What I Ate Wednesday #41

'Ello, lovelies!

So, this post marks the last WIAW... of March 2013! (Tricked ya! Hehe.)

...Wait, what?!?!

Does this mean I'm graduating high school in less than 3 months?!

Holy guacamole... So many mixed feelings about April being literally right around the corner! Though I AM excited for the warmer weather, I would very much appreciate if time would slooooooow downnnnnn! Haha.

Okay, okay, anyways! Moving onto the POINT of this post -- all things food! Since this is the last WIAW of March and 'going green' month, I shall, again, just highlight my green-friendly meals! The descriptions for the rest can alwaaaaays be found on my Instagram!

3/20/13 - Breakfast & Dessert

3/21/13 - Breakfast & Dessert/Snack

 3/22/13 - Breakfast

 3/22/13 - Dinner: bento at work was a crab & tuna vegetable-loaded salad topped with salsa & honey mustard, and two lightly salted rice cakes!
Odd confession: I LOVE rice cakes. Even plain ones, by their crunchy lonesome.

3/22/13 - Dessert & 3/23/13 - Breakfast

 3/23/13 - Lunch: took over my boy's early Saturday morning shift at Rite Aid so he could have some relaxation time before heading back up to college... and my mommy brought me lunch at work from WaWa!
Chicken salad topped with honey mustard & hard boiled eggs.

3/23/13 - Dessert & 3/24/13 - Breakfast

 3/24/13 - Dessert & 3/25/13 - Breakfast

   3/25/13 - Dinner: omg... SO GOOD! We got Chinese food for my brother's birthday, but instead of getting my usual 9876545678 entrees, I got two quarts (I think these are considered quarts? I dunno... Either way, it was A LOT!) of steamed vegetables. Yes. Two. Quarts. I had one with lunch, and one with some baked chicken & honey mustard for dinner. Mouthgasm x10!

Honestly, I don’t know how there was ever a point where the only vegetable I ate was lettuce or the occasional cucumber. I’m beyond obsessed now! Haha. Also, I had some apple slices & a lollipop during work because I was listening to my cravings and my hunger cues. My body thanked me. (Inspired to do so by the super lovely Meg!)

3/26/13 - Breakfast & Dessert

Workout {Pictures} of the Week:

(Look at that! Again, I unintentionally picked two WOD with the same calorie burn! Haha.)

'Little Thing' of the Week:

(Something small that made me smile big)

 Meet my prom date, Vinnie! 
This kid is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. He's absolutely not like any other boy I've "talked" to, and he's FAR from immature. Though he's definitely more outgoing than I am, he's honestly the perfect person to help me break out of my shell and my comfort zone sometimes.
I've "known" him for actually nearly two years now (thanks to me being an avid Rite Aid customer! Haha), but we recently started talking since I started working where he works... aka at Rite Aid!
 I asked him to MY prom (I'm a senior in high school; he's a freshman in college), and he accepted with the most adorable answer... then told me he wanted to go as dates. Then, we began "talking", and now we're here. I thought this was cute and I wanted to share!

Outfit of the Week:

Well, that's all for now, folks!  Decided to add more personal touches to this week's WIAW... I hope you guys enjoyed it! Have a lovely Wednesday and rest of your week, and remember to always stay positive!

How Marvelous is YOUR Monday?

Hello, lovelies!
I've got some somewhat exciting news...

I'm joining in on the "Marvelous in My Monday" fun! 

Not only is it hosted by one of my favorites, Katie @ Healthy Diva Eats, but it's also an amazing message. Positivity has brought such great things to my life, and I'm happy to share some in the beginning of the week when EVERYONE needs it most!

So, without anymore procrastination...

1.

This past Friday, we celebrated the 12th year since my little sister's birth! It was a lovely day for her, and I'm so happy she's happy. She's autistic, and her and my mom are my best friends. 

We went to Friendly's for her birthday dinner, and I got some honey barbecue breaded chicken strip sandwich with fries. It was good, but nothing too special... The appetizer was the most exciting part, actually! ("Loaded" waffle fries -- cheese, bacon... Could you ask for any better?!) Next time I go out to eat, I want it to be something to write home about! 

