Lunch At Seasons 52

Wow! It's like I have totally forgotten about my blog. I finished summer school! Thank goodness!! Now I am in Tampa visiting my brother and his girlfriend.

My brother passed the test to receive his pilot's license so in order to celebrate we went to a Tampa restaurant called Seasons 52. The idea is that the chef changes the specials every week (52 times per year) in order to match what is currently in season. All the items on the menu are organic, healthy, and a maximum of 475 calories. Cool huh?

Aww Robert and Maggie are precious.

 Wow, Robert and I look so weird. I think it's the sun making our eyes squinty. Oh, and Robert's stupid facial expression.

Maggie got the vegetarian sampler. Starting at the sautéed tofu and then going clockwise: stuffed pepper, stuffed tomato, grilled broccoli with homemade caesar, quinoa and bean mixture, crispy taco, and tomatillo salsa.

Our waiter explained to us how the quinoa, brown rice, and bean mixture was apparently what provided the Incas with enough sustenance to survive. He was saying how you could eat this for every meal and your body would be in peak health... I am not sure how much I believe him. What about moderation? and some veggies? Not to mention the fact that I would be bored out of my mind just eating that for the rest of my life. 

Here is my ahi tuna salad. So good.

And Robert being weird again. He got ahi tuna and avocado sushi rolls. I had one and they were pretty delicious.


Alright that's it.

Melty, Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies (that are healthy)

I have been eyeballing a recipe that I found on Pinterest for some time now. It is a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe, similar to my favorite Brownie Batter recipe in that is uses chickpeas, but this one is sweetened with honey instead of dates. Also, it is cooked so they are actually cookies and not just the dough.

When I got to my first period class this morning I couldn't figure out why one other girl and I were the only two people there. We soon realized, thanks to the technology of an iPhone, that class had been cancelled. In celebration I decided to make this cookie recipe!

They were/are AMAZING. They didn't taste like "healthy" chocolate chip cookies at all. I got them from Texanerin Baking from this post here.

MMM... I want to go in the kitchen and grab one more right now :)

The Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 c. Canned, Drained Chickpeas
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 c. and 2 tbsp. Peanut Butter
1/4 c. Honey
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 c. Chocolate Chips (if they are grain-sweetened, then this recipe is "clean")

I put all the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in my food processor and processed till very smooth. Then I mixed in the chocolate chips and spooned them on to a non-stick baking pan. I cooked them for 10 minutes and then ate one fresh from the oven!

In order for them not to break, you'll need to let them cool before taking them off the tray.

The original creator of this recipe said that she didn't like them cold, but honestly I thought they were just as good cold. Maybe it is because I am used to "healthy" desserts, but my roommates agreed with me as well.

Melty, chocolately, gooey cookies. I think I succeeded in canceling out any cardio that I did this morning...

... But it was so worth it. :)

This morning's workout:

Incline Chest Press x12, 10, 8

Narrow Grip Bench Press 3x8

Barbell Shoulder Split Press 3x12

Dumbbell Row 3x8/arm

Reverse Pushup 3x10

Bicep Curl 3x10

Ab Leg Raises 3x20

2 minute incline walking, 2 minute hard run, 1 minute recovery (repeated 3 times total)

That's all for today. I look forward to going to dinner with my friend Kate :) Have a good Thursday!!

Some Weird Cravings

Yesterday when I got home from class I was having a really weird craving... for pancakes. It wouldn't go away. So instead of fighting it, I made some homemade whole wheat vegan blueberry pancakes!! Yummy :)

They were so fluffy and delicious! I got the recipe here from Chocolate Covered Katie. Although my quick snap shots aren't near as pretty as hers, I'll show a couple pictures just so you know how they turned out.

They tasted so delicious!! The only tip I have is to make sure you are cooking them on a low enough heat so they cook all the way through and don't just burn on the outside. These pancakes are much thicker than usual so it makes it just a bit trickier.

Today after I came home from school I had another weird craving. A much healthier one. I honestly can say this is the first time I have craved quinoa and spinach! haha

I was hurrying to make lunch before I went to get a pedicure with Stephanie (some much deserved pampering!), so I used this quinoa and brown rice mixture that cooks in the microwave in 90 seconds. It is surprisingly good and I love the seasoning on it.

I got this from Whole Foods, but I actually saw it the other day when I was in Harris Teeter, so I guess it doesn't have to be purchased at a specialty grocery store.

And then I cooked some frozen spinach on the stove and viola! Craving satisfied.

A visual in case you don't know what frozen, chopped spinach looks like after it has been cooked (sarcastic tone):

I was able to get to the gym this morning for a little cardio:

2 minute walk on incline 12 at 3.5 mph

2 minute run on incline 1 at 8 mph

1 minute recovery walk on incline 1 at 3 mph

I repeated this series 5 more times, for a total of 6 times in 30 minutes.

I was unrecognizably sweaty. Although it felt really good :)

My New Favorite Homemade Energy Bars!!!

I'm back!!

I took a week off from blogging because I was spending so much time on my computer for school work that I didn't want to be on it even more to blog. Also, I had nothing exciting to post about because my week was so boring and filled with a lot of tiresome things that just needed to get done.

But now I have a really great post.

I am super excited about this recipe. I posted it a couple months ago, but I had made a couple changes from the original recipe, that I got from this blog. This time I stayed true to the recipe, but added one magic ingredient :)

Oh goodness, I wish I hadn't given these bars away as a gift because just looking at this picture is making me wish I had one to eat right now!!


Here is the recipe:


2 Cups Pitted Dates
2 Cups Salted Cashew Nuts
½ Cup Almonds (I used slivered almonds without the skins)
¾ Cup Cocoa Powder
½ Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
2.5 Tbsp Espresso!! (Or Coffee)


First I put the dates, cashews, almonds, and cocoa powder in a food processor, then I added the coconut and vanilla extract. Once it reached a coarse consistency, I added the espresso. Make sure to add only a 1/2 tablespoon at a time until it reaches a dough-like consistency. Depending on the moisture of the dates, you will need more or less liquid. Finally, I took the "dough" and pressed it into a pan lined with wax paper.

They can be eaten right away, but I prefer to refrigerate them for about an hour before cutting them into bars. I also like to individually wrap them in plastic wrap and then I just grab one out of the fridge for a quick on-the-go snack.

Okay, I need to go have dinner. I seriously am starving after looking at these pictures. Make these bars. They are delicious!


WOD: Upper Body
Bench Press 4x5
Wide Grip Pullup Machine 3x10
Bicep Hammer Curls 3x8/arm
Arnold Shoulder Press 3x8/arm
Tricep Dips 3x10
Ab Leg Lower Hip Lift 3x10
Decline Russian Twists 3x20/side


2 minute incline walk, 2 minute hard run, 1 minute recovery (x3)


Dinner Time :)