Dessert/ Dinner/ Product Reviews

Sunday Comes Too Soon

Ahhhhh Sunday night. I’m so sad 🙁

This weekend was one of the best I’ve had in a long time and I finally feel like I got some relaxation in….actually, I feel like I relaxed more this weekend than I have since I started my job in January! Hooray! I’m going into this next week with a super positive attitude since last week was rather tough. Wednesday is going to be the only day that I’m going to run because I actually have another 5K on Saturday morning! Besides that, a new vegan/raw restaurant is opening up conveniently right next door to Ryan’s office, so I’m totally planning on making the trip for lunch one day this week!

This afternoon Ryan and I parked ourselves like beached whales poolside. It felt amazing. I snacked on an apple with almond butter mid-afternoon:

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And I had my first Ooba experience!

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(kindly disregard scars on wrist….they are from the ovens at work I SWEAR!)

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Ooba is a sparkling beverage flavored with hibiscus flower! How cool is that?! Basically, it is a hibiscus flavored soda, with all natural ingredients and much less calories. One serving of Ooba contains 90 calories and the Ooba people say that it helps cardiovascular health, is a super antioxidant and high in vitamin C. I actually really enjoyed the taste of this, not knowing exactly what hibiscus flowers tasted like beforehand! I sort of expected it to have a flower-y taste (hmm like soap?) but it did not at all. It was very light and refreshing! I really don’t choose to buy drinks that are high in sugar and calories very much (why drink your calories when food is just so good?), but if I saw this at Whole Foods when I was buying my lunch, I think I would make the splurge. It wasn’t overly sweet like some fruity sodas are and it is just so pretty (plus it is just fun to say the word Ooba). 🙂

I was also sent two other new Ooba flavors, Hibiscus and Lime and Hibiscus and Orange, but I haven’t broken into that stash yet. I am slowly savoring the original flavor right now!

Dinner tonight was super comforting…………..

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And delicious!!! Holy goodness, was this ever good! I have been DYING to try Amy’s new Southern Meal line and can’t find it anywhere around here so thank you sooo much, Kimberly, for making my dreams come true! 🙂 This meal was comforting to the max…I especially loved the sweet potatoes! It was also one of those meals that remarkably looks like it does on the cover of the box. See?

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Super creamy mashed sweet taters, collard greens and flavorful beans on pimento spiked cornbread. Brought me back to my ‘Bama days and I LOVED it! One meal has 340 calories in it and 12 grams of protein. I added some more protein to my meal by adding on egg white fluffies with a little of this special cheese—

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I used 1/2 cup egg whites and a small square of this stuff (DELICIOUS!!!)—zapped it for 2 minutes in a coffee mug in the microwave and it fluffed up big time...actually it almost overflowed the mug!

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I also sliced up some starfruit but didn’t end up eating it ’cause I got too full!

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The end result was a very satisfying dinner! I wouldn’t hesitate to buying this entree again (if I could only find it!). Everything was very flavorful and the food was just so comforting and nostalgic….and healthy! Amy’s wins again!

I did have to give in to my sweet tooth though as I packed my lunch…I wasn’t hungry enough for ice “cream” and I just needed a little something

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I took a bite of dark chocolate and then a bite of macaroon…..pure heaven. Sigh.

I’m off to spend some time with the guy upstairs (I mean God…haha). I’ve been a super slacker on bible study for the last two nights and need to get caught up and pick my memory verse for this month and read some more of Matthew. See you tomorrow!

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  • Sharon
    March 15, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    Oh wow, love your dinner! And scrumptious eats overall. Mmmm macaroon and dark chocolate, delicious!

  • VeggieGirl
    March 15, 2009 at 4:13 pm

    I KNOW!!! The weekend totally flew by 🙁

    I love your disclaimer under the photo of you drinking the Ooba, haha 😉

    Too bad that Amy’s meal isn’t vegan/gluten-free/soy-free, since I obviously love SWEET POTATOES!!!!!!!!!

    NIGHT!!

  • K
    March 15, 2009 at 4:20 pm

    I, too, love your disclaimer! Fabulous Amy’s review – one thing I really appreciate about their products is the ACTUAL product looks like the pictures 🙂

    New restaurant?! Sounds great! I’m excited for you to try it out!

  • Sam
    March 15, 2009 at 4:23 pm

    Jenna, congrats on your racer! I’m a reader over here in Australia. Anyways I was wondering if you the egg whites you use are from the egg or a carton?

    • jenna
      March 15, 2009 at 4:30 pm

      Sam,

      These are from a carton! I’m trying to reduce waste (i.e. wasting the yolks).

  • Courtney (The Hungry Yogini)
    March 15, 2009 at 4:23 pm

    Glad you had such a fabulous weekend!! And I really want to try that new restaurant! Shall we? I think so!

  • life coach jen
    March 15, 2009 at 4:33 pm

    I am going to have to see if my grocery store carries that line of Amy’s Southern, that looks so good!

  • Lisa D
    March 15, 2009 at 4:53 pm

    wow, Amy’s makes southern food good to know. Those egg whites do look super-fluffy and delicious!

  • Mara @ What's For Dinner?
    March 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm

    Great looking eats, and I actually laughed at your disclaimer!! Both my sister and I have multiple oven-grate burns that look mighty suspicious until I “disclaimer” them!

