But this blog is also helping keep me accountable for my choices. I’ve noticed that I’ve chosen less healthy options the last few days because they haven’t been made public.

So…. Is this blog helping you? If it can’t be a daily accounting of my healthy living adventures, what topics would be helpful to cover? And what suggestions do you have for holding myself accountable if it’s impossible to post every day?

Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading!

Nighty nite!

My alarm once again failed to go off this morning. Maybe it was worn out from all the snooze-ing I did yesterday, but Eli served as my alarm at 7 am (I had intended to get up an hour earlier and get in double whammy workout). As it was, I only had time for SYTYCD Tone (review still coming, I promise) and then rushed out the door to meet Nikki at Marco’s (who would’ve guessed?

She was just getting off the night shift but our schedules are so wacky we figured it would be good to catch each other as I’m starting my day and she’s eating her “dinner” before going to bed for the rest of the day.

I ordered the nonfat Cafe Brian, which is basically a mocha with some vanilla flavoring thrown in for good measure. Too sweet for some, but right up my alley.

I decided to splurge on breakfast and get the bacon and brie scramble (plus mushrooms and chives). A little heavier than I’ve ordered lately but it is soooo amazingly delicious. I substituted fresh fruit for the potatoes and had two slices of hazelnut toast.

It was a blast catching up with Nikki. Hi Nikki! Hope Night #2 is going well.

I headed home, hopped in the shower and then headed to a meeting about an upcoming presentation for my leadership class. A very productive 45 minutes later, I was back in my car and on my way home.

Lunch was a mini-smorgasbord. ‘Still wasn’t very hungry after my huge breakfast, so I made half a “BB n J” (BB for Barney Butter), on toasted TJ’s flaxseed bread.

On the side, a few carrots and mini bell peppers, with a dollop of garlic hummus for dipping.

And a box of vanilla soy milk…gotta have milk with my BB n J!

Plus two Kashi TLC crackers and two slices of cheddar that Steve snuck into my bowl.

I wasn’t feeling very good after lunch. I got hit with a little wave of nausea and was still exhausted from my Fall “Break”, so I ended up dozing for a little while. I dizzily got up and headed out to Starbucks to view an NCLEX review lecture, only to find out their wireless was down. Grrr!

I did a few housekeeping items while I was there and sipped on a tall nonfat mocha. I also ordered one of their lowfat raspberry muffins but was really disappointed. It tasted dry and completely un-flavorful, so I decided to toss most of it.

Then I ran a couple errands on the way home and came home to finish up my studying for the day. I’m still behind after last week, but making headway.

Steve is really sore after his second acupuncture appointment…it seems like all the tension that had been building up in his body is releasing but that it’s causing some discomfort along the way. Almost like post-workout soreness. I had something similar happen along the way, but I am a fervent believer in acupuncture and what it can do for your body. After only four sessions, my back pain was completely fixed and hasn’t come back since, unless I sit funny.

Since the boy was hurtin’ and worn out (acupuncture also makes you really doze-y and drowsy), I put together dinner.

Featuring the peanut sauce I promised you’d see again, I sauteed up some shrimp and TJ’s stir fry veggies, then mixed in the sauce and served atop brown rice. It was DELISH!

Dessert was two TJ’s maple leaf cookies.

I’m all about the fall-themed flavors this year!

Tomorrow I am volunteering to give H1N1 flu shots to fellow nursing students. They had originally planned three clinics for the entire campus community, but there is such a shortage that those had to be cancelled and the small stock that is available is being offered to nursing students first, since we’re on the front lines. I figured it was a very public health-y thing for me to do…plus volunteers get first priority for the vaccines.

Nighty nite!

*Applause!*

Posts are so much more interesting with photos, dontcha think?

Especially when they showcase how klutzy I am…

Note to self: Pay attention while clipping toenails!

Little bleed, but this hurt like a mother. Sheesh, apparently I am not a multi-tasker.

I had every intention of waking up at a decent hour this morning. But my darn thumb kept finding the snooze button on my phone alarm. ‘Has a mind of its own, that thumb.

By the time I finally rolled out of my cozy warm bed, it was 9:00! Wha???

I was lured by some yummy smells coming from the kitchen…

Egg scrambles are definitely a favorite in this household. So many possible ingredient combos and so easy to make!

I skipped coffee because I am still on the hunt for something…anything…that will hide the taste of coffee without filling my body with yucky trans fats. The coconut milk creamer just tastes too…coconut-y (imagine that!). What’s a girl to do?

