List for Monday

Here are a few of the fun things I have been pondering or have come across of late that I thought I'd share with y'all. :-)
1. I seriously love this depiction of different people's different perceptions of what a dietitian really does. My office-mate shared it with me a few days ago! My personal favorite what doctors think of us - I had being asked "Are you from dietary?" What does that even mean?!

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2. I came across this fun little blog the other day and I am really looking forward to incorporating this little yoga/strength workout into my routine sometime... Click to see the workout!
3. The always adorable, Joy the Baker is coming to St. Louis on her book tour on March 22nd. Memphis is only 4 hrs from St. Louis - totally doable in a weekend - too bad it's a Thursday. :-( Vacay??
4. I eat breakfast and read the latest from this blog Running off the Reeses every morning. I just find this Cely girl so entertaining!
5. The line-up for Memphis in May comes out tomorrow!!! So excited. If anyone is wanting to come for a visit (hint hint!) that would be one of the best weekends to do it! ;-)
6. National Nutrition Month hasn't even started and I'm already so tired of thinking about it! As the newbies at our medical center, Will and I are in charge of planning all the activities. I feel like there is so much to do!!! The theme this year is "Get Your Plate in Shape" so we have a chef demo or two, a health fair, and a walk to coordinate!

7. I've been reviewing applications for new dietetic interns for work lately - they make me exhausted just reading about all the stuff these students did. I guess I did the same in college, but I am feeling like such a slacker in life now!!! Outside of work, I don't have a ton of activities - other than running group.
Speaking of running, my friend Emily posted a link to this charming video - now I'm nervous I'm an awkward runner!!

Happy Weekend!

The countdown to the New Orleans Half-Marathon has begun! Exactly one week until race day! I pray that I don't have any fluke injuries this time around. :-/ The bittersweet part is that the race marks the end of my training with StarRunners until the Fall most likely. Now I won't have anyone there to keep me accountable and provide interesting conversation when I run!

Here I come!!!

Since we'll be travelling next weekend, Will and I had another quiet weekend here in Memphis, which is a-ok with me! We started the weekend of right with pizza and beer from this pizza place super close to Will's new apartment called - Broad Street Pizza. It was a bit of dive-y kind of joint with plenty of goofy Elvis likenesses adorning the walls. We split this lovely pie... (pretty much the best way to carb load in my opinion...)

Bowl of banana peppers and green olives on the side - YUM!

Per usual, I was up early on Saturday morning to meet my fellow StarRunners downtown for an easy 8-miler. It was fun times running over to Mud Island with Emily and Cille. The miles seem to just fly by in good company! Afterwards, I made a quick trip to the Farmer's Market - it's kind of slim pickings at the moment - can't wait for summer! (Well, minus the suffocating southern heat...) We cooked dinner that evening - cathfish, buttered cabbage and lentils. I was responsible for the lentils again. :-) Will used this chipotle raspberry marinade he got from Dolly over Christmas for the catfish that was delish! Also, another great thing about the neighborhood Will now lives in? Raffe's! They you "create your own" six packs, so we get to try a bunch of different brews! We paired our dinner with one from a brewer in Alabama.

Sunday has been pretty chill. We took a walk in Overton park this afternoon to take in some of the fabulous warm, sunny weather! I was too warm in a jacket! (Can it really be February?!)
Hopefully this will be a quick week since I am so excited for the weekend!! But, come to think of it, I kind of feel like I'm always living for the weekend these days - sometimes I miss school! (Can I petition for a spring break?!) Sigh. I still have to convince myself I'm "all grown up" now. Anyways, hope y'all had a lovely weekend!

Macaroni + Cheese = Match Made in Heaven!

A few days ago I had a major craving for some macaroni and cheese. I haven't really ever made it from scratch by myself. Charis and I made it together a couple of times in Cleveland - so it's been way too long since I had my fix! I went to Mark Bittman for the recipe. Let me warn you, this is definitely not the recipe to use if you want to go low fat! I did try to "health-it-up" by throwing in some sauteed broccoli - mmmm....

Pile of cheese!

Noodles and Broccoli

Cheese Sauce!!! Mmmmm!

Baked and ready to serve!!!

