Yesterday was a good.freaking.day.
It started in the morning (as most days tend to), when I opened my eyes to discover that I managed to sleep in to the glorious hour of 5:30. Winning. The kitchen was my first second stop, where I brewed up a cup of my favourite tea before sitting down at the computer and getting some blog work done.
Not surprisingly, talking about donuts managed to successfully rev up my appetite, so I grabbed one from my stash and went to town. Okay, that’s a lie — I had oatmeal [with yogurt, almond butter, and honey]…
Gone are the days where I can eat donuts and Poptarts for breakfast and call it good. Oh the joys of growing up and making smarter choices. But I digress. A little while later, I munched on some apples while whipping up a batch of homemade applesauce.
One, two, seven, ten… I don’t know how many slices and spoonfuls I ended up eating, but I do know that I can’t seem to prep anything without doing some serious snacking. Unless we’re talking about kabocha…
… but I’m pretty sure you can’t eat that raw anyways. You can eat it roasted and topped with coconut Greek yogurt and cinnamon, though… even if you do feel a little strange for eating veggies in the morning 😯
The rest of the morning involved talking to J, which is a rare enough occurrence around these parts that it totally justified the fact that I got absolutely no work done in the early part of the day. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Break for lunch!
Despite the fact that we’ve already got snow on the ground, I’m still craving fresh salads. This one had baked chicken, random veggies, olive oil, and salsa, and was shortly followed up by a bowl of cereal with milk…
I know it may seem completely random, but I just wasn’t feeling the whole salad and sandwich thing, so I went with cereal instead and ended up perfectly satisfied. Gotta love it when that happens.
Work, work, work… snack, snack, snack…
Frozen bananas. Aka: the bane of my existence.
Am I the only one that gets super snacky whenever I’m sitting at the computer or studying? It’s funny… being really active kills my appetite, but sit my butt down in a chair for any extended period of time and all I want to do is munch on something. Makes perfect sense 😯
Speaking of exercise, I managed to break away from my desk at some point in the late afternoon to squeeze in a short run. It.was.COLD. I have no idea how this running thing is going to work in the winter, but I’m probably going to have to take it inside. I’m a complete wimp when it comes to the cold (which is ironic since I snowboard), and as much as I prefer running outside, I’m not a big fan of frozen toes, fingers, or muscles.
On that note, it took me a good 30 minutes to defrost once I got back inside, and I was more than ready for dinner at that point. Thank goodness for leftover [beef stir fry and rice] is all I can say.
Actually, I can say more… I love white rice, especially if it’s basmati. I know it tends to get overshadowed by brown rice these days, but I’ll pretty much always go for white if given the option. Not only do I prefer the taste, but my stomach seems to have an easier time digesting it as well. And another thing? I prefer eating out of bowls as opposed to plates. Don’t know why — bowls just seem so much more comforting.
I spent a few more hours working (oh the joys of working from home), before meeting up with a friend and heading out to the mall. By some miracle, I managed to refrain from buying anything… but before you commend me for my willpower, you should probably know that I avoided both Sephora and Lululemon like the plague — one step into either of those and I would have turned into a snivelling ball of goo.
Speaking of goo… Behold the wonder that was my evening snack…
I whipped up a batch of pumpkin chia pudding after seeing it over on Jessie’s blog last week, and while I’m still not completely sold, I can’t say I hated it. All I did was combine…
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
- 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- dash of ground nutmeg and cloves
… and let it sit for a while. It must have been the addition of pumpkin, because the texture didn’t skeeve me out like it usually does. Okay, let’s not kid ourselves here — it was all about the chocolate chips…
And that, ladies (and gentlemen?), was a full day of eats — from the moment my head left the pillow in the morning to the moment it hit my pillow again at night. Last week, Meghan shed some light on the fact that bloggers seem to be shying away from posting a full day of eats in favour of putting forth a better image or only sharing highlights from a handful of different days — something I’ve been guilty of as well.
