studying = baking

finals time means three things:

• lots and lots of orange juice (minus the vodka)
• self-induced hibernation on weekdays and weekends
• baking!

i'm not going to lie, i get really cranky during finals time, and this year is no different. it doesn't help that my worst two exams are back to back and are the first two in the lineup. since i get stir crazy being trapped in my apartment, this usually leads to baking. and since my oven is finally back in action, and the weather is sufficiently chilly i've been a baking machine.

i wanted to make chocolate chip cookies, but didn't have eggs, so i improvised a bit, and have to say the results were fabulous!

what i could find in the cabinets (and fit on the counter)

i started with 8 oz of smart balance, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of splenda for baking, 1/4 cup of peanut butter and mashed it together. i think the experts call this "creaming". but i'm telling you, when i do it, its just mashing. 

i added 1/4 cup of applesauce and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to that mixture and combined. at this point it looked gross, too gross for photos.  separately, i mixed together 1 cup of whole wheat flour with 1/4 cup of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking power and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.  add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix thoroughly. 

i added to that, one cup of mini chocolate chips that i tossed with about a tablespoon of flour.  i always add a pinch of flour to just coat the chips so that they stay interspersed throughout the dough. mix just until combined.



i baked them off for about 10-12 minutes in a 325 degree oven.  and because there were no eggs in the recipe, i only baked as many as i thought i'd eat over a 10 hour span, and popped the rest in the fridge to bake off during the week.  i looooove eating freshly baked cookies, but i'm usually apprehensive to leave dough in the fridge for too long. not that it ever lasts too long when you could have this:

yummmmmm!!  i enjoyed these little beauties all week long. all those sweets made me want to make some REAL food. i tried out a chicken marsala recipe, that didn't come out half bad!  although i was a little over zealous with the marsala wine. it was more drunken chicken than anything else, but i polished it off!

ok, back to the note cards and outlining (and a harry potter marathon) ....what should i bake next?!

gobble, gobble, gobble!

i am so incredibly thankful for family and friends, but because there are so many of them, it means LOTS of thanksgiving celebrations, and TONS of food!

my mom and i started off the day low key with turkey cutlets, oven roasted potatoes, and my interpretation of my dear friend megan's corn souffle. you're probably thinking corn souffle? what does that even mean? if you like corn, it means heaven on a plate!

corn souffle
(adapted from megan's recipe)

1 egg egg white
1 box of corn muffin mix (i use jiffy)
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 stick of butter 1/2 cup smart balance (or other low-fat spread)
8 oz of FAT FREE sour cream
low fat/no fat cooking spray


in a large bowl, melt the smart balance or other spread. add egg white and sour cream and mix together.  add in both cans of corn and combine.  add box of corn muffin mix. mix together until the mixture becomes a bit doughy. 

preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  add the mixture to the pan and bake for one hour. you will know it's done when the edges are browned and when a toothpick comes out clean. 

(personally, i LOVE the crunchy top and corners, so i use a bigger pan, and have a more shallow souffle. if doing this, be sure to check it at about 40 minutes, to make sure it doesn't burn or dry out)

thanksgiving #2 was with my cousins, and was basically a food network, giada feast!! my cousin loves to cook and entertain, and basically cooks as if she was serving 32 people, when inreality there was 6 of us at her house!  needless to say, the food was amazing!  round two consisted of turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, and stuffing.

round three was dessert, and i'm a dessert first kind of girl, so it was fabulous. we had pumpkin cheesecake from trader joe's (which is now sitting in my fridge, calling out to me), apple pie, and giada's chocolate hazelnut tart. it was so decadent and delish!  and because i'm a glutton for punishment, while we cleaned up and gossiped, i ate even more turkey!  and since i got leftovers from both feasts, i actually have lots of food in my fridge. of course i feel like i can't move off the couch...

how do you motivate to workout during the holidays?? i need all the motivation i can get!

