Leftovers and Living

'Ello! Got my haircut. Nothing fancy, just a few inches off. Doesn't even look like that much to me, but I can feel it. I'm glad.

Yesterday I went out to eat at a southern restaurant in town. I had heard a lot about it, and since there was a fellowship to that restaurant I knew I had to go. One reason it was necessary was because they had chicken and waffles. I have never tried this bizarre concoction, and so I needed to try it. It's simply necessary if the offer is given.

There are two factors that make going out to dinner even better, or two factors that I look out for when going out to eat. Is that right? Not sure. Anywho, they are:

1. Someone else is paying for it
2. I can take leftovers home

I try to make leftovers out of EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, chicken and waffles do not make  leftover material. "You know that's not going to keep..." I know. I just like to live in denial and say that they will.
In conclusion, I'm not feasting on leftovers. Sad.

On that topic, there is the strangest phenomenon that I've been hearing about recently. I've been talking to people who don't like having leftovers. WHAT. What is this?
They complain it tastes funny. Then again, most of the people I've heard this from are kind of picky. I simply find it sad. Sure, some food doesn't taste as good the next day but having extra food for another day is fantastic! Just me I suppose.

In other news, I'm basically screwed for living arrangements next year. Oh, I asked earlier, "What should I do about housing?" to the "experts". They told me to wait, it'll all turn out. Then yesterday, I mentioned my housing and heard words that have been burning in my ears since:

"You're probably jumping on that too late."

GAH! This always happens! I listen to the people who "know" what they're talking about, and they tell me to take my time. By the time I get a second opinion, it's too late. So... yeah. I'm thinking next year is going to be another freakin' craigslist year. I vow to myself no exchange students though. I used to like the language Chinese... until I heard it screamed through the walls, leaving me awkwardly sitting in my room.

So, that's life right now. I really have to start this reading. I had a busy day, alright?
Oh, last news: my pace is getting slower and slower, and it's pissing me off like crazy. What have I been doing wrong?

Do you like taking leftovers home? What's your favorite leftover? I think I like burritos the best, or any Mexican food really.

Figuring Out Food

I have a confession.

I'm fake.
Okay, okay I guess it's not me that's fake, it's what I eat sometimes that's fake.

I'll admit it. I don't eat perfectly natural foods all of the time. If it's offered to me, I'll take a diet soda. I like sugar free versions of things. I'll eat things that aren't "natural", and I don't buy organic. I am what many health food bloggers despise.

However, at the same time I eat a lot of good for you foods. I eat fruits and veggies, I tend to eat things fairly close to their natural state as well, with a few things that are definitely not.

If you're thinking I was recently influenced by some health related study thing, you'd be right! Today I actually finished both a book and a movie based on dietary habits. I read The Butcher and the Vegetarian, and then watched Forks Over Knives.

The book was about a vegetarian girl trying to eat some meat in her diet for dietary reasons. She had been raised vegetarian, so it certainly was an adventure. It was alright, kept me entertained. She jumps around a lot with her thoughts though.

With Forks Over Knives, it talked about how a plant based diet is a better plan than a diet consisting of meat products. Funny thing is, I checked out the book The China Study before I saw this, and I couldn't finish it. It was too much of a research paper for me. This documentary? Pretty much the movie version of the book.

Both the book and the movie discussed the points of if we really need meat. Obviously there was talk about the humanity of slaughtering animals for our food, and how certain risks for diseases go do if we don't eat meat based proteins.
Ironically, during both the documentary and the book there were times when I was craving a burger.

See, I think that's one of the problems I've always had with people telling me that eating meat is wrong. Usually, it comes off as a "I'm better than you, so you should do this" type of vibe. It's the same type of thought that comes with telling a smoker that smoking is killing them. Yes, they know that, same with how I know that many plant based diets are a lot better than ones that include meat. But you know what? I like my meat. I hate being limited on what I can try, and that's a big part of vegetarianism. Oh I know that there's plenty you can eat. I've read the stories, "you're not limited at all". Can you try that venison burger? No, you cannot. I'm fine with vegetarian meals, but I like trying meat too. Having limits on what you can eat is what made me so mad about being allergic to shrimp and crab. I mean, during Spring Break my mom was terrified of me trying a sea bass and corn chowder because she thought it was shrimp. (it was delicious by the way).

One of the bigger pictures to get is to cut down on the processed foods and eat more veggies. I at least try to do that I suppose. And I have to admit, part of the appeal of baking bread is feeling like it's "fresher" and "healthier" even if it's not as healthy as I think. At least I know what is in it then. (I also like it because I can slice my slices any way I want, but that's a different story).

