WIAW and running on empty!

Good Morning, friends! Hope your week is going splendidly. 

Things are a little touch and go with me over here! I am sure I sound like a broken record that work is insane. 12-14 hour days are the norm, but I was able to work from home at night for a few hours to recover my sanity. Just few short weeks and it will be over.

The gorgeous Texas sky welcomed me home again. 

Little Fay’s costume contest appearance is a smashing it!  Click here to ‘like’ the photo before Friday, 10/30 and help us win. Anyone can vote! Isn’t the look on his face just the best? ha!

Now it’s time for What I ate Wednesday! Thanks to Jenn and Meghan for hosting! ❤

Breakfast has been these little egg muffins that I made over the weekend. They are so quick and keep well in the fridge for fast breakfasts. Pictured here in Halloween muffin liners because why not? I’ll share the recipe with you soon! 

Fortunately I made huge batch of soup for lunches this week and have been depending on it heavily. It’s very filling, but needs some more spice in the next batch. I love to keep tweaking recipes until they work!

Dinner? Um…

I haven’t really had time to make dinner.  I’ve been eating random bites of things, including these brownies smothered in almond butter. Picture a tapas plate at your favorite local joint, scale it WAAYY back and picture me eating over the sink as my dog begs for a bite. I call it over-the-sink-dining for two (dog included). This is my reality friends.

So!

• Do you dress your children or pets up for Halloween? Are you dressing up yourself?
• Have you dined over the sink?
• Do you have a recipe that you continue to tweak each time you make it?

Have a beautiful day friends!

Jessica

 

Rainy Weekend Wrap-Up!

We are finally drying out after a soaking wet weekend in Austin. Fortunately, it was not severe weather here, but there was a flooding all around.  Did you experience any of the storms associated with Hurricane Patricia? Sending good vibes out to those affected!

I’m linking up with Katie and Erin to share all the deets from this weekend!

 

I spent a lot of time at home, stayed dry and enjoyed not having much of a schedule. The temperatures dipped to the 50s and for the first time this season, it felt like Fall. It felt so much colder since it’s been in the 80s and 90s up until this point. I am so glad to finally have a hint of Fall.

Fall means soup. 

Soup for days. Lentil, kale, tomato, celery and all the spices. Work lunch, check!

Fall also means brownies. Er, I just wanted brownies. I went with Heather’s chickpea version and it didn’t disappoint. I love that I actually felt a little full from one brownie after dinner. Perhaps this will keep me from eating the whole batch in a day. 

Perhaps.

I had to work from home a little, but I was sure to balance it with some work on my future. Someday I hope to find balance between the two worlds and not to be too discouraged until I find it. 

In silly news, we enter the pup into a Halloween costume contest every year at his daycare and we’ve finished the costume. Can you figure out what he is for Halloween this year?

Fortunately he accepted doggy cookies as payment for the embarrassment. And yes we are crazy dog people.

So tell me,

• How was your weekend? Action-packed or low key?
• Any crazy costumes on plan for this year?

Have a fantastic Monday!

Jessica

 

Friday Five!

Good morning friends. I’m writing you a little later than usual after another late night at work. I’ve been getting home completely drained and wanting nothing but a hot bath and bed. Needless to say (but I’ll say it!) my brain could not tell my fingers to write one more thing! I’m a little foggy this morning, much like the weather outside today in Austin. It’s so sleepy and dreamy here that sipping hot tea and reading my yoga books today sounds so perfect. 

 But, alas, duty calls. But first, this week’s Friday Faves!

This week’s posts:

What I ate Wednesday and a Sunset

Protein-Packed Asian Veggie Stir-Fry

ThredUp! I posted a while back that I was trying the Thredup service to clear out my closet and earn a little cash. It took about 3 weeks for the ThredUp team to evaluate my bag and post my payout. I guess the word is out that it’s awesome! I ended up earning $50 that I can use toward a ThredUp purchase or cash out to Paypal after 2 weeks. Not too shabby for things I never wear!

Check out my referral link for a $20 credit if you are interested. 🙂

 

This quote is resonating with me this week. I am feeling a little stuck on one page in this chapter of life. It feels like the characters are pulling me into the story, as I’m trying to turn the page. I must figure out when to close the chapter for my own sanity. How? I’m not sure yet! 

