WIFW: What I Fasted Wednesday

L'Shanah Tovah, everyone!

Today was Yom Kippur, the biggest and most important holiday on the Jewish calendar. I took a personal day, and made the journey home to celebrate with my family at my home synagogue. 

The purpose of the holiday is to reflect on the past year, repent for sins, and to ask for forgiveness and for a good new year. In addition, we are expected to fast from sundown to sundown, and concept that still makes me a bit too anxious and nervous. But, more on that later.

Today, I spent about 8 hours in services, praying and reflecting. I thought a lot about this past year and all the changes it has brought.

I made lots of mistakes.

I made lots of self-discoveries.

I had lots of sins to repent for.

And, repent I did.

The thing that I love most about Yom Kippur is ending it with a feeling of a new fresh start. An opportunity to start again, free of guilt from the mistakes of last year. A chance to do things anew. Not necessarily to do things over again, but to re-try doing things right.

As I sat there reflecting, I decided that my goal and focus for the year is going to be love. In my life, I have felt the most presence of God (or whatever you want to call a higher spiritual power) in the strong, unconditional relationships that I have experienced, witnessed, and encountered in my life.

My intent for the upcoming year is to treat every person in my life with upmost love and respect, including my family, students, and people I may meet throughout the year.

The first step, though, is starting with myself. I have felt lately like I am out of touch with myself, both physically and emotionally. When it comes down to food and exercise, everything feels out of balance. I'm either famished or bloated. No in between. I almost feel like I have forgotten how to feed myself. I have this idea in my head about what my body needs, but the way my body feels tells me it's not right anymore. I have put on some puffy weight that I am not liking. As a result, I am emotionally suffering too. I know that I am transitioning. Figuring out my new work schedule and all that. But I hate the way I feel. I hate the way my clothes are fitting. I hate the way I look right now. 

It's wearing on me.

So, starting fresh with this New Year, I am going to make a real effort to listen to what my body is telling me I need. And figure out what works for me again.

That started today. Yes, we are supposed to fast for 24 hours. But, I woke up this morning already hungry. So I ate breakfast. Then, I ate lunch. Yes, I did not keep the fast. Call me a "bad Jew" but I don't feel bad about it.

I didn't snap any pictures, but I'm sure you know what oatmeal and a salad looks like. The most important "Good Habit" that I am falling into? Listening to what my body needs and answering it.

Thanks Jenn!

So, L'Shanah Tovah! Happy New Year, and here's to a fresh, loving start!
~ Rach

WIAW busy day

Considering how leisurely my summer has been going, today was quite the busy day. With school starting so soon, things are really picking up, and I'm getting excited! And nervous and overwhelmed and anxious...

but mostly excited!

So check it. While I still have the time!

Thanks, Jenn, for the highlight of my week!

7:00 alarm goes off. 

Kind of early, but no biggie, I had been up for a while. I having trouble sleeping lately, and I have no idea why. Boo.

Morning started with some hot lemon water and blog reading while I waited for the water to work it's magic. TMI? 

 This was followed soon after with Breakfast (7:30ish): apple, protein frosting/dip, Ezekiel sprinkled with a little natural sugar and cinnamon pre-toasting. Yummy

After digesting, I headed out for my workout (8:30ish): 

just over 4 miles in  ~47 min- I've been doing intervals running 10min, walking, run 10 min etc
then I did some oblique/ab workout I found somewhere. sorry I don't remember

Enter shower, random compulsive cleaning, list making, and dressing, and I was off!

With my snack in hand: 

 Smoothie consumed en route too...

A teacher's mecca! So many supplies and posters and manipulatives and resouces!

Unless, you're a spanish teacher. Then, this is all you get.

My one measly end cap. I did get a few books of stickers and some stamps. And I also got some board trim, but it was a bummer to see how small of a section my content has. Oh, well it just means I had to get craft!

I totally flaked on getting a pic of my lunch, but this bad boy salad was incredible. And, it included avocado, happy eggs, and tofu. Two sources of both healthy fat and protein in one bowl!? Who is this girl!

 

Lunch desert was mighty tasty too: Ezekiel tortilla with PB and strawberries.

After some vacuuming and poster creating, afternoon snack.

Too many handfuls of these awesome spiced pumpkin seeds, and a lentil rice veggie burger. My appetite was weird today.

 Oh just some proof that actual work was done today.

And then, Dinner

 Soba noodle bowl covered in sauteed broccoli, zucchini, and tofu.

And, naturally, dessert

Classic cocoa oats topped with PB.

Tomorrow is going to be filled with some major classroom decorating and organizing! Can't wait to make that place feel like my own!

¡Salud!

