What I Ate Wednesday

WIAW: Two Workouts, No Sleep

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

Do you ever get insomnia? I don’t typically have trouble sleeping, but Sunday evening I woke up at 3 a.m. and could not get back to sleep. I tossed and turned for quite some time, until I gave up. I got up, clean (somewhat) the kitchen, finished some laundry, cleaned up my closet a little, did some work and then decided to get in a little workout. It’s amazing how much you can get done between 3:30 and 8 a.m.! (And I hope I never have that again. It’s also amazing how tired you can be during the day when you get stuff done for those 5 hours instead of sleeping)

Anyway, onto my Monday. I hadn’t originally planned to work out in the morning because I had a short run after work planned for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, but I ended up getting in a short run before work and a walk. And then was hungry most of the day.

I had an early meeting on the road and didn’t end up have time for my usual breakfast at my desk. So, I had a chocolate protein shake.

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And when I got to the office I had some snacks. Apple and cashews.

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Lunchtime was some meal prep I had made over the weekend. Roasted veggies – cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots and a veggie burger. I seriously can’t get enough of this lunch.

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And snacks included a pear, some fruit salad and my favorite Siggi’s.20160314_173350 20160314_144116

Oh yeah  – and a cup of peanut M&Ms a few hours before my run. For fuel….right?20160314_152148

Then it was time for the run! 3.8 miles before a t-storm hit. They had free beer after the run, but I obviously did not partake.

it may look like I have a beer belly - but it's just a nearly 7 month pregger baby bump!

it may look like I have a beer belly – but it’s just a nearly 7 month pregger baby bump!

We grabbed some soup from Soupermarket for dinner – I got their special – Thai Peanut Chicken. And that hunk of bread. LOOK AT THAT BREAD.20160314_195141

AND for dessert? B and I shared this almond croissant from a new bakery that just opened downtown, Bloom. Not only was the pastry fabulous, but Bloom has a great business model – per their website, it’s a “business with a heart. We bake to provide jobs for low-income and disadvantaged adults in Greater Cleveland.”

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Anyway, those were my What I Ate Wednesday eats. Another delicious day.

With the two short runs (honestly the two short runs equaled a normal pre-pregnancy run for me), I ended up with 20,000+ steps, more than I typically get on the average Monday.

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Some questions for you:

  • Do you ever get insomnia? What do you do?
  • Do you prefer morning or afternoon workouts? Morning all the day! The only way I got out there that evening was because it was a group run.  

WIAW: Sweet Tooth

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 10 Comments

Do you have a sweet tooth or a meat tooth? Since pregnancy, I’ve definitely been craving sweets. Even when it comes to veggies or fruits, usually I’m team veggie but I can’t get enough fruits it seems!

For those of you that are new to What I Ate Wednesday, it’s a time for sharing and checking out a random day of eats. I love seeing everyone’s eats and sharing my own! These were my eats from earlier in the week – you can see that I had dessert a few times during the day 🙂

Breakfast was a leftover decaf coffee with milk from Sunday (I had bought some coffee when Starbucks had double the star awards going on .. and of course I didn’t finish it. I’m awful with drinking coffee!), egg whites, veggies, and a clementine. Yum.

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And a mid-morning snack – an apple. I like to cut it up into pieces and eat it while working.20160307_131947

Lunch was a veggie burger, along with some roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. I don’t know why – but it REALLY hit the spot! 20160307_124816

I made brownies over the weekend and couldn’t help but have one for dessert after lunch. I never really liked chocolate or brownies pre=pregnancy, but fudge brownies are good to me these days. Not cakey brownies or chocolate cake – they have to be fudge. 20160306_130525

Later in the afternoon I also had some fruit salad and yogurt. Have I told you how much I love Siggi’s? The pomegranate and passion fruit is SO GOOD.20160307_154550

I also had some hard candy throughout the day. Some Werther’s, ginger coconut and some candy I had from Cambodia20160307_145025

B made me dinner! We had some red snapper, roasted cauliflower and sautéed bok choy and onions. It was SO GOOD.

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And for dessert? Girl Scout Cookies! I had a tagalong and a Do-Si-Do. Peanut butter cookies FTW!20160307_202350

And in case you didn’t see it – we have a lot of Girl Scout Cookies in our house right now 🙂20160306_175416

And that was it! A delicious day 🙂

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? Mine are likely Samoas or any of the peanut butter ones.
  • Were you a Girl Scout? Yes! And my mom was cookie manager one year. 
  • Sweet or savory? Fruit or vegetables?