 This awesome raw chocolate from Sacred Chocolate. It’s so smooth and light, especially for dark chocolate. You can tell by the missing corner that I hated it!

Simple Roasted Butternut Squash from Oh She Glows. I’ve been an OSG reader for years and I just love her recipes. I wish she posted more often these days. Have you noticed how some bloggers find success and then reduce their posts after time? 

The 5 Most Important Appointments in your life.  I have been failing at all of these this week, which may lend to the run down nature of the way I feel. It’s so hard to focus on yourself when being pulled in a million directions. I’ve heard everything to scheduling time on your calendar to saying no. Does that work for you in practice?

 So tell me:

• Do you ever feel stuck on a page in a chapter in your life?
• Have any of your favorite bloggers reduced their posts or stopped all together?
• How do you keep appointments with yourself?

Have a beautiful weekend!

Jessica 

 

 

What I ate Wednesday and a Sunset

I left work on time yesterday and for the first time in a while, I watched the sun go down as I drove home. I love Texas for many reasons and the sunsets are top on the list. It’s moments like these that I remember how small my problems are in relation to the beauty that surrounds us every day if we just pause to notice it. What a gift.

Beauty is all around. Even in our food! 

Which brings me to my latest eats and WIAW! Thanks to Jenn and to Arman for hosting!! 

 

My meals have been pretty basic lately and usually involve a portion from a big batch meal or fast versions of favorites. My goal is to continue to eat homemade and healthy whenever possible, because when we are busy is when we need it the most!

Breakfast this morning was portable. 

May I introduce to you the Mug-lette. 2 eggs, splash of cashew milk, green onion, tomato and a dash of salt and pepper mixed up and popped into the microwave for 3 minutes. I covered this with hot sauce and shoved it into my face as I was getting ready to leave for the day. It hit the spot.

Lunch was some of my big batch of Veggie Quinoa Stir fry. Covered in Sriracha. I’m noticing a pattern here…

I found myself hungrier than usual around snack time likely because it was a strength day! I picked up a Protein Box along with my beloved iced coffee.  I really should make these since they are so expensive, but hey. You gotta live a little.

Dinner was some more veggie chili because I like to burn out my favorite cold weather recipes before it’s even cold! Well really, it was out of need for a huge one pot meal. Does anyone have any crockpot veggie dishes to share? I could use some inspiration.

Several squares of un-pictured chocolate also went missing. I have no idea how that happened. 😀

So,

• Do you have any go to crockpot meals?
• What have you noticed in your daily environment that is beautiful lately?
• Is there something that you buy out of convenience that you think about making when you have time?

I want to hear from you!

Jessica

Protein-Packed Asian Veggie Stir-Fry

Hello sweet friends! I hope your weekend was as splendid as mine. I was feeling run down last week from work and fortunately, the weekend had a recipe of rest and Yoga Teacher Training on tap to restore my energy and spirit. 

I taught my very first series to a small group yesterday! I’m really glad we weren’t told we were teaching ahead of time, as the first time seems intimidating, but it was actually okay! I survived and it felt surprisingly good. Almost natural. I’m so thankful for this experience and to be surrounded by positivity. It was just what the doctor ordered.

 

My first students, a.k.a. other teacher trainees. 😉 I’m so amazed by the wonderful folks in my class. 

When I got home from my day, this love bug was waiting. We ran and played in the yard in the cool fall air for a bit. To my surprise, he and the hubby did my laundry and picked up around the house. I have the best boys ever. 

The hubby is also a talented photographer. 😉

I whipped together one of my favorite big batch recipes for dinner and to pack for lunch this week. This recipe is perfect when you’re in a hurry and craving some Asian faire. The best part is you can use whatever you have in the fridge!

Start by heating some sesame oil in large skillet. You could use a wok here if you have one.

Chop your veggies. I had zucchini and broccoli on hand, but feel free to use anything you like! Carrots, corn, peas, edamame, or bell pepper would work well. 

Toss into the heartier veggies in first. I started with the broccoli and added the zucchini after 3-4 for minutes.

Then I added green onion, garlic and ginger. Allow to cook for 1 -2 minutes and mix throughly.

