Tag Archives: english muffin

Trip Success

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After an english muffin with jam and butter courtesy of the motel’s “continental breakfast”, Ian and I hit the road ready to brave the bad weather. Apparently our hotel was in a snow vortex, and after driving three miles on the highway, the snowstorm completely stopped. Finally! The roads weren’t ideal but the visability was a thousand times better than last night. I’m really glad we ended up crashing at a motel last night instead of trying to finish out the drive!

We drove for an hour and a half and then stopped to pick up water, coffee, and a banana and to let Sonic run around the car and use his litter box. After the little creature was tired out, we completed the last leg of the trip. Whew, safe and sound in Michigan. It only took us how long?  ;)

We also ended up stopping for lunch on the road because we were both huuungry. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any “healthy” options and ended up eating at Wendy’s. I’m fairly anti-fast food plus I’m a pescatarian so it was difficult finding something healthy and filling for lunch. I settled on the Baja salad without the chili. I figured the guacamole would help keep me full (it did).

It was okay, actually better than expected, and the guacamole was surprisingly good. It wasn’t a complete loss, but I wish we could have found something better.

Because we lost so much time en route, the afternoon was spent running errands like finding new wiper blades, a quick grocery trip, and buying new running shoes and a spibelt.

I’ve been to running stores in Chicago but I just can’t find one that I love as much as Hansons so I always wait until I come home to buy new shoes :)

We also took my mom out to dinner at a Japanese grill & sushi bar called Katana.

I have an 18 mile run in the morning (given it isn’t too cold or snowy), so I was more than ready to carbo-load with some sushi :P

I started with a spicy seaweed salad. I liked it but not as much as a normal seaweed salad.

Then, Ian and I split some sushi rolls.

From left to right:

  • Rice Krispy- tuna, avocado, spicy creamy sauce, & scallions rolled in tempura flakes
  • Tattoo- spicy yellowtail, avocado, pickled radish, moochie paste with smelt roe
  • Spicy Salmon (back)- inside out roll with spicy creamy sauce

Even though we all had full bellies, after dinner, we haaad to go to one of our favorite Michigan spots, TCBY. I had a small pistachio cone with sprinkles. I didn’t take a picture but it looked a lot like this.

Well, I’m off to relax, I’m beat and have a busy day tomorrow including an 18 miler, a Michigan basketball game, and then a drive back to Chi-town.

Have a wonderful Saturday night!

What did you do this weekend?

Hazy Weather and Running with Colds

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The weather this winter has been so weird. This past weekend was freezing, yesterday was warm and sunny (45 degrees), and this morning its 40 degrees, foggy, and rainy. However, the temperature is supposed to drop during the day and we’re predicted to get snow this afternoon.

Chicago, please make up your mind, is it winter or is it spring?

Anyway, the rain and fog meant I couldn’t run outside in the dark this morning so I hit the gym for an easy 5 mile treadmill run. Still no pain in my ankle, so I think I’m in the clear, but I’m going to take it easy the next few days just in case.

Breakfast was nothing fancy.

I toasted an Ezekiel 7-Sprouted Grains English muffin (my fave) and topped half with orange cranberry spread and the other with cream cheese and apple pie preserves (it works, I promise ;) ). I also had a clementine (x2), an Adora disc, and some Starbucks blonde roast with soy creamer.

Breakfast is always better with friends :)

In running news, recent research has indicated that moderate exercise might actually decrease your risk of upper respiratory track infection by one-third, whereas strenuous exercise actually increases risk of URTI’s. Strenuous work-outs include training for long distance races.

What do you guys think? In your experience is this true? Are strenuous workouts worth the risk?

The long weekend is over, back to reality!

Leisurely Friday

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Happy Friday :) .  I’m enjoying a day off from work and my last day off before the semester starts. Break always goes by so fast!

I slept hard last night. So hard that I didn’t even hear Ian’s alarm go off this morning. I must have needed it and I do feel a little bit better today!

I knew it was going to be on the warm side and sunny today so I didn’t go out for a run first thing. I figured it would be nice to enjoy breakfast, do my morning routine, and then head out for a run mid-morning.

I did just that. I kept breakfast on the safe side by having an english muffin (half with orange cranberry spread and half with cream cheese + cranberry jam), two clementines, and an adora disk.

