It’s WIAW time again :)

Hello lovelies!

These are my eats from Wednesday Tuesday!

Breakfast:

Chocolate Oats!

To make these oats, I prepared my oats as normal. When they were done cooking, I added two tablespoons cocoa powder, lots of sugar, a splash of coconut milk, and a dollop of whipped cream on top! Everything is better with whipped cream!

Lunch:

Grilled Turkey Sandwich with Laughing Cow Light cheese.

Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger Tea

Wheat puffs with vanilla yogurt and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Snack: Lots of jelly beans that I forgot to take a picture of before I devoured them! I needed a sugar rush before my three hour stint shadowing Doc (I will now refer to the Doctor I’m shadowing by the name Doc because it conceals his identity, and it prevents me from having to repeat the phrase “the doctor I’m shadowing”….whew)

Dinner:

Veggies and white beans sauteed with a wedge of Laughing Cow Light

Hot Chocolate with whipped cream! I’ve been on a whipped cream kick lately. Yummmmm.

And now I’m off to probably make a smoothie or some other delicious snack. I’ve been revising a problem set for the last hour and I’m still on the first question. I need brain food…majorly.

XOXO,

Jamie

Learning to Say “No”

Once upon a time, I was the girl who never said no to anyone. I strived for complete perfection in all aspects of my life, and part of that included pleasing everyone around me. When asked a favor, I always said yes. When criticized or chastised, I always politely agreed, that yes I should have done better.

Saying “no” to people we love and care about can be hard. Especially as women, we feel a natural aversion to please everyone around us. Sometimes, though, there are situations in which saying yes to a favor,  promising to attend an event, etc, can result in us stretching ourselves too far. We have to listen to ourselves and allow ourselves to say “no” when we know that it is what is best for us.

I still do favors for my friends and family, but I do them because they make me feel good. I love these people, so naturally I want to make them happy! However, I also need to keep myself happy! Saying “no” in certain situations allows me to stay happy, and be more present for my friends and family.

 

Sometimes you have to put your big girl Slytherin pants on and just say no.

XOXO,

Jamie

 

 

 

My Boyfriend Doesn’t Like Oatmeal

What am I going to feed him for breakfast?

My latest breakfast creation is caramel oatmeal. I simply make a bowl of oatmeal, add some cinnamon and sugar, and top the oatmeal with a sugar free caramel pudding snack. I actually stir in the pudding to blend it through the oatmeal, but I wanted you all to see all that caramel pudding goodness topping my oats!

Yummm. I love oatmeal. Let’s take a look:

1. pumpkin pie oatmeal

2. vegan overnight oats

3. super filling oatmeal bowl

I also have a few more oatmeal recipes I regularly make, but haven’t posted on the blog yet including banana bread oatmeal, chocolate oats, and apple pie oats.

I made caramel oats for breakfast Sunday when Darren was here. He is not a fan of oatmeal. I wanted him to at least try a bite though! He took a bite, and almost spit it out! He is crazy though because oatmeal+pudding=delicious! So instead, Darren drank a Carnation Breakfast. I need to find a form of oatmeal that Darren will like. I’m thinking maybe baked oatmeal?

He’s completely crazy for not liking oatmeal, but at least he’s kinda cute

Does anyone have any great oatmeal recipes?

Who else agrees that Darren is crazy for not liking oatmeal!?

XOXO,

Jamie

All Good Things Come to an End

Don’t you wish you could relive all the wonderful times in your life? I know I do! I had the most fabulous weekend, and I so wish it wasn’t almost over. My amazing boyfriend Darren visited me here at Oberlin.

This is actually an old picture from when he drove all the way to South Carolina to visit me last January. That is another weekend I wish I could re-live over and over. I think quite a lot of the joy in my life comes from my amazing man. (This isn’t getting too lovey-dovey for ya’ll I hope!)

Anyways, this weekend was great! Darren got here Friday evening, and we cooked a nice dinner. Of course, before dinner, we had dessert!