Add in your grain. I went with 3 cups of quinoa I made with veggie broth the night before. Any grain like rice or even cauliflower rice would be awesome here.

Add in some rice vinegar and tamari or soy sauce. I add about 2 tablespoons of each, but feel free to adjust to taste. Mix throughly and cook 3 minutes to allow the liquid to absorb.

Next yell out ‘fire in the hole!’ as you make room in the middle of the pan. If the pan is dry, add a tiny bit of sesame oil in the center and heat.

 Crack in a few eggs into the center of the pan and allow to cook for 2 minutes.

The scramble!

Mix egg into stir fry and cook 2-3 minutes longer.  Add fresh herbs or green onion, slather in sriracha then feast!

• Servings: 4
• Time: 30mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

• 3 cups cooked grain of choice – quinoa, brown rice or cauliflower rice work great
• Veggies of choice and quantity – I used a bag of broccoli florets, baby zucchini, and green onion
• 2-3 eggs
• 2 TBL Sesame Oil
• 2 TBL Rice Vinegar or Mirin
• 2 TBL Tamari or Soy Sauce
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp minced or fresh grated ginger
•  Optional: cooked protein of choice
• Optional toppings: sirracha, fresh herbs like cilantro, green onion or sesame seeds.

Heat large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Chop veggies and add heartier or frozen veggies to the pan first. Add in softer veggies next and cook 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Cook 2 minutes and mix into the veggies throughly. Add cooked grain, rice vinegar and tamari. Mix throughly and allow to simmer 2-3 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Create a hole in the center of the stir-fry mixture. Crack eggs in the center and allow to cook 2 minutes, then scramble. Allow to cook 2 more minutes, then mix into stir-fry. Add toppings of choice and stuff into face. 

Let me know if you try it!

So tell me:

• How was your weekend? Do you feel rested or not so much?
• Do you have a big batch recipe you love?

Have a beautiful day friends!

Jessica 

Friday Five!

Thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments on my latest What I ate Wednesday post! It’s so awesome to have wonderful blog friends like you to share eats and current experiences in life. I really enjoyed reading your posts too!

I’m really excited the weekend is on the horizon because it’s been a doozey of a week. I’m also looking forward to Yoga Teacher Training this weekend! While I really feel like taking a 48-hour nap, I’m glad to be spending time on something I love. The syllabus mentioned the Yoga Sutras, so I think it’s going to be a juicy weekend. I can’t wait to tell you how it goes!

But first, it’s time for some Friday Faves! Five of them, to be exact! I’m linking up with Heather this week to share the fun.

5 Benefits to Legs Up the Wall Pose

Legs up the wall is one of my favorite restorative poses. It calms and heals, which is everything I need right now. It’s just that simple, too. Put yo’ legs up the wall, close your eyes and breathe. 

 

Sometimes you feel so good, you just fall asleep.

CCK’s Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two

For anything that is not solved by legs up the wall, see Fave #2, the chocolate chip cookie. The recipe is vegan and I make mine with Bob Mills Gluten Free All Purpose flour that I LOVE in this recipe. It has a slightly nutty flavor to it that just goes perfectly. Yum. I tried making the recipe into 3 smaller cookies because I thought I only wanted a little…then I ate all 3. Sorry hubby.

 

I Gave Up Dairy: Here’s How it Changed My Life

I experienced many of the same things the author experienced when giving up dairy. I have clearer skin, more energy and I am generally healthier than I was when eating lots of cow’s dairy. I still have my Siggi’s Yogurt, goat’s dairy and the occasional bite of dessert. Everyone is different. 

 

Buddha was right. A new study proves you’re not who you think you are. 

Thought provoking read by Run. Lift. Yoga on how our mental state shapes who we become. 

Image Source

5 At Home Circuits by PB Fingers. I may or may not have busted one of these out in the morning wearing my PJs this week. 🙂

Tell me, what are you loving this week?

Have a fantastic weekend lovelies!

Jessica

 

 

WIAW #11 – The Late Night Edition

The somewhat self-enforced late nights are in a effect at work. I’m working into the night because there is so much work to be done before our annual convention. I’m basically in meetings all day and the work begins after the sun goes down. Secondly, I must time travel i.e. my team is in a timezone two hours behind mine. I need a spaceship, a clone and all the coffee!!

