WIAW

Once again I must apologize for my lackluster collection of WIAW photographs for this week. I tend to take many pictures of my breakfast, because a) it's my favorite meal, therefore I spend more time on appearance, b) I'm leisurely doing my thang in the mornings so I don't feel rushed, c) I'm all by myself, so I don't feel as self conscious photographing (although my family is pretty much used to it now). Maybe I should just do a WIAB.....what I ate for breakfast.

But! I refuse to skip a WIAW due to my lack of planning. Therefore I'm going to use some recycled photos, as I'm a creature of habit and tend to eat the same sorts of things, and pretend you don't remember them.

Vamos! (Y muchas gracias, Jenn - te amo!)

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Breakfasts

I fell back into an oatmeal mood and had to eat a peach-cobbler version of oatmeal when Mom informed me of her trip to the farmer's market. 

Who can pass up freshly picked, perfectly ripe, unbelievably juicy peaches with zero pesticide?! Not I! And the sweet, peachy flavor definitely came through in this breakfast! Believe me, the heat stroke I almost had after a hot breakfast was worth it. Totes.

I'm thinking peach cobbler, peach muffins, peach on top of yogurt, peach in a salad (oh yes), peach ev-ree-thang. It's definitely my favorite summer fruit, can you tell?

Sunday I had a quick yet marvelous yogurt bowl!!!!

I cut off the sort of crusty edges of my baked oats, planning on topping my yogurt with them! I didn't heat them up and my oh my they it did not disappoint. Along with greek yogurt, banana, cherries, PB, and a handful of Cheerios, this bowl was seriously the bomb dot com. <--yes.

New favorite!

I hope you don't mind another breakfast photo, but this one is totally worth mentioning: baked vegan banana pancake. Cake. 

You just take your favorite pancake mix and bake it in a dish like a cake at 350*! Cake for breakfast is a win. Topped with peanut butter and banana, what else?

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Lunches

A lunch this week: some of my delicious quiche! I made this one with zucchini, onions, and red bell peppers. Absolutely superb. Even Rebekah like it!!!!!!!!!

Along with carrot sticks and an apple, this was a perfect summer lunch.

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Dinners

My go-to-I-don't-feel-like-cooking-at-all dinner: chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, and canned green beans.

My favorite part was of course the sweet potatoes. Little fluffy orange pillows of deliciousness.

Snacks

Definitely a few lot of these babies:

I know I had a version of this snack, only with a banana bread muffin, not an apple oatmeal muffin.

And one of my favorite evening snacks:

I'm off the the water park for the day with my chica - I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday! 

A to Z Survey

Heeelllooooo!!!! It's Monday, bro.

So before I head out on my runny-run (did I just say that?), I thought I'd share this survey with you that I found on Robyn's blog who found it on Janetha's blog. I've never really done one of these before, and I hope you enjoy learning even more about me! And who doesn't like that??

A is for age: 16....I'm at that awkward place where sometimes I feel old and mature and other times I feel like a baby. Yeah.

B is for breakfast today: Oatmeal, no joke. And this is the first time I've had oatmeal in a few days (really!!), and I chopped up a farm-stand peach that my Mom brought home! Peach cobbler for the win.

C is for currently craving: The chocolate milk I'm going to drink after I run aaannnddd....lots and lots of summer fruit. OMG AND GRANOLA GET ME SOME.

D is for dinner tonight: I honestly have no idea. Probably....actually, I just don't know. 

E is for favorite type of exercise: Uh, trick question? Obviously, running will be at the top of the list, and then hiking, and then strength training. 

F is for an irrational fear: This is so tacky, but my worst fear is dying (or having someone close to me die) from something totally ordinary that became a freak accident. And being kidnapped. And being stung!! I'm stopping there.

G is for gross food: Lasagna, macaroni, and hot dogs. EW. 

H is for hometown: Northwest Georgia. Half farmland, half Atlanta, all the fun.

I is for something important: My family and friends - I would not be the same person without them!

