New York: Food Adventures

I'm sure there are a thousand things I could tell you about my trip this weekend, but I'll try and break it down into multiple posts so you don't want to murder me after reading the longest post in the history of blogging.

So lets start with the best part--food!

I wasn't terribly stressed out about eating on the trip. I knew there would be "cheat" times, and I knew that it would be difficult to eat clean on vacation. But I was okay with that. The great thing is, New York is full of diverse restaurants, bakeries, and cafes, which provides plenty of options to find something that I was comfortable eating. Here's a recap of some of my favorite things:

1. In New York, there are delis everywhere! And the funny thing is, the sandwiches, pizza, and paninis are already made. Once you order, they grab the sandwich and throw it on the grill to heat it back up. I had a delicious eggplant parmesan panini the first night, and it didn't taste reheated at all. The pita bread was still chewy and soft, and not soggy. The eggplant with fresh basil and tomato sauce were really fantastic as well. I have not had too much success making eggplant parmesan, but I think I'm going to have to try again!

 2. We found this fantastic little place called Au Bon Pain by accident, and it was fantastic! Their pastries and cookies are really what drew us in, but they also had a great soup and sandwich bar. The best part? Everything was labeled with the amount of calories. Love it! I tried their pumpkin soup and pumpkin muffin (yes, I'm addicted) but by far the best treat there was the cranberry almond macaroons. Nice and "coconutty"--and once, we even got them while the chocolate was still hot and melty. Yum!

 3. One night we went to a gorgeous place called Eataly. It was established by the great Mario Batalli as a place where Americans can go and experience Italy. There were fish, pasta, and pizza restaurants, as well as multiple Italian food markets. There was a vegetable section, which had the most fantastic veggies (I'm pretty sure I was in heaven!), many of which I had never seen before! There were white eggplants, purple baby artichokes, pink beans, and gorgeous herbs. I wanted to buy everything and take it home with me, but I have a feeling they wouldn't have survived the plane.

4. I love Greek food. There is nothing I don't love, from hummus to falafels to lamb gyros. All of it is delicious and makes my tummy very happy! Besides picking up some awesome gyros from a street cart, we also went to a nicer Greek restaurant called Daphni.  I shared the Greek salad and lamb kabobs with Mom, and both were delicious. 

5. My favorite restaurant was probably Yum Yum Thai food. Which of course, I was too busy inhaling my food to get a decent picture. But believe me when I say that it was awesome. I had veggie and tofu in a ginger sauce with brown rice, with a spicy shrimp soup as a starter. I loved the ginger sauce, and I finally fulfilled my week long craving for tofu! Yes, I crave tofu. I know I'm weird. Anyways, Thai is definitely one of my favorite cuisines, and Yum Yum's didn't disappoint.


Coming up next...the Broadway Experience!

Freakin' Out

Hey y'all! So I'm leaving for New York in less than 24 hours. And I'm about to pee my pants. Part of me is really excited about this adventure. I'm going to one of the most fascinating cities in the United States--I'll see all the sights, travel like a New Yorker in the subway, eat way too many calories, and see some fantastic plays.

But I am also running a 9.5 mile obstacle course, and I can't think of anything more terrifying right now. I keep telling myself I'm prepared. I mean, I have run 7, 8, 9, and 10-milers to prepare. I have lifted, sprinted, and squatted to get into my peak physical condition. But what if I can't do it? What if I die on the side of the road? What if I give up (gasp!)? I'm doubting myself mentally right now.

Anyways, thanks for listening me be a baby. I can do this, because I can do hard things. nbd. ;)

See you in the Big Apple!

Love Your Body

Every year the Women's Resources program at my school puts on a challenge called "Recapturing Beauty". It is a campaign designed to help women to reshape their attitudes and opinions of their own beauty, physically and spiritually. It is designed to help women learn to "develop a greater love and appreciation for who they are as divine beings". I didn't hear about the campaign this year until the last day, so I was unable to participate in the 10 Day Challenge (or receive a free t-shirt, dang it!).

