CHICAGO CHICAGO CHICAGO

such a fantastic place/trip, it deserved to be said three times!

this was my first time ever experiencing Chicago and I absolutely LOVED it!

I'm actually so obsessed that I'm considering living there after I finish school...it is just so great!

If you get the chance, GO GO GO! We drove (a 15 hour drive FYI) and yeah that part kinda sucked, but it was so worth it!

A few trip highlights included

visiting the Bean monument in downtown Millennium Park

Seeing the "American Gothic" painting in the Chicago Art Institute

Seeing Lake Michigan from Navy Pier

                                        

Running along the Chicago River!

going to Lake Michigan beaches!

and best of all - meeting up with a Chi Omega sister from Chicago!

Now, more importantly (at least to me) the FOOD. Pretty much everything we ate was out-of-this-world-delicious!

Every morning, we were given a complimentary breakfast buffet which features a make-your-own omelet bar, tons of fresh fruit, yogurt & granola, oatmeal, and tons of other breakfast things + Starbucks coffee! Needless to say, I was in heaven!  

Pretty much my breakfast every morning - egg white omelet (with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, and broccoli) + sausage or bacon + yogurt/fruit + a little bit of everything else they offered (right here, that's frittata and BREAD PUDDING). I looked forward to waking up for this every morning! 

This DELICIOUS salad from a local pub called Elephant & Castle. The salad had citrus chicken, mandarin oranges, raw onions, and salted cashews atop a bed of mixed greens. It was one of the best salads I've ever had!

Ghirardelli ice cream shop.... need I say more?!

The most adorable local tea/coffee company, Argo Tea! I got an espresso cappuccino and my sister got an apple cider hot tea - both were AWESOME! 

Cupcakes from the famous Sprinkles Cupcake Factory. I got a mini red velvet, my sister got a mini lemon, and my mom got a dark chocolate - all three tasted so fresh and I could've stayed in the cute little cafe and eaten more cupcakes for the rest of the day!

& last but definitely not least - Chicago style pizza! JUST LOOK AT THAT CRUST! so thick. so bready. so mouth-watering!! Hands down, best pizza I've ever consumed. 

Chicago is a fantastic city & I can't wait to visit again! The food, people, sights, and culture were so inviting and I instantly felt at home. 

Chicago, you have my heart :]

Happy National Runner's Day!

Today is a day that holds a special place in my heart - it is National Runner's Day!

I started serious running my sophomore year in high school and fell in love! Running is one of the most rewarding and challenging lifestyles. 

This summer, my sister and I have the privilege of training two days a week with my former cross country coach. Today was only the second day, but he is killing me!

Today, in our of National Runner's Day, I went to practice at 7:00 this morning (yikes) and our workout was:

• 1.5 mile run through a field 
• 10 minutes sprinting up a hill and jogging down
• 10 minutes sprinting up a hill and walking down
• 1/2 mile run back
• 2 x 20 ab leg lifts
• 2 x 20 oblique crunches
• 2 x 20 toe touches
• 10 minutes of stretching

After practice, me and Olivia alternated icing & heating our shins before heading off to a yoga class!

What a wonderful way to start my morning!

I refueled with this shake + 2 scrambled egg whites!

&& what a beautiful post-run site!

Happy Day everyone! 

Leave for Chicago tomorrow.... can't wait!!

the lab

this morning, my sister and I decided to get coffee as her early birthday present before she took her last final!

We went to a local coffee cafe called The Lab.

It. is. so. freaking. cute.
But then again, I say that about every coffee shop I enter. They're like my happy place.

One of my favorite things about it is that they offer almond milk, either store bought or their personal homemade one (which is AMAZING) for your coffee. I'm an avid almond milk lover/drinker/promoter because it is so low calorie, so creamy, and so multi-purposeful! & I'm still waiting on Starbucks to start offering it. 

Anywho, I ordered an almond milk latte with a little vanilla syrup for added sweetness and it was awesome to say the least! 

