Category Archives: Lunch

Favorites

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I am almost convinced that all of life’s problems can be solved over a cup of frozen yogurt. Or organic food from Start. I’ll let you choose.

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My latest from Start: Mediterranean Quinoa bowl with sweet potato tots on the side.

It’s probably a good thing I do not live in close driving distance to this restaurant, or else I would want to go every day of break.

My sister recently introduced us to a new yogurt place that *gasp* I hadn’t been to yet.

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I got vanilla and chocolate frozen yogurt with peanut butter cups and homemade whipped cream on top. Yum.

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They must know people like us will eat there just because they have cute monsters on the cup.

Today marks one week left of break. It has definitely gone fast, however, I am not dreading heading back to school. I’m dreading the school-work part, but not the being able to see my friends part and starting my second semester.

Anyone have any fun plans for the weekend?

A Day in the City

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Today I spent the afternoon with my sister and we went Christmas shopping, ate yummy food, talked about life, and watched a Christmas movie. I had such a fun time!

We started the afternoon with lunch at Start. Also known as my new forever favorite restaurant. Their motto is Real Food Fast and they definitely delivered.

I went with the organic veggie-bean quinoa burger on a gluten-free bun with a side of sweet potato tots. Best meal ever.

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The burger was superb and the sweet potato tots were excellent. I recommend this place 100%. I now know where I will eat whenever I’m in the city.

Afterwards, we put our shopping faces on and headed to Half-Price Books.

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Some organic green tea was in order for successful shopping.

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We were able to score some Christmas presents and sneak some pictures in front of the giant tree in the mall. (We may or may not have watched people fall ice skate below us for thirty minutes.)

After we were done, we headed back to my sisters place to eat some delicious veggie pizza (forgot a picture) and watch Christmas in Connecticut.

We also broke into some of the leftover gluten-free desserts and I managed to help out eating a peanut butter cup the size of a small cake. You just can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate.

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When I got home I was [shockingly] looking in the fridge (because clearly I hadn’t eaten enough today) and I saw this:

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It’s like only my dream to get an edible arrangement one day. And while this edible arrangement was for my dad, he kindly said I could eat from it. Yes, the pineapples are shaped like stars.

A boy once asked me what kind of flowers I would want a guy to get me and I said an edible arrangement. I look back on that and think I possibly should have stuck to flowers…he may have been a little confused and weird-ed out. Oh well.

What are your favorite flowers to receive? 

Since I am not going to say edible arrangements again, I would definitely go with daisies.

Friends, Family, & Fall

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Hey everybody! How is the last day of September treating you? I am currently enjoying a caramel latte, so I would say it’s been a pretty good day. :)

This weekend was “Family Weekend” at my college and my parents came up Friday-Sunday to spoil spend time with me and get to know the campus and my friends.

It was really great to see them and not eating in the cafeteria for an entire two days was stinkin’ awesome. (Especially considering the food is the worst on weekends.)

I wasn’t able to snap to many photos from the weekend but I’m happy to share the ones I did.

Our first meal out was at a Brick Oven pizza place in town with the best margarita pizza ever. I think I ate this in two minutes.

That night, we ate at Chick-fil-a (un-pictured) because I was craving fries and they have the best fries. We went to a magic show after dinner and then ended the night with frozen yogurt (pictured above). I was so excited I mixed everything together and it tasted like heaven in a cup. I don’t think I have ever gone almost two months without fro-yo in the past two years- needless to say, it tasted amazing. I’m in withdraws.

The next morning, we got some fuel for our hour drive to the city. It was the grand opening of the Starbucks on campus and we couldn’t miss out on all the excitement. Tall skinny caramel latte, please. Being in Starbucks with my dad brought back fun memories of when we would go there…I’m so glad they came to visit. :)

Once we had our fuel we drove into the city in search of the important things in life like Chipotle. Priorities, people. You know its going to be a good weekend if it includes frozen yogurt and Chipotle. I got the burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, tomato salsa, cheese, lettuce, and guacamole. YUM.