Oh I thought I was doing alright since I eat eggs so much, but apparently that's bad too. Any animal based thing. I guess their ideas in Forks Over Knives were more vegan than vegetarian.

I said that the reason why I like being an omnivore is because I don't want to miss out on things, right? So why not veggie it up at home? Some people go vegetarian because it's cheaper, and I know that meat tends to be my priciest grocery. I like to argue that meat makes me feel fuller. I dunno, maybe that's just a mind game I play with myself. Eh.

Do I have a point to all of this? Hmm. Maybe eat what you like, but try to eat as natural as possible? Then again, it's okay to have some unnatural things? Ah, I dunno. All I know is that I want to be able to eat anything, and that includes meat. So I will.
Oh, as for the non-organic? I don't eat organic only because it's cheaper not to. I would if it wasn't, but I'm a frugal college kid.

Guh... I don't want to work on my Annotated Bibliography. Bah. Lazy lazy.

What affects the way you eat? What's one thing about your diet that isn't up to par with the "perfect" diet?

A Lack of Common Sense

Yesterday seemed to be kind of a day where I lacked common sense. It happens sometimes.

For instance, instead of eating real food for meals yesterday, I instead ate Easter candy for my meals. Yes, both lunch and dinner. There were a few slices of ham thrown in there at one point, but still. See, my thought process for this was, "Well you're going to eat a boat-load of candy anyway today. I know that. So might as well skip the middle man." And skip that middle man I did. Oof. I don't regret it though. I used to be able to eat junk instead of real meals all of the time, and now... not so much. Am I getting old? I didn't think 20 was old, but who knows.
Then again, I also weighed 15 lbs more when I was able to eat junk as meals more often. It could be that my body actually understands that healthy food is what my body needs. What a concept.

The other thing that was blocked from common sense yesterday was the fact that after finishing my reading for class just in time to get eight hours of sleep, I then proceeded to stay up for another half hour. Goodness.

There are so many moments where I throw common sense to the wind, and it's ridiculous. Mainly, this comes with procrastination. Common sense and procrastination seem to be complete opposites, eh? That's why I'm trying to get better with it. Hence the goal of spending time on the computer only when I'm done with work.
Side note: this is a hard goal to keep when your reading is on the computer. Also when it comes to blogging. There's just so many ways to waste my time on the Internet! Ah well.

Now it's time to more onto my next thing I've been procrastinating on, and that's going to the grocery store. I need bread products and fruit. And yes, I said bread products. Long story.

When does your common sense fly out the window?

Fueling the Body

Alright. I've got a few things to talk about today, but many of the topics all mix together. So... you're gonna have to try and follow me here.

Despite all of the times that I've tried to be pro-body/all of that stuff, I still have body issues. I still feel fat sometimes, and I still feel like my body isn't up to par with the people around me. I don't think I can really escape the though process easily, the idea is so ingrained in my mind. I know I'm not the only one who thinks about this stuff though.
I bring this up because I was thinking about this during spring break. On one of the later days of the trip, I was feel less than confident about the way I looked. To me, I was the only one who seemed to be eating on this trip. I'd look around, and it felt like I had eaten double what everyone else had eaten. Funny thing- I have this habit of getting hungry. Apparently everyone else could drink their meals instead, and that didn't cut it for me.
I told my mom this, and she was surprised. It seemed that everyone else thought I wasn't eating, which is why they encouraged me to eat so much. I didn't see it.
There were two people in my group who did actually fit this not eating group, and one of them I discovered was because she... well, she might have an eating disorder. Or so I was told. She had actually been about 30 lbs heavier, and recently slimmed down again. Watching her eat, she would have a bite of something and be done. Normal people see this and think, "Oh, she needs to eat more." I see this and think, "Why on earth is she not hungry anymore? Why am I still hungry?" Ridiculous, I know.
The other person I saw eat hardly anything was my aunt, but I don't even want to talk about it. She ate a tad more than the other person, but not much. Guh, I don't even want to think about it, it stresses me out.
One comment I've learned I hate? "Oh, you must have been hungry." That's never a compliment. If someone says this who ate less than you, it feels like an insult. Like you can't control yourself around food or something. I don't need that comment. Personal thought.

Looking back, it's crazy. I have a good body. Sure, there were some girls on spring break that looked way better then I did, but there were PLENTY of girls with worse bodies. Honestly though, I really shouldn't care that much. Like I said, issues.