Foods Not In My Routine

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

For today’s What I Ate Wednesday post, I’m bringing you something NEW. That’s right – not a normal, typical routine day (egg whites for breakfast, lunch in the office and then dinner likely at home); instead, this is a non-routine eating day. It included both lunch and dinner out, due to dr’s appointments and travel. Aren’t you so excited? (yes that may be sarcasm…unless you really are excited? Then good for you!)

In the morning I started my day with a pretty good run. I haven’t had many of those lately but I was able to get in 5.75 miles pretty much nonstop on the treadmill.

After the run, for breakfast I was craving some fruit. And nut butter (as I mentioned last week, I have a rotation of around 4-5 nut butters in my pantry right now). I’ve eaten more fruit and nut butter during my pregnancy than I typically eat and this day was no different. As I was making breakfast and some tea, I enjoyed a hard boiled egg white. I made myself a fruit salad and had some nut butter on it and on the side. A spoonful of natural peanut butter and natural sunflower seed butter was perfect.

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In the afternoon, I had a doctor’s appointment, (I’ve come to realize that I now have a lot of these!) so I grabbed some food while I was out. Aladdin’s V9 soup (their amazing vegetable soup) with feta on top, plus some pita and hummus. SO good. I love Aladdin’s hummus!

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I had some snacks in the afternoon back at the office – an apple, a sweet/salty bar and some unsalted cashews throughout the afternoon. I knew we’d be eating a late dinner – likely at the airport, as I had a flight to Philly for a conference that evening.

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Welp, plans changed. My flight to Philly was cancelled and then as I was at the airport, the next flight out got put on a delay and would ultimately mean I’d miss my connecting flight and be stuck in Charlotte overnight. Since my conference was the next day, I didn’t want to chance getting stuck in Charlotte and not making it, so I made the ultimate decision to drive. It was already pretty late by the time I got on the road (7:30ish), so dinner wasn’t until around 8:30 and at a rest stop on the high way. The rest stop had McDonald’s and a pizza place. I was craving something warm, sweet and comforting – and ultimately I ended up with a fruit/yogurt parfait and an oatmeal from McDonald’s. Surprisingly, both hit the spot.

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That was it! Not a typically eating day for me, that’s for sure, but it did the job. And I made it to Philly safe and sound, around 3:30 a.m. I may have had a few bites of an apple and a chocolate covered peanutty bar sometime after midnight, but let’s say those count for the next day … right?

 

Some questions for you:

  • Are you a lucky traveler? Or do you typically have travel woes/issues?
  • Do you have a typical rest stop/on-the-road meal?

 

Nut butters and more: What I Ate on Sunday

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

Alright we’re halfway through the workweek! Well, somewhat. I’m actually working this Saturday and presenting at a conference so I guess it’s not my halfway point quite yet – but almost there!

Here is a look at what I ate on Sunday. It wasn’t really a typical Sunday (B and I usually have family dinner with his family), but still so delicious!

The day started with a short run with B. It was warmer than I expected and when we got home I wasn’t that hungry but seriously craving some fruit. So I made myself a mini fruit salad. Fruit= one of my pregnancy cravings.

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As well as nut butter. We had plans for most of the day, so I had a spoonful of peanut butter to keep me satisfied before our day.20160221_130417

B and I hit up a local tea shop and I grabbed some tea and honey. No pic of the tea, sadly.

Then, B and I went for a walk (again – enjoying some great seasonably warm weather!) and hit up Whole Foods for some supplies for dinner. At whole foods I noshed on some of their cheese samples (no pic again, I know…) BUT by the time we got home it was 3:30 and I was starving. Which meant it was time for an apple and some more nut butter.

 

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For dinner, B and I made homemade whole grain pasta. B made the sauce-  it was a spicy olive, onion, buttery garlicky lemony sauce. SO good. While we were waiting for the pasta, we snacked on some cheese and bread.

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And here was dinner! I hadn’t had any veggies yet, so I made us small salads to go with the pasta dish.

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For dessert, we had some chocolate. I’ve been enjoying these chocolates from Valentine’s Day and am in love with the hazelnut ones.

 

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That was my Sunday! I went to bed with a full and happy belly 🙂

 

Some questions for you:

  • What candy (if any) did you get for Valentine’s Day?
  • How many nut butters do you have at home? I need to know if I’m the only one with an assortment. I currently have 4 varieties of peanut butter, plus almond butter and sunflower seed butter 🙂

TGIF Eats (WIAW:TGIF edition)

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

Happy Wednesday! I hope that I didn’t confuse you by calling this TGIF edition – it’s not quite Friday yet, sadly – instead, these are my eats from last Friday.

