The Party Before the End

Hey bloggies!

We’re creeping up on finals here at Oregon very quickly. The begining of the week was super stressful with a couple of project deadlines and getting the apartment for next year! We were supposed to camp out all night in front of the office, but never got there. Thankfully, things ended up okay and it looks like we have the place!

Though before I become a permenant resident at the library, I’ve been having so much fun recently.

My sorority had a sisterhood at a local skating place

It was like a flashback to the 90′s when I was in elementary school and we had skating parties.

I’m good on inline skates, but since those were an extra $3 I went with the retro 4-wheeled ones.

I had trouble at first

But eventually figured it out and was even able to cross my feet over themselves at the corners again.

Yesterday my sorority had our dodgeball philanthropy

Me and my future roommates

It was SUCH a blast. We got to coach one the guys of one of our favorite fraternities. Getting up at 7AM and running around all day was completely worth it.

Have a great Sunday!

What reminds you of the 90s or of your youth? The silly putty, sticky hands and glowsticks I saw at the roller skating place put me right back to 1995.

 

Solid Eats

Hey bloggies! I hope all of this crazy winter weather isn’t affecting you too much.

Two days ago it was warm and sunny enough to eat outside on the sorority’s sun porch.

It was so wonderful to soak up the sun before I had to run to my doctor’s appointment (more on that later though)

For lunch the sorority’s cooks were serving burger bar. The chefs usually offer beef patties, chicken or turkey patties as well as vegetarian. The vegetarian patties hadn’t come in yet and I was in desperate need of protein. So I topped my salad with the chicken patty.

Salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, peas, avocado and broccoli with Annie’s Creamy Asagio Dressing.

I’m actually starting to like raw broccoli. So strange.

However this weather has got me running back to the nice, warm oatmeal for breakfast again.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

I forgot to top it with Almond Butter in this picture. I absolutely can not eat pumpkin oats with out it.

PB&J Oatmeal

An old favorite! Technically the toppings are almond butter & raspberry fruit spread, but you get the jist. I also added raisins, craisins and a mashed up banana to the oatmeal which added fantastic flavor and texture.

For a pre-workout snack I went with a Sunflower Seed Butter & Banana sandwich.

In a few healthy eating books that I have read, they have mentioned that the problem with getting people to eat fruits and vegetable is because it’s hard to advertise on them.

Chiquita–I should have known. To me it’s kind of frightening how they’re marketing for people to eat bananas because they’re fat free. Fat still has a negative connotation in our society which is so sad.

I’ve also been hitting up VitaTops for dessert

I warmed the vita top in the microwave for 15-20 seconds with the almond butter on top to create an ooey-gooey dessert. It’s also really great with honey!

Doctor’s Appointment

Despite having my ride fall through at the last moment, and scrambling to figure out how to get to the hospital for my doctor’s appointment, I hopped onto a bus and it took me straight there. I am so fortunate that Eugene has a great public transportation service.

I have had this appointment for what it seems like forever. 5 or 6 weeks maybe?

The appointment was with a Gastroenterologist to check out my stomach issues. The issues of:

1. Eating certain foods is painful to digest. Foods such as: citrus, grapes, soy sauce, teas, yogurt and cottage cheese. Apples and carrots too if there’s absolutely nothing in my stomach

2. I’ve had to miss class a couple of times because I would get stomach cramps from being just a little bit hungry. I eat lunch later than usual on Thursday because of my class schedule, and my stomach cramping always happened on Thursdays. I had to miss class twice because of this.

The doctor was really great (although I was incredibly intimidated at first) but said that it was basic Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It sounds so gross, but basically that some certain foods don’t agree with me and it causes uncomfortable stomach cramps. Apparently 1 in 6 people have IBS, and its most common in women. I didn’t know that!

I’m just glad that I’m not going crazy for my stomach really hurting when eating a lot of random foods.

