Virtual Breakfast Date {A Fruitful Week}

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

“The devil’s beating his wife” right now!

^^^Has anyone used/heard of this expression before? Apparently it’s a Southern regional way of saying that it’s raining while the sun is still shining. I’m not from the South, but it’s fun to say and freak people out up here in the Northeast.

I was meaning to blog earlier this week, but activities and schoolwork caught up to me, blah blah, normal excuses. But here I am with my breakfast, ready to share a late virtual breakfast date with you.

…you would see that I’m eating a classic “me” breakfast.

two eggs scrambled with veggies + whole wheat pancakes with peanut butter and banana + glass o’ milk

…I would tell you that I ate the same thing earlier this week.

except with Sriracha! ♥

…I would tell you that this week has been fruitful. Firstly, it has been fruitful in a very literal sense, since I went apple picking with the Catholic Center on Columbus Day.

…I would tell you that there are few things better than eating fresh apples on a beautiful sunny day with the most loving friends.

…I would tell you that the apple cider donuts (WITH cinnamon sugar) might be one of my favorite seasonal treats ever.

…I would tell you that I need to learn to keep my mouth closed in photos.

…I would tell you that we all donated some of our apples to baking apple crisps for the Boston Rescue Mission! Fruitful apple picking in a more profound sense, am I right?

…I would tell you that I’ve battled some tough inner demons this week. However, talking with my dearest friends and my spiritual director has been very fruitful. There have been many tears, but “tears are a gift,” as my friend Lauren says.

Thank you, dear friends.

…I would tell you that it has been lovely getting to move and groove outdoors this week.

…I would tell you that there’s some funky debris in my milk cup right now and I’m a little concerned.

…I would tell you that there have been some good eats this week!

Thai chicken wrap

beef stir fry

triple berry cobbler a la mode OMG

baked fish and carrots + salad + butternut squash, caramelized onion, arugula, and BLUE CHEESE pizza!!!

loaded salad with beets, carrots, tomatoes, peas, orzo, roasted red peppers, beef, and a hunk o’ ~~burnin’ love~~ bread

…I would tell you that I have a lot of studying to do this weekend, but I’m also looking forward to some a cappella shows tomorrow!

…I would tell you that you’re awesome.

…I would ask you to tell me:

What do you call it when it’s raining and the sun is still shining (if you even have a term)?

Have you ever gone apple picking?

How has your week been fruitful?

What’s up this weekend?

WIAW: Dorm and Dining Hall

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

Why hello there!

I’m seriously going to be so excited whenever I manage to get a post up while I’m in school. Keep in mind that I’m writing these while classes have not even started yet…

Anyway, I have FOOD for you all today! Lots of it. I’ve always been interested in seeing what people eat in college (especially the food at UCLA, where Julianna goes), because there’s the infamous “Freshman 15” that creeps up in the back of everyone’s mind. I can see how that could happen quickly because all of a sudden, there are all these food choices around you in the dining hall, and it’s tempting to want ALL OF IT. Not to mention the free pizza that’s at every social event.

I think I’m quite fortunate to be at Boston University, where there are so many healthy options beyond the salad bar. The Sargent College of Health and Rehab Sciences (my college within BU!) has a food program called Sargent Choice, which just ensures the availability of healthy, wholesome meal choices. They’re so delicious too! {Not as good as your food though, mama.}

Alright, onto the noshes. Here are some of my eats from the past week!

Joining Jenn‘s world wide food party!

Breakfasts

In dorm: multigrain bread with sunflower seed butter and banana + apple with peanut butter

In dorm: oatmeal with vanilla protein powder, peanut butter, jam, and half a banana

In dining hall: cottage cheese with natural peanut butter (!!!), jam, and a sliced banana

In dining hall: oatmeal with cinnamon, jam, peanut butter, and half a banana + cottage cheese, strawberry yogurt, Sargent Choice granola (that I accidentally dumped in there…oh well!), and the other half of the banana + a chat with God 🙂

In dining hall: whole wheat French toast (basically, the answer to my prayers) with peanut butter and banana + scrambled eggs with ketchup + glass o’ milk

Lunches

FYSOP lunch every day: huge turkey, muenster, lettuce, tomato sandwich + kettle cooked potato chips + an unpictured chocolate chip cookie 😀

In the fancier dining hall: seafood stew (really tasty!) with naan + salad

Restaurant with family: I shared bites of yen ta fo soup, shrimp pad thai, papaya salad, and basil pork. Mostly shrimp pad thai and papaya salad!

