It's post time and it's party time

I'm not sure but you would probably only know that line if you are near Saratoga NY. Anyway I've been gone a while so let's rewind.

Friday I worked and then drove out to Worcester to meet Raf for our anniversary. He bought me the prettiest pink roses :)

We took it easy and hit up Red Robin for some dinner and then saw a late showing of The Last Exorcism. Oh and we also got some Cold Stone hehe

Salad (Spinach, Red Bell Pepper, Carrots, Almonds) w/ Tuna

Princess Peach

Bacon Guacamole Burger w/ Fries

On Saturday we went out for a late breakfast at the Miss Worcester diner. We wanted to go to Corner Lunch but it was closed already! I ordered the Blueberry and Ricotta Stuffed French Toast and had something healthy in my mind (like whole grain bread and a bunch of fresh blueberries) Instead I got this:

I scooped off the whip cream and ate about half of the dish.  It was alright but I definitely wouldn't get it again. The whole time I kept thinking I should have ordered eggs!  We spent some QT together during the day and then finished our anniversary with another dinner - this time at the Boynton (a popular pub in Worcester frequented by WPI folk) They have the best nachos I've ever had. So we split them for dinner and still weren't even able to finish them because the plate is so huge. Delicious though.

Sunday I hit the track up in Saratoga for the first time with my brother Mike and SIL Nicole. I grabbed a Kind bar on the way up and split some sweet potato fries while we were there. I didn't do any betting because I'm broke as can be but it was cool to see how everything was up there. A famous horse, Rachel Alexandra, was racing that day but I didn't see her. Then we had a BBQ at their house at night where I had a burger, mac salad, and tossed salad. I ended the night with a bug bite on the forehead - nice, right? haha

Today - oh Mondays! Back to work (tomorrow is my last day). No surgeries this morning but still a busy day nonetheless. Not really anything exciting to talk about though. Oh but last week I saw the cutest Rottweiler puppy and got the number of the breeder for my parents. They were actually kind of interested but the number ended up being disconnected (SKETCHY?!) so no rottie puppy for us this time :(

I was so tired and didn't pack things last night so breakfast and lunch were both thrown together quickly.

Blueberries w/ Plain Chobani & Cinnamon, Kashi Granola Bar

Egg that I didn't eat, Almonds, Peach, OrganiX bar

Closeup of OrganiX Omega-3 bar

Dinner is unpictured because I gobbled it down too fast. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and a bisquit. Peach cobbler for dessert a while later!

I'm so tired. I gotta go to bed! One more day at the animal hospital then it's time to pack up again for Boston. Fall semester here I come.

It's Like Pulling Teeth

We had a number of surgeries today including a dental where we had to pull teeth on a cat! Poor Luna! We also had a doggie neuter and a suture repair. It was a crazy busy morning that is for sure.

Eats for today:

Coffee, Hard-boiled egg, Pumpkin Bread w/ p.b., Blueberries w/ Chobani & Cinnamon

Spinach & Cheese on a Bagel-thin and a Peach

Apple and Almonds

Latte Lite

Veg-tastic dinner: Eggplant parm, Caprese Salad, Asparagus w/ Garlic & Olive Oil

So tomorrow is my 5 year anniversary with Raf  :)  After work, I'm heading out to Worcester and we are going to spend Saturday together. In the past we've taken elaborate vacations but we've smartened up and realize we don't have the money for it. For our 1 year anniversary, he took me out in a horse and carriage around Boston and then to dinner. It was amazing because I had mentioned only once that I had always wanted to take a horse and carriage ride about 3 months into our relationship and he remembered! So sweet. For our 2 year we spent a weekend in Nantucket and for our 3 year we spent a weekend in Mystic, CT. Last year we spent almost a week in D.C. except that we postponed the trip to December instead of August (bad idea! brrrrr) This year it will be low key - probably dinner and a movie. I haven't seen him in almost 2 weeks so I can't wait!

How will you be spending your weekend?

