Crunch Time

The title of this post is literal and figurative. As much as I'd like it to only apply to the crunchy Thai Salad I ate today, finals are also coming up, and I need to keep both my mind and my body in tip-top shape until I leave Tucson for summer. After a full night at the library, I had to wake up early today to get fitted for a fashion show Friday--a friend from a class last year asked if I would model, how could I say no to that?? I had a clementine before the fitting so I wouldn't be bloated, but after the fitting, my stomach was beginning to rumble.

I did a quick Insanity video before my hunger got too out of control, and drinking a ton of water helped control the rumbling as well. But as soon as I finished working out, I definitely needed to eat again. Luckily, Amanda and I went to Safeway (a supermarket in Tucson) last night, so I have a handful of already prepared salads sitting in my fridge. The first one I pulled out had a molded apple in it, ew, so my next choice was the Thai Chicken Salad.

Similar to the Chinese Chicken Salad I already posted about, this one also included celery, peanuts, scallions, red peppers, and cucumbers. Once again, I tossed the dressing, crunchies, and peanuts, and swapped for sunflower seeds and balsamic. The perfect way to start a very full week!

I had considered saving some for later, but it was gone too fast

-KIM

Guac Time

The other day I found myself in a rather difficult predicament. It all started when I began having intense cravings for guacamole, so--without hesitation--I headed to the nearest chipotle and ordered 2 containers of it. Naturally, the staff seemed a bit appalled when I refused both a burrito bowl or chips to go with my guac, but I paid and left without a problem.

The real problem arose when I got home: I opened my pantry to find that I was absolutely chipless. I had kind of banked on the memory that I had some leftover rice crackers lying around, but it appeared as if memory had failed me. Hungry and desperate, I looked around for anything that might substitute. Cashews? No. Noodles? Gross. Miracle noodles? Possibly, but I wasn't in the mood to wait for them to cook.

And then I found them, the perfect crunch to go with my absolutely mouthwatering guacamole: fresh bell peppers. They were perfect! Not only did they satisfy my craving without the added guilt of sodium and preservatives found in chips, but the bell peppers themselves created a whole new dimension to my snack that left it healthy yet bursting with flavor.

I had this the next day too, plenty of leftover!

-KIM

Press Conference Day

The day finally arrived and went, and I am unscathed. "What day?" you ask. Oh, thank you for inquiring, I'm talking about the day of my press conference. I've been planning for this day the entire semester. You could say that it was casually a thorn in my side for the past few months; I've been dreading and anticipating it. It's not like I was afraid it wouldn't turn out well, I was just anxious that it wouldn't live up to my high expectations. I set standards for myself when it came to this project, and since it was my idea that was being executed by an entire group of girls, I wanted it to be perfect. Luckily, it was.

It was a '007 James Bond inspired press conference (I won't bore you with all of the details surrounding the conference), but basically it was awesome. We all dressed up in Bond outfits and I baked cupcakes to spell out '007.

Let's rewind a little bit thought. Starting with my morning: after my oatmeal, morning classes, and a 30 minute run, I was ready for lunch. I decided to keep things simple since my stomach was turning in circles. I went for a delicious, fresh salad to keep me satisfied before the big event.

In the salad is green pepper, tomato, carrots, chickpeas, tuna, and steamed broccoli

The salad was exactly what I needed to keep me full, and for dessert I had two pieces of dried mango. I need to be honest, I am ADDICTED to dried fruit. But truthfully nothing leaves me more satisfied than a dried mango. Pleeeease try it, you will agree with me.

Now let's fast-forward and talk about after the event. I decided that I deserved a treat. I'm not talking about a calorie-laden cupcake or dairy-infused froyo, I'm talking a delicious, healthy dinner that I didn't have to make myself. One of my best friends, Julie, and I made the executive decision that we needed Wegman's salads. For me that means a large plastic container filled with pre-cooked veggies with the perfect seasonings. So we treated ourselves.

I went a little crazy with the steamed broccoli, pesto broccoli, chickpea salad, mushrooms, and LOTS of asparagus. I adore asparagus.

After we bought the salads, we went for a nice walk. The weather in Syracuse is really confused because although it's the end of April, it still thinks it has to be chilly. The day was beautiful though, and the sun was out. Before I headed off to do my life radio show (It's called "The Red Carpet Report", it's on every Monday night starting at 8! Total celeb gossip show) I munched my entire container of veggies. NOM!!

All in all, a great day.

--Lara

Broccoli Salad

So yesterday I finished my 60th day of Insanity--I'm done! However, I don't just want to stop and throw away all my progress, so I've decided I'm going to redo the 2nd month (the more intense one) to keep getting myself ready for bikini season and LONDON!