October 19th was also NOW's National Love your Body day, so I guess I've been a little bombarded this week with reasons to love myself and my new body. I'm not gonna lie, its been difficult to transition my mindset from a "fat" girl to a healthy girl. I still look in the mirror and see "fat Sammi" some days. But I have also learned to appreciate myself in a new light. And I want to share that with you.

**All photos courtesy of Tilt Photography**

 I love my smile. Its not perfect, its not even "real", but I love it nonetheless.

 I like my eyes. I like the way they change colors depending on what I'm wearing. Some days, they are a rich green. Others, a murky green blue. And once in a while, they almost look grey.

 My legs are strong. I have thunder thighs and I'm not afraid to admit it. I thought that once I lost weight, I would automatically have small legs. But I don't, and I like them this way. I have muscle definition. I can run 10 miles. Who doesn't want to be able to say that?

 I like my small waist and big hips. I'm curvy and I always will be (once again, another trait that I though would go away but didn't). But I rock my curves. And apparently boys find curvy girls more attractive...and that's always a good thing. ;)

I like my feet. This sounds weird, but hear me out. I used to have really nice looking feet. Now my feet are calloused and "veiny". My mom's feet have always been like this, and now I know why: we are runners. I have runner's feet (although hopefully I will never get runner's toe...). They aren't pretty, but they define who I am and what I do. I couldn't do any of the activities I love if I didn't have strong, calloused feet.

I like my laugh. I sound weird, my nose crinkles, and sometimes I squeak. But it means that I'm happy.

I still have fat days. I sometimes doubt myself. But I'm getting better. We are all amazing people, regardless of our physically condition, because we are made in the image of a God who loves us tremendously. We have been blessed with strong bodies and minds, and hopefully y'all can realize how amazing this is.

Have a great weekend!

Water.

The other day in my R.I.P.P.E.D. class, cute Kara, our instructor, remembered that she back when she first started teaching she would give one "health tip" during each class. So her tip for the day? "Drink half of your body weight in fluid ounces of water per day." Huh?

If you're a little confused, don't worry. This is where my "math head" kicks in: Let's assume that you weigh 140 lbs. Then you should be drinking 70 oz. of water per day.

This got me thinking, how much water do I drink a day? I know its a lot because I have to pee like every hour (TMI? Deal with it.). But how much? So I have been tracking my drinking habits for the last few days, and I typically drink anywhere from 100-120 oz. of water a day! That's a lot of water! I'm consuming about 75% of my body weight in fluid ounces per day. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but I like it that way. I never feel hungry or dehydrated.

Is it possible to drink too much water? I looked it up, and pretty much you can't. Unless you are chugging gallons of water at a time--then you can die. Seriously. But as long as your water intake is spread throughout the day, no big deal. Cool fact: your kidneys can process up to 15 liters of fluid a day! Dare you to test that out...

In the meantime, eat Pumpkin-Coconut Chowder. Its delicious. And I might make it a few more times this weekend. Because it makes my tummy happy. And one of these days, I will get you a new recipe. Sorry I'm a slacker.

Vegetarian?

Sometimes I wonder what I am. Like foodwise. I have no allergies--I can't be described as gluten-free, corn-free (although I am working on a corn-free cornbread replacement...), or lactose-intolerant. I don't see the point in veganism. I don't have enough self control to "eat clean". Or raw. I hardly ever eat meat, but I eat enough that I can't be considered a vegetarian. Plus, my whole family would shun me for life if I ever became a full-fledged veggie. So what is my "diet"?

I guess you could call it the "Sammi diet". I avoid processed foods, I only eat meat once or twice a week, and I eat cookies. I've found what works for me, even if it can't be labeled as a specific trend or diet.