J is for current favorite jam: Oohh this apricot and peach jam that we got in New York from O&Co. And I really like cherry preserves. (Hardy har har har)

Ha okay if you thought my clever little answer up there was funny, then you rock. If not, I offer my apologies. But seriously, I've been rocking out to...wait for it...Say Hey I Love You (Michael Franti & Spearhead) on my runs, but just leisurely my favorite right now is all Switchfoot songs. 

K is for kids: I'm 16, so yeah, I have no kids of my own. Do cats count? Because I think they should count. I also babysit a lot, so they're sort of my kids. Sort of. 

L is for current location: Sitting on my couch, watching Supernatural with Reibs.

M is for the most recent way you spent money: At the movies (when I saw Now You See Me). I'm spending money on the movies today, too.

N is for something you need: A Garmin!!!! 

O is for occupation: Student, babysitter, and church volunteer. 

P is for pet peeve: Rooms that aren't clean. I'm such a neat freak that I will voluntarily do every single chore in the house. I can't stand random stuff around the house!

Q is for a quote: "God has perfect timing."

R is for random fact about you: Um, uh. Um. UH UM. I don't talk about it much, but I'm very artistic and love to draw and paint! Especially drawing portraits. Drawing faces accurately is hard, but I really enjoy it. And I really enjoy get-togethers, like having a dinner party on someone's back porch, or just hanging out even if you're just chatting or watching TV. Y me gusta hablar en espanol. Gah that's three facts!

S is for favorite healthy snack: Am I seriously supposed to pick one. How bout five? Larabars, yogurt and granola, banana and peanut butter, yogurt, banana, and peanut butter, and smoothies.

T is for favorite treat: Ice cream and chocolate, for sure. 

U is for something that makes you unique: Probably just the fact that I like healthy living in general. Most teens can't say that, but I've gained lot of experience and wisdom in that area, and I'm still learning. 

V is for favorite vegetable: This survey is killing me. I'll give you two: sweet potatoes and bell peppers. I'm moving on so I don't add any more!

W is for today’s workout: A run...that I should be doing right now...and strength training. Yay!

X is for X-rays you’ve had: Aw man too many. I've broken my wrist, arm, and foot, so all of those required at least two X-rays, and when I had trouble with my knee, that was another one. And dental X-rays.

Y is for yesterday’s highlight: Honestly, yesterday wasn't the greatest, but the best part was probably the nap I took after babysitting the church kiddos.

Z is for your time zone: Eastern!

So I'm pretty sure that I had at least two answers for most of these questions, but there was no limit to the answers, right? I hope you liked it and gained a little bit more knowledge about moi! <---btw, something weird happened to my font and I can't figure out how to fix it. Whoops!

Have a massively merry magical Monday! 

Weekend

Buenos tardes, amigas!

This summer has ended up being one of the rainiest ever. It's been either raining, drizzly, or at least overcast probably 5 days out of the week since June! :( Being trapped inside is no bueno.

I get stir-crazy really easily and the sis was gone at summer camp, so I made sure to have some stuff to do - Mom has to remind me that it's okay to relax every so often (which I rant about all the time on here...take your own advice, Jessica!). So relax I did.

Los gatos set an excellent example for me most of the time.

Mom, Reibs, and I caught up on SYTYCD, which is one of our top favorite summer shows. Forget running, I want to dance!

Yeah, I'm not so sure how well that would work out for me. 

I got a huge baking urge (like as in I wanted to bake everything possible from all the blog/Pinterest recipes I saw), and ended up making quiche 2.0 out of the veggies we had.

I also spotted these little babies on Cait's blog and had to make them. I've been wanting to make some sort of "ball" for a while, and these were awesome because they didn't require dates or a food processor! I want to make my own version in the future. 

I've been keeping them in the freezer, and they taste literally just like my beloved Chocolate Chip Peanut Larabar. Get in mah belly. And I assume these are great pre-workout energy because they won't sit heavy in your tummy!

And of course, these oats. Can you tell I'm slightly obsessed? When I decide I love something, I full on love it. No halfway. 