Bittman Baked Macaroni and Cheese!
Ingredients:
-2 1/2 cups milk
-1/2 tsp dried thyme and rosemary
-1 pound whole wheat ziti
-3 tbsp butter
-3 tbsp flour
-1 1/2 cup grated cheese (I used Colby and Havarti)
-Black pepper to taste
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 floret of broccoli
-1/3 cup vegetable broth
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles to water and cook according to package directions.
2. Heat the milk and thyme/rosemary in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until small bubbles from along the sides. Cook about 5 minutes and let stand.
3. In a skillet, heat olive oil and toss broccoli in it. Add the broth and simmer until the broth is almost all evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In another small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until foamy. Add the flour and stir vigorously. Continue to stir and cook until it start to brown then add the milk 1/2-3/4 cup at a time. Continue to stir and cook until it begins to thicken. Continue to cook until thick and smooth. Add the shredded cheese and stir until it is incorporated in the sauce.
5. Pour noodles and broccoli into 9"x13" baking pan. Pour cheese sauce over noodles/broccoli and stir until well mixed. Bake for 15 minutes or until nice and bubbly.
Serve along side a pile of salad! Yum!! :-)

For the Love of Food!

Happy Fat Tuesday!! Looking back at my weekend, I realize now I did quite my fair share of eating! I figured - I ran 12 miles on Saturday... I could live a little! Ha! It was lovely having a little 3 day weekend to catch up on chores, sleep, grocery shopping, chick flicks, and reading! Now to that eating part...
Friday evening, Will and I headed to Tsunami for dinner. Let me tell you - if you are a hipster in Memphis you'll definitely fit right in at this kitschy little restaurant - hello v-necks and 80's mustaches! Lol. No, it was great food and a really nice atmosphere - plus, the food is locally based which I love!

My uber-cute date!

Tuna nachos...

Scallops and salad!

Eggplant and Goal Cheese Napoleon

Cheesin'

Saturday morning, I did a tough 12 miles in the suburbs of Germantown with my StarRunners friends. I didn't realize I would miss running downtown as much as I did, but the scenery in G-town is enough to put you to sleep on your feet! All the houses and streets look exactly the same. For dinner that night, Will taught me how to cook up lentils! I've been packing leftovers in my salads for lunch this week - amazing.
I also started (and finished!) a book this weekend - that's right, my life really is that exciting! Bloodroot by Amy Greene follows the life stories of several generations of a family living in the East Tennessee Mountains/Appalachians. Definitely very intriguing to think of growing up so secluded from the world!

Hearkening back to my geeky Christian high school days - this book totally reminded my of that mini tv-series Christy (based on the book by Catherine Marshall) about a teacher who travels to the Appalachians to work in a one-room schoolhouse. Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Anyone? No? Guess I'm the nerd! However, if by some crazy chance you have seen/read Christy, but are afraid to admit it, you would definitely love this book!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Although Valentine's day is a bit overly commercialized and silly, now that I actually have a boy in my life, it is kind of fun! :-) At work, we exchanged sweets to celebrate. Let me tell you, my coworkers definitely know how to do a potluck! I made these little guys to exchange.

They were peanut butter cookies with chunks of these little dark chocolate Reeses' that I found at the store - yum! I found the recipe on this blog Lovin' from the Oven -- see it here.
The great part of the exchange is that I got to bring home tasty samples of the fun treats everyone else had prepared!

The little red "fur ball" in the corner was the creative work of one of our interns! She covered a cake ball with red coconut flakes and added chocolate chop eyes and white chocolate feet.  I'm not sure I can eat it, it's too cute!
After doing some tough speed-work at running group (too many cookies in my belly weighing me down!), I spent a quiet evening with Will. He cooked me dinner - salmon, oven roasted red potatoes, and asparagus! It was all sooooo delicious! He's such a sweetie. :-)

In light of the holiday, I have been hooked on this little love song I heard on the radio a few weeks ago.

A Peek at My Weekend

Hey Friends!
Monday is drawing to a close and this week has me hitting the ground running!
Friday evening entailed packing (Will moved!) and chowing down on the portabella BBQ sandwich at Central. YUM! I was in bed relatively early as I was meeting Emily in the morning for a 9 mile run through Cooper Young. It was freeeeezing!!! Let me tell you about running in the cold. It is not pleasant. My nose becomes a faucet - so much so, I have dripped on my pants! (I know... TMI!) It's true though! I need to tap into my inner granny and start packing tissues up my sleeves when I run. Lol. After doing 9 miles, we met up with Emily's husband and some friends to do the Yazoo Barely a 4-K Run! Even though I had to face the bitter cold for another 2.3 miles it was totally worth it for the t-shirt, brews, and social time! (I'm surprised people still wanted to be friends with me at the Yazoo run - I definitely don't look pretty after a long run! Haha.)

By evening on Saturday I was still chilled, so for dinner, we headed to pho (again!). This time I got the one with lots and lots of veggies! The bowls they serve this stuff in are epic-ly large - I can never finish one!

