What I Ate Wednesday #19

This will be my first full week of senior year... STILL SO WEIRD!

But, anyways! It's Wednesday again, which means it's time for another weekly eats post!

It's been feeling A LOT like fall lately. I freakin' LOVE it!

9/6/12 - Breakfast: chocolate almond protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + a few pieces of chocolate cereal + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + some slivered almonds + a dollop of Biscoff cookie spread & White Chocolate Wonderful!

9/7/12 - Breakfast: this oatmeal is probably my new current favorite.

Pumpkin cookie protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + some banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + some Biscoff spread & Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter... 

9/7/12 - Snack(?): I don't even like coffee, but after school, I made my mom take me to WaWa to get their pumpkin spice coffee... Haha. I didn't drink much of it (I TRIED to like it... I added my usual tea sweetening things, but I couldn't drink it...)

9/8/12 - Breakfast: delicious sweet omelet!

Pumpkin banana omelet with some pumpkin flax granola + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana slices + melted Biscoff spread inside, and a 100% whole wheat sandwich thin half with Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter + pumpkin flax granola + cinnamon, and half with Biscoff spread + banana slices + cinnamon.

9/8/12 - Lunch: ALDI GOT SWEET POTATOES AGAIN! I missed my savory stuffed sweet potatoes!!

Loads and loads of vegetables (with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder to dip) and a savory stuffed sweet potato.

9/9/12 - Breakfast: the best  post-workout healthy power breakfast ever!

Pumpkin protein cookie egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + cereals + baby banana slices! + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + melted Biscoff spread... All inside a nearly empty Cinnamon Raisin Swirl jar! With pumpkin spice protein green tea on the side. Mmmmm.

9/10/12 - Breakfast: I finally got some all natural unsweetened cocoa powder this past weekend! Yay! 

Chocolate covered strawberry & banana protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + some cereals + banana slices & strawberries + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + Biscoff spread.

9/11/12 - Breakfast: Pumpkin & apple pie/cookie protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + a few squares of Cinnamon Toast Crunch + apple slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + Biscoff spread & a dollop of Dark Chocolate Dreams.

9/12/12 - Breakfast: long story short, I've been struggling a lot lately, and I've unfortunately been falling back into some old habits... But, this morning, I decided today was a day to try harder.

This is the first time I used a full serving of oatmeal in SO long... I've been using 1/4 cup more/less for awhile now, but that's not the serving size. 1/2 cup is. So, that's what I used.

I'm really proud of myself for this, despite the anxiety I got... But, it was DELICIOUS and FILLING, nonetheless! Vanilla pudding egg white oats with pumpkin flax granola + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana & strawberry slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + White Chocolate Wonderful!

Where are my workouts, you ask? Never fear... Here they are! 

My goal for the next few weeks is to change up my meals some more! As you can tell, the only meal I really ever change up, is breakfast... Making for pretty dang boring and repetitive WIAW posts! This will be my motivation to get experimental and get cookin'! I guess this means it's time to lurk some WIAWs for more inspiration... 

What I Ate Wednesday #18 - First Day of Senior Year?

So, today was my first day of senior year...
So bittersweet... Can't believe it... AAAAAAAHHH!

... Okay, anyways! Let's get onto WIAW now, shall we?

LOVE the new WIAW theme! Thanks, Jenn!

8/30/12 - Breakfast: chocolate almond protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + cerealz + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + melted Biscoff spread… All inside a nearly empty White Chocolate Wonderful jar!

8/30/12 - Dinner & Dessert: made my mommy a semi-healthy birthday dinner and dessert just like she wished!

Baked chicken & spinach rollatini alla parmigiana (inspired by Skinny Taste), ricotta & tomato bowtie pasta, and baked chicken tenders (we LOVE chicken, haha) for dinner (I had a chicken rollatini over a rainbow salad with tenders! SO delicious!), and a HUGE fruit salad for dessert... Just like last year!

She was really, really happy with everything, and that’s when I know it was all a success. Some things unfortunately happened today that really got us all down, but seeing her happy made MY day better! 

8/31/12 - Breakfast: vanilla egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + some of my favorite cereals + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + melted Biscoff spread & a mini dollop of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter.

9/1/12 - Breakfast: 1 egg + 1 egg white banana ~omelet~ (that broke a bit...) stuffed with banana, apple, blueberries & strawberries + pumpkin flax granola + melted Biscoff spread, along with a 100% whole wheat sandwich thin that’s half topped with Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter + pumpkin flax granola, and Biscoff spread + banana + cinnamon!

