Tag: smoothie

Happy Weekend, Indeed

Posted on July 16, 2016July 17, 2016 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Hi guys, and happy weekend!

I’ve survived two weeks of my first “real world” job, and so far, so good!

I’m loving my coworkers and the work seems right up my alley. It’ll be a while before I’m up to speed, but I’m learning so much and enjoying the process and getting to know my colleagues!

Anyway, I know I haven’t been on here as much as I wanted to this summer – between finding an apartment, moving in, starting work, and trying to relax and see friends and fam, the chance to blog has slipped away. Ugh!

I thought I would get on here today to say hello and share a few pictures from the past couple weeks. You can also find these pics on my Instagram (@LaurRuns). Follow along for daily photos!

My morning workout + fave post-workout snack!

Loving the new Panera peach blueberry power smoothie with almond milk!

Lunch outside with my mom at one of my favorite casual restaurants in my hometown (before I moved to Boston). Love spending time with her (and the good food doesn’t hurt ;)). This was a spinach wrap with turkey, spicy honey mustard, lettuce, tomato, walnuts, and dried cranberries, plus a side salad. Yum!

One of my work day outfits from last week. I’m fortunate that we have a casual dress code and can wear whatever we want! This means I can still wear all my old college class clothes (minus the workout clothes I usually wore…) or business casual – whatever I’m in the mood for. So nice!

The CEO of our company is amazing and had us all over for food and drinks at her gorgeous home on Tuesday evening. I enjoyed spending time with my coworkers, sipping rosé, and snacking on watermelon (x5), sliders, and mini wraps. Can’t wait for more of these nights in the future!

The scene of my peaceful, quiet Saturday morning – exactly what I needed after super early mornings and busy work days. Waking up naturally (at 8:45), sipping coffee, listening to podcasts, reading magazines, and then getting an awesome 5 miles in (while exploring my new neighborhood) was the perfect start to my weekend.

I hope you guys are enjoying your summer, and that I get to talk to you all again soon!

A Weekend Full of (Foodie) Favorites

Posted on January 4, 2016July 16, 2016 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I can’t believe it’s 2016. This is the year I graduate college! <- That is crazy.

Anyway, I hope you had a great New Year’s Eve and holiday weekend!

I’m coming at you today with a recap of my year so far. 😉

Continue reading “A Weekend Full of (Foodie) Favorites” →

‘Typical’ Won’t Be So Typical

Posted on August 20, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Happy Hump Day!

As I said in my last post, I haven’t been able to get on here as much as I wanted to lately between working, packing, seeing friends, and getting ready to leave this Sunday for my semester abroad in Italy.

I’m packing like a mad woman these days, but I really wanted to drop by here quickly to do one last WIAW in America (til late December anyway!). My next WIAW will be in Europe. Ummm WHAT?!?

It still has yet to hit me. I think it won’t sink in until I’m literally at the airport. What has kind of hit me is that the food I eat and the things I do all the time here, my ‘typical’, if you will, won’t be so typical when I’m in Europe. I can’t wait to find out (read: taste) what my new ‘typical’ will be!

As always, thanks to Jenn for this lovely link-up!

My typical breakfast as of late has been a ‘strawberry banana mocha protein smoothie’. Looks sad, tastes like Starbucks. Just sayin’.

In the blender: 1/2 frozen banana + 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt + handful frozen strawberries & spinach + 1/2 scoop chocolate whey protein powder + ice + splash (or five) of coffee. Perfection.

I’ve been really into cheese and fruit lately. You know how much I love my eggs, so I’ve found that scrambling an egg with laughing cow mozzarella and thinly sliced fruit is fabulous (granny smith apples, white nectarines, or pears have been my go-to’s). Add some form of carbs (naturally) and you have a complete meal!

Screen Shot 2014-08-20 at 12.18.16 PM — Instagram @ FuelingFab

As good as this combo is, I absolutely cannot wait for Italian mozzarella (and every other kind of cheese). All day, everyday, baby.