2.
A few days ago, I decided to suck up the fact if I want to go to prom with a guy not from my school, I have to ask HIM!

... And he said yes!  Who said guys have to always make the first move?
He also said he wants to go as dates, which made it even better! 
(Btw, he's not as tool-ish as he sounds... I promise! Haha. He's actually probably the sweetest guy I've ever met, and my mom can back me up on that! I met him before I started working at Rite Aid, since that's where he works/worked, and he was always SO talkative and nice! Now that I actually work there, we're close and I love it! I'm so excited for prom now, and I'm not one to go to school dances!)

3.
I also got a new whey protein powder this weekend...

This is my new babe. We are in love.
100 calories + 24g protein per scoop... and it actually tastes like cookies and cream.
*Drools*

4.

I then created some cookies and cream protein cake with said whey.
Along with the fluffiest version of my peanut butter fudge black bean brownies, and some cinnamon-almond swirl protein cake. I love baking. Especially nutritious baking. Both cakes inspired by my recent favorite -- ffcoconut-cinnamon swirl cake!

5.
Along with my whey, I also got a few more goodies!

- Target floral jeans for $6.88 on sale (originally $22.99!)
- PB2
- Gum
- and, of course, even more yogurt... I go through at least 2 of those containers a WEEK!

And... that's about it for my first MIIM!! Yay! Today was a lovely day, and I'm excited for the rest of the week because I'm going to STAY POSITIVE! And I hope you're all gonna do the same! 

A Promise to Myself

Hello, my little lovebugs.

Recently, we purchased a new scale. Not that we weigh ourselves often, but our old scale was getting pretty old, and this new one was only $14.99 and claimed to measure body fat percentage, bone mass, and even your daily caloric needs.

Well, after a few days of having it, I decided to try it out. The result surprised me.
{Either our old scale was extremely inaccurate, or our new scale is just showing how cheap it was.}

I felt disgusted... I talked to my mom about it, and her response was something you would consider "tough love." Even though I'm at the middle/higher end of a "healthy weight" for my height, she threatened to get me into "rehab" because of my "obsession". I never thought she would actually consider that, but she wasn't joking.

She made some valid points, though. The scale says I've gained x amount of weight and that I weight x amount of pounds, but 1. I workout and burn calories like crazy... normally about 400-600 calories, plus school and work, burned 5 days a week. And 2. absolutely everything I own still fits me 100% fine... from my jeans to my dang underwear. (I don't even feel like I LOOK different.) So, if I really gained x amount of weight/more-so fat in such a short period of time, how would these two things be possible?

The answer could be one of two things. Either I've gained {mostly} muscle (which would be fantastic), or the scale IS really as worthless as it is said to be...
(Can 'all of the above' be an option?)

So, anyways, onto the real point of this post!

This post is a new promise to myself.

A promise only I can fulfill on my own. A promise to love myself no matter what I weigh.

{My newest tattoo! I got it on January 31st, 2013. It's on my inner right forearm, and the reasoning behind it is here}

A promise to not let a number control my life.

{That's more like it!}

A promise that I will not weigh myself obsessively. The next time I will step on that scale won't be until I KNOW I'm comfortable with it again. I'm not gonna force myself anymore. If that time happens to be summer, then so be it.

A promise that I will not fall back into old, restrictive habits. I will enjoy life, nourish my body, and exercise as I please. If I have to miss a day, that's okay, too. No more skipping out on social outings because I HAVE to workout. That's not living now, is it?

Also, to end on an even more positive note, I finally feel like I'm growing a booty! That's a plus, right?! I don't mean a flabby, fat booty like my past self, or a flabby, bony booty for my last year self, but a firm, actual booty! {Too much information? More like not enough information.} (Just kidding!)

Currently... 01/13

Hello, hello! Happy Thursday! 

So, despite my WIAW absence this week, I totally feel like blogging today! It was convenient that I just so happen to see this survey-type-thing on Heather's blog, and felt like it was a current must-do! 

Current book: we're reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom in English IV, and I love it so far. I'm not much of a reader (unless it's a blog... or about food...), but this book is genuinely interesting and thought-inducing! Totally a recommended must-read.