After my morning of Insanity it was already around 11 am, so I was at an impasse: breakfast or lunch? I decided on brunch. 1/2 of a grapefruit and a delicious salad I got from Trader Joe's yesterday. "Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat" = heaven. However, I had to add some Kimifications to it. They included: Only using 1/2 packet of the sunflower seeds in the box, tossing the creamy dressing and swapping for Balsamic vinegar, taking out the sugary cranberries and onions (I like cooked onions better...Lara will kill me for saying that), and adding mushrooms, avocado, and cherry tomatoes.

My new favorite, crunchy, and easy salad from Trader Joe's by far!

-KIM

Light Dinner

After a weekend of festivities, it's always nice to end with something that makes me feel as if I wasn't being too indulgent. Granted, a salad would have worked just as well, but I wasn't in the mood to slave over my vegetables, only to decide it didn't look as appealing as I thought it would. Amanda and I took a trip to Whole Foods to pick up some groceries for the upcoming week, and I made an amazing discovery: they do a "build your own" sushi station. Brown rice, tuna, avocado, and cucumber, rolled right in front of me and looking fresh and delicious as ever--and I didn't even have to wait at a restaurant.

They looked so good, I nibbled a couple pieces in the car before we even got home

 -KIM

Banana Cookies

While it's always fun to splurge, it's more fun to splurge without any guilt. These fun little banana "cookies" are a perfect way to do that. I came across this recipe while searching for a way to get rid of browning bananas, and I am so grateful that I did!

I have a serious love/hate relationship with the fruit of the monkeys. For one, I find that I go through them very quickly. If I want a long-lasting snack, I'll pick an apple because I find that they make me feel fuller afterwards. Secondly, they always go bad so quickly. Having a way to make them more substantial PLUS using them up at any time during their life-span made me a happy gal.

I started with the two simple base ingredients:
4 bananas
2 cups of quick oats

You just mash these two ingredients together and that makes the cookie. THAT'S IT!! So simple, right?! I put these into little cupcake papers because it helps them keep their shape, plus they come out easier. They def will stick to the bottom of the papers but it's not a big deal, you can just try to peel them out.

In addition to the regular bananas and oats, I also added a few extra ingredients to make my cookies a little bit more fun! I included craisins, chopped pecans, peanut butter, and even some dark chocolate!

This is my friend Becca spooning her cookies into the cupcake papers! There were four of us that made the cookies together, and so we each got our own column of them. Mine was definitely the best...It's kind of hard to look at yourself eating 6 of these and think that it's okay to do so, but think about it! There's only four bananas and two cups of oats that make all of these. That means that you're probably having a little bit of banana and oatmeal. They are SO healthy for you!

The fun thing about these cookies is the toppings you get to add!! I chose to put just about everything on mine, but I definitely enjoyed the pecans and dark chocolate the most. I'm a huge chocolate/nut fanatic, so this was super delicious and fun for me.

These are the creations RIGHT before they were put into the oven!! My column is the one second in from the left. Mine certainly looked the most scrumptious to me!

And this is the cookies right after they were taken out of the oven! The peanut butter melted beautifully with the chocolate and proved to be a delectable addition. I will definitely be making and eating these for many more times to come! Good luck making your own banana cookies.

--Lara

Sub Sandwich: The Hangover Cure

After a big night out, there's nothing better the next day than lying around and munching on greasy food (such as ihop or any other breakfast hotspot) to calm the nausea in one's stomach. I started my "morning after" by cooking up some egg whites and turkey bacon, something savory but healthy enough for a decent breakfast. My stomach decided that, for the rest of the day, it was going to turn against me something evil, and so I spent most of the afternoon in my bed--assuming the fetal position.

Little did I know this wonderful sight was in my future

By around 5:30 pm, Amanda and I deduced that we both needed to eat regardless of my stomach situation, so we decided on sub sandwiches and (because I couldn't move) ordered them online for delivery. At first I was hesitant, but after a quick glance at my beauty of a sandwich, how could I resist? Turkey, sprouts, avocado (instead of mayo), tomatoes, cucumbers, and a spread of mustard, all sitting provocatively atop a tasteful bed of wheat bread. By the time I finished my first half, I was in love and it was official: this is my new hangover cure.

At first I thought I'd save the other half for later. I was kidding myself.

-KIM

My Delicious Date

Like every other girl out there, there is nothing I love more than a good date. Mainly because who doesn't love a free meal? To be honest with you, I handle a date two ways: if he's cute (and I'm into it), I get terribly nervous. If I'm not feeling him (and just want to be friends) then I am completely comfortable and will act totally normal.