The Versatility of Greek Yogurt

By now you all probably know my love for greek yogurt, particularly Chobani. Most often I stick with the Plain 0% - and for good reason: versatility. I use it in both sweet and savory dishes. It's a great replacement for sour cream and I even use it in place of mayo. Today it was featured in every meal. (And no this post is not endorsed by Chobani, I just LOVE it!  <--- my disclaimer!)

Banana Oatmeal made with Skim Milk, mixed with a dollop of Chobani and topped with Blueberries

A plate o' veggies (Carrots, Cuc, Red Bell Pepper)

Dippage - Plain Chobani mixed with Dill and a squeeze of Lemon Juice

Egg Salad Sandwich (1 whole egg + 2 whites + Plain Chobani + Basil with Spinach on Sandwich Thin) and a side of Grapes

The rest of my day off involved watching TLC (Say Yes to the Dress! I dream of weddings, I really do hahaha), running errands, visiting my sister (in law) for her birthday, and yoga. Real exciting, right? Back to the work day grind tomorrow.

I need some gel insoles for my shoes

Ridiculously long day at work - over 10 hours. That's a typical Tuesday. Though there were a ton of emergencies today, we had some really sweet animals come in. To start with we neutered a Rottie puppy who was absolutely adorable. I had 2 Rottie's growing up (first Bear, then his daughter Meg) and love them to death. They are awesome family dogs let me tell you. And we ended the day with a timid pitbull who go beat up by a dominant female. Yet another breed that gets a bad rap. This guy was a total sweetheart. Lesson for the day: Don't judge a dog by its breed.

Eats for today included:

Pumpkin Oatmeal & Bulgur with Walnuts, Coffee

                                An unpictured bagel-thin with Mighty Maple peanut butter and raisins

Honey Almond Flax Granola bar and an Apple (I didn't eat the rest)

Corn on the Cob!

Tomatoes, Mozzarella, & Basil / Steak with Mushrooms and Onions

             Dessert was a slice of pumpkin banana bread with a smear of Mighty Maple peanut butter

Not much to record for today. I'm so tired! Tomorrow is my day off but I don't have any plans yet (maybe go to the fair). It's also my SIL's birthday tomorrow! That's all folks - goodnight!

I'm an Idiot with a capital I

I made a big boo boo today. I accidentally tossed my camera into my lunchbox and put it back in the fridge at work! So when I went to get my snack I found my camera too! OMG. The lens immediately filled with condensation. Luckily it cleared up a little while later. Whew.

Let's rewind. Saturday I worked (at the animal hospital still for the week). Eats included:

Leftover Pumpkin Oatmeal & Bulgur

OrganiX bar, Plain 0% Chobani, Peach, Almonds

Iced Latte Lite

Chicken Sandwich & Fruit Salad

After work I had a mission of thoroughly cleaning my litterbox. Bleach and all - it is now much better.  Then it was off to my bestie's house for a sleepover. Drinks ensued including the one below. (Dinner above was also at her house). We had Hurricanes, Tequila shots, ghetto Pina Coladas (we blended Malibu with pineapple chunks hahaha), and ended the night with some vino.

Sunday was recuperation day. I have no pictures and accomplished nothing. :)

Today was most definitely a Monday. Work was crazy but I made it through in one piece. Eats included:

Pumpkin bread with Maple Peanut Butter, 2 clementines, coffee

Laughing Cow wedge, romaine, and tomato on a Sandwich thin, an apple, an egg, and a Latte Lite

My snack included veggie crudites and almonds but since I messed up my camera at that time there is no picture. Dinner was carb-tastic with a biscuit, mashed potatoes, corn, and some chicken for protein (also no picture).

Dessert included a salted truffle my mom picked up for me on her girls weekend followed by kettle popcorn!

In other news, my friend Jill from high school recently started up a weight loss support site and asked me to be a nutrition contributer! So the past few nights I've been working on gathering some information for her. It's an exciting little side project to have right now before school starts up next week.(OMG I can't believe school starts next week!)

Also, I'm sure everyone has heard about the newest part of the blog community.