But in Jenn’s own words:
It’s not about presenting an image of perfection or editing around eats to only show one recipe or a few pretty, carefully chosen photos — its about celebrating food, reflecting on what we love about our meals and sometimes what we hope to change, and inviting others into a day in your life! It’s about inspiration and mindfulness and welcoming the uniqueness of what we choose to stuff our faces with. No gimmicks, no restriction, just food!
So that’s what I’m going to start doing, and I’m hoping that others will join me as well. Its not about being perfect — it’s about being real. Happy What I Ate Wednesday, friends!
. – . – . – .
How do you feel about posting a full day of regular old eats?
White or brown rice?
Bowls or plates?
Do you still eat salads in the colder weather? Ever pair them with weird things?
Do you like chia pudding?
Lots of questions… I feel chatty 😀
Mmm… those chocolate chips in the last photo are giving me the urge to head out and find a cookie this afternoon 😉 I feel sometimes I do a full days of eats on my WIAW posts (when I actually get around to posting them…) and sometimes I just do random eats throughout the week. I like both styles and I still think it’s interesting to see the different types of foods everyone eats regardless of if it is throughout one day or spread throughout the week.
True story! I do love a good theme, but then I also love seeing how people balance their meals. If I had my d’ruthers, I’d make people do both 😛
Thats hardcore getting out there for a run in the snow! I’ve totally been a wimp and took my workout indoors once it went below 15 celcius..
I love both white and brown rice. I guess it depends on my mood? Sometimes I love how fluffy and soft white rice is, but other times I enjoy the chew and grainy-ness (?) of brown rice. And yes to bowls! Especially big bowls. There really is just some kind of comfort that comes along with eating out of a bowl.
LOL! I have tried to snack on kabocha while cooking it- does NOT work out haha. Same goes for sweet potatoes! Have a great day Amanda 🙂
Definitely a vote for white rice and I totally agree on the bowl! I could eat bowl after bowl if I’d let myself!
Do you have a recipe for the stir fry? It looks so good!
I usually don’t post a whole day of eats, mainly because I tend to eat the same thing again and again. But I do like to see what other people it.
I prefer brown rice, but only from the chinese restaurant. It’s fluffier. I also like bowls, but wide, shallow bowls. I’m actually really picky about the dishes/cups/utensils I use.
I actually have been turned off of salads, since I decided to stop eating nothing but them. 😉 I’m kidding, kind of, but I just haven’t craved one in a really long time. I’m just going with it.
I haven’t tried Chia Pudding. It looks kinda gross, and I’m not a fan of the texture of it when I use too much in overnight oats, so I think I’ll pass on that blogger food.
I don’t 🙁 It’s leftovers from dinner when I was over at my parents’ on the weekend, and I don’t even think my mom follows a specific recipe. And I hear ya on the chia — I’m not a big fan of the texture either, but the pumpkin helps mask it.
That oatmeal looks awesome! I never post every single thing I eat, usually just the yummier looking things. I hardly ever post all the snacks I eat at work, or any meals where I’m with other people or can’t get a good looking picture. That said, I’m incredibly nosy and love looking at what other people eat!
Okay, seeing that squash roasted and then topped with Greek yogurt has me sold. I am definitely roasting up my poor neglected Kabocha squash tonight! And I have to say that I have taken my running inside to. I don’t mind the snow so much but the ice is starting to drive me crazy.
I personally enjoying the full day of eats. The pictures sure aren’t the prettiest when you have to take most of the photos at your desk, but they are real!
Have a great Wednesday!
Ahh the ice — yeah that one is a problem for me as well. I take a good tumble at LEAST once every winter, so I’m probably not improving my chances by tempting fate and running outside…
It’s funny that you say you prefer bowls to plates – I actually love eating out of pasta bowl/plate things (like a flatter, wider bowl?) because then if there is a sauce it doesn’t spill and I can more easily scoop out what I am eating, even if it’s not really something that needs scooped, persay.
