Rush Week

Dear Kim,

You are an inspiration! I can't believe that you're doing so much work at school and are also getting into grad schools left and right! I don't know how you're doing it; I wish I could be there to congratulate you instead of an all-cap text message from miles and miles away.

Here, I've been spending the last week trying to survive sorority rush while maintaining my health. That's pretty much impossible to do when I'm seriously sickly and ill. After the first weekend of rush I came down with a cough, a fever, and a runny nose. It was honestly shocking because I swear the entire time I was using Germ-X and taking Airborne! The pictures I'm about to show you took place during rush week and, in my opinion, are the highlights of my rush week:

It all starts with a little bit of medicine. I took anti-flu medication, an Airborne, and plenty of green tea. I must be made 99% of green tea by now.

Good morning! I drank a cup of orange juice to get down all of my vitamins (vitamin D and fish oil) and made myself an open breakfast sandwich with almond butter/chia seeds, half an english muffin, and banana. Quite filling if I do say so myself.

Munchin' and lunchin! I made myself a huge salad with salmon and roasted brussel sprouts, and then our chef also made a really delicious, purely vegetable soup. Our chef, Patty, is a culinary goddess.

Afternoon snack!! We always get fruit salads and this day was no exception. The fruit was fresh and scrumptious (even though I'm in snowy Syracuse...) and a warm cup of coffee for a day that I was so tired to keep me up!

Nothing like a crunchy salad to keep up my morale on a blizzard-y day! Definitely could have used another bowl of that vegetable soup though...

I'm already feeling better a week later :) must be all the delicious fuel I'm putting into my body, are you impressed? Can't wait to see you in a couple weeks!!

Love you,
Lara

Sushi Me

Lovely Lara,

I can't believe how you balance both school AND sorority rush, you truly are an inspiration (or twinspiration?)! I've been pretty caught up in school work lately, so I haven't felt as if I've spent enough time with friends who aren't either A) in my classes or B) actually live with me. I'm a scholastic hermit. In order to celebrate the fact that I got not one but two interview requests for master's programs this week, I decided it was time to treat myself and catch up with an old friend.

My interview request for Northwestern University! Still feels surreal...

I haven't seen my friend Josh in what feels like years (okay, maybe only a month or two), so when he texted me to meet up and talk, I knew it had to be over food. And who doesn't love a good roll of sushi now and again? Answer: heartless souls. Usually I indulge in several rolls and pick at each one until I'm feeling nice and bloated. This = bad for my self esteem. Instead, I selected a roll that was both substantial yet light: the beloved Rainbow Roll.

My all time favorite "go-to" roll. Added a little splash of eel sauce for taste

T-3 weeks until I get to see you! You better be ready for tons of love, kisses, and delicious food when you come out west :)

Xoxo,
Kim

Breakfast Recovery

Dear Kim,

Rush has just about zapped all of the energy from my system. For two days straight I was a nonstop bouncing bean, and all of that exertion has finally taken its toll on me. I am exhausted, sickly, and quite frankly, weak. That's why I decided to really bulk up on my breakfast goodness to make sure I was strong enough to carry through a full day of classes and work!

Naturally I had to have my liquids, which involved one cup of Airborne (the pink cup) and another of orange juice. Normally I don't believe in the power of juice, but I figured that I'd take all the help I could get since my nose literally won't stop running. Not pictured are my Mucinex tablets, Vitamin D, Fish Oil Pills, and a single Advil to stop my morning headache. I was a regular 'ol pharmacy. 

I also toasted an english muffin and mashed up crunchy almond butter with hemp seeds and chia seeds. The texture of the almond butter with the additional seeds is really delightful and makes for a crunchier spread! And what's breakfast without a little power fruit? I sliced up half a banana and tossed the other half to Amber.

Fingers crossed I start feeling better soon, I don't know how much longer I can breathe out of just my mouth in this 5 degree wintery weather...

Love you!

Lara

Hearty Breakfast and Hike

Hello my beautiful Lara,

For too long I've been depriving you of decent food pictures, but no more! I've been a busy gal lately, what with the new semester starting and impending grad school interviews approaching fast (keep your fingers crossed). In the meantime, I've tried to keep active and busy, maintaining both good physical and mental health. Think candles and Native American Flute Music to calm the nerves...

This morning was off to a late start (around noon to be exact) so I decided to fix myself up a hearty meal that would satisfy both the lunch and breakfast checklist--high in protein and taste. I decided to first warm up a low carb wrap (70 calories, flaxseed, and a great chewy texture) on the stove, and then fill it with deli chicken and pieces of provolone cheese that would enhance both calcium and flavor.

I was actually drooling, and so proud of myself for thinking of this WITHOUT Pinterest

Next came my very first attempt at a sunny side up egg (note egg from the picture above)! As you'll see from the picture, it was a wild success. Lastly, and my favorite staple to any breakfast, came several spoonfuls of cottage cheese. Some people hate on cottage cheese for it's slightly lumpy texture. I, on the other hand, applaud cottage cheese for being able to successfully pack so much protein and taste into such a small serving size.

Added some garlic powder and black pepper to the egg and grabbed an orange for a sweet kick at the end of my meal

Ryan and I have an avid love for all things outdoors, so after breakfast we headed to Sabino Canyon for some hiking and adventure. Adventure indeed! We veered off the usual walking path and ended up discovering some amazing hiking trails that I'll definitely have to take you back to see. I didn't even know Tucson had grass but we found it today on that hike.

The new trail I need to take you on

Oh yes, we were "that couple" on the trail. Selfies for days.

To end a magnificent day, I posted up on the couch with my laptop and indulged in some dairy-free coconut milk ice cream called "SO Delicious". They sell these at Safeway in tons of flavors, but lately I've found myself craving mint chocolate chip. Only 180 calories per 1/2 cup, so I don't feel too guilty if I happen to have a little more (what's an even 200?).

Don't worry, I'll have plenty when you come to visit

Hope you survive sorority rush in one piece, rest your voice and take lots of vitamin C! I can't wait to see you in a month :)

Love you,
Kim

Kombucha Breakfast

Dear Kim,

This morning I went to a workout class called GTS...the entire thing took place on this strange moving board thing and I can already feel a cramp in my left calf. If I manage to pull myself out of bed tomorrow morning, it will be a miracle. To regain some of my strength lost from this class, I had a very delicious breakfast, complete with a very delicious juice! Have you ever had Kombucha? NO? Well you need to try it. It's a fizzy drink that has all kinds of delightful health benefits, but I won't bore you with all the facts google could tell you. I had a cut up apple with a tablespoon of almond butter and the Kombucha drink. YUM! Hope Tahoe with the BF is so much fun!

I'll post a picture later, I'm driving with dad to go visit grandma and don't know how to post one from my phone :)

Love you,
Lara <3