Another thought I was thinking of was exercise and the body. One of the best comments I've ever received was, "You should do underwear/nude pictures, you have a killer body for it." Before you say anything about how creepy that comment sounds, it was in context. My friend was talking about some pictures like that she and another friend took recently (yes, I know people like this), and it came up. Now, I would never do nude pics EVER. Too risky. You never know who could get access to stuff like that. Once it's in picture form... anywho, the point is looking good naked. Can you see how I'm hopping around today?

The comment actually reminds me of a quote I've read recently. I don't know the exact wording, but it goes something like, "You lose weight to look good in clothes. You exercise to look good naked." Um, how true is that? Well, there are plenty of other reasons to work out, but I think this is a very good reason. Fat and muscle look very different on a body for the same weight. Heck, I've weighed more yet looked more toned, or better. That's why sometimes NSV are better than what you read on the scale.

Which brings me back to spring break. And the no eating. I need food because I need fuel. My body is a machine that needs to be re-energized. Therefore, I need to eat. I like having a body that can push me farther. I like having muscles pop out in my calves. That means I'll fuel my body, so I can keep going. Besides, I'd rather eat my calories than drink them.

Oh, and random note: Yeah, I didn't take pictures. I'm that college kid who goes on vacation and doesn't take pictures of myself in a bikini. Not because of no self-confidence, it's just we've tried before and no one really remembers. However, there are some pictures of me from the fishing trip that a family friend took, so perhaps I'll get those in a bit.

Man I need to shower. Oh dear.

Do the eating habits of others ever affect you? And this could be anything, like you eat more when you're with someone.

The Start of Finals and Such

Is it Friday yet? I'd really like it to be Friday.

Today I had two of my first finals, and they turned out alright... at least I hope that Econ final turned out alright. One of my most important study rules is to get a good night's sleep. Might sound silly, but it helps the information actually stick. Well last night for some reason my brain thought waking up at all hours was a much better plan. I think I was worried about getting up on time, which is ridiculous. I've had an 8 AM class every day this term, so I think it's possible for me to wake up normally for a test at the same time.

I don't have anything on my plate for the next few days other than two more finals, a haircut, and the Hunger Games. You'd think I'd be worried for my two finals, but honestly I feel like I'm already done. Despite my lack of proper grammar in the blog, I know my grammar pretty well. I didn't even study for the last quiz and got 100%. I skimmed for the midterm and missed one. Knock on wood still. I'll obviously study a little though. The other "final" is a monlogue performance, and I think that'll be fine.

I'm finally getting a haircut! 'Bout time. I'm going to grow out my bangs instead of trimming them again because I'm done with them. Bah. I'll deal with my forehead instead. The rest of the world (people I talk to) think that I should keep it long, but I'm getting tired of it. When you get choked by your own hair in the middle of the night because you shift to the other side, you tend to wish for shorter hair.

I've been thinking about my goal of "living well" I set for myself at the beginning of January, and I need to get back into high gear for that. Sure, I've been eating fruits and veggies, but I need to think less about food. Well, less obsessing about food. Thinking about when I can eat, how much I can eat...
No. I need to eat like a normal human being.

Speaking of food... Don't you hate it when you're at the point where if you buy something now, you'll have too much of it by the end of the week, but if you don't you'll have to live without it for awhile? Currently, I am without English muffins. I eat them all of the time, and that includes for breakfast with peanut butter and jam. PB and J on toast is my breakfast almost every day, but I can't do that with no toast. I'd go to the store, but there are other things I should probably use up. I'm also out of craisins and frozen veggies, two other staples. Will I cave? We'll see. I have three days to last without.

On the last food note, I think I've realized I don't actually like baked goods. I like the batter. I was seriously looking at desserts and thought, "Man, I bet the bowl for that would be delicious to lick." Cookie dough is so much more satisfying than cookies. Banana bread bowls are meant for me to taste. I seem to like the taste of salmonella? Eh. You can have your chocolate fudge cake, just gimme the bowl and spoon.

Even though I ran today and yesterday, I'm considering a run tomorrow. I don't run three days in a row, so I probably shouldn't. Whenever I run though, I feel like I've actually done something with my day. Goodness, that is a bit concerning... but I don't have anything on my scedule tomorrow. Maybe I'll look for a running store down here.

Well. That certainly was a random post. Random post for a random day I guess? Finals week will do that to you.

How is your week going? Any big, exciting projects?

Sugar Intake

Happiness is getting an A- on a midterm that you were convinced you were going to barely pass. YES.

Anywho, hello! How is everyone doin'? As you can probably figure out, I'm in a fairly good mood.