Current Music: Ho Hey by The Lumineers.

... and maybe some Beauty and A Beat by Justin Bieber.

(Sorry, I love me some Biebs! Not so much Nicki Minaj, though...)

Current Guilty Pleasure: Arizona Heat spicy mustard! Holy guacamole is it good!

Also, the combination of cinnamon sugar anything with cream cheese... Which calls for one of my newest creations... (Inspired by these babies!)

Cream Cheese Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Protein Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 scoop (28g) cinnamon roll (or vanilla) protein powder

1/4 c (26g) ground flax

2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tbsp sweetener

1/2c (113g) plain Greek yogurt
1/2c liquid egg whites

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large ripened banana (or just microwave it without the peel for about :30 to soften if it doesn't seem ripe enough)

Cream Cheese Filling:
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 tbsp powdered (confectioner) sugar

1-2 tbsp milk of choice (I used almond)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray.

In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients aside from your sweetener.

Now blend yogurt, sweetener, egg whites, vanilla extract, and banana until smooth or desired consistency.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Combine ingredients for filling.

Pour about 3/4 of the batter into your loaf pan, then spread your filling through the middle. Use a spoon or spatula to evenly distribute, then pour the rest of the batter on top. Distribute the rest of the batter the best you can, then sprinkle extra cinnamon and sugar on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

(Inspiration and adapted recipe/directions from here.)

Current Nail Color: Simple glitter nails!

Strobe Light by Sally Hansen

Current Drink: Sugar Cookie Tea

Saying I'm obsessed is putting it lightly! I've gone through over 5 packs of these since October... 

Current Food: smoothie bowls, inspired by Heather herself...

Oh, and Cascadian Farms' organic Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

Holy WOW is this stuff so delicious! CTC is my favorite, and this tastes almost identical! It's so nice to have the flavor and deliciousness minus the sugar and continuous processing.

Current Favorite Show: Full House or Zoey 101!

Current Wish List: Zuzana Light's new DVD, and maybe some new nail art "stickers"...

I LOVE these things!

They work and stay on AWESOME! And the best part is, you don't have to wait for them to dry!

Current Needs: more time... and to do better in pre-calculus... a 40% is not a good way to end math in high school! 

Current Triumphs: I... I don't know! I've been quite confident lately, and I've been feeling so much stronger... Do those qualify as "triumphs"?? 

Current Bane of My Existence: math!!!!! Math, math, MATH!! Ahhhh!

Current Celebrity Crush: ironically enough, me and my friend were talking about this in class today!

I guess I can say Louis Tomlinson...

*Drools* 

Current Indulgence: does cereal count?!

This stuff is the equivalent to crack.

I mentioned how Cinnamon Toast Crunch was a love of mine, but this stuff tops that by a long-run! I used to eat Blueberry Muffin Top cereal, but then they stopped existing out of the blue and I have been craving them ever since! This 'Blueberry Crunch' from Target is just as amazing.

If not, then definitely PB2. Not much of an 'indulgence', but I add it to nearly EVERYTHING!

I just got two new jars, less than a month after purchasing the first two!

Current Blessing: Heather said it perfectly! My health, life, family, friends...

Current Slang: "is this real life?" "Did that really just happen??"

(Hahahaha... It's okay to laugh at me. I can't help but laugh at myself!)

Current Outfit: I started off wearing this while typing the beginning of this post...

(+ shorts and neon sneakz)

and am ending it wearing THIS:

Current Excitement: to finally hangout with a close friend this Saturday! We're going to Applebees' "half-price apps" to get some half-priced appetizers for some ultimate snackage on Saturday night with her friend that she wants me to meet so we can all be the three best friends that ANYONEEEEEE can have! (High fives and kudos to you if you know where that's from! ) I also get to conquer some "fear foods" that night and I am READY!

Current Mood: happy, but quite hungry... Putting a whole new meaning to HANGRY!

 Current Link: uhhhhm... hmm... What about my current favorite boy & girl YouTubers!?

Rachel & Byron Talbott and Nikki & Dan Phillippi!