Breakfast/ Dessert/ Dinner/ Exercise/ Fitness/ Lunch

Laughing Works Your Abs! :)

Hi everyone!

I’m SO glad today is Thursday because that means tomorrow is FRIDAY and I am going home!!!!! =) Today was a busy day where I did random monotonous things that, while boring, needed to get done. I ended it with a great run, filling din-din and packing for the weekend!

This morning for breakfast I switched it up a little and had overnight oatmeal. Last night, I soaked 1/2 cup oats with 1/2 cup water and a bit of sea salt. This morning I stirred in a spoonful of peanut butter, a 0% fage, a sliced banana, tons of cinnamon, raspberries and topped it off with maple syrup!

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Now that’s what I call a great start! It kept me full for hours 🙂

And for lunch, I made a new favorite: a turkey bacon (2 slices) and hummus sandwich. I just can’t seem to get enough hummus can I?!

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I love this combo because its chewy and satisfying, with tons of protein for staying power. I also packed almonds, a string cheese and an apple. I ate the almonds and cheese mid-morning and had the apple with my sandwich (as usual…I’m boring).

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When I got home from work it was POURING but I planned a run so I sat around, ate a snack and waited. I tried out a new product:

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And I made a mini pb&j with it!

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I really liked it! I think for a sandwich for lunch I would need more than a 100 calorie bun, but combining it with something else or using it for a snack like today would be great! I felt like I was eating two slices of bread but it had the calories of one slice. Good for all you volume eaters!

After the rain stopped and my snack digested, I set out on another 5 mile run. I ran pretty fast and it felt great. I’m really liking the 5 mile distance and its feeling really good to me. Today my heart rate was down a bit, showing that my body is getting used to running long distances. No huffing and puffing here—yay! Pretty soon I’ll be able to kick it up a notch!

When I returned I made a quick dinner because I was starving: a can of Amy’s split pea soup (its still pretty overcast here and REALLY windy so soup was perfect!) and a morningstar farms black bean burger with provolone, ketchup and hot sauce on another toasted Arnold’s Sandwich Slice.

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Perfect for a quick refuel!

Of course I was hungry again in an hour so I had a HempPlus oatmeal packet with some chocolate chips for a dessert 🙂

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As for work today—it was monotonous, as I said before. Not all pastry chefy things can be fun though! There are definitely boring moments to any job and today I had mine. I started out with peeling all these potatoes for the focaccia bread:

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Like magic it turns into THIS:

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Sprinkled with chopped olives, fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.

After all the potatoes, I stood and pitted olives (for the bread) for a good solid hour. I can’t believe I didn’t cut myself with all those olives! I told you, it’s not ALL fun and sugar!

And then……the most boring of it all……I peeled and cored 50 pears for a dessert tomorrow night. They are doing poached pears with gingerbread and it took me about an hour and a half to perfectly peel all those dang pears. I also have a small hole in my index finger from the peeler hitting me repetitively. Bah.

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I took a break in the middle of pear peeling to eat my sandwich and bake this pumpkin pie:

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While Adam plated up the pumpkin cheesecake I made a few days ago for a lunch function dessert today. Here it is topped with pate a choux lattice and served with a fresh strawberry. How perdy!

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For the last hour and a half, I also rolled out the cracker bread dough I made a few days ago in the pasta machine to bake off. This produces very very thin spicy crackers that we serve in our daily bread baskets. I used tons of red pepper flakes and fresh herbs in the dough. It’s very tasty!

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I also worked on a special surprise but I can’t tell until Saturday when I “unveil” it!!! 😉

Tomorrow I am hoping to get out of work a little earlier (even though we have the dreaded Deep Clean) so I can rush home, take a quick shower and get on the road. It’s 2 1/2 hours home and I really don’t want to hit Friday traffic and just sit there. Ryan and I are going out to dinner tomorrow night and I can’t wait! I feel like I’ve been gone forever! I’m sure being home this weekend will make it even harder to come back though on Sunday.

And now………..the moment all of yall have been waiting for! This is STRAIGHT from Ryan’s mouth (well kind of…he emailed it to me). He has been SUPER into this contest all day long. Seriously, he has taken notes and had “lists” of top stories and all that. I talked to him at lunchtime and he said he couldn’t stop laughing at everyone’s stories and how fun it all was. He even raced back to his office after playing golf and risked being late for the World Series tonight just so he could check your stories one more time and email me the winner. So, here it goes:

“I would like to congratulate everyone for some hilarious cooking stories, you make me feel much better about my kitchen disasters. Before I get to the winners, I must share my own experience. My freshman year at Florida, I had those late night muchies and decided to cook up some quesadillas in the dorm kitchen. Of course I leave to go check something for a few minutes, come back, and the kitchen is filled with smoke. Well naturally the fire alarm goes off for the entire building. And the other 4 dorms attached to this one. Of course its January, so there are about 400 students standing outside freezing while 5 fire trucks and 3 police cars arrive to check on this disaster. Of course my roomate decided he must announce to all that it was me!!!!!!!!!