I will miss my Cosi. It’s my fave, I think that’s pretty clear to see if you’ve read my blog for, like, a week.

Of course I’ll greatly miss my parents’ home cooked meals that I get so used to when I’m living at home for the summer. My mom and dad are the best (I’ll miss them for way more than their food, trust me).

And, let’s be honest, I’ll miss my wraps. Love these, maybe a little too much.

I would also say I’ll miss my daily ice-cream (or drumstick cones!), but I have a feeling that Italian gelato might give it a run for it’s money. I can’t want to try the real deal.

I know Europe will be absolutely breathtaking, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t miss this.

I will undoubtedly miss home. Both of my homes.

Screen Shot 2014-08-20 at 12.55.55 PM — Instagram @ FuelingFab

Well, unfortunately that’s all I have time for today! Time to go pack til I ~~drop~~ nap.

I will see ya soon from Italy (if I can’t get on here sooner)! Eeek!

xo’s

PS – As you know, there are a number of changes I want to make to this lil old blog of mine (becoming self-hosted, changing the title, etc).

That being said, leaving the US for a semester is a pretty big deal. Next week, I’ll likely have no internet yet, plus I’ll be very busy becoming accustomed, meeting new people, exploring my new home, getting ready for classes to begin, and having fun!

I hate to be repetitive here (and I apologize if you’re reading this for the second time), but as I said in my last post, I plan to document everything (food, fashion, ((prob not so much fitness, but maybe?)), and fun all over Europe!), so I hope you will come along for the ride. I’ll be sharing my adventures (plus outfits, eats, and all that good stuff) on here, as well as on Instagram!

So buckle up, sit tight, and join me on this journey, because it’s about to get a LOT more fabulous. 😉

Chili on a Hot Day… (Plus a COLD Smoothie Recipe)

Posted on July 20, 2013 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Last night, my mom and I cooked up a nice big pot of chili. Perfect way to ‘chill’ out on a 95 degree day, no?

Yeah…not exactly.

Luckily, we’re fortunate enough to have central air, so we can still make hot meals during the hot summer months.

As promised, here is the chili recipe (from a Taste of Home cookbook) that I love to make any time of year!

~~~~~~~~~~

Hunter’s Chili

(Recipe from Taste of Home)

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 1-1/2 hours
Yield: 18 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked bratwurst links (*I use kielbasa)
1 pound ground beef
2 cups chopped onions
1 large green pepper, chopped
4 cups water
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (4 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves

Directions

In a 6-qt. Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat, brown bratwurst; drain. Remove and thinly slice; return to pan along with beef, onion and green pepper.
Cook over medium heat until beef is browned and onion is tender; drain. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours. Discard bay leaves before serving.
Yield: 14-18 servings (4-1/2 quarts).

Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 cup) equals 212 calories

~~~~~~~~~~

The final product! It was a tad more liquid-y than normal because we halved the recipe and didn’t include some of the ingredients (pinto beans, mushrooms, some of the tomato sauce).

I actually liked it a bit more broth-y because it was perfect for dipping my beloved rolls into!

I finished a superb day of eats with an ice cream cone at my friend’s house. Nothing says summertime quite like a belly full of chili and ice cream! Well, maybe not the chili part…

~~~~~~~~~~

This morning was a whirlwind. From the moment I woke up, it was go, go go!

It was one of those days where there’s no time to waste making a meal, but you need the fuel more than ever, so I took 5 minutes out of the chaos to blend up a quick smoothie:

Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie

-1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

-1/2 cup cold water (more or less depending on what thickness you like)

-1/2 frozen banana

-4 or 5 frozen strawberries

-small handful frozen spinach

~~~~~~~~~~

I also snacked on a hardboiled egg for some additional protein to power me through my morning.