It’s getting harder to find workout motivation when tired and more short on time than usual. I did a 20-minute Fitness Blender Workout yesterday and it about wiped me out! 

 

Despite being exhausted and short on time, I don’t want to miss time with my friends (that’s you) celebrating What I Ate Wednesday and a healthy lifestyle! Thanks to Jenn for making these posts such a nice thing to look forward to each week!

 

Breakfast was what I’ll call Frittata Scramble. I salvaged what I could from the #Frittatafail incident and threw it on a plate with nooch and my love, Crystal Hot Sauce. 

 

Lunch was shoveled into my mouth between giving status updates on a conference call. I may or may not have talked with food in my mouth. Ah, the beauty of being on the phone during lunch. I’m glad I ate well, because I didn’t have time for my usual afternoon snack!

 

Once the meetings for the day concluded and I realized it was going to be a late night, I ran out to my favorite ‘fast food’ joint, Snap Kitchen for dinner. Snap Kitchen has healthy meals for a wide variety of dietary needs packed in to-go containers ready for your fridge or microwave. Everything is stored in BPA- Free, reusable containers, and tastes like heaven. Best of all, the opened a location 5 minutes from work earlier this year!

 

I rolled with the Vegan Thai Lentil Bowl with pesto and lime. It was perfect.

I happened to bring some homemade Butternut Squash soup from my Sunday meal prep that didn’t get eaten at lunch. I poured it into a coffee cup, topped it with some green onion and sipped as I worked. 

I finally left at 10 p.m., exhausted, but so glad to have had dinner at my desk to fuel through the night. It’s the little things!

 

So tell me:

• Do you have to work odd hours to meet deadlines?
• How do your meals change with your schedule?

Have a fantastic Wednesday!

Jessica

Sunday Meal Preppn’ for a Marvelous Monday!

I hope your weekend was lovely friends. I’m linking up with Katie to share mine with you!

 

This weekend marked the second weekend of Austin City Limits festival and while the whole city seemed to be at the park enjoying some tunes, I laid low. I practiced yoga, studied, got a pedi (YAY!) and rested. I feel a lot better than I did Friday, but I could definitely use another day. Let’s be real though. I could say that every weekend, long or short. Does anyone have Columbus Day off? I’m jealous!

The one thing I really got after was Sunday Meal Prep. I wanted to have fridge full of options to get through the week, but not spend my entire Sunday in the kitchen so I chose what I could by prepared and what could be home made. You’ll see a bit of both here!

 

 

Almond butter is always front and center. 😉

 

Here’s what’s on tap for the week. 

 

Breakfast:

Slow Cooker Frittata and a sprouted grain english muffin or steel cut oats. 

 

It’s so easy to throw together a frittata, but it is a pain to get out of the crockpot. I have no shame in eating it in pieces, but I have to figure out a solution before my elbow runs out of grease from scrubbing the stoneware! Can anyone help a frittata lover out?

 

 

Lunch:

Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Various Salads with TJ’s Hot Smoked Salmon.

 

I ventured over to the farmer’s market for menu inspiration and came across some beautiful butternut squash that were just begging to be made into soup. After peeling, chopping and worst of all, waiting, the most delicious fall spicy, earthy soup emerged. 

 

 

I accidentally grabbed coconut CREAM instead of coconut milk. In an effort to not make another trip to the store, I added half of the can and 8 oz. of water to the Vitamix and gave it a whirl. It totally works in a pinch! I love it when experiments turn out well.

Snacks:

Siggi’s, Fruit and various toppings, like granola and cacao nibs!

 

I’m still digging Siggi’s Pumpkin yogurt as my daily snack. It’s like eating pumpkin cheesecake and it’s healthy to boot. I will serve mine a la cold brew.

 

Dinners:

CCK’s Lentil Sloppy Joes and Green Beans

 

I love Katie’s dessert recipes, but none of them have become a staple quite like her vegetarian Sloppy Joes. They are SO easy to make, especially if you already have lentils made or if you’re like me and roll with canned when you need to speed things up. I totally recommend adding them to your meatless recipe rotation. 