All of your stories were fantastic. For honorable mention (he put the comment number before the name so you guys could go back and re-read the stories yourself!) : 4 Healthy Hostess, 8 Julz, 25 Tracey, 26 Linds, 29 Kimberly, 35 Lora, 40 Katie K, 50 Sarah Fl, 60 El

Most Disgusting: Raybelle, I was hungover this morning and I almost got sick

Top 3 : 57 Janelle, 23 Kirsten, 58 Kelly (I actually busted out laughing).

The winner has been sent to Jenna and she will announce!!!!!!! Im off to the World Series now, Go Rays, Phillies Suck! ”

And the winner is…………………Jenny! Her comment was number 16! Jenny, please don’t include any watches on your Thanksgiving menu this year! Oh, and email me your address so I can send out your prize asap! 🙂

I loved reading ALL of your stories. They were SO funny! I actually was telling Adam about them at work today and we were both cracking up. You guys are the best!

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  • Jenny
    October 23, 2008 at 11:51 pm

    jenna, i sent you my address . . . let me know if there are any probs!

    Thanks again!!!!

    PS: thank ryan 4 me too!!! =)

  • AshleyH
    October 24, 2008 at 12:12 am

    Hi jenna I was just wondering how you get all of that free stuff mailed to your house? I know they find your blog but how do they know your address and phone # or do they find some other way of telling you?

    Oh and when I trained for my half marathon last fall I loved my 5 mile runs too It is the perfect distance!

  • jenna
    October 24, 2008 at 12:14 am

    AshleyH,

    Sometimes different companies email me asking for my address so they can send me products that I can taste and review on the blog. I’m not complaining! 😉

  • VeggieGirl
    October 24, 2008 at 12:15 am

    Oh my, your latest baked creations are just BEYOND impeccable and mesmerizing!! Stop it!! Haha 😉

    CONGRATULATIONS TO JENNY!!!

    Enjoy your evening; and get excited for tomorrow!! 🙂

  • caroline
    October 24, 2008 at 12:41 am

    Jenna,
    A few things..
    1. Thanks you THANK YOU for introducing me to Sabra hummus… I just polished off my first container…and when i say polished off i mean my fingers may have been involved!!! 😉
    annddd..
    2. I wanted to tell you what an inspiration you are! Im looking into culinary schools right now and it’s such a treat to come home and see your post’s incorporating all the things your learning and doing with your job now! Congrats!
    -Caroline

  • steph
    October 24, 2008 at 12:54 am

    Jenna, I would love to start running but really don’t know where to start. I would say I am in pretty good shape since I go to the gym regularly, but I do mostly strength training and for cardio i do the elliptical or bike. I have never considered myself a runner so I know I’d need to start slow.. I just need a little structure and guidance! Do you have any suggestions?

  • mh
    October 24, 2008 at 1:00 am

    haha I love your Attitude Ryan! you and jenna are so cute

  • Mariposa
    October 24, 2008 at 1:14 am

    congrats to the winner! that was SUCH a funny story..

    i know mine was a novel lol… but it was too funny not to share.

    just goes to show that everyone has their moments in the kitchen!!

  • Nicole
    October 24, 2008 at 1:16 am

    I love those bread thins! They are yummy toasted with peanut butter and jam. PB&J and split pea soup…AWESOME!

    I love love love hearing your baking days! I’m about to go to culinary school and it’s making me so excited!

  • Julz
    October 24, 2008 at 1:21 am

    CONGRATS JENNY AND GO PHILLIES!!!!!!! CHASE UTLEY I LOVE YOU! 🙂 (He’s my Boyfriend… He may or may not know this.) 😉

  • Julz
    October 24, 2008 at 1:22 am

    Ashley H- Companies do it w/ me, too! Get a blog n maybe you’ll get free fabulous food 🙂

  • Brynn
    October 24, 2008 at 1:42 am

    Hi Jenna- Your overnight oats always look so good but one time I tried to make them, they just tasted like a gross mush. I like leftover, cold oatmeal but you just soak them, right? I’m sure you’ve said it before but can you remind me how you make them? Thanks!!

  • Erica
    October 24, 2008 at 1:46 am

    I’m so excited for you to be going home this weekend! And for a great 5-miler. I am SO SORE today! But at least I am a little deflated…lol. All your food looks so good, but I haven’t had much of an appetite today, probably an effect of the anesthesia. Have a great weekend!

  • Meredith
    October 24, 2008 at 2:10 am

    I love pumpkin cheesecake! My sister and I made a vegan one for Thanksgiving last year, and everyone was like “vegan? no way!” and asking for the recipe. I can’t wait until Thanksgiving to make some (and eat some) again!

  • Megan
    October 24, 2008 at 2:17 am

    Congrats to Jenny! That pumpkin cheesecake looks amazing!

  • Grounded Fitness
    October 24, 2008 at 2:53 am

    I gotta find me some of that bread- i hate when buns over power a sandwhich.

    i love seeing the pictures of your food you make at work!

