Just coming back tonight to post my post-run snack. 

I knew protein would be best so I tried to be good ... a bit redundant and I didn't finish all of it ... but maybe it's just what I need to keep my hands out of the popcorn bowl at 2AM! ;-)

So spinning was awesome!  It's definitely one of my favorite types of activities.  I've completely missed not having it in my life, and I really hope I'll be able to add it to my routine.  The studio is about 15 minutes from home and 5 minutes from work, so that's pretty awesome.  The atmosphere was friendly and upbeat, and the spinning instructor was so supportive.  Of course, as with everything in life, there is a fee involved ... And it is a little steep.  But I'm toying with the idea that it just might be worth it ... I walked out of there feeling like I could fly ... Loved it!

Pre-spinning I had a small bowl of lentil soup.  (I really tried to make it look appetizing.)

I promise it was yummy.

I also had an apple on the side ... Finally started missing the fruit in my life.

And lastly, post-spinning I'm surprisingly not finding myself too hungry.  I did slightly get that light-headed feeling post exertion, so I grabbed a handful of dates...

But other than that, I think I'm good for the night.  Just lots of water!

See you in the AM ... it's an early one tomorrow!

So I did go out and find Dunkin's pumpkin coffee today ...

But I was completely unimpressed.  I drink my coffee black (it looks light because that's the color it brews), and it tasted like there were 20 teaspoons of sugar added.  I took a couple of sips and was done.  Ick.  I'm just going to have to invest in some pumpkin flavored ground coffee to brew at home =)

Mid-travels I snacked on an apple in the car.

And when I got home I literally snacked on 1 baby carrot dipped in hummus (my all-time favorite hummus flavor of roasted red pepper), and also a bowl of popcorn (obviously). 

Then I had a really relaxing afternoon.  I spent a lot of time looking up recipes online, and have actually planned out the majority of our dinners for the upcoming week.  It's exciting to go forward with a plan, but to be honest, it's a little intimidating knowing I'm going to be cooking all of these things this week!  But I owe it to myself (and my blog!) to get back on track with well-balanced dinners.  I miss one day of cooking, I miss two, and it's so easy to get caught in that rut.

Tonight the rut was broken though, and I cooked fried chicken cutlets (redundant but homemade) with chicken flavored rice and broccoli.

I ate what's photoed, plus another chicken cutlet.  Mmm so good.

I also ate an after dinner cookie.  The black and white cookies from Shabtai were to die for, but these not so great.  Not something I'd buy again.  Still, a sweet treat's always welcomed. 

Now Ryan and I are gearing up to go bowling I believe.  I love group activities that double as exercise! Enjoy your nights!

So this morning I regained my appetite a lot faster than anticipated, and ate the previously posted breakfast at around 9AM or so.

The past two days of work have gone super fast, which is pretty exciting because that leaves us just two days away from the weekend ... and then just five days away from my week off!!

For lunch today I had a hummus, baby spinach, and hot sauce sammie with grapes on the side.  I never did get around to eating that apple.

During lunch some of my coworkers bought two little bags of kettle chips to share ... I took one look at the potato chips and wanted to yak.  Since last night I think I've eaten enough potato chips for the next year!

Although ... when I got home blue chips and salsa were calling my name ...

So that's what I had. 

And now, there's some things on my to-do list I'd like to tackle before the day is through. 

So the three day weekend is over =(   Luckily for me though, I have only 9 days of work ahead of me until I have a whole week off.  Score.

Today turned out pretty well ... loads of laundry done and fresh sheets awaiting me in bed.  Can't wait to lay my head down on the pillow!  It's been a long, busy, productive weekend and I'm longing for a good night's sleep.

Ryan and I enjoyed an abundance of time out in the beautiful weather today ... playing in my parents' backyard and catching up with the fam.  Ryan and I are not allowed to use the backyard where we live, so we really appreciate all the outside time we can get ... Especially during this gorgeous time of year.

As predicted, my eats were a little off today.  Late afternoon I snacked on some popcorn and a banana with almond butter at my parents' house.

I wasn't planning on eating an actual meal tonight, but on the way home I realized that'd be a very bad idea and stopped at Moe's to grab a salad.

I ate more of the blue chips from last night along with.  As an FYI: Moe's tortilla chip are not gluten free, and neither are their "corn" tortilla shells.  Their website is actually very thorough with allergen information (for what it's worth) if you're interested in finding out more. 