Olivia (my sis) ordered an iced almond milk latte with chocolate syrup and it was equally as awesome!

After Olivia left for school, I continued to drink my latte and finish my book in the quaint little cafe. It made for the perfect morning!

PS. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it (especially before the movie comes out!) It's great!

strawberry banana dreamy creamy shake

When I make smoothies, I tend to always use the same combination because I just love everything about it!

But today, I ventured out to make something a little different and it most certainly paid off!

I present, the most delicious/healthy Strawberry Banana Protein Shake you'll ever sip on!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 banana (usually it works better if it's frozen)

- 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

- 1/4 cup almond milk

- 1/4 cup coconut water

- 1 Tablespoon of coconut flour or ground flax seed

- 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder

- Sprinkle of coconut chips of shredded coconut on top (optional, but basically necessary!)

Calories: 190

Fat: 4 grams

Carbs: 33 grams

Fiber: 8 grams

Protein: 8 grams

Tofu Stir Fry Meal Preppinnnnn'

I definitely don't meal prep enough anymore. Last summer, I did it at least twice a week and now I'm getting a little lazy. Being a grown up does that to ya I guess.

Anyway, today I got off my lazy butt and meal prepped an old fav or mine - tofu stir fry. I know what you're thinking...."tofu looks like slime. I don't eat slime" or "tofu tastes nasty". The latter is a favorite of mine since tofu takes the taste of whatever it is cooked/seasoned with, therefore, tofu itself doesn't "taste bad" but what it was cooked with did.

Tofu is a great food to incorporate into your diet. It is low calorie, low fat, and chock full of plant-based protein. Plus it can pretty much be cooked with anything!

But I understand the concerns. Honestly, the first time I ever bought tofu, I was so scared to try it that it ended up expiring in my fridge.

However, this recipe is not only my favorite way to eat tofu, it is also one of my favorite recipes EVER. & you can quote me on that.

I present Anna's Spicy Tofu Stir Fry:

ingredients:

• 1 pound of organic extra firm tofu (the firmer you get, the less calories/fat it will have)
• 1 frozen bag of mixed vegetables (I used a stir-fry blend)
• garlic salt
• parsley
• cayenne pepper
• cumin
• tumeric
• sesame oil

Step 1) Open tofu, chop it up (this can be done in the container), and throw it in the skillet.

Step 2) Add about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of tumeric and cumin

Step 3) Add a dash of cayenne pepper and garlic salt

Step 4) Add a few pinches or so of parsley and a teaspoon of sesame oil

Step 5) Add the vegetables and cover it.

Step 6) Let it cook until the vegetables are no longer frozen, stirring occasionally.

While that is simmering, you can start on the sweet potatoes! 

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Second, chop the potato into cubes.

Third, sprinkle the cubes with cinnamon and place into the oven. 

They should take about 15-20 minutes but keep checking on them!

At that point, the stir fry should be about done!

I made enough for three meals so I divided the stir fry evenly into 3 containers for the weekend.

Once the 'taters were done, I divided the cubes as well. 

&& Voila! I now have 3 full meals ready to go. 

Calories: 200

Fat: 5

Carbs: 23

Fiber: 7

Protein: 14

Because this dish is so low in calories, I usually add a side of brown rice or a salad! Or I have a dessert after :]]

Have Your Pie & Eat It Too

When I woke up this morning, I was craving something sweet, go figure. But for once, I wanted something that wasn't chocolate (WHAAAAT). For some reason, I was craving a huge piece of apple pie. I blame it on the time of month (TMI??)

Anyways, instead of baking a pie for breakfast, I whipped up a random combination into a protein shake to make a delicious Apple Pie Shake! And it definitely hit the spot!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 chopped apple (you can also buy the frozen, pre-chopped apple slices)

- 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder

- shake of nutmeg

- shake of cinnamon

- 1/2 tablespoon of chia seeds

- 2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt

Blend all together, adding as much water you need to get it the right consistency!