Yes, we had dessert before dinner. Why? Because this is my apartment, and I make the rules. Actually I was starving while dinner was cooking, and I terribly needed something to assuage the empty pit in my stomach. I made these “Grown-Up” Mocha Mudslide Milkshakes. These milkshakes consisted of mocha mudslide flavored ice cream (any chocolate or coffee flavored ice cream would work), coconut milk, whipped cream, and…..Bailey’s. The last ingredient is obviously optional. However, my belief is that unless you have an allergy, an intolerance, or a chemical dependency (such as alcoholism), every food or beverage is fine in moderation. Neither Darren nor I binge drink, but we do like to indulge in a glass or wine or delicious cocktail (such as this milkshake!) every once in a while.  To make these milkshakes we just used a blender to mix the ice cream, milk, and Bailey’s, and topped them with whipped cream. Yum! These made the perfect appetizer for dinner.

I served this black bean casserole as a salad for dinner. The next day for lunch, we ate the left overs on tortillas. I think it was even better the next day!

Southwest Black Bean Casserole

adapted from pinchofyum

Ingredients

• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I actually used mozzarella because it’s all I had on hand)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add onions to the pan and saute until browned.
3. Add salt, cumin, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly (I added a tablespoon or two of water to keep things from sticking in the pan.)
4. Stir in broth and black beans. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Mash beans to desired consistency.
5. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top tomato sauce and cheese. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for atleast 10 minutes (otherwise it will be too runny).
6. Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, over rice, on tacos, on a salad, or just eat it plain!

Such a yummy dinner. Darren and I went to an American Folk-Jazz concert Friday night. I love all the free concerts at Oberlin. Then we headed to bed early because I took a practice MCAT Saturday morning. The test went surprisingly well. I’m really pleased with how I did, especially considering it was my first practice test.

After my test, we watched a bit of the Michigan football game, ate lunch, napped, then headed to dinner and the mall.

I had this for dinner. It was Bob Evan’s cinnamon stuffed pancakes. I was totally in a sugar coma after these. I don’t get to Bob Evan’s very much though, and I absolutely adore these pancakes. At the mall, Darren bought a new pair of shoes. He doesn’t spend money on himself very often, so I like when he does. He deserves it!

This morning, Darren and I went for a walk around campus and said our goodbyes. It’s always hard for me when he leaves. I get to see him again in 3 weeks. So until then, there will be skype, phone calls, and reliving all the wonderful time we’ve spent together.

XOXO,

Jamie

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! So far, I’ve had a pretty academic Friday. I only had one class this morning since my second class was canceled! YAY for canceled classes! I had a lot of reading to catch up on though, so I got down to business on that. Then, I had a research meeting with my professor. Our research project is finally getting underway. I started doing some preliminary research today, and let me tell you, it was a struggle. I haven’t found one good source yet! I have an appointment with a research librarian next Wednesday, so hopefully that will help.

Right now, I’m relaxing a bit before my boyfriend Darren gets here. He’s visiting me for the whole weekend! I’m obviously a little excited about that. Unfortunately, I have to take a practice MCAT tomorrow. It will be roughly five hours of pure torture, but I need to know where I’m at in terms of score. I’m trying to talk Darren into doing my laundry while I take the test. I actually think he might go for it!

Here’s some recent eats:

This was yesterday’s lunch. Usually I don’t go for salads. They remind me too much of the time when I would restrict myself and only eat plain spinach. Yesterday though, I was totally craving something cool and crisp. I had an iceburg lettuce salad with deli turkey, mozzarella cheese, and Newman’s Own Light Dressing.

This dressing is delicious. Darren even loves it and he is a huge skeptic of low fat dressings.

My lunch also consisted of that beautiful deep blue/purple smoothie. It was simply about a cup of frozen blackberries with 1-2 cups coconut milk. Yum!

What’s your favorite dressing?

Have a good weekend everyone!