I definitely agree with the full day of eats, but I understand the themes as well. I think it’s all about the reader’s mindset and it’s up to them to decipher the post. I think I’m more of a brown rice person because I love the chewy texture! I’ve never had chia pudding, but I do have a bag of un-used chia seeds festering in my pantry so maybe I can give it a go sometime soon…. maybe. lol
I’m 100% a bowl and spoon person. If there’s a slight chance I can eat it with a spoon, I’m definitely doing it!
I try to remember to grab pictures of what I am eating throughout the day but to be honest I forget most of the time and the meal is gone when I do remember.
White or brown rice? No rice, I use cauliflower as a replacement. Lower carbs, more veggies and no tummy trouble.
Bowls or plates? Bowls!
Do you still eat salads in the colder weather? Salad every night with dinner, I toss anything and everything on them.
I definitely prefer bowls, unless I’m having a snack plate for dinner (duh). So glad you got a chance to talk to J! I really, really need you to send me a pic of you two ;).
I’m all for sharing a whole day of eats — I typically do unless I’m short on time (typically write my posts first thing in the morning) and then I’ll either share a recipe or skip the post entirely. Salads are eaten all year in our house but in the colder months I tend to top my green with warm veggies like sautéed peppers and mushrooms. And I prefer bowls over plates too… Life’s a Bowl 😉
I don’t often post a full day of what I eat not to mention I often forget to take pictures- I am too hungry most of the time to think about snapping the photo first lol. I agree though that there is no reason to project a “perfect” day of eats image – nothing and no one is perfect and what one person eats may or may not work for another person….I am totally off salads for lunch especially since I am trying to limit my veggie intake. I am much preferring sweet lunches these days like oatmeal and yogurt or a pb sandwich. Simple and delicious. I like pairing things though based on what I crave. On days I can’t decide what I want, I go with things like half a plate of grilled cheese and half a plate of apples and peanut butter. Btw, I GOT THE DONUT PAN!
YOU DID! Prepare to start wanting to make ALL the things in that pan. For whatever reason, the circular shape just makes things taste better 😉
I am totally the same with bowls over plates! I even have some slightly bowl shaped plates to use when I need them! I have always posted a full day of eats, and the reason I love WIAW so much is that when I started blogging every post was like that! I enjoying seeing full days of eats rather than round ups, cause I’m noisy 😉 but I’m also inspired how other bloggers get their own balance right.
I’ve always loved your WIAWs for that reason. And ahhhh yes… the good old days. I miss them too…
Ahh, first off, I absolutely love your mug, it’s so cute and fun! Also, the pudding you made looks great and super simple to recreate. To answer your questions, I do eat salads year-round and love to put things like winter squash and other roasted veggies in there to add additional flavor and taste.
YUMMM I want that pumpkin chia pudding right now! Looks delicious! I always forget to snap photos of the random snacks I have between meals (an apple here or there, grab a bar and eat on the run, etc.), but I certainly do love Jenn’s words and will be trying to snap a photo of everything for next week’s WIAW!
I couldn’t agree more with Meghan! One of the things I love most about certain bloggers is that they share it all – the good, the bad, the ugly. Of course, I understand when some things just can’t be shared, but I appreciate and value REALness. So thanks for sharing it ALL with us. 🙂 I try my best to do that on my WIAW posts as well.
Have a great Wednesday, Girl!
I tend to go back and forth on the regular WIAW eats – I always post a full day, but sometimes it’s a regular day and sometimes it’s a more ‘special’ day – birthday or date nights or whathaveyou. Despite the fact that I know I like seeing people’s regular eats and people keep telling me that they feel the same way…I always end up worrying that my regular eats are too boring to post on a regular basis.
As for rice, I’m not picky. I’ll usually buy brown, but I have no problem eating white, wild, long grain, short grain…it’s all good.