Lately I've been having trouble with my no soda/no gum buying situation. The reason I like both of these is because I get a sweet flavor to taste, without actually eating anything. And that's usually just what I crave.

However, recently I've been munchy just because I want the sweet taste. Not good.

I've always had a huge sweet tooth. I could care less about the potato chips, but give me a plate of cookies? I can't contain myself. This obviously leads to a problem with sugar.
I know for a fact that I eat way too much sugar, and that's even on a pretty healthy day. The thing that probably causes the biggest impact? My beloved craisins.

I've looked at a package of them for sugar content, and it's about half a day's worth! Ridiculous.
Still, I love my craisins. It's a lazy way to get some fruit in, and it's so delicious.

On the other hand, that sugar consumption needs to go down. Maybe I'll have to wean myself off the craisins. At least not have them as often as I do now. Sigh.

Do you have a big sweet tooth? Or do you crave salty snacks more often?

The World of Breakfast

Tonight I went to a restaurant called Off the Waffle with some APO people. Breakfast for dinner? Completely acceptable.

They serve pretty much just waffles, all with different toppings. Some are sweet, some are savory, some are a mix of both. All of the waffles are probably quite tasty, but for my first "Off the Waffle" waffle, I decided to go for a sweet treat.

Another reason for the sweet instead of savory was because of how I view waffles. Waffles are something that have to be sweet. Drizzled with syrup, topped with melting chocolate chips... That's just how they have to be eaten! Chicken and waffles simply sounds crazy to me. Syrup covered chicken just seems weird.

Now, I'm all for some combos of savory and sweet. I love bacon and maple doughnuts. French fries dipped in shakes are scrumptious. So why can't I get on board with the savory waffle? The same goes for pancakes. Actually, I'm more of a pancakes girl myself.

As for breakfast in general, I tend to go towards a more savory side. If I don't have protein, I usually get hungry. Strangely enough, I was pretty satisfied after my waffle though. Hm. Anywho, I digress. Truthfully I would always order a sweet breakfast when the event arises. Alas, I tend to go with some protein instead. Maybe next time I'm in C-town at the Broken Yolk, I'll try that giant cinnamon roll.

Almost every morning I have toast/English muffin with peanut butter and jam. Tomorrow, I'm trying something different. I'm trying a protein smoothie. We'll see how that turns out. Seeing as I bought English muffins, I'm not sure how well this will turn out.

What type of breakfast do you usually crave?

Scheduled Eating Times

One thing that has made me believe I am not a college kid is my need for food. Perhaps it sounds a little strange, but many college kids I know tend to be able to go without food for quite some time. I've had conversations where college kids have said, "Oh. I guess I forgot to eat today. Huh."

HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?

I don't know. I just don't. When I get hungry, it affects everything. Now I don't get hangry like my sister, but here are a few things that happen to me:

• Become very cold.
• Shakey
• Lack of concentration

Pretty much I can hardly think. Imagine my surprise when today I:
Ate breakfast at 9:00 AM
Ate lunch at 1:30 PM
Ate dinner at 9:00 PM

Can you figure out where I was emotionally at 9:00 PM? Just a touch irritable.

I used to be very structured on what times I ate. Thankfully I've worked past that, but not until 9:00 PM. Goodness.

One of the reasons why it's bad to get to an extremely hungry point is because you'll over-eat. Honestly today though, I didn't freak out. I ate normally. Nice.

So, who's not ready for the week to start? Just me? Alright then.

Can you go for long stretches of time without eating? Do you eat at designated times?

Making Hideous Foods

So... school. Yeah. I'm not ready for you yet. Even though I had a long break. I'm ready for routine, but homework and studying? Not fun.

Ha, but it is about time to get off my lazy arse and get back to the swing of things.

Speaking of swinging, I swung back by my house (or parent's house) to get a few more of my things. It's one of the nice things about living not-so-far away from college. After college though? Hoping to go a bit away... at least for a little while.
Truthfully? I wanted to get in one last normal shower before I had to take one in my apartment. Eugh.

While I was home for a few hours, there was one thing I was able to get done:

Brew some coffee! Just kidding. I made soup! It's called curried lentil soup, and I'm excited to try it! I have yet to do so, simply because I've heard that things made with lentils are usually better after at least a day. As for how it looks? Well, not very appetizing. The color is a brownish green, and it's sort of sludgy. I've saved you the visual... for now.
Still, I know some of the most unappealing looking meals have been some of the most delicious. I think this works for many Indian dishes. For instance, Chicken Saag is hideous, but I love it.

Also bought books today. Ouch. Most of the books were only available at this school, so online was not an option. I think it's the most I've spent on books yet.