I substituted my usual coffee for a glass of water spiked with sweet tea mio.

My original plan was to go out for my run around 10:30 so that I could come back, shower, and eat lunch, but I started to get antsy around 9:30. I just couldn’t wait to run!

Whenever I leave the apartment, Sonic gives me a look of pure panic and I’m sure he’s thinking ”How could you evvvver leave me?”. Call him a drama queen or a mama’s boy, it still makes me feel guilty.

I had a speedy and sweaty run (it’s warm out there!) and completed a little over 7 miles in 51 minutes. When I got home, I chugged some water, some airborne, and then poured some iced coffee to have with lunch. I can’t believe there was a time when I didn’t drink coffee!

Lunch was easy and used up some leftovers.

I made a salad of brussels sprouts, arugula, and black beans and tossed it in a dressing similar to the pasta salad I made earlier this week (yogurt and salsa). I also sprinkled some cheese on top.

I waited about a half an hour and when I still felt hungry I had a new (to me) flavor of Siggi’s, pineapple, with a little cereal on top.

It did the trick and now I’m comfortably full.

While I should spent the day working on my thesis (I know homework before the semester even starts? Welcome to grad school!) it is just too nice to spend the day inside!

I mean come on, 54 degrees in Chicago in January? Crazy!

Enjoy the day!!

Sleepless in Chicago

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Sorry for being M.I.A. this morning but after being unable to sleep last night, a problem that rarely affects me, I was feeling a little under the weather this morning.

Its pretty gloomy and misty out, so I knew today would be a gym day and decided to post-pone my workout until after breakfast.

All I wanted this morning was a doughy english muffin and a banana, so thats what I had. I topped half of the muffin with orange cranberry spread and the other half with cream cheese and apple pie preserves.

I also had a sliced banana with sunflower butter and some mio sweetened water. No coffee today for me, I’m blaming a 4:00 cup yesterday for my sleepless night!

After watching a couple of episodes of Felicity (I’m hooked!), I headed to the gym to get in a short run. I ran 4 miles at under an 8 min/mile and then walked for about 5 minutes on an incline. I’m doing my long run tomorrow instead of Sunday so I wanted to loosen my muscles but keep the workout light.

When I got back to my apartment I was craving soup, so I started chopping vegetables. I chopped an onion, carrots, celery, a jalapeno pepper, mushrooms, and garlic and added vegetable broth, spinach, two sliced sausage-less sausages, leftover rice from yesterday, and numerous seasonings.

Bubble, bubble, bubble

I ladled myself some soup and added some greek yogurt and my favorite habenero pepper sauce.

Lunch is served!

The Farm

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Hello from Chicago! Ian had to work today, so we drove back from Michigan last night, which partly explains why I didn’t post yesterday (I’ll get to the other part in a second). It was great to spend some time with family over the holidays but its definitely nice to be back home. It felt amazing to sleep in my bed last night!

Anyway, the other reason I didn’t get to post yesterday is because Ian and I spent most of yesterday on a farm!

Ian’s mom cares for a horse about an hour away from where she lives in Michigan and when Ian and I saw how nice the weather was going to be, we decided to go with her to see the horses. The farm is also very relaxing. It’s so anti-city :P

This is Ian’s favorite horse, Cisco. He’s a miniature horse.

And this is Ian’s mom’s horse, Vision. Isn’t he handsome?

 This is her trying to wipe the dirt out of his eyes. He wasn’t having it

All of the horses were very friendly and came up to the fence to say hi to us. Of course it helped that we also had some treats for them :)

This was such a great way to spend our last day in Michigan. I really appreciate Ian’s mom for sharing the farm with us :)

Workout
I let myself sleep in a little bit today and then went out for a 5 mile run. I woke up stiff but the run loosened up my legs and I finished in 37:52.

Breakfast
Ian and I had dinner last night around 9 so I wasn’t too hungry when I first got back from running, so I busied myself around the apartment until hunger struck.

Breakfast was pretty easy today. I had an english muffin, two teeny tiny tangerines, and some coffee with soy creamer.

One half of the english muffin was topped with cream cheese and cranberry jam and the other with TJ’s orange cranberry spread. I also had an Adora disk.

Yummy!

I’m off of work (and school) for the week but have some personal work to keep me busy. Have a wonderful day!