 

 

And you really can’t go wrong with fresh green beans. Fortunately the hubby will eat just about anything I make so I aim to sneak in green into dinners where ever I can. Pictured here with garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. YUM. 

 

 

 The fruits of my labor. 

 

 

 So tell me,

• Do you usually meal prep or mostly wing it during the week?
• Have you had any ingredient substitutions work in your favor?

 

 Jessica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Fit Faves – Keep Showing up!

Well, hello Friday. The week chewed me up and spit me out on your doorstep. Can I come in and stay awhile?

I’m emerging from the past few days feeling battle worn and tired. I feel defeated on all fronts. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. To stay on top of work, to study, to blog. Am I over-scheduled? Probably. But there’s not much to be done, but push forward. One step at a time. Keep showing up. Keep pressing forward.

I’m still having technical difficulties with the linkup and there hasn’t been a free hour to devote to it. Rather than worry about that, I want is to sit down with a spicy cup of chai, a bowl of oats, and talk about fun fit things with you. 

 

 

This week’s posts:

WIAW #10 and the Pretty Plate

Currently: October

Food

Arman’s No Bake Peppermint Mocha Bites – Arman does it again! I swear this guy lives in my brain and takes notes on what I’m craving.

Yogic Diet vs. Ayurvedic Diet: Which is right for you? – I love the ‘food as medicine’ principles that are found in both diets and I recently picked up an Ayurveda book to explore the topic a bit more. The article’s focus on finding a balance between the diets sounds like something I’d be interested in trying!

Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato and Kale Soup from Oh She Glows – I dusted off one of Angela’s recipes and I can’t wait to make it again. 

Fitness

3 Ways to Make Chatarunga Work for Your Body

Why I feel Yoga is Limitless

Rejection of Bikram Copyright Case is upheld This means yoga teachers can create sequences without fear of being sued for copyright  infringement. Kind of a big deal!

Fun

This outfit is so cute and I have all of it in my closet!

 

18 Creative Mason Jar Gifts  – I won’t count shopping days until Christmas for you, but it always sneaks up on me. These would be such fun to give this year!

Tell me:

• What are you loving this week?
• What’s your strategy to keep pressing forward?

Have a fantastic weekend! 

Jessica

 

WIAW #10 and the Pretty Plate

Happy Wednesday, friends. Hope your week is humming along splendidly. Thanks for your awesome comments on Monday’s post.  I’ll share what’s going on ‘currently’ again soon. It was a lot of fun!

I’m glad it’s time to share again on What I ate Wednesday again! I love to share my eats and get ideas from others on what they are loving. The community and inspiration are one of a kind! Thanks to Jenn and Meghan for hosting!

 

Oh, hello there fancy breakfast..

 

I was in a huge rush to eat and shower after my workout, but for some reason, I felt like plating my food and enjoying it slowly. It’s true what they say that you ‘eat with the eyes first’ because it really does make a meal taste better!

 

This a portion from a big batch of prepped steel cut oats made with cinnamon and vanilla, then topped with strawberries, hemp seeds, chia seeds and coconut. I love prepping a big batch of oats for the week and changing up the toppings each morning. It keeps things fresh and I get to decide what sounds good that day without having to start from scratch. 

 

Lunch was a Trader Joe’s treat in salad form. I topped it with my beloved Wild Hot Smoked Salmon to pump up the protein. Have you guys tried this one yet? The Ginger Dressing is for lovers. Amazing. 

 

The daily coffee break happened on schedule. I’m starting to ‘warm up’ to the warm drinks, even though we are still hitting the 90s in Austin. It’s Fall, y’all!

Dinner was waiting for me in the slow-cooker upon my return from a long day at work. All hail the slow-cooker veggie chili, featuring my good friend the sweet potato! I owe you guys a recipe for this because it is too good not to share. It’s so easy, you can prep a TON of it and it freezes well. Don’t worry! I remembered to spray the liner! 

 

The chocolate monster sung its’ siren song again last night and it was louder than usual. Ghirardelli to the rescue..not once but twice!

 

 

 Tell me:

• What’s the best thing you ate this week?
• Do you like to plate your food nicely before eating?
• How do you tame the chocolate monster?

Jessica