Tomorrow is a cleaning day, and making more food day! I think I'm going to freeze half of the soups, so I'll still have three to eat. Have to have some variety though!

What hideous looking food do you love?

Eating Your Veggies

As school creeps closer, the planning for how I'm going to eat when I'm back to the apartment.

I spent part of today cutting up fruit and veggies, as to have them ready when I need them. One of the easiest ways to eat healthy? Cut up things in advanced. Obvious information, right? Still, we tend to forget.

One healthy habit that I want to try this term? Eating more vegetarian meals. I used to not eat very many vegetarian meals simply due to the fact that many I found didn't have very good sources of protein. For me, I need protein. If I don't, I tend to get hungry again quickly. The types of meals I saw were just a lot of cheese, or maybe only some veggies as substitutes. Not good.
However, during this last term I happened to make some veggie-only curry and you know what? It kept me satisfied. Another time vegetarian food filled me up was last year when I had a tofu wrap from WOU's cafeteria. It tasted good because it had different flavors, and more texture than mushy tofu. I just need to make vegetarian food with proteins like beans and tofu. I mean, I've already been having vegetarian meals for breakfast almost every morning.

At the same time, I don't ever want to go full on vegetarian. For one, I like meat far too much. Pulled pork? Yumm... The other reason is that I don't want to be limited on what I can eat.
I know. I KNOW. The whole vegetarian community shouts out at that comment, "You're never limited! There are plenty of ways to eat vegetarian, and you actually get a chance to be more creative!" And I agree, many vegetarians I've seen are a lot more creative with food. Still, I hate the idea of going somewhere I having to say, "Oh, I can't eat that because..." I mean, you'd never be able to be a judge on Iron Chef America!
Actually, I'd probably never be able to do that now that I'm allergic to shrimp and crab. Yes, I will bitch about that until the day I die. (Then again, what would my chances of being a judge be in the first place? I can dream, can't I?)

Anywho. Back to the whole vegetarian meals thing. I'd like to make a few more meals veggie for two reasons: Cost and health. Meat is always what adds up in my grocery list. That... and veggies. But things like lentils and garbanzo beans? Cheap cheap. At the same time, I've been seeing a lot of things talking about how it's good to incorporate vegetarian meals to improve your health.

More vegetarian meals. That's the plan.

Although in all reality, I'm probably going to end up making scrambled eggs for most meals again like last term. 'Cause I'm like a sad bachelor who happens to bake bread.

How often do you eat vegetarian/Are you vegetarian? What influences you to eat vegetarian or meat?

Eating Like a European

Before I say anything else, I'll just say this. To add to my "Pretentious Movie Buff Know-How", I watched the movie A Clockwork Orange today. I'm not sure if I really liked it. Can you like a movie where you don't like any of the characters? Because that movie? Does not give you any characters to root for.

Being the holiday season and all, I've been thinking about food. Such as, having different food around for Christmas break, and baking treats, things like that.

Pumpkin bread muffins! Not for me though.

One thing that I've found interesting about food is how people eat. As for the basics like proper etiquette, I'm a freak about it. I hate when people smack, I worry when I accidentally clang my fork against a plate. I like etiquette, but that's mainly because I was raised to be a freak about manners. My mother collects etiquette books. However, people's manners in regards to eating isn't what I've been thinking about recently. I've been thinking about the speed of eating.

I just have to ask: Do people actually chew food thirty times before chewing? I highly doubt it. I've tried, it takes about a minute if you do. Still, eating slowly in general is a good thing. It makes you eat less, and helps you realize when you're full. Still, a lot of people don't enjoy their food like they should. Think of the "Eat like a European" concept. I haven't read the many books about it, but apparently Europeans really enjoy their food. Not like those ridiculous commercials where people are basically having orgasms, but simply without distractions. We Americans just scarf our food down, while doing something else at the same time.

I know I tend to eat my food quickly if I'm not thinking about it. It happens. Recently while eating something, I thought, "When (if) I get to go to Europe, I'll eat like a European." I instantly realized how silly that was, and decided I should do that now.
Sure, I suck at it. I still have things to distract me while I eat sometimes, it's a force of habit. Still, I'm working on it.

Other things I need to work on? Eating only until content, listening to my body more, and all that jazz. Ah, the joys of trying to be smart about food.

Other than that, just trying to be more productive that I have been. Today? Not the greatest in that sense. Let's try again tomorrow, by trying to get to bed earlier!

Do you "Eat Like a European?" Do you care about food etiquette?

