mondays are hard because I usually don't get home until close to 8 o'clock. Which means, sometimes I'm eating dinner at 9. I hate eating that late, but some days I don't have a choice. I do, however, have a choice on what to cook! On long days, I need a fast meal. Enter: the frittata!

Into this frittata went:

-1 deli slice of honey ham
-Broccoli
-Tomato
-Onion (green and white)
-Green bell pepper
-6 Eggs (I seasoned the eggs with salt, pepper, a pinch of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and a couple dashes of Frank's hot sauce).

I sauteed the veggies and ham on low for a few minutes and then turned the heat off. I let the pan cool and then poured the eggs over the mixture. I then baked it in the oven of 375 degrees for about half an hour. (Tip: to make sure the eggs aren't still runny in the oven, stick a knife into the middle of the pan and make sure it comes out clean).

This meal was quick, easy and delicious! I paired it with a side salad of mixed greens, strawberries, almonds, and this dressing:
Annie's Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette.

I'm off to watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! (Can you tell yet that I have a Bravo addiction?) Have a great night :)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Weekend Healthy Eating Fail

I'll be the first to admit that I have a serious problem with weekend eating. I'm one of those people who can eat healthfully and mindfully Monday-Thursday (I don't have class or work on Fridays), but keeping those habits through the weekend is a whole different kind of beast.
This weekend was particularly difficult because I went out almost every night, which is rare for me. For dinner on Friday I ate crab cake sliders, mac n cheese, and a margarita for dinner at Park on 14th.
Saturday was spent mostly studying in the library. Hours of boring studying leads to mindless snacking and difficulty making good food decisions. I brought a leftover 6 inch from Subway for dinner. Which should have been enough...but then my roommate/classmate/gym buddy/partner in crime and I decided to get some more food before a birthday celebration at Barcode. We evenly split spinach & artichoke dip, fries, and meatball sliders.

Sunday is usually the day I pick to get back on track! Not so today. My roommate, our friend, and myself indulged in a homemade brunch. I had cheesy potatoes with 2 fried eggs. Then for dinner we ordered Domino's. So, like the title suggest, healthy eating fail for this weekend all around.
I try not to beat myself up too much about slipping a bit on the weekend. However, I have to acknowledge that 3 out of 7 days per week is too many to give myself that much leniency. Now that I know I have a problem with it, I can be more conscious and take better steps next time! That's the main thing I've learned over the past year or so about "healthy living." As long as you lead a generally healthy lifestyle, occasionally slip-ups are nothing to beat yourself up about -- especially when you have the next day to start fresh!

I'm off to watch Boardwalk Empire and Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion Part II! I love Sunday night tv. :)

Welcome!

My first blog post! Ahhh! My name is Kyra, and I was inspired to start my own "healthy living blog" after being consumed in the blogosphere reading other amazing blogs like Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers and Tina from Carrots N Cake. These bloggers have been able to turn their passion for healthy living and active lifetyle into a career, which is so inspiring!
As a 24 year old law student, finding a balance between school, work, working out, and healthy eating is difficult. This blog is my way of trying to keep myself accountable as well as (hopefully) pass on recipes and workout ideas.
My favorite workouts are group exercise classes at my local gym. I often do spinning and body pump, however sometimes my schedule requires that I come up with own workouts! Other blogs have been such a good resource for this.
I've also stolen food ideas from other blogs! I make my fair share of Green Smoothies and overnight oats!
So, that's the gist of the motivation behind this blog! Thanks for reading!