Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 108

Reclaim & Revolt, Days 19-21

We're at the end of Week 3 on Reclaim & Revolt! And I'm learning to trust my intuition around food and just be okay with eating things that aren't perfect or "on the plan" (not that there's a meal plan with this radical January wellness program, but I tend to set rigid rules each January that make me a little crazy).

Friday morning started with a Cherry Pie Larabar and a bootcamp class at my gym, and then I had this creamy Pumpkin Chia Pudding that I'd mixed together the night before. It was made with pumpkin puree and almond milk and sweetened with maple syrup.

For my morning snack, I had half of the last slice of Vegan Kale Quiche (all mushed up in a Pyrex bowl) and some of the homemade kraut I started on my snow day last week. It's good! My first taste of homemade kraut.

I also had a few Nikki's Cool Chips and Hot Nuts, which were being sampled at Curb Market downstairs from my office. Nikki's is a local food company that makes hot (and a non-hot version) chips, vegan bloody mary mix, and they're releasing a line of spicy nuts soon. Chips seemed a little decadent for the this whole foods-based thing I'm doing right now, but I'm being flexible. And they were good!

My lunch was extra-special. My co-workers and I got to sample some possible menu items for the plant-based cafe opening at Crosstown Arts, where I work. Yep, that's right! The contemporary arts center where I work will have it's own plant-based cafe! Lucky me! Anyway, I didn't take pictures since the items were testers. But I can say they were whole foods-based and super-healthy.
I had another Potato Black Bean Bowl with Chipotle Tahini Sauce for dinner, and then Paul and I headed back to Crosstown Arts for an art opening for artist/filmmaker William E. Jones. I had a Straight to Hell cocktail (champagne, mint, elderflower liqueur) and a couple small glasses of red wine. And then we headed to bed super-early for a Friday night — 10 pm!


On Saturday morning, I woke up early and had some more Pumpkin Chia Pudding before heading off to bootcamp at my gym again. After my class, I had a No Cow Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bar. Look at the ground! Melted snow! We awoke to 50 degree temps today, and all the snow melted. YAY!

Then I stopped by the Cooper-Young Farmer's Market (in the parking lot of First Congo Church) and the Women's March Rally (inside First Congo). I marched last year, so it was cool to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Resistance!

When I finally made it home, it was time for lunch. I heated up some leftovers — Roasted Potatoes and Veggie Chili with Cashew Cheese. The potatoes were from my potato black bean bowl, and the chili was from Monday night. They made a great meal together!

While I cleaned my house Saturday afternoon, I snacked on an Apple with Chocolate Peanut Butter (made from Chocolate PB2).

Then I made my meal plan for next week and went on my last grocery trip on Reclaim & Revolt. I've been buying groceries weekly during this month because I'm eating so many more veggies than usual. I'll miss R&R, but my wallet will be glad to not spend as much on produce next month. 
When I returned home, I made a Tempeh Bacon & Green Veggie Bowl using all the green veggies in my fridge left from last week (to make room for the new stuff). There was quinoa, kale, cabbage, green beans, mushrooms, garlic, and some sunflower sprouts I picked up at the farmer's market Saturday morning. Plus, tempeh bacon made from one of Lacy's recipes. The sauce was tahini, nooch, Bragg's, garlic powder, and a little water to thin it out.

After dinner, we went out to Zebra Lounge and Canvas for a couple beers. I had my first trail race in the morning, so I knew, if I was going to drink, I needed to stick to beer to avoid feeling crappy in the morning. Plus carbs!
I woke up on Sunday morning and made a yummy pre-run bowl of Oats with Sunbutter, Brown Rice Syrup, Blueberry, and Banana. A lot of carbs, a little fat to give me fuel and stick with me until after my race.

About an hour before my race, I had a quick snack of a Brown Rice Cake with Garlic Hummus. More carbs!

Then it was off to Overton Park for the run. Today's race was supposed to be last weekend, but it was called off because the trails were covered in ice. Today, it was almost 70 degrees! Perfect running weather and kinda crazy for January (but not uncommon in Memphis). This is one of four trail races in the Memphis Runners Track Club Winter Off-Road Series, and I signed up for all four. They get longer each time, but today's race was only a 3K (1.8 miles). It was fun! The trail was super-muddy, so I'm glad I wore old shoes. Excited to run more of these! Today's 3K was in my own neighborhood, just a few blocks from my house on trails that I've practiced on plenty. But the other races will be on new-to-me trail.


