Lens Happy

Hey guys!

I must be the most slacker food blogger…..ever. I don’t really have any good excuse for not posting all day, other than the fact that I’ve just been downright lazy. I don’t have any cool stories or funny pictures to show but hey, that’s life!

I’ve been playing all day with this new lens that I got for my camera. Kath has the same one! I’m still figuring out the right aperture and settings but I’m slowly getting it. Anyways, this morning I had oats in a jar for breakfast!

Gosh…I go through a lot of almond butter! I tend to freak out and get all nervous when I run low. Is that a sign of addiction? Today’s oaty combo included cooking my oats in almond milk with dried cherries and half a banana. Then, I topped it with a little yogurt at the end. Never gets old, folks. Never gets old.

I downloaded music and wallowed in my bed for awhile then snacked on a mini larabar and went to an actual yoga CLASS at my gym!

It was a power flow class and was pretty good. However, I’m sooooo sore (especially in the inner thigh area) from yesterday’s leaping squats and lunges. Tracy texted me this morning to tell me “she knew it was a good workout because she can’t walk today”. Amen. So, because of that, some postures were rather painful but I just breathed and was okay.

Tried some of Amy’s delicious new soup for lunch!

(oh, Canon 50 mm lens….how I love thee)

I also LOVED this soup! It was incredibly thick and hearty….filling, too! I had a Doctor Kracker with hummus on the side—

Even better with hot sauce dumped on top!!

Does it feel like SUNDAY to anyone else??! I think so. Especially since I have to work tomorrow. This afternoon I made a little excursion to Target and Whole Foods where I aimlessly roamed around the aisles. It was the first time I’ve been to a Whole Foods since leaving home and it made me love it even more. Trader Joe’s is good……but it ain’t no Whole Foods.

Snacked on an Amazing Grass bar while I got my shop on:

(insert photo I forgot to take HERE. wooops)

I finally broke down and paid $20 for a pound of maca powder….I know…I know! BUT…..after seeing this stuff all over the blog-world for months and reading about the interesting benefits, I thought I just needed to try it myself. For the past few weeks, I’ve been just staring at the big bag at Shelton’s and then walking away. Today I couldn’t walk away. It will be interesting to see if it really increases my energy like it claims to do! I will report back.

And then for dinner, fixed some salmon with broccoli and a sweet potato.

Hmmmhmm again…. I am likin’ this new lens .

This salmon is a great example of why it’s awesome be friends with a chef. I was feeling rather uninspired tonight as I stood over my stove so I texted Kevin and said “tell me what to do with this salmon.” Immediately he wrote back, telling me to “poach it in olive oil at 135 degrees for 12 minutes then season with sea salt, lemon zest and coriander”. Thanks, Chef. I didn’t have lemon zest so I improvised with orange zest….and I didn’t poach the fish either—I just seared it in olive oil in my cast iron for about 5 minutes each side and it turned out perfect. Love that flavor combination of the citrus and coriander!

And then for dessert, I tried a new creation…..HEAB style.

Protein ice cream? Actually it was rather delicious. I’ve always been down with the protein powder. Left my big stash behind in Florida but currently I use and like the Jay Robb vanilla whey. I’ve dabbled in the rice protein powder….it’s good……but it’s not AS good as this. In my mind, it will always have a little bit of a chalky taste. And, I mean, Jay Robb’s vanilla whey protein powder tastes like a vanilla milkshake. It can’t be beat. I followed Heather’s instructions the best I could but I altered it a bit. Here’s my modification:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

2 big squirts agave nectar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp xanthan gum

pinch of sea salt

2 tsp maca powder

lots of ice (I could have used more but I ran out…I don’t have an ice machine)

So, basically, I did what Heather said and just blended all that together in the Vita-Mix and then I topped the concoction with dark chocolate chips and stood in my kitchen inhaling the whole thing. This would be reallyyyyy good with almond butter drizzled on top, no?

It’s a keeper.

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Biggest find of the weekend? The Notebook on sale at Target for $2.99. Get the kleenex ready.