At least heading into this work week tomorrow we're already one day down!  ...The weekends just around the corner ;-)

Somehow late night company always turns into late night snacking; though  being awake a few hours longer than usual incurs legitimate hunger ... I just don't know that I'm making the best food choices at 1AM ;-)

Right before our impromptu guests arrived last night, I brewed up a pot of coffee.  I need a little something to wake me up!  Also, Ryan and I stopped by the newly re-modeled Stop & Shop by our house to pick up some last minute snacks and beverages for our guests.  I hadn't been to the Stop & Shop since its revision, and I was completely floored by the abundance of DF WF GF products they had to offer.  On impulse I snagged these bad boys:

and immediately feasted on two when I got home.

They were ridiculously delicious.  I definitely went back for seconds.

Later in the evening ... aka 12:15am ... I became hungry, so I broke out some chips and salsa. 

The perfect midnight snack if you ask me!

Having house guests is fun.  I can't wait till Ryan and I live in a bigger home where we can do more entertaining.  Hosting holiday dinners is one of my dreams =)

Ryan and I spent lots of time outside today ... It was really nice and exactly what I wanted to do.  Before heading out I had a lunch of a ham sandwich, grapes, and baby carrots.

I also ate a banana.

Then Ryan and I visited a nearby nature preserve we'd never been to  before.  It's a place we'd go back to again.  There were trails to walk and benches throughout to take a seat and just enjoy the scenery.

Afterward we went to one of our favorite parks by our house and played with a football and aerobie.  Ryan and I frequented this park often during the summer.  I love playing in the park!  We hadn't been in a while because of the rain and humidity, but we hope to go often straight through the fall. 

Once home dinner sort of never happened ... I ended up microwaving popcorn

and eating a yogurt.

 
Needless to say, at this point I'm still pretty hungry and need to figure out what I'm going to do about that.  Also, apparently we're having house guests in about an hour.  Time to find food and spontaneously tidy up!

What?  6PM snack of pancakes?  Sure!

I enjoyed them with some Chocolate Caramel Brownie coffee too ... obviously. 

I whipped up the pancakes with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pancake mix, and modified the recipe a bit to add some flavor.  I also added some almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds to the mix.  Mmm.  Oh weekends, I love your lack of rhyme or reason.

For my real dinner I had a salad from Moe's. 

Ryan had a craving, and it worked out well because in hindsight I hardly ate any veggies today ... no good!

Unfortunately, our friends with the new apartment are having some couch woes, so the home-warming event was called off.  Ryan and I entertained different ideas of  things to do tonight ... and while we got out for bit ... we're comfortably lounging in front of the television now.  And that's just fine by me =)  I ended up snacking on some popcorn,

and some Sour Patch Kids ... an all time favorite.

I've always been a sucker for sour candy, jelly beans, and candy corn.  Thankfully they're all dairy-free, wheat-free, and gluten-free.  It's nice to not have to give up my favorite candies!

My knee's still bothering me so I have that propped up.  I hope it feels better come morning because I have a run planned.  Oh, and I've changed my mind ... I think my knee hurts from the kettlebell, not running.  About a week or so ago I injured my knee during a kettlebell exercise and I'd forgotten about that.  I did the kettlebell yesterday and it's the same knee I injured that hurts ... so I'm gonna blame that instead.  I should still find knee sleeves that fit though, to use when running.  Being proactive is best!

G'night!

Because I didn't have time this morning to sit down and eat a formal breakfast, I grabbed a bunch of different things before I left the house so I'd have healthy options to choose from once at work. 

For breakfast I ended up eating a yogurt with pumpkin seeds.

(The cashews photoed with the yogurt were eaten at lunch; about half the cashews.)

And so you all know, that Chocolate Caramel Brownie coffee is pretty delicious.  I was concerned it would be too sweet ... but the chocolate-ness is very subtle.  It's just a little extra something; which I can really appreciate because I drink my coffee black =)  Plus, it comes with the added benefit of making my home smell like fresh baked brownies!  Good stuff.

For lunch I ate a hummus sandwich with spinach and hot sauce.  Mmm.  Hot sauce makes everything good, no?

I also brought an assortment of fruit with me to mix and match with my meals.  I ended up eating the peach, which was given to me by Ryan's family and was delicious thank you very much, with my sandwich; and I snacked on the banana late afternoon after a meeting.  The apple is now back in my fridge =)

So it seems as though we have another hot one on our hands today.  Back to the waiting game I go ... sun vs run.  I guess it's gonna be another late one!  Did I  mention I can't wait until the fall?!