I was asked on a date for last Thursday night. The kid was incredibly sweet, and I knew I'd have a nice time with him, but I just wasn't completely into it as anything more than friends. Naturally, I knew I'd be totally comfortable with him, and so I said yes. I gave off friendly vibes the whole evening, and we ended the night both acknowledging that we were better off as friends.

The food was phenomenal. I started out with a small salad with balsamic dressing, and then I ordered the Cajun grilled salmon. It was so mouthwatering and tender I can't even begin to explain...I really love salmon.

Because we were both enjoying ourselves (and the food!) we decided that why NOT try a little dessert? He got the tirimisu and then encouraged me to get the chocolate mousse cake so we could try both. I gotta say, I didn't have any problems with that!

I guess it was nice that he didn't have any problems with me whipping out my cell to take a pic of the scrumptious food! We had a blast, and I will definitely be going back to the restaurant with some of my best friends another time. I think I'm addicted to their salmon...

--Lara

Cleansing

So let's just say I haven't been the most diligent with my healthy eats this weekend. With chocolate binges being just one of the naughty indulgences on the top on my list of "not so clean" eating, I knew when I woke up this morning that I had to start the day off right. So, per usual, I made a big bowl of Lara's Perfect Oatmeal, then waited a bit to digest before I hit the gym for an hour on the treadmill (very necessary).

After my workout I was craving some more food, naturally, and decided to try a new type of Miracle Noodle--the Fettuccine noodles. I boiled them up and tossed them into a bowl with chopped avocado, arugula, tomatoes, lentils, and drizzles balsamic vinegar on the top for a perfect finish. Just the lunch I was craving :)

-KIM

Mexifeast

Before I came out to Arizona, I was never a big fan of Mexican food. The Qdoba and Chipotle chains kind of gross me out (I'm sorry if anyone takes offense to that), and I never lived anywhere that had any Mexican food that appealed to me. 

Fast forward several years, and I am now a taco salad addict. Sure, its not a huge burrito or enchilada, and I get crap when some of my friends order quesadillas and hear the word "salad" come out of my mouth, but I don't mind--they're absolutely divine. Crunchy and refreshing, yet savory enough to be considered a naughty indulgence, I try to keep my taco salad addiction to once a week. Luckily for me, I managed to hold off all week, biding my time until it felt just right. And last night, it felt just right.

Amanda and I decided we wanted to relax at my apartment before a big night out, so we called ahead and ordered a takeout taco salad from La Salsa, one of my new favorite Mexican spots. "No cheese, no sour cream, extra large quac, and beans, LOTS of black beans. Yes...I need black beans," Amanda said into the phone, and I could that she was as eager as I was to dig into our fan favorite. 

She's a beauty

When began our healthy modifications once we got back to the apartment: splitting one taco salad on two plates, ignoring the calorie-laden shell, adding more lettuce, and slicing up some cucumber to toss in as well. Add some freshly boiled miracle noodles and a couple more spoonfuls of guac, and we were ready to enjoy.

Not going to lie, we did have a couple chips. Who could resist??

-KIM

Lara's Perfect Oatmeal

I've been deceiving myself. After months of eating rolled oats and thinking they couldn't get much better, I tried Lara's oatmeal--It was amazing. I figured out the magic must come from the Quaker oats, teaspoon of almond butter, and wheat germ I've been neglecting to put in mine. Not to mention I'm always too busy eating the Blackberries to put them in my oatmeal.

Lara was so sweet, she'd make my oatmeal for me while I was working out or showering!

We cut up apples, blackberries, a frozen banana, and strawberries each morning to indulge our fresh sweet teeth :) Add some chia seeds, wheat germ, almond butter, and steaming oats, and we had Lara's Perfect Oatmeal!

-KIM

The Visit and the Aftermath

It happened: Kimberly Gould finally made her way to Syracuse University!!! It was the most amazing of amazing weekends. I had asked her a few weeks ago to be my formal date, and I never actually thought anything would come of it. HOWEVER, she agreed, and we made the cutest dates at Kappa formal! We even got matching dresses just to confuse everyone...it didn't 100% work, but we had a blast!

I even got Kim to wear red lipstick..for the first time! She looks like such a celeb doesn't she? ;)

The weekend was filled with nothing but partying, fun, playing, shopping, movie-watching, gossiping, touring, and of course...eating. Kim posted below about all of our nibblies, and that wasn't even half of them. We started each day with a healthy (and hearty!) bowl of oatmeal with chia seeds and wheat germ--just the way I love to make it!--and I got Kim addicted to wheat germ! She absolutely loved the way I made my oatmeal. I usually get her addicted to food trends, so this was nothing new. The last time she dared defy my wisdom, she almost missed out on falling in love with mushroom pizza. But I can't actually remember the last time we ate that!

