where did my sunday go?

It's almost 8pm here and I didn't do anything yet!!! not even baking!!! okay okay, let me remind what I did today. Well, no study for sure! I prepared sunday oatmeal for Savanna, went to yoga, had a quick lunch and then we went to Ross, Whole Food and Tj's. Back, quick dinner and here I am. How's possible that time pass so quick on sundays??? Do you guys feel the same?

As I said, I didn't even cook/bake today, so my eats will be quite boring.
Breakfast combo for me was

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup almond breeze chocolate
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
  

once mixed It wasn't as good as I expected, maybe because the cocoa powder is too bitter, so I added some agave later. It is okay, but could be better!
Savannah's combo was

• 1/4 cup steel cuts oat
• 1/2 cup Tj's soymilk vanilla
• 2 tbsp cranberries
• 2 tbsp longan
• 1 square of choco-nuts petit fours as topping
• 1 tbsp coconut

She loved the mix of flavor and texture!
Way back from yoga I had 5 of these rice cakeAfter these, I didn't have much appetite for lunch, so I made a quick tortilla pizza with some sliced eggplant, cabbage, tomato sauce and mozzarella. I also had a bamboo shot soup.Simple, quick but just what I wanted.
Afternoon snack was 5 small slices of WW bread in WF and like 20-25 Tj's ginger cookies.It's my first time trying these....really like it. The ginger flavor is strong, not so sweet, it's cute, perfect cookie for me :).
Dinner was sauteed cabbage again, leftover chicken soup with shitake and rice.Dessert: fage with strawberries.As I said, today's eats is a little boring. But I'm satisfied anyway. I don't need big fest everyday! When I don't have any craving and/or any special reason to treat myself, keep my meals simple and healthy is my goal.

How did you guys spend your Sunday? More leftovers? Christmas decoration? Or upset because the holiday/long weekend is over?
Today's question is a little technical: Do you guys know how to insert/add emotion icons?

day accomplished~~~

The title does not refer to my work (only managed to work 7 hours), but to my spontaneous challenge to myself in term of workout. I've never ran outside at winter because my nose hurts when I breath the cold air and because it's just uncomfortable to be outside when it's freezing. This afternoon after exhausted my willpower to work I felt needing a good workout, otherwise I won't have dinner again. So, I and Savannah went to the gym and did one hour of intervals on the treadmill.

1. 1 min of warm up
2. 5 sets of 3 min at 6 m/h and 1 min at 7 m/h
3. 10 min walking at 4.2 m/h with inclination 6
4. 5 sets of 3-4 min at 6 m/h and 1 min at 7 m/h
5. 5 min walking at 4.2 m/h with inclination 6
6. cool down
I was feeling great so I wonder what if I run back home instead of driving back. Once the idea crossed my mind I immediately decided to do it because I've never did it before and definitely not under this cold weather. Although it's a short distance run, only 10 min, it was enough to experience how's running under cold weather. This time for my surprise my nose didn't hurt, but my hands were freezing!!!!! and that hurt. But overall I was happy having challenged myself because I felt needing some kind of challenge, and being able to accomplish it is really good for self confidence. Here's my stat
Duration: 1 h 16 min
Average Heart Rate: 156
Maximum: 180
Calories burned: 543
wooooooo!!!! I haven't had that long cardio workout for ages!!!!! (6 months maybe?). How I missed the great feeling of a long run!!!

Back to eats!
Breakfast combo:

• 1/4 cup old wessex (last of the bottle)
• 1/3 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup almond breeze vanilla
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 apple (I eat the other half while cooking the oats)
• 2 tbsp wheat berries
• 2 tbsp cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• 1 spoon of Barney Butter
  

Needless to say it's satisfying and yummy~~~
Morning snack was a cup of powdered soy milk.For lunch I had leftover sauteed cabbage, rice and winter melon soup and I made a pizza-like omelet. First I made the omelet with one egg and 2 tbsp of egg white, add frozen spinach once it's almost done, then add some tomato sauce and mozzarella and broil for 5 min until cheese melt. I cut it in half and pile it. It's really good!! So simple but so yummy~


Dessert was fage+cinnamon.This afternoon I made a banana loaf because I had two veryyyyyy ripped banana and I don't think they'll survive for one more day. I used Kath's recipe with some minor modifications. Instead of using 2 cup of WW, I used 1 cup of WW, 1/2 cup oat bran and 1/2 cup of oats. I didn't have any nuts so I just skip that.
I had one piece right after it comes out from the oven.Before going to the gym I had another piece with PB......much better!!!
Back from the gym I was starving, so while dinner was cooking I had one small piece of tortilla with hummus and 1 cup of almond breeze vanilla with 1 tbsp of cocoa powder (to make my own almond breeze chocolate).
Dinner was chicken soup with black fungus and noodle. It's a classic winter meal in chinese cuisine. Very satisfying and nutritious to refuel what I've burned today.Dessert was some baked kabocha squash. (Running out of fage, need to go for groceries tomorrow!)
Two days of work during Thanksgiving weren't so hard for me (fortunately), it avoided me missing my family and bf all the time and of course, catching up with my research!
I know you guys are enjoying fully these special days with your loved ones! So happy for you, really!
Have a great evening!