Sunday involved more moving and unpacking at Will's new place in Midtown (I'm all by myself in Downtown now!). Also, I took the time to lounge on my couch with a cup of coffee and this gem, The Sherlockian by Graham Moore. For a time in high school I went on a Sherlock Holmes binge and read almost all of the mysteries. This book was recommended by a friend and I have loved it! The novel centers on the mystery surrounding the missing diary in Arthur Conan Doyle's canon. Each chapter switches back and forth in time between Doyle and a modern Sherlockian - both trying to solve murder mysteries.

I also watched more of Downton Abbey - I just can't get over this show! Sometimes I wish I could travel back in time and live during this time period for awhile... (until I remember how little they knew about germs and medicine back then!)

This morning I made a trip to the dentist for a cleaning and check-up. No cavities! Woohoo! As I was laying in the chair at the office, I couldn't help thinking of this comic about flossing by The Oatmeal.

See it on his site!

Soup-Time!

I feel like I have posted so many soup recipes here! They are just so easy though! It's rare that I actually really measure things and it's fun to see just how many vegetables I can pack into one pot! A long time ago, a friend recommended this recipe to me and I just now had the chance to make it. Soo delish! The great thing about this soup is that is also includes some tasty protein in the form of quinoa and black beans! :-)

Super Veggie Quinoa Soup!

(Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows' recipe)

Ingredients: 

-1 medium onion, chopped

-2 tbsp olive oil

-2 carrots, chopped

-2 small zucchini, chopped

-1 quart mushrooms, chopped

-3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-6 cups vegetable stock

-1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes

-1 15-ounce can black beans

-2 cups chopped fresh spinach

-3 tbsp worchestershire sauce

-Salt, pepper, red pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil and onion in large stockpot. Once onion becomes translucent, add the following chopped vegetables (garlic, mushrooms, zucchini) and saute for 7-9 minutes until they begin to soften. 

2. Add the stock, tomatoes, black beans, seasonings, and quinoa. Heat until boiling. Once it begins to boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 

3. Add spinach and continue to simmer for another 15-25 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. 

Serve with grilled cheese! Also great with a spoonful or two of cottage cheese dropped on top! (Yay for extra protein!)

Monday List-Day

Hey There!
  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Here's a glimpse of my life/thoughts over the last few days!
1. You know you are at an authentic Italian restaurant when they ask you if you want your stuffed shells served with a side of spaghetti or ravioli! Seriously, there is no better way to carb load the night before a long run. I had the lovely treat of going to dinner at Dino's with Emily, Donna, and Sherry on Friday!

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2. I ran 15 miles on Saturday morning!! That is the longest I have run at one time. Ever. I couldn't have done it without my running buddy Emily! (And 2x caffeine Goo! Lol.)
3. This weekend was cut short as I was back at work on Sunday since it was my turn to cover. Luckily, it's usually pretty busy when you're the only RD at the facility, so it makes the day go by faster!
4. Super Bowl Party! I attended my first ever last night. :-) I think my favorite commercial was the Ferris Bueller one... (because the commercials are all people talk about right?!)

5. Happy belated birthday to my Grandpa! He turned 94 on Saturday!
6. As ridiculous as these are, I can't help smirking when I come across these "Hey Girl" pins on Pinterest...

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7. So excited for book club tonight! We're finally going to talk about The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides!
8. Just started watching the PBS series called Downtown Abbey. I love it! It reminds me of all those Jane Austen and Bronte novels I adore.
9. Graham crackers. Perfect little square vessels for shoveling Nutella into my mouth! It's 2/3 of a s'more!

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10. I'm hoping to post a soup/chili recipe later this week! :-)

Beefy Vegetarian Burgers!

Ok. So maybe they aren't technically beefy but they are pretty protein dense! I stumbled across this recipe the other day and cooked it up for Will and I. These turned out so much better than the ones I made a few weeks ago that just wanted to fall apart in the pan. I think the addition of the quinoa really helped this time!

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers 

(Adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
-1 carrot
-1/2 onion
-1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed
-1/4 cup breadcrumbs OR 1 slice bread toasted and run through food processor! (PS- this is really fun!)
-1 egg
-Salt, pepper
-1 tbsp Dijon mustard
-1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-Pinch of red pepper
-2 tbsp olive oil
Directions: 
1. In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup water and quinoa to a boil. Lower to simmer and cook until all of the water is absorbed. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse slice of toasted bread until crumbled. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until well combined. Add quinoa and pulse again until well mixed with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan. Form bean mixture into 3 1/2 inch patties - should make about 7. Cook until browned - about 8 minutes on each side.  
Serve topped with sliced cheese and avocado with or without the bun. Yum!