Well, hello there World! Yay, Monday’s over right?! You know my relationship with Mondays by now. We just don’t always get along so well. However I had something very fun to look forward to later in the evening. But first, breakfast.

This morning I went back to an old favorite, Blueberry Oatmeal. I decided to switch it up slightly and add a tablespoon of egg white in the baking process to bulk up the protein content a bit. This turned out amazingly berrylicious.

On the stove top I cooked 1/4 cup old fashioned oats, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, and 1/4 cup frozen blueberries. I cooked this mixture on medium heat for about 2 minutes and then added 1 tablespoon liquid egg whites. I cooked for about 1 more minute, removed from heat and added stevia for some sweetness, along with brown sugar and 1/2 ripe banana. The result was creamy berry oats.

My lunch

Lunch was delayed slightly and cut short, but I had planned on going home for lunch therefore did not pack anything so still went home. I felt like I had to stuff my face which I HATE doing. I don’t like eating so fast because then I end up with a belly ache but knew I needed to eat enough to hold me over until after work. I started off with an Apple Cinnamon Chobani. Num! Then I had some Special K with Berries cereal, the rest of the  banana I had leftover from this morning, and a bite of peanut butter. Good, but random lunch that was lacking in the vegetable department. But I had plans for later that would make up for that.

The afternoon flew by at work and then I headed to the gym to get a quick workout in. I ran/walked 1 mile on the treadmill, then moved to the elliptical for 5 minutes, then headed to do some weights and abs. I don’t feel like I got the best workout in today. I went to a gym that I don’t usually go to so was unfamiliar with the setup of weights, and it was PACKED and wasn’t able to do everything I wanted in the amount of time I had. Oh, well. At least I did something active!

After the gym I headed out to meet a good friend, Courtney! We met at our dietetic internship in Wisconsin but she lives in the Twin Cities as well! We went through A LOT together in the internship and developed a very special bond.

We met at the Good Earth which is a wonderful restaurant that is all about natural, unprocessed foods. They get their food from local farmers and have developed a menu that I dream about. After about 6 minutes of contemplating, I decided on the vegetarian chili and tropical spinach salad and Courtney ordered the Vegetable Enchiladas.

While we waited for our dishes we grazed on some flat bread, whole grain bread and homemade hummus and gabbed away, catching up  on each others lives. Then our goodness arrived:

Vegetarian Chili: Garbanzo beans and seasonal vegetables, tomatoes and spices, topped with shredded cheddar jack cheese, blue corn chips and one of my most favorite herbs, CILANTRO! This was awesome.

And so was my salad. Tropical Spinach Salad was fresh spinach, mango, jicama, sweet red bell pepper, caramelized pecans, and served with a super tasty tahini poppyseed dressing. I ate every bite. I highly recommend Good Earth if you have one in the area. I have never eaten anything there that I didn’t absolutely love… and it’s organic!

I did snap a shot of Court’s Vegetable Enchiladas as well because I thought they looked very nummy. Thanks Court for trying to “rearrange” the dish to make it look prettier haha! In the mix was corn tortillas stuffed with zucchini, corn, tomatoes, poblano peppers, Monterey Jack cheese, and cilantro topped with their homemade enchilada sauce, brown rice,  lettuce, and black beans.

Two thumbs up Good Earth! Great as always, and even better company to enjoy the experience with. Thank you. Once dinner was over we continued to chit chat and then headed our separate ways. What a nice way to spend a Monday evening. I loved catching up and hope we can do it again soon Courtney!

Once I got home I turned out Bachelorette and that is where I am still! Oh the drama. We DVR’d The Next Great Baker Season Finale tonight and plan on watching that within the next couple days. Go Nadine! I am going to try and keep my head out of the entertainment world so I don’t find out the results before I watch the show but I have a feeling I won’t be able to avoid it.

Sleep well everyone! Good night.