I'm also training for a March half-marathon and an April marathon, so I still had to get a long run in today. After my race, I ran 6.2 more miles for a total of 8 miles. I stashed a No Cow Carrot Cake Protein Bar in my car and enjoyed that after the whole run was done.

But I was really hungry for some real food and veggies! I drove the few blocks home, took a shower, and got to work on dinner — Hasselback Japanese Yam, Steamed Broccoli, and Lentils (all covered in nooch and tahini). 

This was one of Lacy's recipes from last year's Reset & Restore, and I loved it so much that I knew I wanted to eat it again on Reclaim & Revolt. This carb-heavy meal was just what I needed. After dinner, I had some Dr. Brew booch and did a little meal prep, and now I'm calling it a night. See y'all tomorrow!

Reclaim & Revolt, Day 18

I can't believe this Reclaim & Revolt program is almost over! There are only four more days of lessons left (we get emailed lessons every Monday through Thursday, and weekends are catch-up times). I've learned so much on this wellness journey, and I'll be sad to see it go.

Today, Hannah sent us a primer on herbs for gut health, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. Looks like I'll be catching up on a lot this weekend!

This morning, I woke up at 5 am and had another half an energy bar and then hit the streets for a 3-mile run. It was still very cold. I'm getting really tired of this running in the cold. It's hard to move in all those layers! Luckily, it's supposed to warm up this weekend. After my run, I had Lacy's Peanut Butter Chia Pudding with Cinnamon Simmered Apples. This is a yummy chia pudding that I added protein power to (recipe didn't call for it). I also used low-fat powdered PB2 instead of creamy peanut butter since I'm learning it's best to save fat for later in the day (not right after a workout). It's topped with warm cooked apples. So good!


For my morning snack at work, I had the rest of last night's Southern Staple bowl from Imagine Vegan Cafe. This was brown rice, black beans, collards, and garlic sauce. I had this around 10:30 am before my lunch time yoga class at the YMCA at Crosstown Concourse.

For lunch, I brought the last of my kale quiche and some beets, but just as I was heating up my lunch, a co-worker came in with some delicious vegan food he'd made to share — Pasta with Olive Marinara and a Tofu Curry Salad. It looked so good, and my poor quiche was on day four, so I decided to save the quiche for a snack later this week and eat his food instead! I did eat the Steamed Beets I brought — another tester for Straight from the Root. These were sous vide-style beets that I tossed with tarragon vinegar. I'll do a full review of these sous vide veggies soon.

I was proud of myself for deviating from my planned lunch. I'm not very good at spontaneous eating, but I'm really trying to get better at trusting my intuition around food and not being so rigid. 
I made sure to save room for dessert! When I got home from work, I tried out the other new Ben & Jerry's flavor that I was sent yesterday — Cinnamon Buns! I didn't take a pic, but I'll be doing a full review of both new flavors after R&R is over.
Dinner was Lacy's Potato Bowl with Black Beans and Chipotle Tahini Sauce. This was a gorgeous and hearty bowl with roasted potatoes, red onion, broccoli, and kale that's topped with seasoned black beans and a tahini sauce with chipotle powder. I've never had a bowl with a potato base rather than a grain base, but what a fun idea!

Tonight was our weekly girl's night at my friend Shara's house. We gather at her place every two weeks to watch shows, and we're currently working through American Horror Story. After all that bowl awesomeness (and ice cream!), I wasn't really hungry for snacks, but Shara made popcorn, so I couldn't help but have a few handfuls. 

Reclaim & Revolt, Day 17

It was Tarot Day on Reclaim & Revolt, and we got a 40-page Tarot document from Erin Aquarian!!! Of course, I haven't had time to read it. That will be saved for the weekend for sure. But I'm excited to delve in.

As for how I cared for myself on this physical/spiritual/mental reset today, here ya go! I started with another cold morning run. Still lots of snow on the ground, but much of it was packed in so running was a little easier. And some of the sidewalks were clear. Still very, very cold — 11 degrees! After my run, I had a quick post-run Coconut Almond Protein Shake with Vega Protein & Greens mixed with almond milk. Check out my cool new drinking jar from Goddess Provisions!


Then I had the last of my Crockpot Apple Pie Porridge. Lacy mentioned in her pre- and post-workout nutrition R&R lesson yesterday that it's best not to have too much fat with your post-workout protein, so I topped my oats with blueberries instead of nuts.


I also had a shot of my Fire Cider, which I made last night using Hannah's recipe from an R&R fermentation lesson last week. This immunity tonic is made with ACV, parsley, jalapeno, ginger, turmeric, horseradish, garlic, red onion, and lemon. It's actually quite tasty and spicy. I watered my shot down with some water.


