Need a pick me up? Don't reach for that soda or junk food...

Okay, so I love junk food and anything unhealthy but this past semester I tried to find a better balance between eating healthy and well...not so healthy.  One of my co-workers at the YMCA told me about this great recipe for a wonderful snack that has sweet and salty and is just plain delicious. Most you have heard of them but they are No Bake Energy Balls. There are varying recipes out there on the internet and I found one that I liked and haven't looked back. I used to roll them out into balls but we were going through batches so quick in my apartment that now I just put it all in a container as one big "glob" and just pinch it off (though this probably doesn't help with portion control...).

This is my go-recipe:

1/2 cup peanut butter (More will make it more moist and gooey)
1/3 cup honey (More will do the same as the peanut butter)
Vanilla Extract (I don't really measure this and just put some in...some people are partial to more and some less)

Mix the above ingredients together then add the ones below.

1 cup oats
1 cup coconut
Optional ingredients:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2-1 cup raisins
1/2-1 cup nuts
1/2 cup flaxceed 
etc...whatever you really want to put in it.

My apartment is partial to more chocolate chips and more honey/peanut butter...we like it on the gooey side. These things are great. They provide a energy rich snack that will tide you over until your next meal. They also are so freaking delicious. Whatever I am craving from salty to sweet, these always hit the spot.

It takes MAYBE 15 minutes if that to make. I don't have a picture because they are usually gone within a few days and I always forget. Ha

Enjoy!

Go, Go, Go, Now Breath

It's almost Friday and let me just say....THANK GOODNESS. Sunday when I got back I was starting to get restless from inactivity and lack of things to do at home. I had caught up on all my TV shows, ate a ton, slept even more, and really enjoyed being home for two weeks...but I am an active person and have to have something to do at some point. So I was excited and ready to be back in Raleigh to start school, work, and hang out with my friends here.

Boy...let me stress....be careful what you wish for because I went from 0 to 60 on day one and haven't stopped until well...tomorrow when I get home. Monday I started work at Meredith Admissions which I love working there because the people are so great and I love helping promote Meredith whether it's sending out mail or data entry. I also started back  up at the YMCA. I work every day this week at Meredith and I ended up working Monday-Thursday at the Y. I also wanted to get back in the gym so after work on Tuesday and Wednesday I got back in the gym. Which I have to say was awesome. There is nothing like sweating out stress, tiredness, etc...

Then we get to today and I swear I don't stop from 8 in the morning to 9:30 at night. Let me tell you...for one: the bus system sucks. No joke, summer service is awful...buses only run every 30 min and they don't overlap where I can catch one without missing the other. So I drive to Pullen Park and then catch one bus. Well today I stayed after class to work on homework...and I left at 12:24 and waited and waited and waited. I was fit to be tied by the time the number 8 got there so I finally got back to NC State main campus where I picked up my book for class and then rushed to my car where I finally got back at Meredith at 1:45....when I was supposed to be at work in Admissions. I fixed myself a quick smoothie (banana, peanut butter, and chocolate smoothie) and headed that way. Well after Wednesday of all data entry today we just ran around! No joke, I went to the mail center twice and gave a speed tour and finally finished my bad emails! It was a great workout and I felt so accomplished but as soon as I left I made my way to the YMCA. Luckily we were slow there and when I finally got home I enjoyed a home cooked meal of zucchini/squash/tomato/chicken/pepper mix. SO GOOD. So it was 9:30 when I finally stopped, had the dishes cleaned up and I was able to sit down and eat. Heck yes. Crazy thing I had to remind myself I needed to slow down. I don't need to keep going. I could sit down and relax. I had gotten on a go go go mode today and I was still in that mode when I got home. But I as I am now writing this...I have stopped. I let my body relax and my mind. And it was great. We all need breaks in life and we all need to stay active. It all comes down to balance. We don't need to break so much that restlessness happens and we don't need to be so go go go that we forget to rest.

