I think you all have gotten the hang of how things work around here: I tend to eat very clean, very healthy, and very organic.  I eat this way because it makes me work/feel my best, and I try not to think about calories but let’s face it: they’re always in the back of my head somewhere, the last remaining relics of a bad disease.

Well…um.  The whole part about ‘balancing healthy eating with occasional indulgence’ part of my About Me? I definitely sat on the indulgence end of that tonight.

But first, yesterday!

After a pretty good 4.7 mile run outside in the gorgeous fall breeze, I came home and cooked pumpkin oats on the stovetop! I haven’t done this in so long and it was a great treat to slowly cook myself oats, rather than throw them into the microwave and pray they don’t explode.

This was also my first experiment with Scottish Oatmeal from Bob’s Red Mill.  I’m not sure what separates them from my regular Oat Bran aside from the fact that they’re a little more solid and not as flaky, but 1/4 a cup delivered a giant bowl of oats.  I also whipped 1/2 a banana in the mixture, in the KERF method, and Kath is right: a banana seriously helps the consistency and makes for a creamier bowl of oats.

1/4 c Scottish Oats, 1/4 c almond milk, 1/4 c water, 1/2 banana, 1/4 c canned pumpkin, stevia, pumpkin pie spice, walnuts, raisins, 1/2tbsp maple syrup

Oh, boy.  Favorite breakfast ever? I think so.  It competes with apples and yogurt, but sometimes you just want a giant bowl of oats.  This was delicious and satisfying.  And I may have put my finger in the peanut butter jar, too.

For classes I packed a snack bag.  I’m beginning to like these lunches better than sandwiches.  I’m sick of sandwiches/salads for every single lunch!

Baby carrots, Carrot Cake Larabar, Pineapple Chobani, Honeycrisp Apple

Finally got to try the new Carrot Cake Larabar, and it was just as good as I thought it would be! I was surprised at all the pineapple flavor that came out of this bar.  It was very pronounced.  Looking at the bar as I ate it, too, was a pleasant experience; chunks of shredded carrot everywhere you looked.  And nothing beats the Pineapple Chobani, or a Honeycrisp apple.  Nothing!

After classes I knew we had to attend a game in Hartford, so I ate my dinner around 5:30.  It felt so weird to eat such an early dinner! It was like the early bird special.  But I was actually starving so I wolfed down 2 giant bowls of vegetable fagiole soup, which is a Mommy specialty, and a chocolate Vitatop with Better’N Peanut Butter smeared on top.  I. Was. Stuffed.  But I had a great time at the game!

This morning I woke up and went straight to Power Yoga at Samadhi Studio.  I wasn’t very hungry upon waking, so I didn’t eat a snack before I went.  Such a mistake.  I was freaking out the entire class about whether I had made the right choice or not, that I convinced myself I was going to faint when I actually felt fine.  My legs felt tired because of the positions we were doing, not because of my blood sugar.  Nevertheless I came home straight away afterwards and ate a big bowl of cereal with peanut butter on top!

Lunch was small.  I was feeling the effects of last night still.  I ended up going to the gym and doing a pretty good workout, then I came home for a family dinner that actually was catered by a wonderful restaurant we do business with quite a lot.

roasted veggies, massaged greens salad with cukes, marinated carrots, baked chicken I had another serving of veggies and carrots.  They were delicious and full of flavor! The chicken was disappointing.  I should’ve stuck to just the vegetables and salad.  Hidden on my plate is a little bit of the cheesy mashed potatoes, which I simply had to try.  They were fabulous.  I also snuck a multi-grain dinner roll and a few appetizer crackers. And this is where it all went south. That would be an apple crisp with granola crunch crust.  Now, if you know me and my family, you know we live for apple crisp.  When mom creates hers, lovingly, from simple fresh ingredients, we are all dead on the floor and begging for seconds.  When I walked into the house after the gym and saw giant slabs of crunchy crust in pans, I didn’t want to ask what could possibly be in there because if I was wrong, I would be devastated.  When it was confirmed that dessert would be apple crisp, I may have hit the ceiling with my jumping.  I didn’t think this could top my mom’s… Apologies to my mom, but WOWEE KAZOWEE.  I was dead.  DEAD.  I blame the granola crust.  It was crunchy (SO CRUNCHY), thick, buttery, and absolutely decadent.  And I think there was dried fruit in it, too? The filling was good too, but the CRUST, people.  My brother-in-law and I got into a debate about which crust we prefer: cookie dough-like, or crunchy.  He likes the former, and while I appreciate and love that kind too, nothing beats a crunchy crusty, oatmeal-y top.  Despite the fact that I hated the whip cream the caterers put on the crisp (nothing beats Reddi-Whip in my humble opinion), I ate every single bite of this delicious creation, then went back and had another small serving.  Then went back for a few more bites of crust.  A few times.  Then I may have tried to yank some more out of the Tupperware the caterers had placed it in once everyone was done.  Should I have stopped at the first plate of dessert? Most definitely.  I would’ve been full, but satisfied.  But this was the only time I’d ever have this apple crisp, and guys? I do not mess around when it comes to apple crisp. I also had a few pieces of chocolate, including some of the Vosges bacon chocolate chips I had left over from those pancakes I made a while back. When I go for it, I go big. And the entire time I was happy munching away and stealing bites of granola from the pan, did I think to myself “Oh God, how many calories do I have to burn tomorrow morning to make up for this.”? Or “I am so disgusting right now”? Or, “What am I doing, I’m fat, I shouldn’t be eating like this”?  Nope.  I thought to myself “OMG BEST APPLE CRISP EVER, I WANT MORE PLEASE.” I begged them for the recipe, and they didn’t have it.  It’s probably for the best; had I found it, I would easily be a moose by Christmas. Tomorrow is going to be brutal.  I probably won’t be able to zip up my pants.  I really do not care.  Tonight was awesome. Now, off to massage my aching tummy, and get a good night’s sleep! Also, I hope all of you took some time to remember those who died 9 years ago today.  NEVER FORGET… ally