XOXO,

Jamie

 

Products I’m loving

I’m writing this post as I’m watching the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy. In case you don’t know, I’m obsessed with Grey’s. I’m loving every minute of this episode. But, since I’m a super busy college girl, I’ve been an expert at multi-tasking. So, I’m writing this post as I bask in the Grey’s Anatomy bliss.

These are some food products I’ve had recently and I’ve been loving!

If you are a fan of wine, you will love this sorbet! My roommate Anna gave it to me because she doesn’t like it as well as the mango. I absolutely love blackberries though, so she thought I’d like it. I did! It’s sweet and fruity with the slightest hint of cabernet grapes.

I got these waffles when they were on sale for $2.00. Normally they are over $3.00. I fell in love with them! For breakfast, I would slather one with vanilla yogurt drizzled in syrup and the other with grape jelly. These made me actually look forward to waking up in the morning. Plus they added some variety to my breakfast routine which normally consists of oats, cereal, or a yogurt bowl.

Carnation breakfast essentials. Yum. I love these! Each serving has 5 grams of protein, and they’re super filling. Darren introduced me to them, and I just bought my own box for the first time today. I’m excited to have these as healthy chocolatey snacks.

Anyways, I’ve got to get back to watching Grey’s. Go try some new foods!

What’s your favorite new food find?

XOXO,

Jamie

 

Pumpkin Obsessed

It’s that time of the week again! Can you believe it’s already Wednesday!? Technically these are Tuesday’s eats….but who’s really counting.

Let’s just say I’ve been a little pumpkin obsessed lately. Pumpkin has been impossible to come by in Ohio until very recently. I seriously can’t get my hands on enough of the stuff.

Breakfast:

Pumpkin overnight oats! These oats tasted like pumpkin pie. So good. Definitely will be having them again tomorrow. I mixed 1/3 cup oatmeal with 1/3 cup pumpkin, 2 tsp. cinnamon, a splenda packet, and enough coconut milk to blend everything together (probably a little less than a cup). Once all this was mixed, I placed it in the fridge overnight and had a wonderful breakfast waiting for me when I woke up.

Snack:

Yes, I prefer to drink my smoothies out of wine glasses. I’m just so classy like that…the plastic straw only adds to my illusion of class

<—there is my foot!

Banana Pumpkin smoothie! I blended together a frozen banana with 1/2 cup pumpkin, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla, 2 splenda packets, and about a cup of coconut milk. This smoothie was amazing.  Banana and pumpkin go together surprisingly well.

While I’m currently obsessed with pumpkin, I did however, eat lots of other yummy things today: grilled turkey sandwich, pretzels, grilled chicken, baked potato, jelly beans. Today was pretty good in the eats department, and was actually really great overall.

I had Renaissance Literature this morning which is actually turning out to be one of my favorite classes. It is super challenging for me, but the class is so exciting and fun. My professor is amazing and super enthusiastic about the topic. Then, this afternoon, I shadowed a pediatrician. I always have a lot of fun doing that. Every week I realize more and more that medicine is definitely what I need to do with my life. I had a lovely skype date with my boyfriend. Then I met up with some classmates to finish the Animal Physiology problem set. Now, I’m finally here, ready for some much need rest and relaxation.

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

What’s you’re favorite day of the week?

Don’t you think my sister should be super nice and give me her hand-me-down Nikon D40 so I can get back to beautiful food photography?

XOXO,

Jamie

 

 

The semester is finally getting underway

The semester is finally really starting up. My classes are in full swing. I’ve got plenty of assignments to keep me busy. I’ve started shadowing a local pediatrician. My first day was last week, and I absolutely loved it. And my research job is getting underway. I, along with two professors, am studying abortion discourse in Kenya revolving around their new constitution which has a more progressive abortion law (although abortion is still illegal there except when the health of the mother is at stake).

A busy girl needs lots of fuel, so here’s a few of my recent eats:

Friday, my roommate (and amazing friend), Emma bought a popcorn popper. You just pour kernels in and it pops them! Besides getting to eat delicious (and healthy) popcorn, you also get the added entertainment of watching popcorn fly from the chute. This girl is easily entertained, obviously.

