Achin’ for Some (Veggie) Bacon

“Are ya achin’ (yum, yum, yum),
For some bacon (yum, yum, yum)…”

That Timon sure knows how to bust a move!

(Fun fact: I once played the role of Timon in my summer camp’s rendition of The Lion King. 😀 )

Lunch

That little quote and movie clip segue right into my lunch today.

I was achin’ for some bacon in the worst kind of way. Ever since trying MorningStar Farms veggie bacon strips last week, I’ve been cravin’ the pseudo-meat.

Today’s lunch included the veggie bacon in a sandwich with avocado and light Miracle Whip. It was kind of like a BLT, but with some A and no T or L… So it wasn’t really like a BLT at all, I guess. 😉

Avocado

Bacon and Avocado Sandwich

I did enjoy some Ts on the side though.

Freshly sliced summer squash and Emerald smoked almonds also made an appearance.

Squash + Tomatoes

Emerald Smoked Almonds

All Together Naaaw

Bacon craving = satisfied!

Question of the Afternoon

Were you ever in any plays or musicals?

I was in many plays and musicals from elementary school through middle school. Some of my roles included:

• Timon from The Lion King
• The Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz
• One of Annie Oakley’s sisters in Annie Get Your Gun
• An Elf in The Shoemaker and the Elves
• Chip in Beauty and the Beast

I would tell you about my roles in my dance performances, but they’re not quite as impressive.(Think drop of dew on a poppy in The Wizard of Oz. Yes, I actually was a drop of water.)

Mid-Week Break

Last week I loved the way my body felt after cramming an inordinate amount of veggies into my lunch in the form of a mega-salad, so I decided to keep the fun rollin’ and made another ginormous salad today.

Large and In Charge

“Could this salad BE any bigger?” (Said in a Chandler Bing voice, of course. 😉 )

This time my salad included:

• Chopped romaine lettuce
• Cabbage
• Grape tomatoes
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Goat cheese
• Balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Pretty Veggies

I’m feeling the veggie vibes throughout my body now! Maybe I’m insane, but after eating a huge salad, I really do feel more energized. Even if it’s all in my head, I’ll take it! J

Along with my salad, I had a cup of Dannon Greek yogurt with honey for protein and a little sweetness.

Yog

Wednesday Lunch

Mid-Week Break

Though I love my job, sometimes I think about what I would do if I had a day off in the middle of the week.

Since weekends are often crammed with social activities and plans with family and friends, a mid-week break sure would be nice sometimes.

With an extra day off in the middle of the week I would:

• Sleep in
• Take Sadie to the dog park
• Do laundry
• Work out and take time to explore new strength training exercises
• Take a yoga class at my gym (The one that they only seem to offer in the middle of the work day)
• Make a more involved dinner
• Run errands
• Finally address our save the dates
• Get a pedicure
• Read my book

What would you do if you had a day off in the middle of the week?

Cornucopia of Color

This weekend when I was driving to dinner with Ryan and my sister, we passed a billboard for a fast food restaurant. A plate of fried food was displayed on the billboard and I couldn’t help but notice the lack of color in the meal.

Between the fried chicken, French fries and biscuit, the entire plate was a boatload of beige!

One of my favorite things about eating fresh produce is the abundance of vibrant colors the foods bring to a meal.

Colorful Lunch

My lunch today was a cornucopia of color, all attributed to the fresh vegetables I bought at the farmer’s market on Sunday.

My plate included:

• Grape tomatoes
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Green peppers

Grape Tomatoes

Green Peppers

For a protein punch, I also ate fresh egg salad, made with two hardboiled eggs and one egg white, light Miracle Whip, Dijon mustard and relish.

Stinky (But Tasty!)

Aren’t colorful foods more fun to eat!?

In Case You Missed It

In case you missed it over the weekend:

• I went camping
• I made pancakes using Greek yogurt
• My sister, Ryan and I enjoyed a tasty dinner
• We went on a hike and saw a deer and a tortoise

Of Possible Interest

• 5 Ways to Lighten Up Your Cooking (FitSugar.com)
• 5-Star Frozen Desserts (CookingLight.com)

A-Camping We Will Go

The weekend is almost here!

My office is a bit of a ghost town today. It’s hard to concentrate and hunker down when so few people are working, but I’m powering through.

Once I get off work, the weekend officially begins and Ryan and I will head two hours north to join several of our friends for a camping trip, complete with lots of s’mores, hot dogs, beer and all-around unhealthy fare.

Fortunately I did stock up on some healthy nibbles as well. Aside from the camping staples, Ryan and I are keeping our food nutritious and are bringing:

• Red and green pepper slices
• Grape tomatoes
• Raspberries
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Whole wheat hot dog buns
• Strawberries
• Cucumber slices
• Peanut butter
• Apples
• Granola

In past camping trips with our friends our meals consisted of Clif bars, peanut butter sandwiches, hot dogs and canned soup. This time, I’m hoping to squeeze some fresh produce in there as well!

I am particularly excited to break into the grape tomatoes we’re packing.

Plump Tomatoes

I added quite a few of the plump red guys in my lunch salad, and they were sweet, slightly crunchy and very flavorful. I think this time of year must be their time to shine or something!

In All Their Glory

My lunchtime salad included:

• Romaine lettuce
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Goat cheese
• Balsamic vinegar

Big Salad

On the side I had the ridiculously addicting Rold Gold honey wheat pretzel twists, which I dipped in Greek yogurt that I sweetened with honey.

Come See How Good Looking We Are!

Dip-a-Dip

I feel like I have a food-baby belly right now! That salad is sittin’ like a rock… but it’s keeping me full. 😀

Questions of the Afternoon

Do you like camping? Are you more of a city person or a country person?