9/1/12 - Snack: one of the BEST combinations EVER!

Mini Ginger gold apple with Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter!

9/2/12 - Breakfast: one of my favorite OIAJs yet!

I pretended it’s autumn by lighting my amazing pumpkin cupcake candle while I ate my post-workout oats, consisting of pumpkin & apple pie egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + cinnamon cereals + apple slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon (a bit too much... I genuinely suck at "dashes"!) + melted Biscoff spread... All inside a nearly empty gigantic Marshmallow Fluff container!

Semi-healthy and completely earned! No regrets. 

P.S. Pumpkin + melted marshmallow = fab-tastic combination! Try it sometime!

9/3/12 - Breakfast: I. LOVE. OIAJ! And thankfully my family loves all types of peanut butter enough to let me have it at least 1-2 times every 1-2 weeks!  The best post-workout breakfast ever~

Banana bread egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + a few squares of Cinnamon Toast Crunch for fun + banana slices + fresh blueberries + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + some Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter... All inside a nearly empty Biscoff creamy spread jar.

Literally Heaven in my mouth. L.i.t.e.r.a.l.l.y.

9/3/12 - Dinner: I finally got to see my best friend today, for the first time since school, and she brought me over a black bean burger (since we were making hamburgers for dinner and she's a vegetarian)! It was SO delicious, omg. I want more!!

{Black bean burgers and rainbow salads... Can't get much better!}

9/4/12 - Breakfast: my last early morning post-workout breakfast of the summer!

This all came out INCREDIBLY delicious!

Pumpkin pie protein pancakes topped with some Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, a mini banana, pumpkin flax granola, cinnamon, and a drizzle of light maple syrup.

On the side, I have 1 egg white + added egg substitute with salsa, onion, tomato, spinach, mushrooms, lean turkey & ham, and hot sauce on top of lettuce for some crunch!

TIP: Add a spoonful or two of plain Greek yogurt to your eggs prior to cooking, and make sure to stir thoroughly. It makes them creamier, thicker, AND bigger, with no added flavor! (It looks like I have way more than just 2 egg whites, right?!)

9/5/12 -Breakfast: last-first-day-of-school breakfast!

Banana cinnamon raisin protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + some Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + a dollop of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter!

This was delicious, and it kept me full for HOURS!

All my workouts can be found here, as usual, or just on my Instagram... which I am obsessed with!

P.S. Be on the lookout for my new theme coming soon!  Possibly autumn-themed? 

P.P.S. My first day of senior year post will be up asap!

What I Ate Wednesday #17

I've officially given up on good WIAW title names... For now...
But, anyways! This will be my last WIAW of summer break. Next WIAW will be my first WIAW of the school year! My last high school school year...
Bittersweet? Very.

But, let's get on to the past week's yummy foods, shall we?
Thanks to Jenn for always hosting this event full of delicious foods from around the world! One of my favorite parts of the week!
Keep in mind, I eat double (maybe even triple?) the amount of watermelon each week that a human should. I just don't photograph it. Hehe. (Hey, don't blame me! Blame the food stores for not being able to sell it year-round!! Must get my fix in before it's too late and I have to wait another year!!)

8/23/12 - Breakfast: this is what I do when I want a peanut butter and Fluff sandwich, but know just a sandwich post-workout won’t really fill me; cinnamon roll protein egg white {stovetop} oatmeal with the usual + white chocolate peanut butter & Marshmallow Fluff. As delicious as it looks.

8/23/12 - Lunch: ~recovery win! Used a more calorie-dense, 100% whole wheat bread, which is one of my favorite breads ever... And was also a "fear food" for me for awhile.

But, I'll happily say that is no-more! So proud of myself.

Turkey sandwich with light spread cheese, veggies and spicy mustard! Steamed fresh veggies & grilled chicken with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder on the side.

So. Good. Nothing better than a delicious sandwich with lots of vegetables and proteins alongside!

8/24/12 - Breakfast: a small bowl of plain Greek yogurt mixed with milk chocolate protein powder + watermelon, banana and grapes + pumpkin flax granola + some cereals + cinnamon + a drizzle of melted Biscoff spread, with a multi-grain sandwich thin topped with Biscoff spread & Dark Chocolate Dreams, banana, cinnamon and pumpkin flax granola on the side!

Love switching up my breakfasts/meals and listening to my body!

8/24/12 - Lunch: the best balance.