Question: What was your latest challenge?

dizzy me~~~~ ^_^

Because of lack of sleep, I was dizzy all day long. However, I did managed to work for 5.5 hours. Although my plan was 7 hours, I think it was enough for a day like this (when everyone is having crazy shoppings or hangovers of last night's party and big fest). I also planned to go for a workout today, but when I finished working around 6pm, my dizziness was so severe that I couldn't convince me to dress up and go to the cold outside. Instead I lied on the coach and finished Eat, Pray and Love. I must say I really enjoyed the book.... it made me laugh, felt touched and some good reflections about my own life.

Okay, before I continue about the book. Let me just record my eats today.
Brekkie was reported in the last post. I had my lunch almost at 3pm because I had late breakfast (8am) and because I wanted to finish writing my proposal (I like to finish writing something to not lose the idea of line of writing). By 1.45pm I was really hungry so I began to cook lunch. 10 min later I realized we were running out of salt, so I asked Savannah to buy salt. Meanwhile I had my dessert first. Fage with cinnamon.Lunch was all Chinese dishes. Chinese zucchini with dry shrimps and a special duck egg.Sauteed Bitter-melonWinter melon with tomato soup
Sauteed cabbageAll together with rice.
I was really stuffed but enjoyed it a lot!
No official dinner after the big/late lunch. Instead I had many snacks.
pita bread with hummus and cottage cheese.Another pita bread! I Love these!!!!Baked kabocha (japanese squash)
Fage with strawberries and bon o bon.
Okay. Done with eats. Now let me cite here one of my favorite part of the book. It's about what is soul mate.
“… People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that’s holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it. .... "
So, what do you guys think about soul mate?

I'd better go to bed early tonight so I can be more productive tomorrow.
Hope you guys enjoyed your day, either shopping or just eating leftovers.

"lonely" thanksgiving.

Yesterday I took a day off from work as to celebrate Thanksgiving. I went to a two hours yoga class in the morning, spend the afternoon reading "Eat, Pray and Love" and baking the dessert for the dinner. I and Savannah went to a friend's home for thanksgiving dinner. They were all Chinese grad students here, people that I barely know. I don't know how to describe the feeling of spending a thanksgiving dinner, which you normally spend with your loved ones, family, bf or close friends, with people that you don't know. They were great people and were really kind to us, but even though I didn't enjoy much...... Maybe I shouldn't say this because I should be thankful that they invited me, because my alternative was to stay at home alone and be miserable. But as I think this blog is to express my true feelings, I must be honest to myself. It was really a weird feeling....from one side my mind told me that I should enjoy time with my new friends, but at the other hand, my heart let me know that I was sad deep inside. I missed a lot my family and specially my boyfriend, because most of people of last night were couples, some of them are getting married soon. I wondered why my other half was not here with me and enjoy every special day, or just every single day together. Why I had to feel so lonely when I have a wonderful boyfriend. Why why why??? I knew all these answered but somehow at that precise moment I just ignored all those rational answers. I just wished my bf was here with me and we could celebrate thanksgiving together, just two of us, it would be hundred times better than being with a bunch of people who are close to me but at the same time feels like thousands miles away.
Anyway, we got back home around 12.30pm, so late for my usually bedding schedule. So, I couldn't fall into sleep until 1.30am thinking all above.

Okay, enough complaint for a day that I should be thankful. Well....I do feel thankful of having my family healthy, happy; to have met my important other half and to be cared and loved in such a way that I feel like a princess even though we've been together already seven years; to have met Savannah who has become my best friend here in US, who I can talk with when I feel stressed out, when I just need someone to listen to me, or just being with her is great.... that's what a truly friend is, right? You don't have to hide yourself, you don't have to pretend anything, just be you; I'm also thankful that I'm here doing what I am so passion about even though I have tough and stressful time, but nobody says that doing what you like would be easy, if not, surpassing all your difficulties in order to pursue your happiness makes the whole process more valuable; and finally I'm so thankful to have all you guys here to read my poor English writing, my random emotional thoughts and cheer me, support me, or just let me know that you're there for me when I'm not feeling well, I really appreciate everything you guys do! Thank you all!!!
Now back to eats. Breakfast was

• 1/2 cup old wessex
• 1/2 cup almond breeze
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 apple
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• 1 tbsp wheat berries
• 1 spoon of PB

I had the other half of apple while I was preparing the oats.

