Sandwiches Don’t Need Meat. Who Knew?

Growing up I used to think that a sandwich had to include meat. (Unless, of course, it met one of two exceptions: It was a peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwich.)

Today I often make meat-free sandwiches, letting nut butter, cheese or hummus do the talking.

If cheese and meat got into a flavor fight in my mouth, cheese would win every time. I love the strong, creamy taste of a good slice of cheese.

My lunch today featured a smoked Provolone cheese and tomato sandwich, made on a toasted Toufayan everything flavored Smart Bagel.

'Maters

Tomato + Provolone Bagelwich

Cheese, you are delicious.

On the side of my tomato and cheese bagelwich, I enjoyed cucumber slices and a crisp apple for some sweetness.

Cukes

Do Apples Even Have a Nickname? Apps?

Aaand, a little slice of birthday cake may have made it into my mouth as well.

CAKE!

This cake was leftover from a coworker’s birthday yesterday (I pretended it was for my blog’s birthday).

I enjoyed it so much the first time around that I just had to experience its deliciousness again today.

Growing up, marble cake was always my birthday cake of choice! 😀

Winner, Winner, Cookies for Dinner

Thank you to everyone who commented on my one-year of blogging anniversary post. You guys sure know how to make a girl blush!

The winner of the homemade batch of cookies giveaway is…

Number 64, Come on Doooown!

Andrea: Congrats!! I love your blog and can’t wait to see what the next year has in store!

Hooray, Andrea! Please email me at pbfingers@gmail.com with what kind of cookies you would like and your mailing address.

Of Possible Interest

• Your Healthy Fall Food Plan (FitSugar.com)
• Dos and Don’ts of Dining Out (FitBottomedGirls.com)
• How to Create Positive Goals (lululemon.com)
• Chocolate Coconut Biscotti Recipe I’m Dying to Try (HeathersDish.com)

Question of the Afternoon

Pick one: Meat, cheese, veggie, or nut butter sandwiches?

First Time Dog Owners: What We Didn’t Expect

As I took Sadie on a walk this morning, I day dreamed about breakfast.

I was seriously craving eggs and made myself an egg white, cheese and Canadian bacon bagelwich right when we got home.

Egg White + Cheese + Canadian Bacon

I love the Toufayan everything-flavored thin bagels. All of the little seeds add so much flavor and give the bagel a deliciously nutty texture.

Check Out the Goods

Bagelwich

This bagelwich totally hit the spot!

Chomp!

Workout

I was surprised that I had a good workout this morning.

By the time Ryan and I climbed into bed last night I was exhausted. Apparently a weekend of wedding-related decisions, activities and errands took a lot out of me!

As I groggily walked to the gym this morning, I wasn’t anticipating a fantastic workout, so I was pleasantly surprised when I felt a surge of energy during BodyPump.

It felt great to get into the gym after two days off and sweat it out!

I followed up the ‘Pump with a 40 minute walk with Sadie.

Strike a Pose

Yesterday as Ryan and I drove back to Orlando, we started talking about Sadie.

Though my parents had a great dane when I was born, and Ryan’s family owned a cocker spaniel when he was younger, we both basically feel like first-time dog owners.

I asked Ryan what has been the most unexpected thing he has experienced or noticed since Sadie came into our lives and he said he was shocked at how needy Sadie is and how he feels guilty if he doesn’t give her attention.

We both started laughing because we pictured ourselves owning a dog that would sit happily at our feet as we sat in the backyard. Little did we know we’d be blessed with a total nut job!

He then asked me the same question and I said I was shocked about two things.

First, I cannot believe how funny Sadie is. She makes us laugh constantly and I had no idea she’d bring so much joy into our lives.

"I'm a Hoot!"

Second, I had no idea I could love an animal so much. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true! Sadie really does feel like a member of our family and I love her to death.

Question of the Morning

If you are a pet owner, what surprised you the most about owning an animal?

Edamamemole (+ Q & A)

The highlight of my lunch today was a concoction I’ll call edamamemole because it reminded me of guacamole, but it was made with edamame!

To make my edamamemole, I combined ½ cup of edamame with one wedge of Laughing Cow light original Swiss cheese in the food processor. After pulsing the ingredients several times, I had a bright green mushy mix that spread easily onto a Toufayan thin everything-flavored bagel.