 

The day started with a chocolate protein shake. I’m typically a vanilla shake person, but I’ve been much more in the mood for the chocolate flavor lately and it hit the spot Friday morning. I topped it with a few slices of banana.

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I had some tea on the side. I love herbal tea and had bought this tea when B and I were in Mexico and it was delicious.

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Lunch was leftovers. I had leftover spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce, along with leftover homemade chicken gnocchi soup.

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And a giant grapefruit. Because I love grapefruit.

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I also snacked on some hard candy in the afternoon.

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I had a coffee meeting in the afternoon and enjoyed some of my favorite local tea from Phoenix. Ruthie’s Tea with honey is my idea of perfection. I also was able to enjoy a macaron.

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I got hungry a few hours later and had some peanuts to tide me over until dinner, which I knew we wouldn’t be eating until at least 8

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Friday night, B and I had plans to go to the Cavs game with some friends and get drinks before the game and dinner at the game. So dinner was less-than-healthy, but pretty delicious – Lola fries (thin fries with rosemary) and a chicken avocado sandwich while at the game. The food was good – but we lost the game in the last second.

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And that was about it! Not a bad Friday.

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your go-to stadium food / game eat?
  • Tea drinkers – what’s your favorite tea?

WIAW: Typical Eats

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

Well, after last week’s WIAW featuring some meals in Mexico, I feel like this week is a little weak. And I should apologize to you in advance. But you know what? This week’s entry is pretty typical. It’s a typical day of eats for me. So here you go – a pretty typical day:

Breakfast – egg whites, veggies. Always love this. And typically have some salsa or hot peppers with or in my eggs 🙂 And lately been loving some citrus with my breakfast – so I had a cutie.

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For lunch I had a pretty awesome homemade salad. It was spinach, chicken, sweet potatoes, artichoke hearts, avocado, feta cheese and olives. SO good!

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And a pear. This pear was pretty awesome.20160201_153240

For a snack later in the day I had some carrots and mixed nuts. Love the combo of the salty/nutty and carrots.

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And some tea in the afternoon. I bought this tea in Mexico City and the mandarin lichi tea was great!

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For dinner we had spaghetti squash marinara with cheese and meatballs. B made meatballs and they were so so so good. I may have had some mozzarella cheese on the side (not pictured).

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And I like to end the day with something sweet – a few spoonfuls of this ice cream was SO good and hit the spot! And that was the full day.20160201_190325

Some questions for you:

  • Do you typically end the day with something sweet?
  • What’s something you like to put on salads that may not be typical? I’ve been told sweet potatoes are not typical but I love them!

WIAW #45: Friday, Friday

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

Sorry to get your hopes up – it’s not quite Friday yet. I know – I’m a tease. BUT these are my eats from last Friday and I am counting down the days until it’s Friday here because I’m on vacation next week!

Sorry in advance – this was a pretty standard day. Egg whites and veggies for breakfast, a few snacks, more veggies, more snacks, fruit, etc. We did go out for dinner (sushi!) but other than that, pretty standard. See for yourself:

Breakfast was some eggwhites and spinach and veggies and sauerkraut. Pretty standard, but delicious nonetheless. Oh, and since I was feeling pretty sleepy, I had some pumpkin spice chai tea. A perfect pick-me-up!

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Snacks that morning included an apple and clementine. Love me some fruit.20160104_093126

Lunch was a whole veggie medley, plus some chicken. Brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potato, some breaded eggplant, cauliflower and snap peas. So good!20160108_130525

And grapes on the side at my desk. 20160108_131941

And I was craving something sweet that afternoon – and our peanut M&M supply at work is gone! So I made due with what I had – some spaghetti squash. I mixed it up with some honey and cinnamon and it was pretty good. 20160108_135347

That night, B and I went to Sushi 86 for dinner. I started with miso soup (of course)!20160108_181517

And then this. ❤ sushi!sushi

And that was it. I was stuffed after all that goodness. I’m not a big rice fan (more of a pasta girl) but in sushi, I can tolerate it. It’s just filling 🙂

Some questions for you:

  • Are you a sushi fan? What’s your favorite kind?
  • Do you have the same breakfasts daily?
  • What’s your go-to snack if you’re cravings something sweet?

WIAW #44: A Semi-Meatless Monday

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

Ohmygoodness it’s only Wednesday. This week. Amiright? Thank goodness for good eats, good friends, and dinner dates to keep me occupied when the weather is COLD and excitement from the holidays starts to dwindle.

I almost forgot about WIAW. Because let’s face it, with the holidays, I’ve been less than stellar with my eating. Not so many veggies, too many cookies and I’m feeling it. I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things – but as you can see, my sweet tooth is still somewhat winning! At least I’m getting more vegetables and fruits in my life.

