I have been a healthy living blogger for two years now (with a brief 1 year hiatus), but I’ve never actually participated in the ever-popular What I Ate Wednesday Party (WIAW). Maybe it’s because I wasn’t sure that anyone would find what I eat on Wednesdays (or Mondays and Tuesdays for that matter) very interesting.
However, since my life has changed tremendously from my NYC blogging days, I thought I could use WIAW as a platform to detail a day in the life! Back when I first started blogging, I wrote about a day in the life of an NYC career woman, which discussed the everyday triumphs and trials that often accompany living in NYC. The post detailed my morning run in central park, crowded subways, farmers markets and a typical late night at the office.
A day in the crazy city life of a Sometimes Healthy girl.
So, how has that changed since I moved to the “country” of the Hudson Valley? Read on for WIAW (What I Ate Tuesday actually) and a day in the life of a Sometimes Healthy Country Bumpkin.
A Day in the Life of a Sometimes Healthy Country Bumpkin: May 14, 2013
5:45 AM: Alarm goes off and her dog jumps out from her arms and onto the floor, staring her down and begging with his adorable puppy-dog eyes to be let outside and fed. She closes her eyes, trying to ignore the hopeful stare.
5:52 AM: Finally, guilt consumes her, and she’s out of bed, moving slowly to avoid waking up the BF. She lets the dog out, makes herself some coffee and pours about 4 tbsp of delicious Peppermint Patty creamer into her Foldgers. Everything’s better with Peppermint Patty.
A coffee full of deliciousness.
6:00 AM: She feeds the dog and sits down to read a few blogs and reply to some comments.
Quiet, peaceful blog reading time.
6:20 AM: She heads out with the dog for a slow, steady 3 mile run. While the dog is quite the speedster off-leash, he is one slow puppy on a leash, so they usually average about 9:30 per mile for these runs. Since the coffee usually hasn’t kicked in, she doesn’t mind the excuse to go a little slower. They pause in the middle of the run to take in the mountain view like they always do
We love our morning sunrise run!
(Cheesy but true – we always pause for a minute at the top!)
7:00 AM: After packing her lunch and her giant gym bag, she heads to the gym to finish off her workout with the elliptical, 8 minute arms and some abs. While she works out, she watches GMA and reads an article about tacos.
Gettin’ lean and mean (and weirding people out by taking a “selfie” at the gym)
8:30 AM: She arrives at work, after showering and experiencing a minor mishap in the locker room. Unfortunately, she had company in the locker room from a cute little mouse…which didn’t look so cute as she emerged from the shower sopping wet with no place to go.
8:45 AM: She begins writing her articles for the day, while taking down Breakfast #1.
Not quite a Pop-Tart but oh so close.
These Special K Pastry Crisps are absolutely delicious – they taste like a healthier version of Pop-Tarts. Yes, I know, they are still more processed than plain oatmeal topped with healthy fruits and granola. What can I say? The heart wants what the heart wants…and my heart wanted chocolate.
9:00 – 11:00 AM: Write, write write! She stops to indulge in Breakfast #2.
Yogurt, honey ad mashed bananas. Why does this taste so genius?
I’m a snacker by nature, so I have always chosen small meals over big ones. I enjoy nibbling throughout the day, and when I’m writing informational articles, it makes the day go by faster! Chobani Flips perplex me – in reality, we all have the ability to mash a banana and put some honey in our yogurt, but for some reason, it tastes better when Chobani does it for me! However, some of the combinations are pretty clever. Key Lime Pie is my favorite, because I would never think to put white chocolate in the mix with graham cracker and lime yogurt.
12:00 PM: She takea a break to read some blogs and eat Snack #1.
A Sometimes Healthy Mix of pretzel and cupcake goldfish
You’re never too old…to eat cupcake goldfish.
That’s right, I still eat Goldfish nearly every day. I love how they are bite-sized, and I can eat many of them without feeling full. I also feel a bit nostalgic when I eat them and have very much enjoyed the brand’s foray into adventurous flavors (French Toast, Cupcake, S’mores and Brownie). I’m a kid at heart, that’s for sure!
12:30 – 1:00 PM: She steps out for some fresh air and to enjoy some frigid cold weather. She wonders where spring has gone.
1:30 – 2:00 PM: She eats a gigantic salad.
A veggie packed salad with a bunch of cheese – the way I like it!
When I lived in NYC, I never made my lunch because it was too much hassle to carry everything on the subway (plus, a big salad joint was always just a corner away). Now that I’m in the “real world,” I enjoy making my lunch. I get to pick what goes in it, and as a bonus, I’m saving money. I’m such a thrifty country girl! Yesterday’s salad featured a bunch of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, snap peas (my new favorite), croutons and truckload of American cheese. I topped it all off with salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. Heaven in a giant Tupperware container (I realize to some people, this just looks like a bunch of veggies and lettuce, but there is no lunch I would rather eat. I’m sure Janae can relate ;-))
2:00 – 5:45 PM: Write, write, write, little writer girl. She writes until her brain is fried.
A change of scenery to get the creative juices flowin’.