We started out by both agreeing that we didn't have to go CRAZY over the weekend with food and that we could maintain a healthy diet for a couple days...boy did that notion fly out of the window fast. Together we indulged in Dinosaur BBQ, Insomnia cookies, Sliders french fries, and delicious A-la-mode paninis. But hey, sometimes gal's gotta live!! and Kim had to try what I've spent all this semester resisting, right? Luckily we buckled down for at least one evening and managed to eat healthy with our Miracle noodles, avocado, spinach, and balsamic. AND we did Insanity while going on a couple walks, so we kept our exercise fairly constant. At least we got to go out and dance our butts off at night! I love burning calories that way...

We had so much fun as Woodstock Birdies! Got creative didn't we!

Yet after Kim left, I knew things had to go back to normal. Summer is coming up, and I want to look fit and professional for my Nickelodeon internship! So after I dropped my gorgeous sister at the airport (yes, some tears were shed), I went back home and had a snack that I knew would make me feel good about myself: my egg scramble!

For my scramble I first took spinach, yellow pepper, avocado, tomato, and mushrooms and grilled them in a pan. Then I scrambled egg whites in a separate pan. When the veggies looked grilled enough I just poured them into the pan with the egg whites and tossed the two together for a while. I finished off the meal with a few pieces of dried mango and a large bottle of water. I'm feeling more cleansed already!

I MISS YOU KIM!!!!

--Lara

Syracuse Adventures

I did it! I finally visited Lara at Syracuse, and it turned out to be one of the most amazing weekends of my life. Not only was I her date to her sorority's formal, but we tore up the town for five whole days; shopping, eating, playing, cuddling, walking, dancing...and more dancing.

Twinning before we left for formal (I'm on the right in both pictures)

However, we couldn't neglect our stomachs while we were so avidly enjoying each other's company. The day after formal we slept in, took a lazy day, and decided to indulge. We decided to take turns ordering things (to add to the spontaneity of a day filled with nothing but movies, eating and cuddling), and Lara started with a greek chicken salad. I needed some carbs to fill me up, so next came 2 paninis--partly because I couldn't decide between the portobello mozzarella and the turkey pesto, but also because we were starving.

One of the most amazing, fresh salads I've ever had

Both were delicious, but the pesto was definitely a fan favorite!

And lastly, a sin among treats. Something the Syracusians like to call "Insomnia Cookies." These were literally heaven: warm, gooey, melt-in-your mouth cookies fresh from the oven and the size of two hands put together. Lara wanted the smores, I wanted the peanut butter chocolate, and then of course a triple chocolate chunk for pure indulgence. Hey, it's healthy if we split right?

**I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU IN A COUPLE WEEKS LARA

-KIM

When I Read Food Blogs..

Sometimes when it gets really late at night, and I get bored. When that happens, I usually browse Pinterest. And obviously the best thing to look at is food...

This is me:
http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/post/46420497387/when-i-look-at-food-blogs


--Lara

Veggie Delight

I have to apologize for slacking so much. School's been kicking my butt and along with all of the sorority events we have, plus a couple extracurricular activities (I acknowledge I sound like a nerd), I haven't had a whole lot of time for blogging. But I did promise my gorgeous twin sister that I would update our love-child together, and so here I go!

In preparation for this weekend, I'm cutting back on most refined sugar and extra sodium in my diet. I had phenomenal willpower a couple weeks ago, and I kind of let myself slide. Last weekend I went with my best friend home for Easter, and you better believe I got a little carb-crazy. It's not my fault though, when you're at school for so long and finally you have a delicious home-cooked feast in front of you, you can't say NO!!

But anyways, since Kimberly Gail Gould will be hitting up Syracuse this weekend as the formal date of yours truly, I knew I needed to tone down the sweets and tone up the healthy!! I started the day with my usual oatmeal, had an apple for lunch, snacked on a nut blend in the afternoon (raisins, cashews, almonds, edamame, and pistachios), and then decided to go nice and simple for dinner, so I made what I like to call: Veggie Delight.

It sounds fancy, but it truly consists of taking the vegetables in my fridge and throwing them in a pan together. In this case, I had tomatoes, red pepper, a couple pieces of broccoli, mushrooms, and of course I boiled some spinach.

Sometimes there is nothing prettier than fresh cut veggies! Not pictured: the 6 cherry tomatoes I stole during the cutting process...

And in the pan they go!! Also not pictured, I dropped in 2 egg whites for protein :) 

--Lara