In dining hall: salad with cowboy caviar, feta, and a hard boiled egg + black bean burger on whole wheat with some fancy pico on the side

In an on-campus food court: eel-cucumber-avocado-brown rice sushi

Snacks

Lots of apples (with and without nut butter)

Handy snacks in my dorm room: Wheat Thins, sweet and salty peanuts, mixed nuts

Dinners

In the dining hall: Firecracker tofu + brown rice + veggies x2

In the dining hall: Mexican rice with pastor chicken, salsa, and cilantro

In dining hall: sweet chicken sandwich on whole wheat bun + salad with hummus and feta

Dinner with family on Labor Day: clay hot pots (mine was the eel one on top left)

In dining hall: salad with hummus + grilled salmon with soba noodles (more like chow mein noodles)

Desserts

Ice cream social = free ice cream!! Vegan (soy) tahitian vanilla + strawberry added after this photo was taken

Insomnia cookie! Oatmeal raisin. Not reallyyyyy worth the $1.50.

In dining hall: plain yogurt + a dollop of strawberry yogurt + Sargent choice granola

And that’s a wrap! There were definitely more snacks in there, but I’m not going to take a picture of every banana I eat. For both of our sakes.

I hope to update you all on college life (since classes started yesterday) soon! I have a “Weekly Moves and Grooves” (aka weekly workouts) post in the works for ya too.

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

So tell me:

What have you been snacking on lately?

Has there been a food you’ve tried just for the hype/experience?

That Time I Forgot to Bring My Shoes to the Gym

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

Good morning!

The first day back at school didn’t make me cringe yesterday, which I consider a huge win. (I actually don’t mind school all that much. I feel like it sounds like I dread it, but that’s not always the case.) I was also happy to see my friends again since I was basically antisocial (besides social media) during winter break.

Lunch at school means that sandwiches are back in style, and they really are stylish this week! Check out this marbled rye/pumpernickel bread. (Thanks for making them, Ma 🙂 )

Rye is saltier than normal bread, so it’s not my favorite, but I’ve always wanted to say, “I’m having chicken, cheese, and lettuce on rye.” It just seems so…classic sitcom deli scene.

Anyway, moving onto story time. School was dandy, and I already had my gym bag in the car so I could head to the gym directly from school as I normally do. Admittedly, I was even wearing my workout shirt under my sweater (from Binghamton last week!) so I wouldn’t have to change when I got to the gym. Lazy butt I am.

I just wanted it for the style. Look at the button + collar! It also looks like I’m about to wink at you…but don’t flatter yourself. 😉 <— there’s your wink.

I drove all the way to the gym, excited to get movin’ and groovin’, and I even sat in the parking lot for a few minutes to quickly chow on a granola bar before going inside. Then I started getting out of the car when I realized…aw sugar nuts. I forgot my gym shoes.

Do I go back home and get them? I’m already here…

*Sigh* I’m gonna go inside anyway. Then we’ll see where it goes from there.

So I went inside, changed, and stared at my locker for a good 5 minutes. My mind went back and forth between staying and just going home, but I knew that I wanted to just do some TRX and upper body exercises anyway— nothing that involved machinery or weights or anything that could put my little piggies in peril.

I also had some thick, black socks on, so I just decided to go for it. I worked out at the gym without shoes. I completely understand that it’s not the safest thing to do, but I steered clear of any cardio machines (except the rower for 5 minutes), and I just did my thing on the turf area of the gym.

I was definitely afraid that people would give me judgy stares, but no one seemed to notice or care. I wasn’t running on the treadmill with my socks or anything. When I looked in the mirror for a quick second, it didn’t even look like I wasn’t wearing shoes since my socks contrasted my workout clothes so drastically. I even thought that my socks could pass for those flat, toe-sock-looking running shoes. Maybe a few people had a double take when looking at my feet, but I just did my thang (with caution of course).

I kinda felt like a rebel though. Working out with JUST socks. Obviously, my life is riveting! 😉

As for my actual moves, I did supersets of upper body exercises, using the TRX for some of them. Then I finished with another ab tabata that included v-ups, leg lifts, side crunches, Spiderman planks, and knee cross tuck planks. My core was burnin’! I love that the tabata format makes for a great workout in a short period of time (usually only 8-10 minutes).

After my shoe-less workout, I had a delicious pair to refuel: apples and almond butter. I’m really starting to like almond butter now! I used to look down upon it as the inferior cousin to peanut butter, but I’ve learned to be more open-minded to it, and I’m finding it tastier and tastier every day. Amanda, the almond butter lover, would be thrilled to hear that 🙂

Well, hopefully I won’t have a brain fart and forget to take my gym shoes with me again. At least I know that it is indeed possible to work out at the gym sans shoes without getting death stares. But seriously, I probably won’t do that again if I do forget my shoes in the future. It’s just a little uncomfortable (mentally, not physically).

Hope you all have a terrific day!

So tell me:

Have you ever worked out at the gym without an essential item before?

Do you like rye bread?

Almond butter or peanut butter?