I also had every intention of doing a hardcore workout. I even put on my favorite workout outfit. But it was so cozy on the couch, especially when Steve joined me for a snuggle-fest. Considering the fact that’s been a week since we really saw each other when I wasn’t exhausted (between clinical and my trip home), I vetoed the workout in favor of “us time.” Smart choice, Tiney.

Then we split up our household to-do list…I headed to the grocery store while Steve vacuumed every nook and cranny of the living room and our sofa. It’s amazing how much of Suri’s hair accumulates in a very short time!

I called Steve on my way home from TJ’s and asked him to preheat the oven in anticipation of our delicious lunch…

Goat cheese pizza!

On the side was a Fresh Express salad mix that needed to be eaten or thrown away.

We also cleaned out the fridge as we unloaded our groceries, and the dogs got to finish off a couple of carrots.

After lunch I headed to Starbucks to hit the books and meet with my preceptor. I caffeinated with a tall nonfat pumpkin spice latte. I was also still really hungry (what is up with my appetite lately?). My eyes lingered on the pumpkin treats, the apple fritters and donuts and the yummy lemon pound cake. But I quickly came to the conclusion that no matter how sweet and tasty, my stomach would be disappointed in the non-nutritious selections I considered.

I ended up going with an apple bran muffin from their “healthy” selections. This was extremely delicious and did not leave me feeling over-sugared or full of preservatives. I was proud of my intuitive eating selection.

By the time I finished my gabfest with my preceptor (boy can we talk!) and got home, it was 6 pm!

Dinner was inspired by friends, near and far…

The halibut came from Sea Otter Sound Lodge in Alaska, where our friends Katie and Paul worked over the summer (and where they got engaged). We had dinner at their place a couple weeks ago, and they sent us home with a big ol’ grocery bag of Alaskan halibut. Tonight we broke into the supply and were not disappointed!

The fish was baked in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a medley of spices that Steve concocted.

Our vegetable on the side was adapted from Meghann’s recent creation: Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes. We left out the marinara sauce and added couscous to the twice-baked mixture and were SUPER pleased with the result. Even better was how easy this was! Thanks Meghann!

Even the dogs got to enjoy the fruits of our sweet potato adventure.

I took a relaxing bath this evening. My most recent Cooking Light kept me company. This was an especially good month for recipes. I think I flagged almost every page!

Dessert was two chipotle chocolate hazelnuts that caught my eye at TJ’s. Delicious sweetness, followed with a little pow! That’s my kind of treat!

Then we watched the first night of SYTYCD Season 6! Tonight was a performance showcase and it was spectacular! Everyone got to perform in their own style and I bet the choreographers had a blast. Tomorrow begins the actual competition – not sure how they’re gonna send 2 people home the same night the contest begins, but we’ll see how they adapt things. Go Billy and Russell!

Eli seemed more interested in getting a head rush than in the show.

Our little monkey...

And apparently Steve needs new socks.

Nighty nite!

All three of us left for the airport at the same time, but in different directions. My sister was headed to a conference in Oklahoma (I’ll resist the urge to sing ), mom was going back to the O.C. and I flew north for the winter!

Before we left, we had a bowl of granola and fresh fruit from yesterday’s farmer’s market. I wish I could say it tided me over nicely but I was hungry again an hour later. Grrr, I hate it when that happens.

While awaiting my flight, I ordered a tall vanilla frappucino from Starbucks. Steve and I agreed we’d do a late lunch when I landed in Portland. On the plane I had a pack of honey roasted peanuts and a cranberry apple cocktail.

By the time I arrived, we were both famished and decided to check out the nearby Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch. It was PACKED with Sunday football watchers, but we managed to snag a table in the bar area.

It was typical bar food, but with an extra flair. They had 14 different sauces you could add to your sandwiches, wraps, salads, and of course, wings! The sauces ranged in flavor and spiciness.

We knew we had to try the wings (When in Rome…), and decided to go with the Asian Fusion sauce, which was excellent! Sweet at first and then the spicy kick came in and clobbered you.

I had two wings with my Bloody Mary, which was also very good. So good I might have ordered a second…

For lunch I went with their Southwest Chicken Wrap, served with tortilla chips and salsa. The flavor of the grilled chicken and sauce were really good but it turned out to be a lot of shredded lettuce as a filler, which was disappointing.

Then we headed home to unpack, clear out the DVR and just spend the afternoon with the family.

Boy were the puppies excited when their dad AND mom showed up at home! It was adorable! Lots of kisses and snuggles from the dogs all evening long.