So in the end rest but not to the point of restlessness but don't become so busy that you forget to rest.




And with that...take a deep breath....and goodnight.

Smoothie Love

So this past semester I kinda, maybe, sorta got hooked on smoothies. Incredibly easy and they were the perfect drink to take with me to work to tide me over on those 4 hour shifts (that cut through dinner time mind you). People started asking what was in that blend of weirdly colored drink in my tervis. Well here it is:

I usually stick with four to five basics depending on my activity level:
Vanilla Extract
Honey
Yogurt (I get the low fat Swiss styled vanilla yogurt but you can pick your favorite)
Ice
Peanut Butter (only when I was training for my half and don't bash it until you've tried it...quite delicious)

Then you pick what fruit you want. I've done combinations such as:
-Kiwi, Strawberry
-Kiwi Strawberry, Banana
-Banana Kiwi
-Kiwi
-Blueberry, Blackberry
-Blueberry, Banana, Strawberry
-Blueberry Mango

....The list can go on and on. And don't be afraid to mix fruits....I have found almost any combination works. I use fresh fruit and usually whatever they have on sale at the grocery store. For example this week...mango blueberry (which is delicious by the way).

Put it all in a blender...
Oh and for the amount of each...I just put a random amount. You can up some parts or not. The beauty of smoothies is that they are really hard to mess up so almost anything is going to turn out good (unless you have rotten fruit). I blend it all together and it's good to go! When I make them because I don't have set amounts of ingredients it usually turns out quite large (fills up my 24 ounce tervis) but you can always make it smaller or larger depending on if you are sharing or what not.

So go out and enjoy a delicious snack/meal on one of these warm spring/summer days!

First Day Back and I'm Cooking Away

So I have been on a cooking kick recently and most of the time I just throw together whatever I have in a pan and cook it. It usually turns out pretty well. I mean how can you go wrong with such rich flavors as onions, tomatoes, peppers, etc… with a few seasonings…the more color the better! Today I went to the grocery store and picked up some zucchini and squash along with a few other essentials. I decided to cook them for dinner tonight but since I work later, I fixed them early.

Zucchini and Squash Mix:

You’ll need some olive oil, salt, pepper, whatever seasonings you like. I am partial to Italian dressing, garlic powder, and paprika. So I heated up a skillet with olive oil and added some chopped up onion and tomato. I cooked that for a bit until the onions were soft. Then I added the zucchini and squash and chicken. I let that cook on medium for a bit stirring frequently when I also added seasonings. I then let it simmer for a about 20minutes. Voila! You are done! Vegetables and Protein! 

One Year Later...

A year ago today, my sisters and I boarded a plane to make our way across the ocean to begin the most whirlwind, amazing, surreal experience of my life. A lot has changed in that year: I fell in love, fell out of love, turned 21, hit a car (or two), got my ONYX, performed my first CornHuskin' as an Oddball, ran my first half-marathon, found the CROOK, presented research, got accepted into the NCSU Civil Engineering department, and learned a lot about myself. I'm not really sure where to begin but I think it all started when I went abroad. It took me on a journey physically and mentally that continued even when I got back to the U.S. I had a new lease on life where I saw things differently and developed a passion for new things and ideas and people. I wanted to be able to share the things I have been doing from cooking to exercising to DIY to just what inspires me so I decided one year later I would start blogging again. Enjoy!

Some pictures of various goings on: (Ring Dinner, CornHuskin', Half-Marathon, Crook Hunt)

 

Some Final Musings on Prague

-Europe is very friendly to blind people; I wish I could say the same for everywhere I’ve been.

-In train stations…birds have free reign, so watch out.

-The metro is a life saver. I really like public transportation. There is nothing like that feeling when you are waiting for the metro to come and you start to feel that chilly breeze from deep within the tunnel. You then see some light and follows is the metro. You know it’s almost here when you feel your hair whip around your face, or your skirt almost fly up, or a shiver go down your spine.