 How could I pass up pizza and what not when my mom gets certain ones that she knows I’LL like!? This is my favorite part of a NORMAL healthy lifestyle; not feeling guilty when eating what I truly want!

Chicken carbonara & spinach and feta artisan pizzas, spinach & feta breadstick thingy, and veggies!

8/25/12 - Breakfast: milk chocolate (protein powder!) banana Biscoff/dark chocolate peanut butter omelet (1 whole egg + 1 egg white) stuffed with spinach (yay greens!!) + banana slices + pumpkin flax granola, with a toasted slice of 100% whole wheat bread topped with Biscoff spread & dark chocolate peanut butter, banana and pumpkin flax granola on the side.

Lots of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs!

8/26/12 - Breakfast: chocolate almond protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + some cereals I love + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + melted Biscoff spread.

This... was freaking delicious. I love my weird oatmeal combinations!

8/27/12 - Breakfast: my first ever baked oatmeal!

Baked apple pie protein oatmeal at that.

8/28/12 - Breakfast: um... Heaven.

Cinnamon peanut butter protein egg white {stovetop} oats with pumpkin flax granola + some random cereals + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + melted Biscoff spread.

All inside a nearly-empty Dark Chocolate Dreams jar.

I think I'm gonna call OIAJ, HIAJ from now on.

OIAJ = Oats in a Jar... HIAJ = Heaven in a Jar.

I think it fits it well.

8/28/12 - Snack/Afternoon Pick-Me-Up: healthy, easy, homemade {low calorie!} chocolate almond milk protein ice cream for a pre-dinner afternoon pick-me-up!

This was INCREDIBLY yummy! I put it over some plain Greek yogurt and a broken Magic Pop cake (for crunch!), and topped it with banana slices, melted Biscoff spread, deliciously addictive cinnamon Cheerios, and a dash of cinnamon. A random experiment that turned into something DELICIOUS!

8/29/12 - Breakfast/currently devouring: post-workout banana bread & Biscoff (spread) low calorie, flour-less oat pancakes with an egg white scramble alongside!

Oh, and guess what else happened within the past seven days? I started my new job at Aeropostale! I'll admit that it gets quite boring throughout the day, but otherwise, I like it a lot more than my other job already! Plus, the deals I get are incredible! 50% off of every new floor set, on top of my everyday/every month discounts?! Yes, please! ... And, yes, I already bought myself some adorable clothes!

I got my white laced sweater, neon yellow-green hoodie, and blue & purple flannel a size bigger so they fit comfortably. I'm so glad I did.

The lace leggings are SO comfortable, and for $8, they were completely worth it!

(The purple thing is a simple cami!)

Ohhhhhh, and I might as well say that my workouts are here, as always! 

Well, that's all for now, loves! Happy WIAW, Wednesday, and birthday... if it's, you know, your birthday! 

Banana & Peanut Butter... Omelet?!

Yep, you read that title 100% correctly. Banana and peanut butter omelet.
If you have never tried a sweet omelet... You, my friend, are missing out! But, have you ever at least seen a sweet omelet, wanted to attempt it, but didn't know how to go about it without it tasting like something you threw out last week?
Well, never fear! I have the recipe for you banana and peanut (/any type of nut) butter and egg lovers! 

Banana & Peanut/Nut Butter Omelet

Ingredients:

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

splash of almond/soy/etc. milk

lots of cinnamon! (I also added a dash of cinnamon roll protein powder!)

1 sweetener packet

1 baby banana, mashed (or 1/2 medium/large banana, mashed)

1/2-1 tbsp peanut or other nut butter (I highly recommend using Biscoff cookie spread... AH-MAY-ZING!)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Stir thoroughly to make sure everything is combined.
Preheat a pan or skillet. (Make SURE to spray/oil it to make sure your omelet doesn't stick!!)
Pour in your omelet mixture.

Let it cook on the one side. Every once in a while, lift it up to let any excess liquid get to the edges so it all cooks.

Once it's steady and cooked enough on the bottom, carefully flip it!

{Make sure it's cooked from the inside out before you take it out of the pan/skillet! Slightly press down on it to figure out when it's done!}

When done, take it out of the pan, top it with your favorite toppings, and add in some extra banana and peanut butter slices to the middle if desired! Maybe even some granola and almonds? Or some strawberries or apple slices or blueberries... Ah, so. many. options!

I topped my omelet with melted Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and a few slivered almonds! And I placed it on top of some plain Greek yogurt.

Bon appetite! This is one protein (and other nutrient)-packed and perfect breakfast all around. Enjoy!!