~ Rach

WIAW: Teacher on Summer Break

This summer, I have more spare time than I know what to do with. And, let me tell you, I have been soaking it all up! This is probably the last summer that I will have so much leisure time since I'll have to supplement income be traveling the world during future summers.

I've been moving in, getting settled, curriculum planning and making myself comfortable in my new city. And, while I've been loving the independence and the "me" time that I have been getting, I am beginning to get sick of myself. It's pretty lonely here since I haven't started working or meeting people really, and it's beginning to wear on me.

I know it will get better as my job starts and I meet my coworkers and have something set to do all day, but right now, it's just frustrating. Part of me wishes I had the balls to just go out and walk up to people and say "hi". But, I'm uncomfortable doing that. Eh, maybe one day.

Anywho, let's move on to something more positive... liiiiiike... WIAW!

What I Ate Wednesday; 

A day on the life of a teacher on Summer Break!

Here we go with Tuesday, which was a pretty typical summer weak day:

7:00- Wake up. Coffee. Breakfast #1

rice cakes with potein frosting and some berries.

8:00- Workout

      With my recent workout enlightenment, my workouts have been the best in a while. Today, I did 3.5 miles followed my some Yoga Meltdown with my chick, Jillian. Felt awesome. And sweaty. It's been boiling here again!

9:30- Breakfast #2

Monstruo Verde: vanilla Sun Warrior, frozen mixed berries, spinach and almond milk blended to smoothie perfection. 

 11:30-1:30- Pool Time! Yea life is rough.

1:30- Shower. Lunch.

Big ol' salad: romaine, carrots, tomatoes, avocado, chick peas, cukes, basil from my garden!, topped with nooch, balsalmic, and loads of pepper.

second course: apple, cinnamon, PB. matches made in heaven!

 2:30- Pack up the teacher bag and head over to Panera for some yummy coffee and some focus. I don't know why, but I canNOT focus in my apartment. Lot's of curriculum planning and syllabus writing has been going on lately.

5:00ish- Head back home for snacks! I can't bear to buy restaurant food on my teeny weeny budget.

       an unpictured bowl of cereal also went down.

8:00 Dinnah!

I call this creation "Single Girl Lasagna". I'll post a Lesson for it because this one was tasty!

diggin' in!

9:00 Dessert 

Choco-protein oats topped with PB. Like an ooey gooey cookie.

11:00ish: Bed. My body has been on this schedule since student teaching. Honestly, I don't hate it. Makes me feel like human- you know being alive during the daylight. And, hopefully it will make the transition to the school year easier.

So yea. That's it.

Here's to enjoying the down time... while I have it!

~ Rach

WIAW: Kitchen Disasters

This past week has all been about getting adjusted to my new place. Including the kitchen. Each kitchen has it's quirks, my new one included. I wish I could blame these disasters on that, but really, it's just my clumsiness showing it's ugly head. I like to say it's part of my charm.

Lucky for all of you, all 3 of these kitchen disasters happened in the same day. No lie. Good/Bad things always happen in threes, right?

Thanks Jenn for hosting, and giving me the chance to show all of my blunders.

The first nightmare happened at breakfast. I hate to say it, but I have switch my breakfast from oats! At my new place, I really like to eat breakfast out on my patio, which gets direct sunlight. It's just too damn hot to eat hot oats out there. So, I switched it up and attempted a smoothie.

This is what happens when you try to make a smoothie in a food processor. Apparently, their not made for that. It tasted good... when I could navigate around all the chunks. In the mix was some SunWarrior, chia, almond milk, mixed berries, and ice.

Luckily, lunch went off without a hitch. But then again, it's hard to screw up a salad.

This was followed by an unpictured apple with PB.

Dinner, however, was another story. In an attempt to get more protein and bulk up my meals, I decied to try TVP. I had heard ok things about it, it looked like a good thing to just hide away in my meals, and the directions for cooking looked easy enough. Yea, they looked that way.

Note to self: following those oh-so-easy directions leads to a  charred mess in the micro that will stink up the entire apartment.

Ahh much better at 1/2 the time. And not too awful. Although the texture is a little close to ground meat for me. Something I have never really enjoyed.

Mmmm add some sauteed veggies, a little oats, and some salsa, and you have a winner right there!

And the final disaster for the evening, came at desert. I just wanted a little choco oats.

I have only made choco oats in this very mug and micro about a bajillion times. You would think I have it down by now. Eh, still tasted good.

And sticking with this months theme, let's talk exercise. It's been about a week since I started my mission impossible: running. I can definitely say that it is still not something I love. But, I can feel it getting easier every time I do it. I haven't stuck with every single day, but I'm doing it more days than not. I think it's something I can stay with until I start my job and can actually afford to join a gym again. I do have to say, I miss sweaty, intense gym sessions, but it feels good to be doing something.