Since we had such a late lunch, neither of us were very hungry for dinner so we snacked a little here and there. I heated up a couple pieces of leftover beef kebab with this AMAZING peanut sauce from Dream Dinners. We have tons of leftover sauce so you’ll be seeing it again this week.

Later we had a little pile of 7-grain Kashi TLC crackers (definitely my favorites) and cheese, a small handful of TJ’s pita chips, and I finished off our low fat Ben & Jerry’s fro yo (there were only two bites left). All consumed before 8 pm.

Grocery shopping is DEFINITELY in order tomorrow so we can restock our veggie and fruit drawers.

Nighty nite!

P.S. If you haven’t see Glee yet, WATCH IT! Best show ever!

Fall is busting out all overrrrrrrrrr......

Suri missing her mommy.

Eli and his new 'do.

After a whirlwind 30 hours in southern CA, my mom and I headed up to Oakland yesterday to pay a visit to my sister, who’s attending grad school at UC Berkeley (Go Bears!)

Mom worked a half-day first, so I did a little Zumba Live in the morning with Kabi Jo. Let me tell you, she is not a fan of the footwork! She kept nipping at my toes to try to get me to stop…it was hilarious!

After my workout I headed to Panera for an ice-blended mocha (it was hot) and decided to try one of their “Power Breakfast Sandwiches”: whole grain bread toasted with lean ham, an egg and a slice of white cheddar. Delish!

I also picked up half a Sierra Turkey and a small BBQ chopped salad for a quick lunch before we left for the airport, but I didn’t end up eating the salad. Too much food.

We landed in Oakland, dropped our stuff at my sister’s adorable little house that she shares with her college roommate, and headed to our cousin’s place for a homemade dinner. I got to meet their baby boy for the first time and we had a very nice, relaxing evening with family.

Man, I am KICKING myself for not bringing my camera. I wish I could share the adorable-ness with you.

Dinner was a salad with Newman’s Own Tuscan Dressing, beets, and cherry tomatoes from their garden, plus pesto spaghetti and grilled chicken. Plus two slices of baguette. Plus plenty of red wine.

We woke up this morning to a beautiful crisp fall day and headed out for a long walk along Lake Merritt and a stop at the local farmer’s market. We picked up berries for our breakfast tomorrow, and sampled a few goodies from the booths. My favorite was the Indian food – pumpkin flat bread topped with jalapeno chutney. Yummers! We bought a bag of toasted dal to share three ways – they look like little rice crispies and will go great on a salad. We also stopped for coffee along our walk and I ordered – you guessed it – an iced mocha.

After our refreshing walk, we came back and reconnoitered, then headed out to help my sister and her roomie do some shopping for their Halloween party.

We didn’t stop to eat lunch until 4 pm!

Mom, sister and I split a falafel platter, with tabouleh, hummus, tahini sauce, feta and kalamata olives. It was just right! Enough to revive my blood sugar but not too much that I wasn’t hungry later.

We hung out at the house for a few hours…Mom helped hang curtains, sister and roomie started decorating for their party, and I … studied. Shocker.

We each had a Mike’s hard lemonade and a glass of champagne while we “worked” until our late dinner.

Which was spectacular! We went to Dona Tomas to celebrate my birthday a week early. It is a high-end Mexican restaurant in Oakland with a “California twist.” It was oh so yummy!

They started us with a small plate of tortilla chips topped with cotija cheese and served with a flavorful salsa. We also ordered toasted pumpkin seeds, which were excellent!

I decided to go with the “tacos de camarones” and they did not disappoint! That’s actually an understatement …. they were SO GOOD! Shrimp grilled and flavorful in a taco with jalapeno slices and veggies. The best part was that they served a sweet potato puree on the side! A little scoop on my taco did just the trick.

I drank a “Cuba Libre” with my din din – Mexican coke, rum, vanilla and lime. Not the best cocktail I’ve ever had, but a fun version of rum ‘n coke.

We skipped dessert, but I gave them endless amounts of grief about how they failed to inform our waiter that it was my birthday. Therefore I got neither a birthday song nor a free dessert. Not that I needed the calories, but it was fun to give them a hard time.

I’m headed back to Portland tomorrow and have a few days to catch up/get ahead on NCLEX studying, go shoe shopping for my graduation Danskos, and chop my hair off!!!!!!! More about that to come…

Nighty nite!

I FORGOT MY CAMERA!

I even looked right at it this morning before we left for the airport and said, “Kristine, don’t forget the camera.”

Oh well. Par for the course this week, I guess.