After Chipotle, we went to Target because there isn’t one in my college town. And, let’s be serious…I get pretty much everything at Target- clothes, shoes, dark chocolate, room decorations…you name it and Target has it. If you are ever in doubt of what to get me for my birthday, a Target gift card will never go to waste.

So we did alittle a lot of shopping and my mom bought me a shirt, dress, and some workout clothes (since apparently you shouldn’t re-wear workout clothes but then that means I have to do more laundry…). Then we picked up some grocery necessities (Peanut butter, dark chocolate, Larabars- you know, priorities :) .

We then headed back to campus in order to go to the first home football game!!

We won, for the record. :) The weather was perfect and we managed to steal some seats during half-time since we got there a little late because we were *shocker* eating at Chilis.

This morning, we woke up bright and early to go to church and then headed to Ihop for my last good meal before it’s back to reality.

I was going to get something healthy because I think I managed to gain the freshmen 15 in one weekend, but then I saw Pumpkin Pancakes. Best decision ever. I have seen so many food bloggers make pumpkin pancakes and now that I have tried them, I am definitly making some over Thanksgiving break.

I am currently in the library sipping a caramel latte trying to get motivated to study for midterms coming up this week and next. Have I seriously already finished half of my first semester? I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!

Thank you Dad and Mom for such a great weekend! You can visit any time. :)

Have a Happy Fall Day.

First College Update

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Hey friends! Sorry its been about a billion years since my last post. I am just finishing up my third week of college and it has been great!

Here are some {random} pictures I managed to snap:

Stir-fry from the cafeteria- very good but only if you want to wait in line forever.

The library has officially become my study zone. Oh, and there may be a coffee shop in there too, which had nothing to do with my decision to study there daily. :)

Two words: Church meals. This was just my first “polite plate” before I went back for more.

Iced Chai Lattes. A good or bad idea to discover them so early?

Friday night ice cream.

Cafeteria ice cream.

Although we are already completely sick of the cafeteria food, the good company makes it worth it.

So overall, college has been a great experience. Other than getting zero sleep many nights, I can’t complain. It is so different from high school and I love it. There is so much to get involved in and going to a Church of Christ school means you sing anytime, any day which is AWESOME.

I do miss good, healthy, wholesome food but its only four years so I’ll survive.

Hopefully normal posting will resume soon and I can share about my many adventures in college.

I’m off to go to a singing {shocker} devotion on the racket ball courts.

Have a splendid night.

Gone with the Week

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1. I am going to just admit it- I have already started drinking hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music. It is never to early to get in the holiday season mood.

2. We went to the rodeo last night! It was a lot of fun however, I covered my eyes when they roped the cows- so sad.

3. Here is yet another reason to eat more kale {and dark leafy greens}. Just do it.

4. I attempted a coffee ice-cube recipe with my dad’s leftover coffee pot and it turned out awful.

5. I was driving over the lake by my house the other night and got sentimental that it’s the last time to see it for a while. One time, when I had a really bad day, I drove across the lake at least five times and listened to worship music and prayed really hard. Nature is so soothing.

6. Everyone needs to go download the free C.S. Lewis quote of the day app. I love it.

7. My dad took me to the Local Diner after church today for our last Daddy/Daughter Date! I got a cinnamon roll the size of my head and some scrambled eggs. Yum. Thanks dad!

8. At our Whole Food’s field trip the other day, my mom and I picked up a container of hummus to try. I have already eaten half the container in two days- I definitely recommend this flavor!

9. I keep getting sad about leaving little Topy home when I go off to college so I couldn’t resist taking some cute pictures of him napping the other day. He starts off with a scowl, then sticks his tongue out, then tries to hide from the camera, then finally gives up. {Hopefully all you grammatical people didn’t just cringe at the amount of then’s I used incorrectly in that sentence.}

Highlights of your week?

Any first semester tips? I’d love to hear your feedback!

What I Ate: Tuesday

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I thought I would do a post of my eats for the day for two reason. One, I always try to get back into a healthy routine after vacation and two, my breakfast was pretty awesome.