This morning’s breakfast: pumpkin pie oats! I love that canned pumpkin is finally hitting the shelves! This oatmeal consisted of 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1 1/2 cups water on the stove. Once my oats were at the thick, pasty consistency I love, I added 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin puree, 2 tsp cinnamon (I love cinnamon!), and a packet of splenda.

Now, what is that shiny stuff on top of my oatmeal? MAPLE SYRUP! I drizzled maple syrup on top of my oats, and microwaved the whole bowl for about 15 seconds to warm up the syrup. The syrup takes this bowl of oatmeal from amazing to “omg I love fall and pumpkin and syrup in all its glorious amazingnessssssssss.“

This evening’s dinner: a grilled chicken breast, shredded and combined with about 2 cups of sauteed veggies (bell peppers, brocolli, carrots, mushrooms) and topped with a lot of Parmesan cheese. I love pairing tons of veggies with any form of protein.

Alright, well I have a lot of background reading to tackle for my research project, so everyone enjoy their Monday evening! Dancing with the Stars premieres tonight! <—- totally going to use this as a homework distraction.

Have you eaten any foods recently that remind you of fall or the holiday season?

Do you use television as a distraction?

What show are you super excited for this fall?

XOXO,

Jamie

Vegan Comfort Stew

With cold weather approaching and the semester picking up, I like my meals to be: full of protein, filling, full of color, and most of all comforting. There is something so completely comforting about a warm bowl of goodness to fill your tummy on a chilly day. This vegan comfort stew is exactly that.

I actually looked up the definition of stew. According to dictionary.com, to stew means “to undergo cooking by simmering or slow boiling.” Well this isn’t actually a stew, per-say. But stew sounds so comfy and homey! So I don’t care. I’m going to call this my vegan comfort stew despite the fact that there is no boiling involved. (I’m also going to continue starting my sentences with conjunctions.)

Vegan Comfort Stew is not exactly photogenic. But what she lacks in looks, she makes up for in taste and nutrition! As corny as it sounds, I seriously feel rejuvenated after eating this.

Vegan Comfort Stew

serves 1

• 2 cups veggies (use whatever you have on hand. I had carrots, spinach, mushrooms, and a little broccoli in this picture. But I’ve made it several times with different veggie combos)
• 1/2 15 oz can pinto beans
• 1/4 cup pasta/marinara sauce
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper

Saute veggies in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray over high heat. Once veggies start getting warmed through add garlic powder, salt, and pepper to your taste. Once veggies are tender (or crunchy if you like them like that) add beans and marinara sauce. Stir until everything is heated. Then enjoy!

XOXO,

Jamie

Spur of the Moment Muffins

It’s 8:00pm Tuesday night. I’m done with my homework. The thought of studying anymore MCAT is nauseating. I’ve already caught up on all the episodes of Dance moms and Pinterest no longer holds my interest. Whats a girl to do when late night bordom sets in?

This girl bakes.

What’s a girl to do when her apartment has zero baking ingredients?

Make a trip to the grocery store in her pajamas.

I really hope my PJ pants put a smile on someone’s face! The picture is kind of blurry, but the hearts are shaped from candy canes. September officially starts the holiday season right?

I planned to make pumpkin muffins with a box of yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Unfortuately, the grocery store was out of pumpkin! I had to improvise. I picked up a box of Devil’s food cake mix, unsweetened applesauce, and cinnamon. When I got home I poured the cake mix in the bowl, added about 15 oz of applesauce and 2 tsp. cinnamon.

The result:

Big gooey, chocolate, apple, cinnamon muffins. It is seriously hard to mess up a boxed cake mix. Add enough wet ingredients, and you’re bound to end up with an edible product. These muffins have an interesting flavor combo, but they are super good. The chocolate and cinnamon together is delish!

My breakfast this morning:

A bowl of vanilla yogurt with muffins crumbled on top. Yum! I’m feeling pretty great after this breakfast. It’s time for me to head to class now though! Have a great day!

XOXO,

Jamie