So let me introduce you to the most delicious meatless chili on this planet. I got this recipe out of Martha Stewart's Everday Food Magazine. The girl that lived in the apartment before us never changed her address for her mail (hence why I watched her Netflix copy of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief yesterday) and the best thing that comes is this magazine. So when I came across this recipe, I just had to try it. With "Sammi" modifications, of course.

Sam's Vegetarian Bean Chili

adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ large yellow onion, chopped
• ½ jalepeno pepper, chopped*
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• 2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can crushed tomatoes

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high in a large, thick bottomed pot and add in onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper (all diced). Season heavily with salt. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in chili powder and diced green chiles and saute for another 2-3 minutes. 2. Add in beans, tomatoes (with juice), and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chili is thickened. Season to taste with salt. I topped mine with a dollop of plain fat-free yogurt and cheddar cheese. This would also taste great with crushed tortilla chips or maybe pepper jack cheese. mmm. *Feel free to use the entire jalapeno if y'all love spice...my roommates don't "do spicy" so 1/2 pepper was perfect. There was definitely a kick, but it didn't overwhelm the dish.*

Servings: 6
Calories: 342
Protein: 17g

Healthy.

Sometimes people frustrate me. They tell me I exercise to much or that I eat weird vegetables. They think I'm trying to hard to be skinny and that I should stop dieting. But those that say that to me just don't understand. I'm not dieting. I'm appreciating the beautiful body my Heavenly Father gave me by taking care of it. By filling it with good foods and pushing it through exercise. And I feel better than I have in years. I'm not the skinniest girl on the block, nor will I ever be. But that's ok. I am healthy and happy.

Source: foreverfit.tumblr.com via Sammi on Pinterest

Workin' for the Weekend

When you are going to school full time, working, and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life, weekends are the best thing that has ever happened to you. Seriously. So I thought you might enjoy some scenes from this weekend--which, I should mention, I found particularly successful :)!

 Started the weekend off early on Thursday by heading over the the soccer game with Erin. Erin and I are are both so busy, I hardly ever see her. It was wonderful to spend some "Sammi-Erin" time--even if we were freezing our butts off! 

You know, I wish I played soccer when I was younger--those girls are in the most amazing shape and are incredible runners. I might have been a little jealous...

 Got a little tired of eating oatmeal and pancakes Friday morning (I know, shocking!) so I whipped up a small batch of Julie's fantastic pumpkin muffins. Used up the last of the pumpkin though...we'll see how long I can make it before cracking open another can.

Have you ever seen this movie? Soo funny! Its supposed to be a "scary movie", but the special effects are not very believable. And the character development is just wonderful. I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a Halloween movie to watch without peeing your pants every five minutes.

Went for a run Saturday afternoon (6 miles + stairs) and I am really feeling fantastic about the race. I have less than three weeks to go, and I'm starting to think that I am definitely ready!

Made this gorgeous pizza--Thai Chicken! I'm not going to put up this recipe because its definitely not that good for you, but expect a salad variation coming soon!

Football game Saturday night...we are winning finally! Also, this picture isn't from this weekend--way too cold to be wearing a t-shirt!

Hope y'all had a good weekend, and are feeling ready to start a new week. I know I am!

Best Friend Cookies

Good morning! The weather outside might be miserable, but at least I have cute rainboots!

Last night I had an intramural football game. It was raining. I played through snow, hail, and rain all through out high school softball season, so it really wasn't that big of a deal for me. And in case you were wondering, we tied 6-6. There wasn't much scoring on either side because the ball was too darn slick to handle! Playing in the rain totally made up for it though. Epic.

My bff Elaine has been dying to come to a game. She's from Louisiana--all they do is produce NFL athletes and shoot gators--naturally she would want to come. ;) I suggested that she come last night since she wasn't doing anything. Little did I know that the weather would behave so poorly! Poor girl was probably freezing her Louisianan butt off! But she stuck it out and cheered for me the whole time (and that's why I love her).

When I got off the field, I apologized for making her come tonight. Her reply? "Thats okay, you're going to bake me cookies to make up for it." Love it.