An egg sandwich with spinach, avocado, and tomatoes + a side of strawberries. So maybe it’s not that awesome to you but anytime I eat something with avocados, it’s awesome in my book. {Plus, just one avocado has more potassium then a banana.}

Lunch was packed and brought to work. {spaghetti squash with broccoli, wild berry yogurt, a cheese stick, blueberries, and almonds} I ate this while helping the kids heat up their corn dogs and chicken nuggets while enforcing the rule that no one can eat their cookies until their sandwich is done. I love my job. {Oh ya, and today was my first nine-hour shift with no breaks! It might be a long week…}

While we were eating, a girl pointed to the floor in which I found a billion raisins and the box…

I asked who dropped their raisins and I got two very logical answers: The three little pigs and a ghost.

Needless to say, no one admitted but I knew who it was when I found 10 more stuck to his pants and on his seat. Oh well, it took two seconds to clean up anyways. :)

When I got home I was pretty hungry so I quickly grabbed the PB jar and an apple and went at it. Two spoonfuls later, I was happy.

While eating my snack, I quickly whipped up a batch of Katie’s Quinoa Cranberry Cookies {I used raisins because we don’t have cranberries}. While mixing, I had a handful of dark chocolate chips.

After they semi-cooled, I taste tested one right before I went to the gym (for my first workout since vacation).

Dinner was fruit salad and cheesy ground turkey enchiladas.

Dessert was one more Quinoa Cookie…

So there you have it. Not to shabby of a day.

Have a great night!

Tiny Towns: Colorado Part 1

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I’m back! Back from breezy, lovely Colorado. Boy was it hard to leave. Nothing like coming home to 100+ weather.

I chose to call this blog post series about my vacation “Tiny Towns” because that’s where we were the whole time in Colorado. Denver, Aspen, and Colorado Springs never got a visit from us. Instead, small, quiet towns were on our map quest. A good choice, if I may say so myself.

We left last Friday at the ripe hour of 4:30 AM and set out to a small town about an hour and a half from Colorado Springs. My sister works on a ranch out there each summer and leads pack trips into the mountains + horseback rides {and performs all the other many ranch duties}. Pretty awesome, huh?

Some people say we look-alike.  {However, you can tell who has seen the Colorado sun and who hasn’t.}

We spent the weekend with her whenever she got a break from work. She took us to some local restaurants and most importantly, caught us up on her life.

If you are not aware, I LOVE Chai Shakes. So obviously when a local deli has them, we will stop. {As you can tell from the picture it was a little windy…my sister likes to call it “The Windy Wild West.”}

My parents went with ice cream.

Saturday night, we went to Cowboy Camp at my sister’s work which is a big cook-out complete with singing, campfires, and good cookin’. I assisted my sister in making her famous fruit salad.

Cowboy camp was a blast and my goodness, some people can sing and play the guitar so well! I could have listened all night.

The next day we went into Canyon City and found the cutest place to eat. You literally feel like you just stepped off the streets of Italy into a little paradise.

Michael’s on Main was a restaurant, coffee shop, and chocolate heaven. We got lunch and chocolate. I went with a spicy chicken and avocado pita wrap with chips that werefantastic. For my choice of chocolate, I went with the dark chocolate salted caramel square.

If you are even near Canyon City, I highly, highly recommend this little oasis.

Last but not least, we enjoyed some Brown Butter Cookies from a local Amish bakery.

You think cookies can’t get any better and then, you put icing on them. It’s a done deal. {Oh, and it also helps when the cookie is the size of your head.}

Anyways, it was awesome to catch up with my sister but also sad to leave because we won’t see her till Christmas. The only bad thing about Colorado’s beauty and awaiting adventures is that my sister quickly lost her heart to the mountains there.

And that concludes the trip weekend. See you soon with part two!

Crafts and Cooking

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How was your Father’s Day Sunday? Ours was nice, relaxing, and yummy!

Remember how my friend is home from Germany? Well we spent Saturday together and one thing we did was make homemade cards for our dads. (Yes, we are eighteen going on eight.)