On a random note, the whole a versus an thing is bothering me. It's an E before European, but it's not an, right? I don't know.

Random Thoughts and Goals for December

Before we get started, I'm just gonna toss out a few things on my mind.

• I'm getting an allergy test tomorrow, to see if it's true that I can't have shrimp. I hope it's not. I love shrimp, I don't want it to hurt me.
• For the last two days, I've had the lyrics "An elephant never forgets, so my dick remembers everything" stuck in my head. Yeah. I like the song "Freaks and Geeks" by Childish Gambino, although all I can think is, "Silly Troy, why are you rapping?"
• I got accepted to be a member of APO! Yah! I did all of the stuff, so it was kind of expected but still. Huzzah!
• Why is it that I can't bake small things? I always burn the bottoms. I never have this problem with loaves. Sure, the rest of it is fine but burnt bottoms are never fun. I ended up scraping off the bottoms of some Chocolate chip scones so they're acceptable to give away.
• It's my mother's birthday! Happy birthday mom, love ya! Thanks for raising me to be mostly normal.
• This week has been Dead Week, and it's actually been surprisingly dead for me. I have a paper to edit for Friday but other than that... classes have been reviewing stuff. I know that a lot of the people are doing projects this week, but I also think that they have less to do during finals week. I do have three finals...

Are we good? We're good. Anywho, what I wanted to talk about today are goals. I see bloggers always posting their goals, and it seems like a good way to stay on track. They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Or is it 28? Whatever. All I'm saying is that it's time I make monthly goals.
I'll admit, I actually did have a goal for November, and I stuck to it pretty well. It was:

• Eat 2 servings of fruits and 2.5 servings of veggies
• Only one serving of cooked veggies a day
• Only one dried fruit for a fruit serving per day

Other than Thanksgiving where everyone has plates of tan and white, I did quite well on this! I ate salad, and I even got back into grapes! I used to not like grapes because I'd always grab the bunch with the gross squishy ones. It tainted my memory of grapes.

Now that we're starting December (!) it's time to work on a new goal. I actually have two things to work on this month. First, is to track my computer time and cut way back. I've talked about my obsession with the computer, and it's horrendous. The thing is, I never actually see how much time I spend on it. I think if I track computer use, it'll make me want to spend less time on it because of all of the shame I will feel.

My other goal is to not spend money on soda or gum. Now, this is kind of cheap since I'm going to probably spend a good chunk of time at my parents' house (which is always stocked with some sort of diet soda). However, I'll push this through January as well. Gum and soda? I should not waste money on you. Even if you are delicious. The biggest problem I have with this though is that I like having some sort of flavor in my mouth at all times. Yeah, that sounds dirty. Due to this, I tend to munch more when I don't have something occupying my taste buds with zero calories. Guh.

I think it'll be good just to have two goals per month, because it's easier to work your way up. At least that's what I'm hoping will happen.

I don't want to go to classes anymore. I want it to be winter break now. Can we arrange that, with me still getting good grades in my classes? No? Boo.

Do you have any goals for December?

Thanksgiving Recap

Alright, first of all I have no idea how some of y'all were able to post yesterday. Seriously, I had no time at all! Anywho...

Before I get into an actual recap, I suppose it would be best if I threw in my things to be thankful for. I was planning to do two posts today, but... no. That's not gonna happen. Well, what am I thankful for? The obvious things like family, running, education, and basically the ability availability I have to do so many different things.

Now, onto the Thanksgiving recap! Honestly, not sure how much I have to say about Thanksgiving, but let's just see what we can do. There has been one year where I only ate until I was content. This was not the year.

Before any of the feasting occurred, it was time to participate in the Treadmill in the Basement Turkey Trot. Part of the requirements was making a race bib. I felt a tad ridiculous wearing a race bib while not in a race, but you gotta do what you gotta do. As for the bib my biggest concern of the day was about even getting my run in. So having a proper bib? Not much on my mind. That means I had this attached to my jacket:

Yes, a bit sad. We make due.

My contribution to the Turkey Trot? 10 miles. I decided to do my long run that morning instead, which if we're being honest was just because of the upcoming eats that were happening.

After the run, obviously food cooking was in full swing, and appetizers were on. All you need to know about that is that's the point where I eat pretty much all I really want to eat for the day: Brie cheese. Wrapped in a crescent roll.  Honestly, that's all you need to know.

The rest of day included the obvious dinner, Apples to Apples, and also included the Annual Turkey Bowl. The Turkey Bowl is basically all of the family members heading off to the high school and playing a "game of football". I say it like that because it's really just throwing the ball around to each person, trying to have them run. Mostly the little kids. For the older gals (including me), that meant goofing off and recording videos at the edge of the field.