-Of course I would figure out the Tram system my last week here.

-I’m going to miss the bread breakfast.

-High school boys and middle school boys are the same everywhere.

-Big groups stick out. And places don’t like you to go there in big groups

-Get off the beaten path; it’s cheaper and often better.

-Who cares if you gain 20 pounds, the food is just too good to pass up.

-Wake up for the sunrise…it’s worth it.

-Learn about Czech history, it’s fascinating.

-If you can learn Czech, you’re life will be easier.

-You’re gonna stick out regardless. You look American.

-Meet other people; it makes the trip so much more interesting.

-In restaurants, it’s going to take a while to get your food. Get over it and enjoy that time together. Slow down and take it all in.

-Don’t worry about money or time…enjoy the moment. You only live once and some of these things are once in a lifetime. 

I’ve been back home for a few days now and it’s hard for me to grasp that just less than a week ago I was across the ocean in one of the most amazing cities of my life. Prague was a gorgeous city with so much to do and see. The history and culture was captivating and I am so blessed to have had this experience. I saw so much while I was gone and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I also made some amazing friends and this trip will always bond us together. No one can go through Prague Summer 2011 without being friends at the end. I miss Prague but it will always be a part of me. One day I hope to return and retrace my steps and discover something new, as in Prague there is always something to discover down those winding cobblestone streets.

"I'll come back when you call, no need to say goodbye..."

June 30th-July 2nd, 2011:

Thursday was our final class day. Craziness. We took it easy that morning and then Adrienne and I head to Club Architect. Once again, a good meal. We had class at 2pm that day. Our final exam…20 questions and we were done. Our professor was great! I’m pretty sure I passed the class. It was a wonderful class and I loved learning about Czech authors. That afternoon we got Angelatos and headed back to the pension. We all got ready and it was time for the final dinner! Whoa! We got separated on the metro but no big deal (I did have a little twin moment when I realized Sarah wasn’t on but she was in a pretty big group so she was okay). We found the place it was really cool. You could actually climb up to the top and sit on the roof which was cool. A band played a bunch of old music that was so much fun to dance too. I sat at a table with some of my best friends there and get this…the Chancellor of NCSU. No big deal. He was a nice guy. Really down to earth. We all had a blast as one final night together. At one point people started shaggin too. Haha I tried to teach some of the boys the lift but it was gonna take some work. Haha. 

Friday wasn’t the prettiest day weather wise and we had a slow start but Sarah, Sydney, Chloe, and I headed to the institute to turn in our keys and pack up their glass stuff. We then met up with Chloe’s parents and one of her friends from school and we went to a sausage place on the river. Oh it was good. We definitely were all really hungry and those potatoes and sausage hit the spot. Afterwards, we went and got the glass stuff and said goodbye to Maria. She was a great program director for the institute! We all came back to the pension and slept some and then it was time for Neklid! I went (not the last time) with Adrienne and Grace and such. I enjoyed the chicken burger and honey cake as per usual. That night people were had already left and were leaving Saturday so we just hung out and just enjoyed our last few moments together. 

Well, the day before I leave. I can’t believe it’s all come down to this. I got a late start, but not before I had one final breakfast with a group. Oh I’m going to miss that bread and jam every morning. Haha. Sarah, Sydney, and I then headed over one last time to Club Architect and did some last minute shopping. I went by Old Town for a bit and saw a concert going on…pretty cool way to end my days at Prague. After I got I did some packing…Oh I hate packing. I have accumulated way too much stuff. For dinner the remaining few headed to well…of course Neklid. This place was our home away from home. I think Kevin and I became the spokespersons. Haha. My final meal was this excellent pork chop with oven roasted potatoes with cheese and cream sauce. Heavy, but delicious. Then I had to top it off with honey cake. For drink: citronada…which s mint lemonade. What better way to go out, I can’t think of any other way.