  • Carla
    March 15, 2009 at 5:36 pm

    I totally know what you mean about the burn scars. I, too, work in a kitchen and I have burns up to my elbows! It’s all worth it though 😛

  • Maggie
    March 15, 2009 at 6:17 pm

    Ouch those scars!! I have a bad one on the back of my hand STILL from this past Thanksgiving. It’s slowly fading though.

    Enjoy your Sunday night!!

  • RunToFinish
    March 15, 2009 at 6:32 pm

    wow those scars are bad! never heard of ooba before, sounds interesting

  • Cole
    March 15, 2009 at 6:47 pm

    I’m definitely going to have to try that whole microwave egg-white thing. It’s not something I ever would have thought of! And congrats on your race, girl.

  • zestycook
    March 15, 2009 at 7:22 pm

    Jenna, I was about to scroll down and comment on the marks on your wrist without reading the disclaimer… too cute!

  • Red Head, Yellow Dog
    March 15, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    I agree! sunday does come too soon! good thing chocolate makes it better 🙂

  • Meg
    March 15, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    Glad you had a good weekend! I have been wondering about that Amy’s meal. It looks yummy!

  • Run Saraaah
    March 15, 2009 at 8:40 pm

    That Amy’s dinner looks quite good…I need to pick some up. And oh, yummy looking starfruit too 😀

  • ace
    March 15, 2009 at 8:49 pm

    my wrists look the same way! except i’m only an amateur baker, and that’s why they look so terrible!

    i can’t wait to search for ooba and amy’s southern meals! do you know if they are vegan?

  • Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food)
    March 15, 2009 at 8:57 pm

    The Amy’s meal looks good!

    The drink sounds so interesting!

  • Sarah W.
    March 15, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    the ooba looks yummy!!!

    and omg those Amy’s southern meals look AMAZING!!!!!!

  • Caroline
    March 15, 2009 at 10:28 pm

    Two of my very fave things: Amy’s and Southern food. Dream come true. I can’t find them around here either. Have a good week!

  • Katherine
    March 15, 2009 at 10:49 pm

    mmm chocolate 🙂
    Question:

    Why not eat the whole egg? The yolk contains a lot of excellent nutrients and fats. I don’t like eggs (i know who am i?)…do you not like the yolks? I’m not judging…i don’t like either part.

    • jenna
      March 16, 2009 at 1:10 am

      Katharine,

      Sometimes I only choose to eat the whites because I am looking for just a protein source without the fat to add to my meal. If I was JUST having a meal of eggs (like an omelet or poached eggs) I would definitely eat the yolk as well. When I combine it with other foods though, I eat the white to just add some more protein grams to my meals.

  • Sarah (lovINmytummy)
    March 15, 2009 at 11:37 pm

    I just read your race recap too…nice job! How fun that mom ran it with you too! You should be so proud of both of you!

    I love how you balanced your dinner out with the egg whites…I have to do a better job of getting that protein in there!

    Have a good and hopefully, burn free day at work tomorrow!

  • Danielle
    March 16, 2009 at 7:09 am

    Amy’s dinners are so good! I’ve never seen that one near me but it looks delish! I totally agree this weekend went way way too fast!

  • Carmen
    March 16, 2009 at 7:29 am

    Hi!

    I’ve been reading your blog for about a month now and have been thoroughly motivated by your lifestyle. I just signed up for my first 10k since high school and have just over three months to whip my booty into ‘race-shape’! Anyways, I’ve been looking for ways to add more protein into my mornings and I was wondering which type of powder you use for your breakfast cookies? Is it still the Designer Whey-Original? I hate to use supplements, but sometimes its just easier than working spinach and eggs into my schedule!

    Oh also I know your working on writing a cookbook and I thought you might be inspired by Molly over at Orangette.blogspot.com She’s in the exciting stages of touring for her first cookbook, and reading about her process might be encouraging! Oh her book is called “A Homemade Life” and it reads like a novel-one that you try to put down just so you can look forward to picking it up again. I cried. And stayed up until 3:00 finishing it, its that good.

    Have a great Monday!

  • Erik
    March 16, 2009 at 9:22 am

    Amy’s Southern Meals…sounds interesting. (note to self: keep eye out for new Amy’s)

  • Sarah M
    March 16, 2009 at 9:55 am

    I haven’t seen those Amy’s in my grocery store yet either! I will keep an eye out for them though. Still waiting on those Amy’s chocolate cakes you had last fall too!

  • Katherine
    March 16, 2009 at 9:57 am

    Thanks Jenna! That makes sense 🙂

  • Jordan (FlowsDownYellow)
    March 16, 2009 at 10:05 am

    Glad to hear your run went so well! I’m doing a 4 miler this coming weekend and I’m nervous/excited for it! Those Amy’s meals look really good and I see them in stores all the time. I’m gonna have to try them!

  • Brianna
    March 16, 2009 at 11:29 am

    mmm that dinner looks so good i’m not sure if they have it here in Canada. Since I started reading your blog on friday, I went out and bought some Almond Butter sooo good! I eat with everything; grapes, kashi, on nuts (yes I even put almond butter on almonds)….. by itsself 🙂

  • Kristin
    March 16, 2009 at 12:45 pm

    I’m OBSESSED with microwaved egg whites right now too and I just thought I’d mention Eggology egg whites in case you hadn’t tried them. I’m addicted. 🙂