I can't believe I didn't make any muffins (who am I?!). Maybe next week? I've been staring these down, because pshyes, it's autumn.

Friday, my amazingly awesome friend came to spend a few hours with little lonely me, and I was so happy to spend time with her! We hadn't seen each other since school ended.

She's not Asian, I promise.

We just chatted for the longest time (the best thing about girlfriends....), and breezed through a few levels of Lego Star Wars. Winning.

The sun actually peeked out for a little bit in the early evening, so we went out for a quick neighborhood walk for some sunshine therapy. Summer colors and flowers, yay!!

On the fitness front, I got a wee bit lazy with my runs this week. I only went on two outside runs (which were great, mind you) - but still. I have to tell myself not to get exercise guilt because I'm not training for anything in particular and have no set "plan" (that plan I mentioned was more like a guideline). I don't even consider myself a "runner." There may be some past thought processes that cause me to feel guilt, but it's more of the fact that I just love it so much that when I miss an opportunity I'm annoyed at myself!

Buuut on Friday I went for a lovely 3.5 mile run under overcast skies. My butt was sooooo sore from a lower body workout I did a couple days before, butt but it was a fairly quick pace for me despite that! Chocolate almond milk refuel...in a wine glass. Why? Because....I wanted to. Classy lassy.

Reibs came hooommmeee and so did my precious friend Caitlyn, and she spent the night. Dad is on Mommy duty, which translates to Jessica is on Mommy duty. I don't mind, but I miss Ma!

I hope I'm still alive after I post this pic.....

No judge. Saturday, my friend and I had a hike planned, and luckily we beat the rain (what else?).

A few weeks ago, when Rebekah, Mom, and I were still in NYC, a massive storm hit the downtown area where we live, and even a tornado touched down! The entire hike, which we've done before, looked like a war zone. Sad. :(

Really old tree!

Eggs that were randomly out in the open - I think they were snake eggs?!

Foot. :)

About halfway through, we came across a graveyard. Cool but creepy in a way. On our last hike, we found a graveyard from the Civil War era!

I had a great time with her, and we covered about 3 miles, maybe more. 

Today I volunteered at church, ate lasagna, babysat some kiddos, took a walk, and now I'm in my jammies getting ready for quality time (aka TV time) with Mom. Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Nectarine & Cherry Baked Oats

You know what I love for breakfast?

Oats.

You know what I love even more for breakfast?

Not having to make it.

Hence, my reasoning for making a delicious batch of baked oats.

I saw that Michelle had baked up a delicious looking batch, and at that moment decided that I had to make some the hour before I left for my friend's house. I had all the base ingredients on hand, so why not?

This version is bursting with colorful, plump, sweet summer fruit, and chock full of nutrition - this vegan breakfast is sure to win your heart taste buds!

Heat it in the microwave (or keep it chilled for those steamy mornings), top it off with nut butter, some more summer fruit, and you're all set!

Nectarine & Cherry Baked Oats (Serves 2 hangry people)

adapted from Peachy Palate

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup unsweetened natural applesauce

1 chopped nectarine

1/4 cup chopped fresh cherries (if you use frozen, just increase baking time)

scant 1/8 tsp salt

couple dashes of cinnamon 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Mix all ingredients excluding fruit in a medium bowl

3. Fold in chopped nectarine and cherries

4. Pour oat mixture into a lightly greased oven-safe dish

5. Pop into oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until oats start toasting slightly on the edges and toothpick comes out clean.

6. Top with whatever you wish and prepare to fall in love!

WIAW: Good Mood Food

Gooood morning, muffins!

I'm posting WIAW a little later than usual, but that's because I settle for nothing less than absolute perfection for my lovelies (okay, I actually downloaded/doctored my pictures a little late, but you all know I still love yoouu). I just tend to take a bunch of pics of my meals because I can never decide which one is the prettiest or the tastiest - that's why you get to peruse through quite a few every Wednesday. :)

I think my breakfast this morning got me in a really good (meaning: chatty) mood. Spoiler alert! It was awesome. Soooo I might as well show you what's been up with my eats lately.