Since it was another super early morning, I had coffee and toast on the go to the airport. The dogs came with to see me off, and Eli was freaking out for some reason and shaking in my lap, so I didn’t actually get to drink much of the coffee.

On board I had some chex mix and cran-apple-raspberry juice. Wasn’t exactly appetizing breakfast fare, but I wasn’t about to shell out $6 for a “picnic pack”. It looked good but not worth the $.

Mom and Kabi Jo were at the other end to pick me up. I dropped mom off at work and then headed to C’est Si Bon for a little iced mocha action. I also ordered a sandwich for my lunch…

Turkey on a whole wheat baguette with dijon, balsamic vinaigrette, light mayo, cornichons (yummy little pickles), tomato, lettuce, avocado and a little bit of brie.

Heaven on earth. Wish I had a picture to show off because this was a beauty. I LOVE C’est Si Bon’s sandwiches!

I was tempted to purchase a few palmier cookies too but I resisted the urge.

Then it was back to the house for a little R & R before my afternoon doctor’s appointment. P.S. I’m looking for a women’s health provider (preferably nurse-midwife) in the Portland area, so tips/suggestions are most welcome!

Then came a little study time at Borders books – I also bought a 2010 planner while I was there. I will be turning 30 in 2010. That’s just crazy. I ordered an ice-blended vanilla latte (or “Javakula” as they call it at Seattle’s Best).

Despite the caffeine overload, I still faded fast and only managed to get a few articles read before heading home again to rest up before retrieving Mom from work.

Tonight we hosted a movie night for the “4 G’s” dinner/film club my mom has recently started attending. The 4 G’s stand for: gaze (at a movie), grays, gab and guzzle.

It was a very nice evening with some very nice ladies I haven’t seen in a while. Mom had pre-made a batch of our favorite vegetarian chili from Cooking Light, and there was a ton of other food that people brought.

For dinner, I loaded up my plate with an asparagus salad with mushrooms (yum), plus had a few bites of orzo salad and some delicious mac/cheese/tomato concoction. Skipped the bread and had a small bowl of chili. I also had a tuna roll from the sushi platter someone had bought. Oh, and a couple glasses of a DELICIOUS cab!

Then it was dessert time. OMG, these women know how to bake! Mom and I decided to split a sampler plate of the different slices: vanilla cake with chocolate/fudge icing, an apple/raspberry tart, and a small oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.

Mom also made a batch of our family’s favorite after-dinner drink: Hot Captains! All you do is heat up apple cider in a slow cooker (with cloves and cinnamon sticks, of course) and then mix in a little Captain Morgan’s…or a lot of Captain Morgan’s, if you prefer. The perfect warm drink. Mmmm…

Dessert and captains were consumed in front of the television while we watched the selected film for the evening: In America. FABULOUS choice! I had already seen it, but it was even better this time around! I would highly recommend renting it. It will break your heart but it will make you laugh and cry and smile and feel all the emotions of being alive.

Wow.

Tomorrow will definitely feature an hour of hardcore Zumba. Between a rest day and our little feast today (not to mention my 3 shifts at the hospital), my body is feeling a little sluggish. Time to recharge!

Nighty nite!

Since I have slacked on my posting, I’ll just give you a quick synopsis:

• I’m not a big breakfast eater, especially not at 5:30 am, but I’ve been forcing myself to eat a protein-loaded meal every day, with very good results. Especially considering I have really late lunches at the hospital (see below). So Monday/Tuesday I made a breakfast sandwich with egg, a slice of cheddar, half a piece of TJ’s chicken sausage and sundried tomatoes on toasted Asiago bread from Panera.

• Wednesday morning featured the return of peach quinoa, which REALLY kept me going!
• I have been horrible about taking breaks. I finally beg for lunch at about 4 every day and Wednesday I never officially took a meal break. Bad Tiney! But I had learned my lesson by then and made sure to pack a couple small almond butter & raspberry jam sandwiches so that I could nibble while I worked on charting.
• By the time I gave report last night, I was DONE! All I wanted was some comfort food and a cold beverage. Steve and I decided to go to Baja Fresh, one of our favorite stops for a quick, delicious bite. I hadn’t been there in months and I used to be a regular, so I decided to go with an old tradition and order the steak nachos with pinto beans. The difference this time from the past was that I stopped when I was full, rather than finishing the whole plate. Steve and I also split a root beer – Barq’s which is my favorite.

So Wednesday night wasn’t exactly the healthiest of meals, but I’m realizing that my self-control and ability to moderate the amount I eat are much improved. Baby steps, Tiney, baby steps.