Bowls are infinitely better than plates. Always the way to go 😉
I’v been a little afraid to try chia pudding – I don’t mind the texture in oats and whatnot, but for whatever reason I’m a little afraid to try the actual pudding. But pumpkin and chocolate chips do make everything better, so maybe I need to try your version.
I eat less salad in the winter, but I definitely still eat it. Right now I just throw some sort of protein, squash, and dressing or salsa on spinach and call it good for lunch most days of the week. Works for me!
And running for me just does not happen in the winter. I get pretty bad sinus headaches if I’m out exercising in the cold, so I stick to the gym!
If it helps, I am NOT a fan of regular chia pudding, but the pumpkin makes a nice difference. And yes… my nose was running faster than I was…
i loved on white rice in my last post…mostly because i failed repeatedly at cooking brown rice (blaming a temperamental stove) but really because it is so much more delicious. i used to eat white rice with butter for like the MAJORITY of my meals when i was a kid and super picky. i still love it and have it on christmas every year when we have bushels of white rice with our gumbo. yum. now i’m wanting rice.
Don’t worry — I fail at cooking brown rice as well. Even white rice can give me problems if I’m not paying enough attention, which is kind of embarrassing. And rice with butter… basically a dish I grew up on. The only thing is that I’d sprinkle mine with cinnamon sometimes.
Those donuts….I’m drooling just looking at them! Chocolate donut holes have always been my fave.
Although I participate in WIAW, I never post a full day of eats. It’s usually just a mishmash of things I’ve been loving 🙂
Brown rice FTW! I like black rice even better 🙂
Bowls. I have a weakness for them 😛
I pretty much eat a salad everyday, even in the chill of winter and I LOVE chia pudding (eating it as I write this reply!)
Hi Amanda! I just started a blog and I love reading everyone’s WIAW. I haven’t decided whether to do mine yet or not. I’m still feeling out blogging and finding a grove but I love that you posted everything. When I work at home I tend to snack a lot. I love white rice too by the way! It’s the best thing for me before a race instead of pasta!
That applesauce looks ah-mazing! Perfect for this fall weather!
Working at my computer is the worst thing ever for my diet. No wonder so many people with desk jobs have weight issues. I spend the same amount of time at my computer at home on my days off, just with more walking breaks and puppy play time then I do when I go in to the office and MAN do I eat more at the office!! Its like sitting in front of the computer sucks the food from my tummy and fires up my appetite. Ok just kidding, its just boredom eating in truth lol
I swear we have so much in common!:)
I make almost the exact same snack at night with a few moderations. I use Greek yogurt in it, stir in protein powder ( Sunwarrior), use stevia instead of maple syrup and I can only use about 1 tsp. of chia ( more does a rollercoaster on my stomach). I used to love white rice as a kid, but now, don’t like brown or white, despite how healthy brown is. Wild rice, however, is the jam! That stuff is freaking good, but it’s so pricey if you buy the good stuff, I just usually forego it.
I make it a point NOT to go to the mall months before I do my Christmas shopping, or it’s just not pretty. Online shopping resistance is hard enough, and I’ll be honest, that doesn’t go great all the time, especially when I have to write articles for All Women Stalk for work ABOUT products at Sephora. Really, it’s torture:) I’m eyeing that holiday gift set myself missy!:)
If you try running outdoors, a few tips are to get some handwarmers and shirts by Under Armour. They make KILLER lined pants, leggings and shirts that are so warm, you’ll actually start sweating, yet they’re incredibly sleek and totally chic looking:)
Sorry I rambled- coffee and Crio Bru combined does that to me:) Have a lovely day!!:)
Ugh! I couldn’t even imagine having to write about Sephora at this time of the year — talk about torture. But if you’re a VIB, their 20% off sale runs tomorrow through Monday, so it’s a good excuse to pick up some of those goodies 😉
Having kabocha for breakfast is totally justifiable! I had me some several weeks ago – with honey and cinnamon and a dollop of PB – but for the last couple of weeks, temps in the am have been round the 40 degree mark and only oatmeal helps me on those days – I have started running indoors too – but my idea of “cold” differs greatly from yours 😉
I have yet to do a “WIAW” all day post – but posting a day of eats is a WONDERFUL idea! I think I might just do so next wednesday – thanks lady for the post idea 🙂
Actually, am not a big rice lover – I grew up eating rice for EVERY meal somedays…we used to have “kiribath” (hardened rice pudding) for breakfast, rice and meats fr lunch and rice and vegs for dinner…I do love quinoa and cous cous though.