Whereas at my last job, from the period of 2 to 6 pm, I was juggling a million tasks, here, I only have to worry about one thing: writing. Sometimes, it’s a lot of pressure, since writer’s block has a tendency to creep in every now and then. For the most part, it’s refreshing to feel like I have a handle on everything I’m working on.
6:00 – 6:15 PM: She drives home and calls her mother to complain chat about the day.
Thank goodness for bluetooth! I call my mother nearly every day on the way home from work. If not my mother, then I’ll call one of my friends from Omaha to catch up. I love having this extra few minutes every day to keep in touch with all of my friends and family.
7:00 – 7:30 PM: She prepares for her favorite weekly tradition…Taco Tuesday!
When I moved in with the BF, I went a bit crazy making dinner every night. I would make a weekly menu and go shopping on Sunday night to ensure I was prepared for the week. We soon realized that it’s best to wing it a couple nights a week and not stick to a strict schedule. However, Taco Tuesday is a tradition neither of us wants to give up!
We try to vary the menu every week with the protein and toppings. This week, our fish taco menu included baked cod (with a chili pepper rub), a pepper-onion mixture and delicious guacamole.
To make the pepper-onion mixture, I sautéed papers, onions and tomatoes for about 20 minutes as the fish baked and the BF made some guacamole.
mmmm…fiesta!
We always try different combinations with our guacamole. Today, for a little extra crunch, we added tomatoes, corn and red peppers. Topped off with fresh cilantro (we grow our own!) and lime juice, this was one of our best guacs yet! Sadly, I didn’t take a picture, because I was busy in the kitchen!
Fresh cilantro takes Taco Tuesday over the top!
Once everything was completed, it was assembly time! My main beef (pun intended) with Taco Tuesday is that it always takes a million dishes to execute, which means double the cleanup time after dinner. Recently, my BF found an article about unique ways to use ordinary kitchen staples. So, we put one of the ideas to the test.
I would like to thank the brilliant mind that came up with this…
Using a muffin tin to house taco toppings = pure genius! From left to right: the fish, pepper-onion mixture, guacamole, cheese, sour cream and lettuce. All of the fixings for a delicious Taco Tuesday!
Colorful and tasty
This was definitely one of our best Taco Tuesdays ever! Fish tacos are generally my favorite protein, but slow-cooked chicken is close behind. I think the key with fish tacos is creating something crunchy to complement the smooth texture of the fish. In the past, I’ve mixed up a slaw, but this combo of crunchy guacamole and the pepper-onion mixture was flavorful and hit the spot.
So, there you have it! My very first, WIAW…how did I do?
Question:
What’s your favorite kind of taco?
Any other surprising uses for ordinary kitchen staples?
What’s your favorite dinner tradition?
i have not had that chobani flip flavor before and it sounds perfect. just like you with your salads, my favorite kind of taco is one with lots of cheese! i’m pretty easy. just meat and cheese. maybe shredded lettuce. I LOVE tacos so much.
Yes who doesn’t love a good taco! So many different combinations that you can make, and all taste delicious. The more cheese, the better. Key Lime Flip is amazing, but I like the raspberry dark chocolate, too!
Cupcake goldfish?! I need to find these!
Cracker aisle in the grocery store!
Welcome to WIAW! It is quite fun! 🙂
It has been WAY too long since I have eaten Goldfish. I miss them! 🙁 And that muffin tin idea is genius!
I know – it worked great! I think it could be really cute with a prettier muffin pan. WIAW is lots of fun 🙂
I need to try all of these new goldfish flavors! I eat goldfish all the time but I’ve only ever had the normal cheesy kind!
You are definitely missing out! Cupcake is amazing!
Those tacos look amazing and its almost lunch time so I’m definitely hungry now. And cupcake goldfish?? I must try!
Yes, they should be in the cracker aisle next to the other flavors. I can’t find French Toast everywhere, but that is actually my favorite flavor.
I just love eating with others, so I guess that’s a dinner tradition 🙂 I’m excited to read about your NYC blog. I’m from California and planning to transition my life to NY (scary and crazy, I know) next year! Any tips??
Ohhh exciting! Wow, to NYC? If so, I’d recommend taking it slow and realizing it takes a bit of time to adjust. Don’t rush yourself! And make time to do all of the tourist things – it will make you love the city even more. If you love running, Central Park is a must! Don’t work so hard that you don’t get a chance to enjoy all of the great things NYC has to offer – that happened to me 🙂 Good luck!
FAVORITE DINNER TRADITION = THANKSGIVING! Omg, I totally miss Thanksgiving! The minute Thanksgiving dinner is over, I already miss the holiday and want it again – Ah ah ah! I am so weird, but man, that turkey, chestnuts and butternut squash just make me so happy!
Well, the good news is, you can have Thanksgiving whenever you want! Just cook up some turkey, stuffing, cranberry and squash, and you’re in business
I love this! It’s so interesting to read “a day in the life of.” I’m impressed with how much you accomplish in the mornings before going to work. I literally crawl out of bed, spend 10 mins prepping and then head out the door for a run (practically still sleeping).
And how great of an idea is taco Tuesdays! And cupcake goldfish? Who knew!
Oh why thank you! I am a morning person but I crash at 4:00 🙂
You can read more about my goldfish obsession in today’s post 😉