Respect: A Lesson

Hey bloggies. I hope everyone’s weekend is going well! I started to write this post last night, but alas apartment hunting, Bicentennial men watching, facebook stalking and heart-to-hearts made me close my computer and enjoy my sorority sisters company. I truly enjoyed being able to stay in, sit in the TV room and talk with friends and their boyfriends about random college happenings.

I was also able to update the blog a bit! I have been wanting to clean up the blog and make it a bit more fresh. New layout, new header and an updated list of my top 10 posts. I’m still tweaking the header a bit, but like I said above, sorority fun got to me and I wasn’t quite able to finish the job. How do you like it?

Respect

Although the Dalai Lama addressed the world with his Millennium Instructions for Life over a decade ago, I still find his words inspirational.

I keep the Instructions on the bulletin board by my desk and love looking up and reading them.

Number 3 has been recently catching my eye, so I thought to do a post around it.

3. Follow the three Rs:

• Respect for self
• Respect for others and
• Responsibility for all your actions.

Respect for Self

I find myself respecting myself in the way I eat. I respect the wishes of my body to crave carbs, healthy fats and chocolate and to eat when I need the nourishment.

Breakfasts

Two pieces of whole-grain toast topped with almond butter, honey, cocoa nibs and chia seeds. I love that all 4 items are a staple in my food supply and they mix wonderfully on the toast.

I also had a tropical-esque smoothie with the meal, but I was way too full from the toast to even put a dent in it!

I also respect my body’s needs for pumpkin. And to have parfaits like the rest of the girls in my sorority.

In the mix:

• 1/3 c. oats
• 1/3 c. organic canned pumpkin
• 2 T raisins
• a few shakes a cinnamon
• a shake of pumpkin seasoning
• enough water to cover the mix and fluff up in the microwave

The cook made beautiful yogurt and blueberry parfaits in glass dishes for breakfast that morning so I asked if I could make my own with the blueberries since my stomach doesn’t process yogurt made from cow’s very well.

I used vanilla goat milk yogurt instead and mixed with thawed frozen blueberries.

So I didn’t get the glass dish, but it was still heavenly

Apparently I have been craving toast recently, because here it is again.

One piece topped with earth balance and raspberry fruit spread and another with almond butter, honey, chia seeds and cocoa nibs

With a kiwi for a bit of breakfast dessert

Lunch

My schedule on Saturday was a bit crazy, so I ended up having two small, identical lunches. One at noon, and another at 3:30.

1/2 a can of Annie’s Tuscan bean and rice soup, and leftover couscous and squash from the sorority’s cooks.

One plate eaten at noon, and another identical one eaten at 3:30.

It was a super nice, warm winter lunch. I also really enjoyed eating it in two parts so I wasn’t stuffing myself. Plus I got to enjoy the meal twice

Respect for Others

No pictures for this one, but I feel that this has taken a big portion of my life. In respecting others, I feel like I am one to be there for someone when life seems to get to be too much. In the past 3 weekends, 3 girls have been heartbroken by guys. I have been so glad that I could be there with them and let them talk it out.

Responsibility for my Actions

Showing a basketball game seems like kind of a weird one to be showing. But in a way I’m respecting my actions. I’m respecting my actions to live as a college student and take a break from the books for a bit to support our team.

With midterms taking a huge toll on me and knowing that I have 2 cumulative projects and a paper due all in the same week coming up soon, I have been responsible by planning out my working periods, but still leaving room for some fun.

 

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

How do you like the new layout/header? Do you have any suggestions?

How do you respect yourself?

A New Way to Eat Kiwi

In my desperate laziness of sitting in my room late at night, and not wanting to go downstairs to grab an actual knife (I mean the distance is a bit much), I have found a new way to eat kiwi.

Ok, so grab the kiwi.

Got it?

Good.

Now bite off the top. (Sorry fuzzy shell haters, you gotta do what you gotta do to be lazy) If you really must spit it out, you can spit the top part out.

(and try to focus the camera on the kiwi instead of the hand next time)

Now dig in with a spoon!