Later, there were card games and talking. There were other things too I think. I'm not sure I remember just everything that happened, but all I know is that the cousins? We all stayed up until 3:00 in the morning. Oh god. This does not work for someone who wakes up automatically at 9:00 AM.

Right now, I'm exhausted but I'm watching the newest episode of The Soup. Homework time starts tomorrow. I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving!

What did you do for your Thanksgiving?

The Shopping Advice

They say you should never go shopping when you're hungry. For the most part, I usually abide by this rule. However, today I was not expecting to be ravenous at 10:30 AM. Which is why everything I passed by looked incredible while I was grocery shopping this morning.

Fun fact: I grocery shop on Wednesdays because I've heard from multiple sources that the stores are at their cheapest prices on Wednesday. Mock me if you must, but at least I don't have to deal with the weekend craziness.

The reason they say that you should never go shopping when you're hungry is because you'll make bad food decisions. Did that affect me? Well...

Yes. Just a little. However, I thought about it, and I came to this conclusion: Having a little bit of something sweet helps us from bingeing on other foods, because we can actually satisfy our craving. I'm always craving a little bit of dessert, so having a little on hand is a good thing. Plus, I know what a serving size is. A lot of people scoop way more than that. I scooped into a half cup, and enjoyed my little treat! (On a random note, scooping ice cream into a measuring cup feels ridiculous. I need one of those scoops that measures the ice cream at the same time.)

Speaking of food, recently in Human Physiology we've been talking about The Female Athlete, and eating disorders. Sure, not every female athlete has one, but it's very common in them as the talks have gone. Our professor's main point has been that currently, we're putting "money in the bank", so to speak. What that means is right now we're building up bones and muscle that will help us when we're older, or "withdrawing". The whole point of it is that if you're not adding to the bank, you're going to be out of luck when you're older. As for the female athlete, if they're not getting enough nutrients in (food), that means they might be experiencing amennorheia, and their bone density is disappearing. Not good. This section has made me eat more lately, while frantically screaming, "I need money in the bank!" in my head. The truth is, I probably haven't been fueling up enough lately for my running, and I want to be healthy in the future. And no, that doesn't mean stuffing my face with ice cream. I just need more good fuel. Honestly, I know that there are times where I should eat more, just because of how my body is reacting. It's a little worrisome.
Then again, I don't want to gain weight like crazy. Goodness, the balance is so difficult.

Huh, when did this post become so serious? I thought we were talking about ice cream. Oh well.

What is a shopping rule that you like to follow? What's a rule that you always break?

Food for Thought: Wasting Food

I have a confession: I've let food go bad.

I know, I know. As a college kid who's trying to be frugal, wasting food is one of the worst things I could do. It's a problem.
The thing is, I think it's because I haven't been eating my food the right way. There's been stuff that I've waited to use, and should have cooked up as soon as I bought it.

Another reason for my food crime? I got way too much food at the beginning of the school year. In my mind, I thought that I would need a lot more food than I bought. I suppose I got a little too excited. I mean, I had never bought or cooked all of my groceries for myself before! Sure, I've made food when at non-college home... but the groceries were not those that I bought for myself. Plus, I grew up eating a lot of... dare I admit it, smart ones. That's just what had been in my house for the most part. And soup. I've always liked my soup.

Final reason for my spoiling quickly food? I've been making multiple portions, then saving them in the fridge. Thinking I'll eat it all quickly, I've soon come to understand that it's very easy to get bored of foods. That usually means I'm wandering over to the soup.

Now, I'm realizing how quickly food can go bad. I'm trying to learn more about it. For one thing, I need to make variety out of my foods. Usually I cook up one type of meat, and throw it with something else. I need to explore flavors and tastes.

Another thing I need to do? Freeze food! I froze chicken breasts, and used those. I know I can freeze food, I just need to take more advantage of it.

Lastly, I need to use the foods I buy as soon as possible. Truthfully, it's been things like veggies that have gone bad. No more giant bags of spinach, just what I can use.

Welp, I suppose that's it from me. I'm currently in Washington. Yup. More on that later.

What do you do to make sure you don't waste food?

Scandia Fun Run

Well now, it can't be this late already, can it?
Hm. I suppose it can. Anywho!

Recently I decided to sign up for a little fun run today call the Scandia Run, as I mentioned yesterday. Indeed, it was quite lovely. Very flat, and for most of the race we ran past never ending fields of lavender. How lovely.