Edamamemole

On the other half of the bagel I spread Robert Rothschild raspberry wasabi mustard for an extra kick of flavor.

Raspberry Wasabi Mustard

Raspberry Wasabi Spread

Along with my edamamemole bagelwich, I enjoyed cucumber slices and fresh strawberries.

Cucumber Slices

Fruit!

The Whole Spread

Q & A Time!

It’s that time again!

Time for another Q & A featuring questions submitted on my Q & A page and through the anonymous question form.

Let ‘er rip! 😀

What are some creative ways that you eat peanut butter?

• Peanut butter stuffed French toast
• Cinnamon peanut butter roasted chick peas
• Flourless peanut butter cookies
• Peanut butter pretzel truffles
• PB & fresh fruit sandwich
• Peanut butter protein smoothies (combine milk, a scoop of peanut butter, a frozen banana & a scoop of protein powder)
• Nutty oatmeal (Stir a spoonful of peanut butter into a hot bowl of oatmeal)

Peanut Butter Stuffed French Toast

If you were forced to choose only one condiment that you could eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Mustard.

Have you ever used a personal trainer? Would you recommend it?

I’ve only used a personal trainer one time (which you may read about here), and I absolutely loved it. It’s not a realistic expense for me at the moment and I actually enjoy putting myself through a good workout so I do not use one in my day-to-day life.

I definitely recommend making an appointment with a personal trainer if you’re new to working out or are just learning the ins and outs of strength training. A personal trainer can teach you various exercises and proper form, which may make working out less intimidating for those just getting into an exercise regimen.

What is your favorite perfume?

• Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana
• Jadore by Christian Dior
• Fantasy by Britney Spears (It smells like vanilla!)

For guys I prefer none… Just Old Spice deodorant, please! J That stuff smells magical.

Do you follow package serving size recommendations for frozen pizzas, snack foods, cereal, etc.?

No. Well, I try to, but I find the serving size on most snack foods to be teeny-tiny. I try to stay away from snacking on foods like crackers or cereal because even two servings never seem like enough for me. I prefer to snack on some of the options that I mentioned in my last Q & A.

How often do you drink… I mean more than just a drink with a meal? I find that when I drink I eat gross amounts of unhealthy food. Any tips on how to prevent this?

I do not drink all that often and found that my alcohol consumption definitely decreased as I transitioned from college to the real world (isn’t it that way for everyone? 😉 ). My last drink-fest occurred a couple of weeks ago in Chicago during my Bachelorette Party and I loved every minute of it! 😀 I can assure you that after a night of drinking all of us came home and indulged in multiple servings of chips, dip, peanut butter bars and basically any other junky foods we could get our hands on. It was like a college flash back!

Aside from my bachelorette party, I really do try to make good decisions about the foods I eat when I drink. After a night out, I am often hungry when I get home, but try to snack on food that satisfies my junk-food cravings in a healthier way, such as:

• 100-calorie packs of microwavable popcorn
• Whole wheat tortilla with cheese
• Half of an English muffin pizza
• Small plate of leftovers from dinner
• Honey-roasted peanuts

English Muffin Pizza

Have you ever read the book French Women Don’t Get Fat? If so, what did you think of it?

I’ve never read it. Sorry!

I’m trying to gain weight. Can you give me some snack ideas that are high calorie, but won’t make me feel like I’ve eaten too much?

Nuts and nut butters are a great option. It’s so easy to eat multiple portions of nuts, so those looking to gain weight can easily ingest a lot of calories without feeling overly stuffed by including nut butters or trail mixes with a lot of nuts in their diet. Smoothies are a great option as well!

What is your favorite supermarket cookie?

I love “kitchen sink” cookies that include a little bit of everything: chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, oatmeal… the works!

Did you see a change in your abs when you started getting into BodyPump?

BodyPump definitely helps tone your entire body. I naturally gain weight in the lower half of my body, and didn’t really see any major changes to my abs that I can attribute directly to BodyPump, though I definitely “feel the burn” during the abs portion of the class. My stomach looks leanest when I keep up my workouts (total-body strength training + cardio) and maintain a healthy diet.