Speaking of veggies, I had eggs and veggies for breakfast again. It has been SO LONG! So here was Monday’s breakfast – egg whites, some sauerkraut, spinach, carrots and cauliflower and broccoli. Yum yum.

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As if that wasn’t enough, I also had a clementine and apple for a snack midway through the morning.

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For lunch, I had prepared some grilled chicken, along with some roasted veggies – cauliflower, eggplant (leftover breaded and baked from my eggplant parm last weekend) and sweet potato – and some sugar snap peas. Yay for veggies!

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For snacks in the afternoon, I had some hard candies (werthers, ginger and these caramel asian candies) and grapes and carrots.

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For dinner, I made a Meatless Monday dish. I know – I had meat for lunch. I’m not perfect. But dinner was a caprese salad and spaghetti squash with tomato sauce and cheese. Perfection.

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And that wasn’t it. I also had dessert- a little bit of this Mitchell’s and a lemon bar that I had baked. Again, I’m not perfect.

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I had a semi-active day — I had run 5 miles in the morning, done a few weights, and tried to get in some steps during the day.

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So that was my Monday! Not a bad first day back. Some questions for you:

 

 

 

 

  • What was the best thing you had over the holidays?
  • Do you like fruity desserts? Like lemon bars?

WIAW #43: Home for the Holidays

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

 

 

 

 

I’m home for the holidays! While it’s not quite yet Christmas, and I still haven’t finished all my gift wrapping (fingers crossed my last package from Fedex arrives today as planned!), I’m back home in New York and enjoying some rest, relaxation, lots of reading (finished two books, onto the next!) AND home-cooked meals. So for this week’s WIAW, instead of one day of eats, here is a glimpse at a few of the meals I’ve enjoyed since I’ve been home.

Breakfasts have been pretty standard while I’ve been home. Some cereal (my parents’ cereal collect rivals that of Seinfeld) and fruit. Pretty standard AND delicious. Oh, and I love my mom’s homemade granola.

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Granola! (no, not frozen yogurt)

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Lunches have varied somewhat, typically including some sort of bread with cheese, fruit and a type of soup.

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For dinner, I’ve eaten all meals home (and homemade by my mom!) but one. We went out to dinner one night in the beautiful Saratoga Springs and hit up Ravenous, a place known for their crepes and frites. They did not disappoint. Otherwise, we had some roasted turkey breast, pesto pasta and cornish hens. All hit the spot. So. Much.

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And desserts. How can I forget about these? I’ve been baking up a storm for the holidays and of course sampling some of the treats, including chocolate covered pretzels, lemon bars, chocolate fudge cookies and jam cookies. ‘Tis the season!

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Questions for you:

  • What have you been baking?
  • What’s your favorite home-cooked meal?

WIAW #42: One Friday, Two Cities

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 7 Comments

It’s time for another exciting episode of … What I Ate Wednesday! That’s right, it’s already Wednesday. And for me, it’s my pseudo Friday, because I’m off work tomorrow and Friday! Yippee!

This post features my eats from last Friday. It was a semi interesting day of eats, because it started with a somewhat normal work day, but since we were going away for the weekend, we had very few groceries. And then we were traveling and then we were in NYC Friday night! So, this post features 2 cities in one day.

The day started out with a non-typical breakfast. As I mentioned, we didn’t have many groceries, so I had some grapes and a few bites of B’s peanut butter toast. I wasn’t too hungry, so a few bites were all I needed.

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I was starving by my usual mid-morning snack time, and I opted for half a banana and some peppermint bark.

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I hadn’t brought a lunch, so I decided to walk over to Stone Oven. I got my FAVORITE salad, Jaina’s salad. It has chicken, feta, croutons, tabbouleh, couscous, roasted red pepper and their amazing bread. I ate the whole thing up.

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I left work a little before 5 to head home to finish packing, grab a snack, and head to the airport. My snack was a cookie or two from our holiday cookie exchange the day prior. Look at all those cookies!!

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At the airport, I grabbed some mentos, a lemonade and gum and then we headed to NY.

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I was so hungry by the time we got into the city and met up with my friend Jane.  It was after 9:30, and we grabbed some Mexican food at a local place near her and it was great.

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Chips, guac and three tacos later, I was stuffed. Not a bad start to a fun weekend in NY!

Some questions for you:

  • Do you have any upcoming trips planned? I’ll be back in NY again soon to spend the holidays with my family!
  • What’s your favorite holiday cookie or treat? I love peppermint bark! But love the simple shortbread cookies that my mom makes.
  • Do you have any go-to meals when you have no groceries?