September 2010
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the essentials

Is tomorrow really Friday?

Am I moving again on Saturday?

Is it really already September?

Ahhhh

Since 2001, this is my 9th time moving.

Okay. Breakfast.

I inhaled this deliciousness, to the point where I looked at my plate in shock… “seriously, where did it go?”

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I was worried it wouldn’t fill me up because I was still hungry from eating it so fast.  However, after about 15min I was full.  Why haven’t I made this before??  I might need to make it a triple decker next time.

Nothing revolutionary here.  I know it’s been done before.  But it’s seriously, amazing.

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Nut Butter Grilled Banana Samich

  • 2 pieces of bread, lightly buttered
  • 3/4 medium banana [eat the rest :) ]
  • 2-3T nut butter
  • 1T jelly

The bread I used, was a deeelicious 14 grain bread from the farmers market.  It toasts up so nicely.

I put the nut butter on both sides + a light coating of jelly.  Putting the pnut butter on both sides, helped keep the jelly from leaking through.  I put banana on one side, topped with the other slice of bread and cooked it away just like a grilled cheese.  It was done in about 7min and eaten in about 3.

Oy.

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Onward!!  I went for an intense interval bike workout at the park today.  Around + around I went!

Ride – 18 miles

  • 6.75 miles at my normal pace
  • 7.25 miles, with [10] 1min sprint intervals at 80-90% max effort, resting at normal pace in bt/n each interval until I catch my breath, then GO again with the next interval
  • 4 miles normal pace

Why did I do that when I knew I was going up + down stairs all day?  Your guess is as good as mine.

Then I biked to Whole Foods.  Double oops.  Hellooooo tired legs.  I had to grab some essentials.

  • I don’t typically buy TP at Whole Foods, but we’re out, and I wasn’t about to bike to Target. 
  • We’re out of toothpaste. 
  • I needed some protein!  Fage 2% is SO freaking delicious. I like it a lot better than plain Oikos.  Now only if it were organic.  I’ll keep buying Oikos though because it’s cheaper.  These were on sale though.
  • The blue bars are Dr. Bronners peppermint castile soap.  They were on sale for $2.50!!! They’re typically $4-5.  Total score, especially because I use these for my homemade laundry detergent.  [which I LOVE]
  • Dryer sheets – well, I had a coupon and this brand is my FAVorite.
  • Kaia Foods fruit leathers – They were on clearance.  Hence, essential.
  • Heirloom tomato – SALE!!! It was hard to only buy one. 
  • GoRaw banana bread bar – It was on clearance, and I wanted to see how it compared to Angela’s “Liberate” banana bread GF/Raw bar.
  • fiCoCo – Fig + cocoa fruit spread!!!! – This was on sale for $2.99 and I just couldn’t pass it up.

I told you.  Just the essentials.

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I’m pretty sure this is going to be excellent on oats.

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I tried the Vanilla Pear fruit leather today.  It was tasty, but pretty hard to chew through.  The pear was noticeable with the texture but the flavor was more banana.  Fruit leathers are pricey, in general, for what you actually get.  I probably won’t buy these again, unless they’re on clearance ;)

I was excited about the goraw bar.  I tried Angela’s Liberate bar back in June.  It was seriously amazing.  The texture + flavors were spot on. 

Well, I tried this bar it and threw it out.  The description I’m going to give you is pretty gross…but I just have to tell you.  At first, I swear it tasted like BEER.  Then, I am not joking, it tasted like vomit with a hint of banana.  It was not good at all, and I would never ever eat it again.  I took a few more bites but it did not get better.  Banana barf.  No thanks.

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For lunch I made…

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Hot Mess In a Wrap, That Had To Be Eaten With a Fork

  • Ezekial sprouted grains wrap
  • tomato paste
  • ricotta cheese
  • zucchini
  • peppers
  • TJ’s grain mix
  • sweet tater
  • heirloom tomato
  • spring mix lettuce

mmm.

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With a side of Fage + LGF granola + 1t maple syrup.  Adding a touch of maple syrup to Greek yogurt is one of my favorite things. 

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Dinner.  The rest of my low + slow sweet taters, reheated with a nice blob of homemade pnut butter.

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And the most delicious, packaged soup I’ve ever had.

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I mixed in the TJ’s grain mix that I’ve been trying to use up.  Needed a little more carby substance for dinner.  Honestly though, this tomato veggie soup was amazing.  It was a frozen soup, which I’v enever had.  It was packed with veggies AND they were crisp.  The soup was perfectly seasoned.  Wow.  Totally impressed.

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The ingredient list was very Ashley approved as well.

Water, Diced Tomatoes in Juice (tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, calcium chloride, citric acid), Ground Tomatoes (tomatoes, salt, citric acid), Zucchini, Summer Squash, Onions, Yellow Beans, Green Beans, Carrots, Celery, Olive Oil, Rice Flour, Scallions, Corn Oil, Spices, Sea Salt, Garlic.

Also great nutritional info. [source]

Sold!

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My back is EXhausted, along with my legs + brain.

Tomorrow is the last day to get things squared away!  I made a ton of progress today and even started to get some cleaning done.  The packing is pretty much done, except for maybe 1 large “completely random” box.  We get the moving truck early Saturday morning and will hopefully be in Ft. Collins by late afternoon Saturday. 

Besides my morning oatmeal, the kitchen is now closed.  We have a pizza coupon we need to use for dinner + I think I heard Chipotle’s veggie bowl calling my name for lunch.