Yummy as always! (I was looking for recipe to make the dessert)
Lunch was leftover sauteed mushroom, cauliflower and chickpeas with some rice and a seaweed tomato soup.Dessert was ricotta with apple sauce.I was soooooooooo happy to have made this wonderful dessert (or maybe petit fours). I didn't stick to any particular recipe, if not I read a couple and managed to create my own with what I had in pantry. I'll call it Choco-nuts petit fours.

I've never though the mix of coconuts flakes with nuts could be that good!!! mmmmmmm.......... this is really really delicious!!!! Perfect for afternoon tea or after meal coffee.
I don't know you guys, but when I create a new recipe and it works out better than I thought, I get so excited!!!!
I snacked a pita bread with some cottage cheese. (no pic since I had it in the kitchen when I listened to Savannah how great was my new creation)
Then dinner at friend's home was roasted chicken, baked spicy fish, seafood cake and rice. I only liked the roasted chicken so I had 3 big pieces with rice (but I did have a bite of everything). After dinner we played some games and have a lot of nuts and fruits (grapes and pineapple). Sorry, no pics!

This morning I woke up extremely hungry at 7.30 am (Booo, only 6 hours of sleep). I thought I ate a lot last night, but maybe it wasn't that satisfying. Anyway, I had a big bowl of my favorites

• 1/2 cup old wessex
• 1/3 cup almond breeze
• 1/2 banana
• 1/4 cup wheat berries
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 tbsp flax meal

This was delicious as always....however not enough for my hunger. So I first had 1/2 pita bread and 10 min later had the other half. hahahha....... this is my new favorite snack (I've just noticed that I get more satisfy with savory snacks than sweet ones. Well, I'm not a sweet kind of person) And two heavy cups of coffee, because I need to be totally woke up since I'm planned working hard today.

Okay. Bye for now! My plan is work at least 7 hours today. Hope you guys don't have to work and just spend some quality time with your family.

workholic me!!!

I'm feeling even better today since I decided to ignore her as too (well, just ignore the fact that she's ignoring me. I know that if she happens to contact me, I'll be run into her right away. ) and focus on what I should focus on right now, my own research. I did a lot of work today, about 8 hours? excluding eating and breaks. Some important progress have been done, so I'm satisfy with my work today.
Fortunately I'm sleeping well too, 8 hours a day is really important to keep me productive and in good mood. And I'm glad that I changed my biological clock from going to sleep around 11pm to 10pm, so I can get up around 6 and begin to work at 7am. I know that most of you are morning person and get up around 5 or 6, but this is not common among people I know here. Most of my friends or people I know go to sleep around 12pm or later, so I'm the weird girl who behaves like old lady. Before finding you guys, I wondered sometimes if I'm really weird, but now I'm 100% that we're the healthy group, we have nothing to shame of, we're the role model for the rest of young people. Don't you think? (well...maybe I'm over exaggerating..... it's just that I'm needing high self steam lately)

okay. Back to eats
Breakfast: back to my favorite oatmeal.

• 1/3 cup old wessex
• 1/3 cup almond breeze vanilla
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 apple
• pinch of salt
• vanilla
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Needless to say that it was so yummy~~~~~~~~~Morning snack: powdered soy milk + trail mixLunch: penne with veggie&salmon sauce plus two Tj's turkey ball. For the sauce I mix some tomato sauce, shredded carrots, frozen collard greens, frozen green beans and half can of salmon. And tons of fresh parsley! (love fresh herbs! I'm seriously considering grown my own herbs.)Very satisfying and nutritious lunch!
Dessert: ricotta cheese + pumpkin + cinnamon.By 5.30pm I was totally stupid, so I went to the gym to regain energy. Pre-workout snack was muffin with laughing cow and hummus. Plus argentinian two hearts chocolate.I jogged for 30 min on the treadmill (6 m/h) and 25 min elliptical machine while I read Self. My stat:
Duration: 55 min
Average Heart Rate: 149
Maximum: 202
Calories burned: 377
Dinner: Sauteed romaine lettuce with garlic, salt, sugar and canola oil. Also made a warm salad of cauliflower, mushroom and chickpeas, seasoned with 1/2 package of Goya and pepper. I had them with 1 cup of rice. oh.....I had some baby carrots with hummus as appetizer too.
It was a huge plate of food....I was really stuffed when I finished. But I always have room for dessert. My favorite fage with frozen strawberries.And now, while I'm blogging, I had another argentinian chocolate called Bon o Bon, a classic!
I think most of you are having great time with your family! (I'm so jealous!)
I wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving! I'm looking forward to read your post with delicious eats!!