• Calories: 160 
• Fat: 3 grams
• Carbs: 18 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• Protein: 17 grams

Not too shabby for a slice (or cup) of pie!

healthy traveling

as most people find, it's pretty hard to stay healthy while traveling or going on vacation. While I do believe in indulging while on vacation and not worrying too much about it, I feel much better when my unhealthy treats are accompanied by some healthier foods; I feel, think, and look so much better. 

This past week, I went with two of my best friends to Carillon Beach, Florida and had a blast! The beach was pretty scarce, the water looked like a swimming pool, and the sky was cloud-free every single day - my perfect little getaway! 

One problem I have with traveling is the drive....I get so bored and therefore SO HUNGRY!

So I packed a little ice chest of a full days worth of food. My friend and I left at 5:00 Monday morning so I knew I'd be hungry all day. 

My bag contained:

- breakfast: ATKINS Cafe Mocha protein shake and half of a bagel

- snack: a cup of celery and carrots & a cup of mixed strawberries, blackberries, and grapes

- lunch: a low carb tortilla with some sliced turkey, cheese, lettuce, and sriacha sauce

- snack: Trader Joe's blueberry yogurt 

- dinner: a grilled chicken/pepper/beef/onion stir fry with steamed asparagus, 

sweet potatoes, & a salad!

I didn't take too many pictures of food, seeing as I was on vacation and was trying to stay away from technology (which I actually didn't do too well with). 

Tuesday morning we woke up, enjoyed our coffee, and then ate some delicious baked biscuits with honey ham and cheddar cheese...with a side of strawberries - combo of healthy and not-so-healthy. 

After laying out all day, we were STARVING for dinner. For dinner that night, we went to a restaurant about 30 minutes away called Schooners! It was very beachy and even had a live, acoustic band playing! 

Don't have a picture but I split the seared tuna steak (yummmmmmy!!!!) & the crabcakes (even better!) with one of my friends. I also ordered a side of steamed vegetables. And of course we had to get ice-cream after :)

I repeat: a healthy & unhealthy balance was my game plan. 

Wednesday morning, I actually peeled myself out of bed for a 40 minute run/walk on the beach. It was so peaceful and relaxing. I mean just look at that view!

After my run, I ate a delicious blueberry waffle, which I topped with half of a sliced banana & then my friends and I walked with her dad around the Carillon neighborhood and lemme just say... this little town is just so stinking adorable and I can't wait to come back!

For dinner Wednesday, we had two types of stuffed chicken: one stuffed with crawfish etoufee and one stuffed with an undone baked potato! + + asparagus and salad on the side! Again, AMAZING!

Later that night we went out to La Vela, the biggest bar in the country. Not going to lie, it was pretty cool to go to such a place. It was huge and had like 8 different themed bars. Let's just say not much sleep was had that night :]

On our last day, Thursday, we woke up kind of early (considering our late night) and had breakfast casserole! It consisted of eggs, crumbled sausage, sliced honey ham, and cheese; all baked into one dish. I am actually slightly allergic to egg yolks & if I eat too much I get really bad stomach aches. BOOO!

So I cut a small piece of casserole and ate a Greek yogurt on the side. 

Since it was our last day, we decided to lay out on the beach until 3:00, pack the car, and then leave. On our ride home, we decided to stop at Panera (because how can you not?!) and get dinner!

I wasn't feeling too well & I wanted to eat a lot of nutrient-dense foods yet still indulge a little. I ordered the choose 2, with the new strawberry lemon poppy seed salad (lettuce, grilled chicken, strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, and pecans!) and the Mediterranean veggie sandwich (cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and hummus on tomato basil bread!)

Both were ridiculously amazing! The three of us also split a double chocolate walnut cookie for dessert. 

See? Healthy + Unhealthy. It works!

Hope the warm(er) weather is treating everyone well!