So I made her cookies. Apology cookies. "I Love My Best Friend" cookies.

It took us her a while to figure out what she wanted, but she finally decided on Orange Dreamsicles. These cookies are light and creamy, with an orangey twist (just like a dreamsicle!). Ironically, I had this recipe listed in a document called, "How to Gain the Freshman 15". Ha.

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ¾ teaspoon soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 2 cups white chocolate chips**

Directions:

1. Beat together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. 2. Add dry ingredients and mix. 3. Fold in the white chocolate chips. 4. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies. *I actually was out of eggs, so I replace it with 1/4 c. applesauce, and they turned out beautifully. **Delicious with or without (we didn't have any...)!

Servings: 36
Calories: 147 (and you wonder that I gained the Freshman 15...)
Protein: N/A

I Will Survive?

Sometimes running is hard. a.k.a. every day it's hard. This morning I ran 8 miles, and it was the longest, yuckiest run I have had in a while. My stomach was in knots for the first four miles, until I ran into the grocery store on my route and bought a Powerade. I quickly downed half of it, took a short, break, and finished up the run. Man, I felt sooo much better! Apparently I need to start thinking about race fueling for New York. I called Mom and she said that I should be fine with the Gatorade stations along the race route. Which is good, because I have heard terrible things about Gus and other running fuel options. Nasty.

But at least its over. And you know what? Some days are gonna be rough. I learned that this summer when I was first learning to run long distance. I had many runs where I really wish I could've died. But then they end. And you move on. Today was hard, but tomorrow will probably be better. And the high you get on a good day totally outweighs the lows on a bad day.

Now I'm exhausted. And my knee hurts. And I just found out some bad news about one of my classes today. Hopefully I will make it through the day without having some sort of mental breakdown! :S

I have a recipe for you so you don't walk away from my blog all depressed. :)

Strawberry Protein Shake 

Ingredients:

• 5.3 oz (1 serving) Strawberry flavored Greek yogurt
• ½ scoop Vanilla Protein Powder of choice
• ½ cup sugar-free Applesauce
• 1 cup Spinach leaves
• ½ cup Strawberries, chopped

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend. Eat. :)

Servings: 1
Calories: 186
Protein: 24g

Pizza Crust Success

A couple weeks ago, I bought a jar of yeast. I was determined to make delicious pizza crust. Fail. Fail. Fail. For some unbeknownst (wow, I don't think I have ever type that word before...weird.) reason, the yeast would never set up. I was worried I had a dud jar, so I tested it:

Definitely not a dud. Which means I'm just handicapped at using yeast. Well, at least I decided to try just one more time before I gave up!

This crust recipe is actually really fantastic. I love that its whole wheat and simple. For how few ingredients are necessary, the flavor of the crust is really something special. And paired with some favorite veggies? Glorious.

Perfect Pizza Crust

barely adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 ½ cups warm water (110 degrees F--really important!)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Mix in yeast, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy. 2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 3. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled. 4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Spread over pizza wheel or I just used a baking sheet wrapped in foil. 5. Bake for five minutes at 500 degrees, then pull out. Cover with desired toppings and cheese. Reduce the oven heat to 425 degrees and then bake for another 10-12 minutes.

Roasted Veggie Pizza

adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• ¼ cup water
• 5 ounces spinach leaves, chopped (about 6 cups)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used half cheddar/half mozzarella)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ½ batch Perfect Pizza Crust (see above)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Pre-bake pizza dough according to instructions (see above). 2. Steam broccoli until crisp-tender (in the microwave, about 4 minutes). Add in spinach and steam for 1-2 minutes longer. Cut tomatoes in half. 3. Toss broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes in olive oil. Season generously with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. 4. Spread veggie mixture across the pizza crust, top with cheeses, then bake at 425 degrees for another 10-12 minutes. Cheese should be bubbly and the crust should be crispy on the outside and fully cooked.

Servings: 6
Calories: 302
Protein: 9.2g