Hibernation.

Hey foodies.

Okay, this weather makes me not want to leave the house. I do sometimes (regretfully), but it is a struggle. Thus, I cook. Here is another day of healthy-ish meals, plus an extra dinner, a workout, and some Valentine's Day recipes.

Breakfast: Kale and blueberry smoothie

I apologize for not taking a picture, but when you always wake up 20 minutes before you have to leave, it is difficult to find time for photography in the morning.  This smoothie was so easy to make. I had to get used to the consistency of kale instead of spinach at first, but it adds a decent texture.

Here is the recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/01/blueberry-kale-smoothie.html#more

Snacks: Hard-boiled eggs, veggies and hummus, and fruit

I've been trying to do more food prep on Sundays before the week starts, and it makes my life so much easier. Having eggs and fresh veggies ready to go for the week is super convenient and less expensive than grabbing lunch on the go.

Dinner #1: Meatball and tortellini soup

OMG YUM. This is another great weeknight meal that warms the bones when you are hibernating (like myself). It makes a ginormous amount that lasts for many a meal (or only a few when you are living with Steve Donlon). I made it right before we had to rush to a volleyball game, and it was super quick to throw in the pot and reheat when we were ready to eat. I added too much tortellini obviously, due to my pasta addiction. Do they have meetings for that?

Here's the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/meatball-tortellini-soup.html

Dinner #2:  Chicken sausage gyros

I'm absolutely positive I have posted this before, but I just had to again. It's so easy and I want to bathe in this lime cilantro yogurt sauce..I mean..I really like it...Awkward. I also used the leftover pita bread for snacks with hummus this week, and used leftover kale from my smoothies instead of spinach.  Here is the recipe: http://bevcooks.com/2011/10/chicken-sausage-tacos-with-cilantro-yogurt-sauce/

Dessert: Greek yogurt with fixins'

So Steve and I got enough candy for Christmas that we put it in a sack. Yes, a sack. So we call it "sack o' candy." Sack o' candy is not helpful for trying to eat less sugar. At all. Like, counterproductive probably. 

So not that this dessert has NO sugar, but I like to tell myself that it's slightly healthier than sack o' candy. I take one plain greek yogurt and add whatever I have on hand. In this picture, I added some chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Delish. 

 

Workout: Cardio

I've been trying to switch up my cardio, and found this 60-minute interval-based workout that goes by quickly and is good for working up a sweat. I found it on Pinterest, but the link doesn't work for some reason so here is the picture.

Valentine's Day!  I know everyone thinks this holiday is super lame, but I just LOVE love. So...sorry I'm not sorry. Here are some recipes that I made for my valentine yesterday:

Red velvet puppy chow (http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2013/01/red-velvet-puppy-chow.html)

Nutella mascarpone french toast (http://www.grilledcheesesocial.com/2011/02/la-la-love-you.html)
     -I used this salted caramel hazelnut spread instead of nutella and it is BOMBBBBBBBBB dot com. I put some in my smoothie this morning. I wouldn't be surprised if I eat the whole jar this weekend oops.

Chocolate pretzels (http://www.crazyaboutmybaybah.com/valentines-day-chocolate-pretzels/)

Heart cake (http://katiebrownhomeworkshop.com/make-my-heart-sing/)

 Other than that, nothing too crazy going on in my life. Just playing the waiting game for next Friday and getting excited to go visit my lover in D.C. next week for a conference. I am feeling very appreciative of this calm before the storm (and after the craziness of January), and am trying to relax as much as possible. This equates to a lot of Ernie snuggling and watching Bates Motel on Netflix. It's pretty bad, but I can't stop.  I hope everyone is staying warm and eating delicious food :)

Happy eating!