In a bowl always seems to work best for me too! Unless it’s oatmeal – i eat that right out of the pan!
As for salads…I do crave the min the winter, but I usually have to have a cup of hot chocolate with me to warm me up (yup I take being a cold wimp to another level)
I have yet to try chia pudding – I add chia seeds to oats sometimes but have not made my own pudding-yet!
Yay to chocolate chips – they make EVERYTHING better 🙂
Oh, soooo delicious! After I’m done commenting, I need to eat breakfast because now my stomach is growling! 😉 I made a chocolate chia pudding way back when that was tasty, but I haven’t tried pumpkin chia before. I’ll have to give that a try! I prefer brown rice and plates and I do like a good salad in the wintertime.
And, I don’t know if I’ve told you before, but your pics are seriously amazing! 🙂 You’re a great photographer!
And you’re super sweet for saying so! Thanks Holly 😀
So weird. I just made some pumpkin chia pudding 2 days ago. It’s my new favourite thing…except I blend the chia pudding because I just can’t handle the tapioca texture all those chia seeds give. Which is weird since I usually love them.
Your day of eats looks so wonderful. Yum.
That actually sounds like a great idea. Do you blend the seeds before? Or just throw everything in the blender once it’s mixed?
I throw it all in there once it’s all mixed together and then allow it to thicken in the fridge! A lot better in my opinion 🙂
I totally have the same snacking need when I am sitting in front of my PC – and also NO hunger at all when I am running errands. so weird – but I’ll take it 🙂
And yes for bowls!! I can’t remember when I ate from a plate the last time – I think I only do this at restaurants.
I just realized that I never eat rice – it doesn’t speak to me and I never crave it. Probably because I ate it for every meal when I worked on the Philippines 3,5 months…..
That all looks so delicious, it’s making my drool all over my computer screen! I have the same problem, though. I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS eat my ingredients… and then I want to know why the recipe didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to. Oh well.
While I’m curious to see full days of eats on others’ blogs I consider mine both too boring and ‘fear’ being judged for repetitiveness or certain things I eat. In a way also because I easily feel self-conscious knowing that I eat a lot …
Brown rice for me – but only short grain because long grain is too “dry” for me. And it’s not about the health aspect but I just really prefer the nutty flavour and heartier texture.
I’m undecided about bowls versus plates. Bowls have a comfier feel about them but it can be harder to get every last bit out of them if they’re really deep. The one you used for dinner is pretty much my ideal lunch/dinner plate/bowl whereas I eat my snacks from bowls.
Happy Wednesday, Amanda!
I’m glad you didn’t hateeee the chia pudding. I think it’s definitely a treat that has to grow on you after a couple times. You know what I mean? I noticed that it took me a couple bites in to really start enjoying it. You agree, or no? Ha Ha!
I’ve been meaning to ask you, how’s the LD relationship been holding up? Have you been able to see each other or no? Shoot me an email if you want!
Have a lovely day, darling!
It definitely grew on me! And it’s nice to have a little more variety when it comes to snacks. As for the LDR, things are going well. It’s not a cake walk, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. We haven’t been able to see each other yet, but we’re planning to in a couple of months.
And you’d best believe that I’m going to hit you up with an e-mail soon! Especially because I need to pick your brain about IIN
I don’t ever post a full day, but that’s because I can never remember to take enough pictures! I am usually inhaling food when I realize I should have taken a picture, lol, so I switched to posting recent meals that I do remember to take photos of. It works, haha.