I managed to finish in 51:44, which is crazy for me! Somehow I always end up running races so much faster than my training pace. Then again, I'm pretty sure that's how you're supposed to do it.

Yes, I was able to enjoy a meat pie afterwards. And it was amazing.

Well. I was going to write more, but I've completely lost my train of thought. What can you do, eh? I'm going to run my long run tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. See y'all tomorrow!

A Personal How To For Restaurant Ordering

Seriously, I always wonder just how time ends up passing me by so quickly every day.

Going out to eat is almost always a nice thing to do. Everyone gets to choose what they want to eat, you don't have to cook, you can have tasty foods you wouldn't make at home... It's a nice little deal. (Especially if you don't have to pay.)

One of the issues that a lot of people have with eating out is knowing what to order. Of course, I'm talking about myself. There are just so many things that look good, you know? I know I'm not the only one who's been in this predicament, but you don't want to hold up the waiter because:
1. It's rude. They have other customers to get to, and you shouldn't waste their time.
2. No one else wants to have the waiter waiting either.

So, here are my tips if you're anything like me!

• Don't start talking to your group. As soon as you get your menu, start looking for what you want.
• Go with your gut. Don't go with your second guess, because chances are the first thing that peaked your interest was actually what you wanted.
• If the waiter comes over and says, "Ready to order?", say no. You won't magically know while everyone else is ordering.

So don't be a staller. I know every time I do, I want to smack myself after the waiter has finally gotten our orders down, and I don't think they want to deal with a crazy person too.

What bad habit do you always fall into at restaurants/other places that are similar? What do you do to fix it?

Cancelled Class and Not So Healthy Eating

Ah, don't you love it when luck is on your side?

For me, that luck came in the form of class being cancelled. I don't know why it was cancelled, but it was good for me. I ended up working on Spanish homework all day though... So did it really matter?
(Yes. Yes it did. Because I needed time to work on the stuff.)

I'll be honest with y'all. Despite working on eating healthy most of the time, there are days where all I want to eat is junk food. Hey, sometimes I'll eat junk instead of real food. Not both, just instead. Sometimes I'll eat junk and good food. I think one of the benefits of still being fairly young is that I can eat pretty terribly some days and not completely destroy myself. Or maybe it's the running. Then again, sometimes it's the crappy food that messes with my running. Ah, I dunno.

So I don't eat the greatest sometimes. Which is a big reason I'm not doing a health blog. That, and I don't know how to cook healthy food (let alone any type of food, really).

Yeah, I'll admit I could eat cookies instead of a real meal. Which I have done before. Recently.

What not so healthy activities do you partake in?

The Age Old Question Regarding Food

I'm done with Spanish 201! ...Now onto Spanish 202, starting on Monday. Huzzah.

I may only have nineteen years under my belt, but I know that there is one question out there that should be fairly simple that instead is one of the most frustrating questions to answer.

Where should we go out to eat?

I'm not the only one out there who finds this question so baffling, I know it.

Why is it that question is so difficult to answer? I don't know. It's especially bothersome in a place you know well, because you think, "We went there a few days ago, I don't want that."

90% of the time, everyone knows what they're in the mood for food wise. It's simply trying to analyze what the rest of your group would approve of.

Which usually means someone is disappointed. Maybe not always, but it's certainly not uncommon.

I'm tired. How will my long run fare being tomorrow? Ack.

How do you decide on where to eat when with a group?

Spanish Compositions and Dried Fruit

Blah, I dislike Spanish compositions, and I don't think anyone else does either. So we're not going to talk about that. We're going to talk about dried fruit.

Oh yes. We're living on the edge over here.

From the very first time I tried an oatmeal raisin cookie, I knew that baked goods and dried fruit do not mix. Sure, there are many people out there who would disagree with my stance, like my own father. Favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin? What's wrong with him?

Strangely enough, despite my hatred of baked goods with dehydrated fruits I love dried fruit by itself. During the school year when I ate breakfast in Valsets, I would always take a scoop of raisins meant for waffle toppings just to munch on. Not as a garnish, just alone.
My favorite dried fruits are craisins and raisins, just because they're so good to chomp on. However, if I don't measure it out... I could probably take down a whole bag. And dried fruit can be pretty calorie-packed if you eat a lot of it.

...not to mention what cranberries are good for. Ack.

Then why is it when I see a raisin in my cinnamon roll, I'm grossed out? Maybe the softness of baked dough clashes with the... really, what consistency would you call dried fruit? I'm at a loss.

I'm off to the cousins' house, so ta ta!

What is your stance on dried fruit?