Here's to handling blunders with grace (seems to be something I have gotten pretty good at over the years haha)!
~ Rach

WIAW Summertime

When I was a student, and now teaching, one of my favorite things about school was the routine. I liked going to the classes everyday, and now I like my routine of teaching each class everyday. One of the hardest things about summer break is the three week stop in that schedule. To help keep me sane, I try and keep on somewhat of a daily routine during the summer, too. It makes the back-to-school transition much easier.

What better way to outline that schedule than with the best link-up party of the week! Having the time to creep on everyone's daily eats is definitely one huge plus to Summer vacation!

Thanks again to Jenn for hosting!

Some where between 8:30 & 9, I get my patooty out of bed. I like to let myself enjoy sleeping in during summer, but not too late. 

At 9:30ish, breakfast ensued. That totally awesome OU mug was first filled with hot lemon water that I sipped on while I waited to get hungry. Just haven't been waking up ready for breakfast like I usually do. Late night snacking might be the culprit. The mug's second fill was black coffee alongside some oatbran cooked with 1/2 scp. Vanilla Sun Warrior (seriously, obsessively in love with this stuff. More on that later) and a random assortment of berries. 

Breakfast was the perfect thing to power me through and exceptionally sweaty workout at my new gym. I don't know what it is about this place, but I feel like I sweat more than I did at the gym at school. Whatever, it feels amazing!

Came home, showered, and lunch was on! This is my go-to summer salad that never fails. Base of chopped greens, add in last night's dinner leftover veggies (this time it was grilled zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus), chop some cukes and tomatoes for a little fresh crunch, and finish it off with some raw tofu for that protein. Soooo good! Dressed with italian seasoning and balsamic.

 My lunch "desert" was a serving of yellow corn tortilla chips and an almost-too-juicy-but-that's-impossible orange.

After lunch, I got set to my project for the day. Mom and Dad like to leave me these when I'm home. Like they did when I was in high school. Six years ago. Ugh. Not too much complaining this time since those two awesomely-retro chairs on the right and two others are becoming mind (for free!) and finding a home in my new apartment!  I scrubbed that whole pile you see there, and in this freaking heat, worked up quite a sweat.

When I was done, I had worked up an appetite for a snack, but couldn't decide on one thing (I really wanted cereal but there was no non-dairy milk in the house). So, I snacked through the kitchen: carrots and pickles, apple with cinnamon and PB2, raisins strait up. Random smattering, but I would say all on the healthy side.

Dinner was a bit of an experiment (that I didn't take the time to photograph very well. Not one of my strengths). I concocted am italian-style lentil loaf that was a surprise hit! I'll post a recipe tomorrow. It was accompanied by a simple salad and steamed greenbeans. And, although lentil loaf doesn't scream "summer!", it hit the spot!

My sweet tooth was satisfied with one of my mom's sinfully delicious "Everything Cookies" straight from the freezer. I wish I could say this snack was healthy, but not a chance. They aren't vegan either, but they are just too damn good to pass up. My plan is to enjoy these little pleasures while I'm home, and then do better when I move. 

This is pretty much what my summer days have looked like around here. But not for long...4 days till I move to my own place!!!

Here's to making time move magically faster!

~Rach

WIAW Spring Break!

It's that time again, folks! Everyone's favorite blog party!

Thanks again to Jenn for hosting! I don't know what my Wednesdays would be like without her!

Last week, I was in Hilton Head with my besties. Although they did mostly communal meals, I decided to pack/take care of my own food so that they wouldn't have to make any alterations or special efforts for me. As I explained, it was harder than I expected. Still, I managed to get in some pretty good, veggie-filled, micro-cooked meals. Here's what I managed to document.

 Breakfasts look like this. Obviously, I toted my entire stash of oats withe me. Enjoyed in the morning sun on the back deck.

 Beach snacks/lunches look mostly like this: fruit, carrots, luna bars (they got all gooey and melty on the beach. even better). And tons of peanut butter sandwiches. Too many. I may be PB'ed out. Yea, right.

 Dinners were of the steamed veggie variety. With a frozen veggie burger. Mixed into black bean soup. On top of a sweet potato (it's under there, I promise).

 We had to hit up the classic Salty Dog, and it was here that I had the absolute best meal of the trip. Their homemade black bean burger (smothered in hot sauce and mustard, obviously) with a side of fruit and extra pickles. So satisfying. MMmmmm.

 The one coffee I had over the whole week. It was heaven.

And, of course, afternoon cocktails from the Frosty Frog shared with my roomie-love Allie.

Quick post, but I'm exhausted. I had my first day of Student Teaching today! Recap to come later.

Here's to getting in those greens!
~ Rach