Roar!! Bed.

<3 Ashley

creatures of habit

Our kitchen drawers + cupboards are 100% emptied.  They have been for about 48hrs now.  I know this.  So, why is it that I keep opening them up looking for a bowl/plate/fork, when they are not there???  Maybe I will learn by the time we move.  They’re on the counter, in the drying rack, open your eyes crazy lady!!!  Creatures of habit, I tell ya….

Re-heated oats take 2.

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Still delicious.  Still easy.  Still, very very enjoyed. 

Mixed with my last peach [waaaah], Crofters jam, pnut butter, and LGF granola. 

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You’ll have to excuse my brain.  I think I packed it in a box.

I met up with Emily for my last walk at Wash Park.  :(   I was feeling really tired pre-walk but got a burst of energy afterwards.  Today, besides packing extremely random things lying around the house, I worked on moving all of our crap lovely belongings from the basement to the main floor.  With every step I just keep telling myself how nice it will be to not have to move the boxes UP on moving day.  We have a narrow, windy basement stair and I would just rather get all of that moving done with now! 

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I might not find a park like this in Ft. Collins, but the foothills are only 1/2m away. 

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I am going to call dinner….

Hot Mess On a Plate

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It might be messy but it was pretty delicious.

Randomness that was included:

  • soba noodles
  • trader joe’s grain mix
  • butter + olive oil
  • breadcrumbs
  • peppers
  • zucchini
  • low + slow sweet taters

This took 7min to cook in 1 pan.  {love}

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The breadcrumbs are oh so yummy in this hot mess :)   

And now since I’m out of photos…I’m going to play with maps…I should be helping take down artwork from the walls, or in bed, but whatever.

1 thing I am definitely excited about in Ft. Collins is how bike friendly the city is.  Check out all of these bike lanes!!

Dark, light + dotted green lines are all bike lanes!

image

Zoomed out.  The locator “B” is downtown Ft. Collins.

image

Our house is in between Horsetooth Reservoir + Colorado State University [the tan color all the way to the right].  The green patch beyond the reservoir are the foothills.  Fun!!

image

When your boss finds you asleep at your desk, tell them it’s my fault.

Off to take things down from the wall…mrrrrrrrrrrrrp.

<3

Ashley

an answered question

I’ve gotten this question a lot:  “I would love to cook non-instant oats each morning but just don’t have the time.  Is it possible to make a big batch once a week and re-heat them throughout the week?”

I have assumed, but can now answer for sure, “Yes!”

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Like I said yesterday, I made a triple batch of my typical cinnamon, banana Scottish Oats.  I’m sure making any type would work.  I cooked them, then let cool a bit, stuck in tupperware and into the fridge they went.  This morning I took out 1/3 of the batch, added ~2-4T almond milk and microwaved the bowl for 2min.  Then I just whisked them up with a fork and they were super creamy and delicious!

I would say the overall texture/flavor was compromised sliiightly.  However, this saved at least 20min of time, between cooking + cleaning.  It’s not something I will typically do, but great if you want a delicious breakfast but are short on time in the AM!

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Stirred in a peach and topped with Love Grown Foods granola + my cinnamon honey peanut butter.  Good as new!

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I had fun grown-up things to do this morning [changing address, phone calls, etc] but got out for a THIRTY mile bike ride!!  I finished in 2hrs and it was fabulous.  My legs were pretty dead by the end.  I came in and did 20min of yogadownload Yoga for Cyclists.  It honestly makes my body feel SO much better.  Lunch was consumed before I even thought about where my camera was :)   Then the rest of the day was spent packing!! Soooooooooo fun. [lie]

Things are extremely boring on my end right now…so let me pick your brains!

Any good organization tips that you use at home or when moving to a new place?

Any good DIY craft projects for decorating?? 

Well, I do have 1 more thing to share.  A full review on Glass Dharma straws!!  I was SO excited to receive this complimentary box of beautiful glass straws.  Look out for a giveaway soon!

LOVE the packaging.  Simple + clean.

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Straw #1 is small + oh so cute.  It comes with a special brush for cleaning.  Many of you asked how to clean these.  Dharma is 1 step ahead of you!  Including this brush is key!

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This is a 6oz glass, just so you know the scale of this straw.  It is small and best used in a juice glass like this one.  I love the blue details!

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Straw #2 A taller + wider straw but similar to the previous.

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I haven’t encountered any issues with the straws, except they are obviously somewhat fragile.  However, I did drop one in the sink and it survived!

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Straw #3 is much wider and the glass is thicker than the previous 2 straws.  I really love this straw.  I think it is my favorite.  It’s great for smoothies because the opening is larger, allowing for the thickness of the smoothie to pass through more easily.

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Straw #4 has a great design.  I love the bend!  Also a great smoothie straw!  Recently, I have come to love drinking with straws.  It’s nice for smoothies because you don’t end up with smoothie on your face, when everything in the glass shifts.  Also, for some reason, I end up drinking a lot more water throughout the day when I use a straw.

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So pretty!!

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You can better tell the size difference in this photo below. 

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These are great for personal use but also make a fun, unique gift!  If I’m just drinking water, I wash by hand with hot soap + water.  If I drink a smoothie, I use hot soap + water and run the brush through it as well.  I really don’t mind the extra 30sec it takes to clean the straw.  I would much rather use these than the throw away kind. 

The only warning I would give is, if you’re a straw chewer, don’t bite down on these!! ;)

Time to get my sleep on.

Ashley

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