You see, I saw this card at Target I really wanted to get my dad but it was $3.00. So I decided to make it. And while I’m not the most artsy-crafty person and probably should color with markers instead of sharpers, it was fun to make and give.

Get it? It’s a picture of the world on the outside and on the inside is says, “It’s better cause you’re in it.” I thought it was quite original. (Okay, and I gave him a gift card to make up for the slightly sloppy looking card.)

I have hands down the best dad ever and I could never give him a gift to match the love and admiration I have for him. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

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I also made some amazing cookies and cream oreo fudge brownies this weekend to give to my friend cause they just got back. (Don’t worry, I taste tasted one two three.)

Grab the recipe right here. It’s super easy to make.

I also tried Which Wich Sandwiches for the first time and I loved it. Like, more than Subway. *gasp*

I got the vegetarian Tomato and Avocado and it was superb.

What is your favorite restaurant to grab a sandwich at? 

Lovely Lunches & Positive Posts

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Wouldn’t it be amazing if lunch looked like this everyday?

Sweet potato, egg, cottage cheese, strawberries 

I am convinced right now that strawberries are the next best thing to chocolate cake. This was also my first experience with cottage cheese. It was okay…I give it a 6/10. Time to do some experimenting with it. :)

I saw this on Pinterest (of course) and had to share it with you.

Everyone is accidentally or purposely hurt someone. What matters is your reaction. Dwell on it? Or move on, and cherish those who build you up?

Somedays, a Starbucks date with your amazing, always loving, always supportive, always caring mom and some chocolate chip cookies before bed are just what you need to remember how blessed you are.

Here’s to dwelling on the positive and forgetting about the negative…life is just to short.

Sweet Tooth Therapy

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If you haven’t noticed from my post’s lately, I have been consuming a lot of sugar. I have gone from one dessert a day to multiple desserts every day.

From my daily dose of dark chocolate chips, to late night bowls ice cream after work, to Valentines Day goodies…I’ve been eating it all.

And unfortunately, I have been feeling the negative side effects too. Workouts have been put on hold, the only way homework gets done is with some candy by my side, late nights result in sugary snacking, and sleeping has been anything but relaxing and rejuvenating. I have been tired and lethargic for the better part of the past weeks.

The past few days I have been thinking about what I have been doing that has encouraged this sugar struggle…

1. Not managing my time as well

2. Getting to bed  late

3. Not scheduling workouts

4. Waking up to late to make a large breakfast

5. Eating to distract me from doing what I should be getting done (read: homework)

6. Stressing about my next dentist appointment because heaven only knows how many cavities I have…

After reading this article I knew it was time to get back on track.

My Plan of Attack:

Breakfast: Normally, I always make sure I have a good 10-15 minutes on weekdays to make/consume a good breakfast. However, for some reason the closer we get to the end of the school year, the later I wake up and less prepared I am. While I don’t ever skip breakfast, I haven’t been taking time to make something filling and wholesome. And eating ceral in the car is just a really bad idea.

1) Schedule 10-15 minutes for breakfast

2) Add more protein and health fats (I will try oatmeal this week and find a way to like it!)

3) Try to eat around 500 calories to ensure I am fueled for the day and incase I miss my morning snack

Lunch:

1) Prepare bagged items on Sunday (veggies, carrots, cheese sticks) and keep in a container in fridge for easy grabbing in the morning

2) Make sandwich the night before

3) Aim for higher protein

4) Try, try, try to make something other than peanut butter and jelly for 5 days in a row.

Dinner:

1) Eat more of the lean meat prepared

2) Load up on veggies

3) Drink a glass of milk for extra protein

Other:

1) Make meals larger so I don’t eat so much at my snacks (I typically eat three 200ish calorie snacks a day but lately they have been the size of meals)

2) Focus on getting more healthy fats and proteins

3) Indulge in dessert every night :)

4) Blog more about my meals to help keep accountable

Any suggestions for helping my slightly out of control sweet tooth?

What nutrient dense foods help fill you up?