I hear ya about running in the cold. i can’t say it’s my favorite thing, but I’m warming up to it. As long as I’m all bundled up, it’s not too too bad. Love that you are still on the running kick 🙂
Umm, that day of food sounds utterly amazing. I like the idea of salsa in a salad…never would have thought!
I love your “being real” attitude and I can just say that Jenn got to the heart of it in her comment. Also, don’t worry every person I know gets terribly snacky when it comes to studying or working at home the whole day. I try to stick with healthy snacks and your pumpkin-greek yogurt mash sounds actually quite delightful to me!
Regarding the winter-running: I prepared myself this year by purchasing a fleece sweater, compression socks, running gloves and my dad gave me the perfect hat. Thus I hope that this will be the first winter where I don’t need to take a break because of being such a wimp 🙂
I’m definitely going to have to go out and look for some thermal running gear, but it gets COLD here in Canada, so I’m not sure if it would just be a waste 😕
Your mug is Too Cute and the homemade applesauce looks delicious!
Yesterday morning I tried snacking on carrots, I guess your not the only one who likes veggies in the morning! I usually order brown rice unless i’m eating chinese and then I will go with white. I love making rice pudding or rice breakfast bowls with leftover rice.
Jen’s words are amazing! I feel like everyone has gone a little crazy over the implications of WIAW, but with eats like yours why wouldn’t I want to copy you? But for real, you eat so well! I want it all. I’ve ever linked up to WIAW mainly because I eat a lot of the same things over and over and people would stop reading after a while…oh and whipping out my camera at work just isn’t an option!
I’ve been posting random eats from different days recently, mostly because I haven’t been disciplined enough to snap every snack I eat while I’m at school or dance. But I love seeing a full day of eats like you have here, and I’d love to show a full day of eats on my blog soon too!
I used to avoid white rice because I thought it was too processed or whatever, but I don’t mind brown or white now. I do love the distinct flavors of both, but the texture of brown rice is my favorite.
Bowls all the way!! My bowls are often filled with salads too, even during the winter. I top my salads with lots of things like you do, and I love that you had yours with a bowl of cereal! Sometimes I have those strange side dish cravings that don’t go with my meal whatsoever. Like a big yogurt bowl with …avocado toast on the side. 😉
It’s definitely hard to snap pictures while you’re out and about, but a trick I’ve found that helps with that is to snap what you pack before you leave — that way you don’t have to worry about it later. And the processing of white rice isn’t actually all that bad… Brown rice contains phytic acid, which interferes with iron and zinc absorption in the body. The only way to get rid of it is to soak your grains for a few hours before cooking them, or to just eat white rice.
Thanks so much for the tip! I’ll definitely do that for my lunches since that’s the meal I tend to have somewhere besides home. And thanks for the info on brown rice! I have read about more cons of brown rice recently, and I had been eating white rice my whole life before I became a little too uptight about eating “healthy” foods.
I used to post what I ate every single day. The thing is… I didn’t post and never will of how much I eat of everything. I think I’m more worried about someone copying me and trying to eat the same thing I do. So I stopped posting everything I eat every single day (Except for WIAW) and I just post either what was really good, or what was different. Like Jenn said, It’s about celebrating food. The good, the bad, and in some of my pictures… the ugly (But still delicious)
I love seeing fellow bloggers’ eats. Although I’m sure it can spur up comparison and act as a trigger, it can also provide plenty of meal inspiration and idea…at least the latter is what I get out of WIAW posts. For example, you have spurred a stir fry craving with rice and I might just have to do that for dinner tonight. I prefer the nutty taste of brown rice over white but if white’s only on offer, I’ll happily eat it. And I’m so with you about bowls over plates- aside from the comfort factor, it also results in less spillage which is ideal when most of your lounging-about t-shirts are white ;)!
Happy Wednesday, girlie!