For this absolutely ingenious idea, I would like to thank:

1. Local kiwi that’s in season apparently (3 for $1!)
2. Me being insanely lazy
3. The sorority house for being so big
4. Me for stashing plastic spoons in my drawers but not knives so I don’t have to go downstairs when I want a bowl of midnight cereal–or kiwi.

Ingenuity at it’s finest.

Onto some recent eats.

Lunch

A vegetable sandwich on whole wheat bread (my own that I buy, not the kind that the sorority stocks which has sugar and high fructose corn syrup in it)

A side salad topped with kidney beans, cucumber, corn, peas, sunflower seeds and carrots.

With some Mint Dark Chocolate for dessert

(It apparently cost $2.50 for the entire bar–whoops)

Dinner

The sorority was having Breakfast for dinner complete with cinnamon rolls, sausage and white pancakes plus I had a late night class so I rolled with my own dinner.

I made my own salad during lunch, then warmed up Annie’s Three Layer Enchilada Pie to put on top.

I’m sorry to say but it wasn’t one of Annie’s best.

In all seriousness (but not really), are you a kiwi-fuzzy-outter-shell hater? I used to eat kiwis straight with the fuzzy later. The texture has honestly never bothered me.

Nordstrom Lovin’

After a whirlwind Portland shopping trip I realized one thing:

I’m way too obsessed with Nordstrom.

My accessories department has been lacking, so I spent a good amount of time bulking it up.

I also bought:

A necklace from Forever 21

A flower clip from H&M

And a flower headband from Claires

A friend went in there for a plastic-y tiara and I left with a flower headband.

 

My energy for shopping has stemmed from Pumpkin Oatmeal

Surprise, surprise?

In the mix

• 1/3 c. oatmeal
• 1/4 c. organic canned pumpkin
• 1 T flaxseed meal
• 2 T raisins
• Topped with about 2 T almond butter

Amazing.

Do you have a shopping addiction? What is your favorite thing to shop for?

I’m a huge fan of accessories and athletic wear

Holey Hands & CSN Giveaway Winner

Due to me recently really getting into rock climbing, my hands have started to look like this. Sorry in advance to any guys I go out on a date with in the near future haha.

Recent Eats

Breakfast

Almond Butter, honey, chia seeds and cocoa nibs on whole wheat toast.

Banana with coconut milk and cinnamon

Pumpkin Oatmeal (x4 other times)

Huevos Rancheros (x2) I overdid the amount of eggs that time, but on the weekends I’ve been enjoying having two eggs over easy on top of the toast.

Oatmeal topped with strawberries, blueberries, craisins and raisins.

The sorority has started to have already made oatmeal almost everyday they have going in a crockpot. Good thing, because I have been craving oatmeal!

Lunch

Homemade clam chowder, salad covered with Annie’s Asagio dressing with a hardboiled egg on the side for some protein. I saved the clam chowder for lunch on Saturday.

Basketball Games

I finally made it to a couple of basketball games this weekend at the new Matthew Knight Arena

We played both the University of Washington and Washington State University

The ducks won both games! It’s sadly the first games I have been to that the ducks have won.

and of course a picture with Puddles the duck.

 

CSN Giveaway

Thank you for all the entries! I have read each and every one of your quotes. They are all very inspirational.

The winner of the $40 gift card to CSN stores is:

Dannielle

Congratulations Dannielle! I will contact you shortly with your prize

 

What is your favorite sporting event to attend?

 

 

 

 

 

CSN Stores Giveaway Time

Hey bloggies!

Midterms have been killer. I definitely got my butt handed to me on my midterm yesterday–yikes! 1 midterm down, 3 more to go? Plus two projects?

Le sigh.

I’ll leave you with a giveaway!

CSN is offering Give Me the Almond Butter followers a $40 gift card to any CSN stores. You can get items like modern furniture in addition to kitchen items.

I will pick a random entry by Monday, February 7

To enter:

1. Tell me what your favorite saying or quote is in the comment section

Additional Entry:

2. Add me to your blog roll (and let me know!)

 

Happy Friday!