Christmas Baking

Thursday afternoon = the last relaxation time I’ll have for awhile! Taking it all in and reminding myself that I only have 12 hectic days left until Christmas break J

Breakfast today was a mug of chocolate-strawberry overnight oats.

In the mix:

-       ½ c oats

-       ½ c chocolate almond milk

-       1 scoop Vega chocolate protein powder

-       mashed banana

-       packet of Truvia

-       frozen strawberries

This morning, I simply added a splash more milk, heated it in the microwave for 2 minutes, added some cocoa powder for garnish, and dug in. I love heating up overnight oats. They’re a different texture than stove-cooked oatmeal, but every bit as comforting and filling.

Sorry to be boring, but yesterday’s lunch was so delicious and simple that I couldn’t resist replicating it!

Today, I actually mixed the Crofter’s jam and peanut butter before spreading it onto the bagel. It wasn’t bad, but I definitely prefer keeping the two separate.

I also had an apple…

And two medjools stuffed with dark chocolate chips. So. Good.

My apartment is quite chilly today, so I also warmed up with a mug of hot chocolate almond milk. To prepare it, I simply added a packet of Truvia to a microwaved cup of unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze.

* * *

Amazingly, I haven’t baked at all since my dough balls for Thanksgiving dinner- that has to be some kind of record! I’m prepping myself for two big baking extravaganzas. The first is next Friday, when I’ve volunteered to make the desserts for a friends’ holiday party. The second begins as soon as I get home for break- what’s Christmas without cookies? I’ve got a few recipes in mind, but I thought I’d ask for some more inspiration- what are your favorite holiday cookies? Any tried-and-true recipes?

December Goals

Bonsoir! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Wednesday J

I made good use of a very boring class this afternoon by writing out my December Goals:

1. Drink more water. I’m carrying this over from last month because I really want to get into the habit!

2. Learn to use my DSLR better. Another repeat. As Ashley said at Foodbuzz, if you don’t know how to use a fancy camera it’s just a glorified point-and-shoot. And starting December 14, I’ll have plenty of downtime to really figure things out.

3. Experiment with two new non-dessert recipes per week. Though I’m great at trying out new baked goods, when it comes to mealtimes I’ve been falling into somewhat of a rut. (Hummus-topped salad beasts, anyone?) I have tons of bookmarked recipes I’d like to try for lunches and dinners!

4. Try two new fitness classes over break. My home gym offers BodyPump, yoga, BodyBar, spinning, Zumba and pilates. Why not try something new?

5. Be more patient with others. I’m a stickler for time and tend to get frustrated quite easily, which never helps the situation. This month I’d like to make a concerted effort to be relax in situations I can’t control.

* * *

Before classes this afternoon, I snacked on two pieces of whole-wheat sourdough topped with peanut flour paste.

This snack really does a great job of keeping me full! I added honey + vanilla again, which gives the paste a good flavor.

Have you ever had a craving so strong that everything else seems gag worthy? After class I was craving a pita like no one’s business. Not just any kind of carb- a pita.

As a result, dinner was rather snacky. It included a huge bowl of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots, topped with a huge blob of Sabra hummus and two fluffy pitas. I started off with just one, but that didn’t cut it!

To add more sustenance, I also had about two servings of plain cashews and a pile of frozen grapes.

A bit later, I broke into my chocolate show stash and selected a small dark chocolate bar.

It was smooth and dark without being bitter. I ended up eating the whole bar.

I've got a poem to translate and a paper to outline. See you tomorrow!

What are your December goals? Or, are you already thinking ahead to the New Year?

It's Raining, It's Pouring

There’s no better way to welcome the Christmas season than with spring-like temperatures and monsoon-like precipitation.

In any case, I’m refusing to let the weather dampen my spirits. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, regardless!

Last night, I prepared a new overnight oats combination to dig into this morning.

• 1/3 c rolled oats
• 2 T oat bran
• 2 T flax seeds
• 2 T peanut flour
• mashed banana
• ½ c almond milk

This morning, I added some thawed frozen strawberries and microwaved it all for one minute to take the chill off. You can’t go wrong with strawberries + banana!

Later in the morning, I headed to the gym for a workout. Though I enjoyed my half-marathon training, it’s nice to be able to mix things up without thoughts of race day looming ahead. I completed half an hour on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the stationary bike.

Despite a wet and windy walk home (the wind actually broke a few hinges on my little umbrella), lunch was rather cheery!

He’s smiling at you J

I spread an Alvarado Street Bakery sprouted wheat bagel with Once Again creamy peanut butter and Crofter’s South America spread.

And enjoyed it with three giant medjool dates and a gala apple with cinnamon.

Now I just need to go find some hurricane gear to wear to class…hope you’re having a great hump day!

What’s the weather like in your neck of the woods? Any signs of snow yet?