Muchas gracias, Jenn!

Breakfasts

This was eaten Monday morning - french toast with the last of my homemade artisan bread. Homemade/fresh loaf always makes better french toast than store-bought sliced bread!!

Warm, cinnamony apples on the side, and a slowly melting dollop of peanut butter.

It was trying to escape! Silly peanuts.

My good-mood food: nectarine and cherry baked oats. This is the best batch of baked oats that I've made thus far!!

It was so much more flavorful and moist than my other versions of baked oats I've made. I thought pumpkin baked oats might be my favorite, but this one takes the oatmeal cake!

A big 'ole slice of scrumptious baked oats, topped with slightly melted Barney Butter and a handful of plump, perfectly ripe chopped cherries = that absolute perfection I was talking about. Recipe will be up in the near future!

While I recover from my current baked oats infatuation, here's a picture of el cafe I sipped on this morning:

Lunch

Tuna salad in a whole wheat tortilla, yummy in my tummy. I chopped up a couple of carrots and a pickle to add in, and sliced a red bell pepper for some crunchy crunch (I'm secretly a poet).

Along with the wrap, I had leftover guac from a Moe's dinner run, baby carrots x2, a *practically flavorless* Gala apple, and salsa. 

Dinner

Yay for Mom getting back in the kitchen! She's finally feeling close to her old self, but is still a little coughy. (<---It's a word.) Other than that, she's recovered well!

I tried so hard to get a better picture of this dinner - it looks like I had my flash on, but it was flash-free. Darn artificial light. Zis was a simple bowl of brown rice, zucchini, squash, and chicken stir fry, flavored with olive oil, salt, peppah, and greek yogurt. I sprinkled on some red pepper flakes because I like all my savory foods with a spicy bite.

Thanks Ma!

Snacks

A bowl of pomegranate Oikos greek yogurt, spoonful of peanut butter, and half a banana sprinkled with cinnamon. I eat some version of this almost every night before bed, this is just the first time I've photographed it in a while (if at all).

And I'm pretty sure that a pair of Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups were eaten at some point, but you'll have to take my word for it. Those things are to die for! 

Happy Wednesday, my loves! 

Monday Shenanigans

Man oh man am I exhausted. I've already taken two naps today and I am still pooped!

Yesterday the sun came oooouuuuttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In case you can't tell by that picture, it was HOT. But the night before I had decided that if it was sunny, I'd go on a neighborhood run since I hadn't in almost a week (although technically you could count Saturday, but I wimped out within the first mile of my usual 3/3.5 miles).

I'm a fairly early riser, so you would think I could beat the heat easily, but I am in no way shape or form ready to exert much energy at 7:45 in the morning. I laze around, have a cup of coffee, and like to eat breakfast and chill before I start my day. I got out around 10:30 after working on my blog for a bit and letting breakfast digest.

In my mom's car, I found a cooler stocked with mini-water bottles leftover from church (the volunteers are provided with breakfast and beverages), and it served as my little cool-off station.

The run was hot (duh) but great! Sometimes I have these fantasies that one of my neighbors will see me all sweaty and running, dash out of their house, and yell, "Hey! Jessica! Need to cool off?" then grab their hose and spray me with miraculously cold water. And it's all slow-mo for extra dramatization. It may yet happen! There was luckily some shade, and halfway through I stopped at my "station", drank a gulp of water and then dumped the rest of it into my hat - pure bliss!!!!!!!! TRY IT.

Running essentials:

Ha ha - car reflection photo.

I sat in the shade from the back of the car and cooled off before going back inside.

Lobstah face!

I refueled with almond milk +  chocolate Nesquick - omg best refuel eveeeerrrrr.

I promptly got my chores done, got a hankering to make some baked oats out of the blue (recipe manana), and left for my sweet friend's house!

We swam for a couple of hours, and spent the rest of the night watching movies, chatting, and munching on popcorn. This definitely qualifies as a perfect summer day!

Adios, my lovelies!