    Kelly Turner
    http://www.groundedfitness.com

  • Julia
    October 24, 2008 at 2:57 am

    oh my, pumpkin cheese cake? That sounds way too good to be true! It even sounds better than pumpkin pie, and I love me some pumpkin pie 🙂 Gotta find a way to get my hands on one!
    What is pate a choux?

  • Amy
    October 24, 2008 at 3:05 am

    pumpkin cheesecake, two amazing desserts combined! beautiful 🙂

  • caitlin
    October 24, 2008 at 3:37 am

    haha i knew jenny would win! hers was the most ridiculous! love it!

  • jenna
    October 24, 2008 at 10:24 am

    Brynn,

    I don’t know…maybe I do like mush? I just combine a half cup oats and a half cup water at night. let them sit in the fridge all night then in the am I stir in the yogurt and banana. It works for me! I do like weird things though.

    Julia,

    Pate a choux is the paste that eclairs are made from. Its a combo of eggs, flour, butter, water and salt….is cooked on the stove AND cooked in the oven and then piped out in little patterns. Its very old school and traditional!

  • Alexia
    October 24, 2008 at 11:17 am

    That Arnold bread looks delish! They don’t see it in my area yet 🙁 maybe soon though.

    I love seeing all your “behind the scenes” at your work. Totally cool! I like seeing all the different things you get to make and “play with”.

  • Beadie
    October 24, 2008 at 12:30 pm

    Laughing really does work your abs. I once went to a laughing yoga conference and my abs hurt for days.

    So cool that you had oats for dessert!

  • Kelly
    October 24, 2008 at 2:09 pm

    Congrats Jenny, Your story was funny!
    My dad will be proud to hear he was a runner up, hahaha…
    Has anybody tried Ben & Jerrys new pumpkin cheese cake ice cream?? I bet its delish….I just can’t get myself to buy it….because a pint tends to be one serving for me 🙂 and thats a lot of time on the treadmill!

  • Kristin
    October 24, 2008 at 2:44 pm

    I was laughing while reading all the cooking stories, so I have to share mine, even though I’m too late for a prize.
    I was cooking dinner for my boyfriend (now husband), pretty much the only thing I knew how to cook back then — a simplified chicken parmesan, just chicken breast cooked in spaghetti sauce, with some cheese on top for the last few minutes of cooking. We’d gone to play tennis so we were STARVING when we got back home and I started cooking right away.
    When I thought the chicken was done I took the pan out of the oven and gave it a poke with a knife to make sure it was cooked through. Well in doing that, I disturbed the chicken enough that a pocket of hot steam underneath it came rushing out at me — taking the boiling spaghetti sauce with it!
    He hears me say “owowowowow” and when I don’t respond after he yells if I’m OK he rushes to the kitchen, finding my face covered in burning spaghetti sauce, blistering and in a LOT of pain. (Thank God I wear glasses because I had spaghetti sauce on them!) After pleading from him and him calling my dad, they finally convinced me to go to the ER to get checked out. They got me in pretty quickly but never brought me real ice — just those stupid cold packs which don’t help when you’re trying to hold the cold UP to your face and the liquid runs DOWN — said I would be fine, and sent me off with some ointment and Vicodin.
    We go home, still starving, me in pain, and I curl up on the couch and sob about my ugly, blistered face. And to make matters worse — the Vicodin made me so sick to my stomach I had to leave work the next day.
    The blisters healed fine, and to this day, nearly five years later, I haven’t made “chicken parmesan” since. One of my coworkers at the time summed it up nicely — the next time you want chicken, go to KFC!

  • Allison
    October 24, 2008 at 2:52 pm

    mmm…turkey bacon and hummus…that sounds awesome.
    Also, you’ll have to tell Ryan I sympathize with him. I was cooking Morningstar Chicken Nuggets in my microwave in my dorm room my sophomore year. I’m not sure what I did differently that time, but all of a sudden the bowl I was cooking them in started melting and smoking and my whole dorm, the administrative offices to the dorm, the cafeteria and the mail room had to evacuate as the alarm was going off. and like Ryan, my friends did me no favors!

  • runjess
    October 24, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    Ha! I *almost* wish I had stories like those to share.
    I really like the looks of that new Arnolds bread. Will look for it.
    My boyfriend is also several hours away, and it’s been a while. Have fun; I feel your pain.

  • Mara
    October 24, 2008 at 8:19 pm

    Hummus and bacon??? Man, I need to try that!! Reading your blog makes me so very hungry.

  • bobbi
    October 24, 2008 at 9:16 pm

    Congrats Jenny!

  • Michelina
    November 25, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Hi all! .! Happy Thanksgiving! . 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
    Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and every year I like to get into the mood-extend the holiday, as it were-by reading “Thanksgiving novels.” And in addition, all these stories are mostly about family and friends, about coming together to heal old hurts and showing thanks for the gift of love. .. .. – – –
    You’re Much better Off Today Than You Were 6 Yrs Ago?