My biggest frustration has been with exercise. I did get up early enough to work out 2/3 days (Day 3 there was no way in H-E-double hockey sticks I was leaving that bed until I absolutely had to). But they had to be abbreviated and I just don’t think I’m getting the results I’d like to.

However, something is better than nothing. I do notice that it helps my energy levels at clinical to have done something (even just 20 minutes of Zumba Abs). I also KNOW that I will NOT work out when I get home at the end of the day – my knees and back hurt and I just need to get off my feet.

The solution may just be that I intensify my workouts on non-clinical days. Work out twice, or lengthen the time or do strength training + a full hour of cardio. I haven’t figured out the formula yet.

Any suggestions????

Another reason to get back in shape!

But in the meantime, if I’m pledging to take care of myself, part of that has to include getting to bed early so I can survive the life of a “real” nurse.

Nighty nite!

It was my dad’s birthday and we decided to honor his memory by whipping up a batch of his famous guacamole.

And toasting him with shots of Captain Morgan’s.

Homemade shot glass...hey, you gotta work with what you have!

Here's to you, Daddy!

Down the hatch!

And making some daiquiris!

Steve also made carnitas in the slow-cooker and the apartment smelled incredible when I got home from class.

We decided to make a batch of nachos using a bag of Food Should Taste Good lime tortilla chips.

Daddy would have been so proud of our creation!

In the past, we might have finished the entire platter but we both paid attention to how we felt and stopped before we were stuffed to the gills.

However, two hours later I was bowing before the porcelain goddess and sick out of my mind.

I cannot figure out why. Was it the spiciness of the meat? (Steve cooked it in chipotles with adobo sauce and there were also diced jalapenos in the mix.) Spiciness usually doesn’t bother me much – in fact, I really like spicy food.

By the way, if you want to hear a hilarious story about our family and spicy peppers, ask my sister sometime.

Was it the meat itself? Steve didn’t get sick so it wasn’t necessarily that the meat was bad, but carnitas is made with pork shoulder, which has a lot of fat on it. And I don’t have a gallbladder (a consequence of years’ worth of unhealthy food choices). So did my digestive system put its foot down and send the fat back where it came from?

Who knows?

Regardless, I was shaky and weak for the next 24 hours or so. I took an actual rest day rather than an active one on Saturday and have just been trying to feel normal again so that I can make it through three straight days of clinical starting tomorrow.

Needless to say, this means I have not been super vigilant about photographing or recording my intake and activities this weekend. We’ll be back to normal this week. Nor have I been much for catching up on my favorite blogs…Google Reader tells me I have 80 posts to read!!!!!

I did feel good enough to tackle a Zumba Sculpt & Tone workout this afternoon. Now I’m sitting at Panera and studying while Eli gets groomed at the PetSmart next door. Picture of our lil fluffball to come!

Dinner tonight will probably be leftovers, followed by an early bedtime.

Nighty nite!

I’m also short on photos today … so much craziness that I forgot my camera.

I mixed it up a bit today and did the Winsor Pilates accelerated fat burning workout. 30 minutes of aerobics based on Pilates principles and 20 minutes of mat work. It felt reaallllyy good to work on my core and still get my heart rate up for a longer period of time.

Breakfast was on the go – a Stonyfield peach yogurt smoothie!

Could only find a picture of the strawberry smoothie online, but you get the gist.

This was delicious and creamy but my tummy was upset for a few hours afterward. I can’t figure out if it was just a coincidence or maybe my digestive system didn’t agree with the active cultures? Who knows?

I picked up a salad from New Seasons on my way to campus for a lunch meeting with my friend Audra and our final simulation! This week our “patient” had been burned in a car accident – lots of fluid replacement, pain management, dressing changes, the whole nine. A situation I doubt I’ll ever see in real life, but it was educational and FUN!

While we debriefed on the sim, I had a S’mores Z-bar and loved every bite!

When I got home and emerged from the garage level of our building, I was greeted by delicious smells wafting down the hallway. My was I delighted to realize that those aromas were coming from my own apartment!

Mushroom, Beef and Barley Soup

Steve adapted it (“slightly fudged” it, in his words) from a Cooking Light recipe and it was absolutely incredible! Very filling and full of flavor! The best part…it made so many servings that we have leftovers for the weekend, PLUS a couple servings that we froze for a rainy day. And there are plenty of those to be had around here.

I got some busy work done for school this evening while we cleared out the DVR a bit. I have another super busy day tomorrow, but I plan to take full advantage of a quiet weekend! We’re supposed to get up to 2 inches on Saturday so there will be much football watching and cozying up.

Nighty nite!