Healthy Living Blogs is a new resource for the health blogging community. Created by Lindsey of Sound Eats, HLB is a site designed to enhance the positive community of the healthy living blog world. Bloggers and readers can explore the site and find more blogs to love, bloggers in their area, and forums to deepen healthy discussion and support. If you're interested in having your site listed on HLB, simply send the following information to healthylivingblogs@gmail.com and check the site out for yourself!

·         Email subject line: MEMBERS

·         Your name (please share if you prefer to go by first name, first and last, or however you prefer to be known on the Internet)

·         Blog Name

·         Blog URL (please start with http://, not www.)

·         Your twitter handle, if applicable

·         Your location (if you prefer not to disclose this information for privacy's sake, that is completely understandable. We'll simply include your blog listing in the A-Z listing, not by location, too)

·         Any specific labels (i.e. vegan, gluten-free, weight loss, running, etc.)

I hope everybody had a great weekend!

Work and Sleep

Work and sleep have been my life for the past 2 days.  Yesterday I had to be in an hour early to prepare for surgeries. Usually my co-worker (who works there full-time) does that but she needed me to fill in so it was up to me for the morning! Besides assisting with surgery I also got to do a suture removal on my own! You would think by now I would have done that (I've been working there on and off for about 6 years) but I'm not usually on my own and I have no problem being the "holder".

Eats for yesterday included:

• Oats in a jar (oats, skim milk, banana, p.b.)

• Plain Chobani, Honey Almond Flax chewy granola bar, and an unpictured apple

• Grapes & Almonds

• Veggie crudites & garlic hummus

• Salmon burger on a whole wheat sandwich thin with romaine lettuce and a laughing cow wedge

There may have also been some unpictured Freihofer's cookies hehehe. If you don't what they are, that is probably because you can only get them in NY. I never knew this for the longest time!

Today's eats looked a little like this (and twist, and twist)

• Blueberries with plain Chobani and cinnamon, multigrain english muffin with maple peanut butter

• Half a glazed chocolate donut (this half actually fell on the lab floor so I ate the other half)

• Sandwich thin with romaine lettuce and tuna mixed with plain Chobani, dill, onions, and celery

• Sobe, apple, and almonds

• Veggie crudites and a scoop of macaroni salad

• Oatmeal and Bulgur mixed with canned pumpkin, cinnamon & nutmeg, topped with walnuts

I also did a quick taste test of some bars that my boss purchased and she wanted me to try. They are called Organix and are made by Xymogen. One is called "greens", one is "omega 3" and one is "spice". I took a picture of the the Nutrition Facts Panel and ingredients for you to peruse.

Spice

Omega 3

Greens

I took just a nibble of all 3 and they reminded me of Larabars, probably because of the date paste. So I will definitely eat them up (I liked Spice the best) but they weren't amazing.  Plus they are probably expensive so I wouldn't buy them on my own.

I've got work again tomorrow then it's off for a girl's night with my bestie Kelly! I'm trying to squeeze in as many visits were her as possible while I'm home.

Goodnight!

Questions: Have you ever had these Organix bars? Have an opinion about them? Are you ready for the weekend?!

Family Camping Trip 2010

Campsite

Raquette River (Adirondacks NY)

Lena and Canon fighting over a stick

Trail Mix

Chili and cornbread

Camp coffee

Chobani & Peach

Bagel-thin and Maple Peanut Butter

Good morning - look inside the empty beer bottle

Hello drunk Mr. Mouse!

Turkey sandwich, carrots & hummus

String cheese, apple, Chocolate Zucchini Muffin

Pizza cooked over the fire

The Failed Crust

Pasta Salad

Eggs, homefries with onions, and ketchup (Camp homefries are the best! Potatoes are cooked under the coals all night!)

Hiking off trail

Pepperoni sandwich

Geocaching

Inside the geocache

My treasure

Turkey sandwich and carrots

Clementines

Splitting wood

Playing Uno

Super S'more (honey graham cracker, maple peanut butter, dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow)

A lily Raf picked out of the river for me

Bonfire on the last night

Banana, Chobani mixed with maple peanut butter

Cooking over the fire

Eggs, bacon, ketchup on bagel-thin