KNOCKOUT!

so in my vow to try new fitness classes, my friend carol, who is currently OBSESSED with boxing, dragged me to a class. and when i say dragged, i mean it. she's been begging me to come for weeks, and i'm always pushing her off. she cornered me, and we made a date to meet at LA Boxing.

needless to say, the class was intense!  it incorporated tons of boxing moves on our individual heavy bags, as well as lots of cardio. currently i am insanely out of shape, so i was dying halfway through (in a good way).  i felt great afterwards though. i think spin class still has my heart, but i was happy i went out of my usual exercise comfort zone and tried something new.

have you had friends turn you on to new exercise techniques? how else do you find new fitness trends??

i hope for better, november

i know i was probably crying at the end of summer that it was too hot, and that my hair looked crappy and frizzy everyday. and now i'm cold! ha! i do love the fall though. the colors and breeze make me happy. but once halloween passes, i get sad. and ready for CHRISTMAS. yes, i'm one of those listening to christmas music WAY too early. 

last year, i flew to australia on christmas day, and didn't even finish up finals until dec 19, so it was a rushed holiday season. it was an amazing trip, but i wasn't in the spirit. so this year, ITS ON!

a quick halloween flashback:


girls night out - halloween 2010

we didn't end the night together, so i am glad we got one group shot before we went our own ways.  my fellow girl scout marisa, britney spears (aka: casey) and i had a blast and made some awesome new friends. apparently though, i am getting old, and by sunday night (after a sunday funday to watch the jets get a beat down) i was sick and miserable!

this week was blah, as i spent a lot of it in bed, and didn't even make it to my beloved tuesday night spin class! but now that i'm feeling better, no excuses. that being said, tomorrow is mexican night!! margaritas and spicy food are two of my faves. that means tomorrow morning i am finally trying my new dvd -- the bar method! i've been wanting to take a class, so this is the next best thing!

what are some new workouts you're planning on doing??

it's the most wonderful time of the year

first things first, halloween is my ultimate holiday. i think it stems from a childhood spent watching scary movies, parents who enjoy zombie movies too much, and enjoy scaring their child. (i'll admit, i've always enjoyed the scare)

this paired with the fact that i love:

1. pumpkin flavored foods
2. the cool crisp, east coast fall weather (good hair days)
3. dressing up in costume
4. halloween decorations

it's no wonder i'm slightly obsessed with the holiday.

this weekend consists of seeing saw in 3d, a haunted hayride, and debauchery with my bests in NYC.  on top of all that wonderful-ness, i also have an interview with the attorney general. so this really is MY weekend! 

in preparation of the weekend, i've tried REALLY hard to eat well and exercise this week. let's just say the exercise went better than the eating.   i tried a new kashi bar flavor, and fell in love! i'm a chocolate girl, through and through, but often the taste doesn't translate in a health bar.  still, i'm usually nervous to stray from my beloved chocolate (and/or peanut butter) flavors. but something made me try this:

cinnamon-y and amazing!  sweet, but not too sweet. crunchy and delish!  needless to say, i'm hooked! i picked up a full box at target this afternoon.

so, what are you being for halloween?  my costume is a surprise ;)

so long sweet summer

well it is OFFICIALLY fall!! i absolutely love this weather, and the changing of the leaves is one of my favorite things about it. plus, i can start running outside again. i simply cannot run when i'm already sweating, just from walking down my fire escape!  and after spending the dough a brand spanking new pair of brooks, i am ready to run!

the cooler weather also makes me less afraid to try cooking. if i'm being honest (and i swore i would be on this), i really don't enjoy cooking, or attempting to cook. but boy, am i trying! i have a girlfriend who's parents tried to teach her to be a wife this summer, and i thought to myself, i wish someone could teach ME!

i tried a new crockpot recipe for rosemary roasted chicken, but it was a bust. but i'm not losing faith. of course the crockpot fiasco forced me to take a trip to whole foods where i found the most AMAZING chocolate bars. they're from a brand called attune, called aptly, attune bars.

i got the milk chocolate crisp flavor, and it literally tastes like a nestle crunch bar, except that it contains fiber and probiotics!!!  and its only 90 calories. talk about heaven. you keep them refrigerated, but i take mine out about 15 minutes before i'm ready to enjoy.

what are some foods that you eat to get fiber and probiotics in your diet?

here goes nothing!

hello cyberworld!  after following some fabulous ladies' blogs, i've decided to take the leap, and start my own. i thought putting my thoughts into words (and published for all to see) would create more accountability.

so, who am i? a third year law student,
who is more personal shopper than professional.

i spent 7 years in a long term relationship,
and i couldn't be happier with where my life is now.

my girlfriends are my world.

the craziness of my life got me off track health wise,
but i'm committed to becoming a better me.

and i'm inviting you along for the ride! here goes nothing....