I worked from 8:30-2:30 without taking a break for lunch (I ate my egg around 9 and sipped on my smoothie as slowly as possible until I finished it around 10). Going that long was rough to say the least, and by the time I got home I was famished.

I practically sprinted into my house and reached for whatever I could get my hands on fast enough and lunch ended up being quite a hodgepodge of things.

I’m usually a slow, savor-every-bite kind of eater, but today I managed to scarf down a wheat wrap with almond butter, cinnamon, and banana slices, way more than a normal serving size of BBQ pop chips, a glass of vanilla almond milk, and a white nectarine in possibly less time than it just took me to write that.

As quickly as this neat little beauty was assembled, it was gone.

After ‘lunch’, I got right to work on some internship stuff, then did a quick workout, and then ate a few large handfuls of almonds and an apple.

~~~~~~~~~~

Finalllllly, I was able to relax, take a nice long shower, and sit down to eat dinner with the fam.

The steamed broccoli looks pretty lame, but that was only half of the side order and I went back for the second half after I wolfed down the wrap (filled with grilled chicken, avocado, hummus, veggies, and raspberry vinaigrette).

I guess I ~~was~~ am a hungry girl today…

Now it’s time to hang with some of my friends who I haven’t seen in quite some time since we’ve all been so darn busy. Not sure what exactly we’re going to do, but I can quite confidently predict that ice cream is on the agenda! 😉

~~~~~~~~~~

Hope your Friday is going well, and that you have an amazing weekend!! 🙂

Lately

Posted on July 18, 2013 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

As I keep saying, I’ve been super busy lately but through all the work and craziness, I’ve had one thing on my mind – this blog!

I’ve been attempting to take lots of (discreet) pictures of my meals lately, because 1) they’ve been delish and 2) I want to share them with you!

So, here are some of the things I’ve been nommin’ lately.

~~~~~~~~~~

On Monday night, my mom and I made Julie‘s Healthy Italian Meatloaf. We had never made this recipe before, but we love her BBQ Meatloaf, so we figured this one would be just as tasty!

Yes, that's more corn (off) the cob...I'm kinda obsessed at the moment. — And yes, that’s more corn (off) the cob…I’m kinda obsessed at the moment.

Once again, another one of Julie’s recipes did not disappoint!

*Side note: The rolls that are basically always pictured on my plate are Multi-Grain Pepperidge Farm Stone Baked Artisan Dinner Rolls.

(source)

I know “multigrain” is not always the best choice for bread products, and I generally choose whole grain/wheat, but these are so good I just can’t resist. I probably have one for dinner about three times a week! Basically all my other grains are whole, which is what I recommend.

~~~~~~~~~~

While watching The Bachelorette on Monday night, I sampled a few scoops of the Cookies N Cream SO Delicious Coconut Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert that my friend had in her freezer.

I wasn’t expecting it to taste so coconut-y, but I was pleasantly surprised! It certainly doesn’t taste like normal dairy ice cream, but it’s light and refreshing! I would definitely have it again!

I snapped this pic after scarfing down half of my serving! Yum. — I snapped this pic after ~~scarfing down~~ daintily sampling half of my serving! Yum.

~~~~~~~~~~

Last night, the boy and I went to California Pizza Kitchen! We love all their food, especially their pizza and salads! I especially love the Waldorf Chicken salad, which is “A right-coast classic with a left-coast makeover. Grapes, green apples, candied walnuts, crisp celery, field greens and Gorgonzola tossed with housemade Dijon balsamic vinaigrette”.

I also am obsessed with this bad boy.

That would be the California Veggie, “Decked out with fresh vegetables! Baby broccoli, eggplant, corn, red onions, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, Mozzarella and tomato sauce”. I always get it on the honey-wheat with whole grain crust, and I finish it all by myself every single time. I’m telling you, I can really put it away ;).

After digesting for a few hours, my stomach began to growl. Around 10:00, I scoped out his freezer and found this little guy.

(source)

Oh my gosh. The perfect size, the perfect flavor, the perfect nighttime treat. LOVE it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lately for breakfast I’ve been whipping up microwave mug eggs with salsa, and a smoothie. I love the warm, savory eggs paired with the cold, sweet smoothie! The perfect combo on a summer morning.

So thick and creamy - almost like having ice cream for breakfast! — So thick and creamy – almost like having ice cream for breakfast!

They may not be the most pleasing to the eye, but they sure do please my grumbling belly!