***

Thanks again for all of your questions! If I didn’t answer your question, check my Q & A page and the links from the Ask Me Anything series.

See ya later for dinner! 😀

How to Work Out in the Morning

Buy one, get one free deals get me every time.

Thanks to a fantastic BOGO deal at Publix yesterday, I now have two packages of Toufayan thin bagels in the delicious “everything” flavor.

Everything bagels are so flavorful. I don’t generally like thin bagels, but the everything flavor is a good one. I love the combination of the onion flavor with the texture of the poppyseeds. Yum!

Everything Bagel + Cheese

For lunch I made myself a Provolone cheese bagelwich that I enjoyed with a side of grape tomatoes and a sliced red pepper.

Bagelwich

Red Hot!

Lunch also included a fresh apple.

A Taste of Fall

Monday Lunch

Operation Healthy appears to be in full swing! 😀

How to Work Out in the Morning

Beep, beep, beep!

What? The sound of your morning alarm doesn’t motivate you to wake up early and hit the gym? 😉

In all seriousness, it can be very hard to get to the gym at any time during the day, let alone before the sun comes up.

I remember when I made the transition from afternoon workouts to morning workouts. In my first job after college, I hit the gym after work. I got off work at 4:30 p.m. and was able to work out and still be home by 6 p.m. This schedule worked very well for me.

Then I changed jobs. All of the sudden my hours were all over the place. I’d often be at work after 7 p.m., and frequently found myself in the office later than 9 p.m. It was not fun. (Side note: I was seriously miserable in that job and quit after finding a new job less than eight months later. Lesson learned: Bigger pay check does not equal happiness!)

As I became accustomed to my new schedule, I found myself irritated that my varying hours and demanding workload cut into my gym time.

Gradually it became clear to me that if I wanted to make my health a priority and get my heart pumpin’, I had to work out before I went into the office. This meant waking up in the 5 a.m. hour. The horror!

The first week was a challenge. My workouts were not nearly as intense and I felt sluggish.

The next week wasn’t so bad. By Wednesday, I felt like my workouts were returning to their normal intensity. Plus, it felt amazing to be done with my workout as I headed into the office. Checking something off my to-do list before 7 a.m. felt great!

Once the third week of my new morning workout routine rolled around, it felt natural. I didn’t have the desire to sleep in anymore because I felt like I would be missing something. I didn’t want to drive to work without that feeling of post-workout satisfaction.

As I shifted my work outs to the morning, I found the transition easier by following these little tips:

• Commit to it: Your first morning workout will not be fun. You’ll be tired and cranky, but that’s okay! Don’t give up. General consensus says it takes around 21 days to make a habit. Commit to keeping up your morning workouts for 21 days and they will begin to feel like part of your routine.

• Schedule a Workout You Want to Do: For your first morning workout, schedule a workout you want to do. Don’t tackle sprints or a five-mile run on your first morning workout if this is the workout you dread the most! Plan to take your favorite spinning class, walk your dog, or bring a friend with you for an early morning yoga session to give yourself something to look forward to when you get to the gym.

A Walk with Sadie: A Work Out I Always Look Forward To!

• Revel in the Post-Workout Sense of Accomplishment: When your morning workout is over, make a mental note to remember how great it feels to have your workout done before the day really begins. Remember this feeling when the alarm goes off in the morning.

• Make it Easy on Yourself: Make getting to the gym in the morning as effortless as possible by laying out your workout clothes, filling up your water bottle and having your keys ready the night before. (Click here for my tips on streamlining your morning routine.)

• Enjoy that “I’d normally be at the gym right now” Feeling: When I switched my workout to the morning, I loved thinking “I’d normally be at the gym right now” around 5 p.m., when I would typically be working out. It made me appreciate the effort I put into getting my workout done earlier in the day.

*Special thanks to blog reader Katie for inspiring this post! 😀

Of Possible Interest:

• My yogurt mousse mentioned on WomansDay.com (WomansDay.com)
• A beautiful post from Gabriela about learning to love yourself (Une-Vie-Saine.com)
• Red face following a workout: What’s the deal? (FitSugar.com)

Question of the Afternoon

• When do you prefer to workout… morning, afternoon or night?