~~~~~~~~~~

I know I keep saying it, but I really want to start posting some recipes and workouts (I’ve done a lot of good ones lately!!). I also realize I’ve been slacking in the fashion posts department :(, mostly because I’ve been lazy with my outfits and just wearing running shorts and tanks. Once my internship/work schedule becomes more regular, I’m hoping I can find the time to make this blog everything I want it to be… and more!

~~~~~~~~~~

I just ate dinner (an awesome chili recipe I will share probably in my next post), and now I’m off to walk my neighbor’s golden retrievers and then head to my friend’s house to hang out!

Hope your week is going well! It’s almost the weekend!! 🙂

Themes and Things

Posted on June 27, 2013 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

So I made a big decision about the blog today! Instead of doing a daily theme, I’m just going to do whatever ‘theme’ comes to me when I sit down and write. Although I think clever alliterations like ‘Motivation’ Monday, ‘What I Wore’, ‘One Word’, or ‘Workout’ Wednesday, and ‘Fun Facts’ Friday are super cute and fun, I’m finding it challenging to make my life match those daily themes. I will definitely do posts with those titles, but I will do them when they fit the day I’m having. There are days when I stay in workout clothes, days when I don’t have any new, exciting eats, days when I just don’t find anything that worthy of an in-depth recap. On days like that, I would really struggle trying to force a post that fulfills a certain ‘day’ if that’s not the day I’ve had. Blogging is a part of my life, and I’m not willing to form my days around a silly little post.

Now that a decision has been made and made clear on here, let’s get to the fun stuff!

~~~~~~~~~~

I started my day with a quick breakfast consisting of a smoothie and a hard boiled egg for additional protein.

I couldn't wait to slurp down the smoothie...so here's half of it! — I couldn’t wait to sip on this bad boy…so here’s half of it!

In the smoothie:

-1/2 frozen banana

-4 frozen strawberries

-handful frozen spinach

-1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

-little under 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

~~~~~~~~~~

After scarfing down that breakfast, I did a 50 minute workout which was comprised of:

-5 minute circuit (jumping jacks, jump rope, high knees, jump rope, jumping jacks)

-2 mile run on treadmill

-5 minute circuit (speed skaters, butt kicks, box jumps, snowboard jumps, squat kicks)

-2 mile run on treadmill

-5 minute circuit (sumo squats, Heisman shuffle, calf raises, jumping lunges, bridges)

-3 minute planks (1 minute front, 1 minute each side)

-STRETCHED and rolled (I’ll have to show you my stretching routine one of these days!)

~~~~~~~~~~

Once I showered and did a little intern work, I made a quick lunch of a whole grain bagel with crunchy peanut butter and raspberry fruit spread.

I have an interview in a little while so I needed to put on a decent outfit. I loved the outfit I wore for the family pics on Saturday, so I decided to do a look similar to that (sorry if I’m boring you with basically the same outfit in different colors…I’ll show you something different soon!).

Once again – the shorts, belt, and shirt are J.Crew!

The bow earrings are Francesca’s, and unfortunately I have no clue where the little twists are from.

The watch is Relic, and the two bracelets are Alex and Ani! I wear all three of these every single day.

And on my feet, I’m wearing my ~~dirty~~ silver Jack Rogers!

~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of my day looks like this: interview, coffee (and a snack for me!) with a friend, dinner (which I think will be hamburgers, sweet potato fries, and fruit salad) with the fam, then hopefully ice cream with some friends tonight!

Hope you have a great day!