I saved the fat that I missed in the morning for a few hours later with this mid-morning snack of Roasted Salt & Pepper Peanuts from So Nuts — the roastery in Crosstown Concourse.


I walked home in the snow for lunch and had more leftover Vegan Kale Quiche with some Steamed Baby Carrots and Hummus. These carrots from Straight From the Root are prepared sous vide style, and they steam right in the bag. I'm doing a full review in February (stay tuned!).


My afternoon snack was a real treat! Ben & Jerry's sent me two new flavors to review, and they arrived at my office today. I limiting sugar during Reclaim & Revolt, but part of this program is about not restricting to the point of being ridiculous. And when you get an ice cream shipment at work, well, you need to eat ice cream. I'll save the details for full review post at end of the month, but let me tell y'all, it was soooo worth it.


Dinner was fun too! I braved the still kinda icy streets to meet friends at Imagine Vegan Cafe. I haven't eaten out much on R&R, so this was fun. I tried to keep it pretty healthy with one of Imagine's more wholesome dishes — the Southern Staple with black beans, collards, brown rice, and garlic aioli. It's served with cornbread, which is the first gluten I've had in awhile (except for beer!). Damn, this was good! Imagine's cornbread is fluffy and slightly sweet. Yum!


I practiced my intuitive eating skills with this and stopped when I was full, and then I took the rest home to have as a little snack tomorrow. Pretty proud of myself!

Reclaim & Revolt, Day 16

It snowed again last night! Y'all! This is some crazy weather for Memphis. I had a planned 4-mile Yasso 800 speedwork run today, and I wasn't about to let a little snow get in my way. I ate half a beet & cocoa Phyter energy bar, and then got dressed in so many layers! The wind chill was 2 degrees, which is definitely the coldest weather I've ever run in.

I put on a regular tech shirt and then layered a fleece-lined tech shirt over it. Then I layered a cotton jacket and windbreaker over that. On the bottom, I wore thin racing tights under a pair of fleece-lined tights and two pairs of socks. Plus, a neck buff, ear warmer, beanie, and running gloves that fold into mittens. I was still pretty cold headed out, but I warmed up after about a half-mile and actually got hot at one point. It was still snowing while I was out there, and it was just beautiful. I was the only crazy person out running in my neighborhood and in the park, so I was able to make the first set of footprints through the snow! I didn't stick with speedwork though. Running in snow is hard (like running in sand), so I just enjoyed a casual run at an easy pace.



After my run, I had Lacy's Pumpkin Pie Smoothie with pureed pumpkin, vanilla protein powder, banana, almond milk, and cashews. The cashews made for a super creamy smoothie!

My office did open today, but they delayed opening until 11 am, so I had my morning snack — Celery Sticks with Hummus — at home while tidying up my house.

I walked to work around 10:50 am. Thankfully, my office is just a quick couple blocks away because I don't like driving in snow or icy conditions! Look how beautiful Crosstown Concourse — where I work — looks in the snow.

I brought my lunch with me — Zoodles with Slow Cooker Chunky Red Sauce & Tempeh Sausage (leftover from my spaghetti squash last week). I heated this dish up in the office microwave because raw, cold food doesn't make sense when there's snow on the ground.

In the afternoon, I snacked on an Apple & Trail Mix but forgot to take a pic. You know what that stuff looks like. Dinner was leftover Hearty Veggie Chili from last night, but this time, I served it over a baked sweet potato! Topped with cashew cream, red onion, and jalapeno.

Our R&R lesson on Monday was actually intended for today — writing our 2018 intentions since tonight is the New Moon in Capricorn. Since the New Year started on a Full Moon, it wasn't the best time for setting goals. So we're encouraged to try again for the New Moon, which is a much better time for making plans. 
Today's R&R lesson was another workout from Lacy, one designed to get our blood flowing while cultivating New Moon intentions. I had a little free time tonight, so I did it before bed (around the time of the New Moon, 8:17 pm). And I convinced Paul to do it too! I'll probably keep this quick 20-minute workout on hand for use throughout the week.

Reclaim & Revolt, Day 15

I was off work today for the MLK holiday, and it was a rest day for marathon training. So I slept in (9 hours!!) and then had another bowl of the Crockpot Apple Pie Porridge, this time with coconut flakes and raisins. Such a yummy bowl of steel cut oats.


I had breakfast fairly late, so I skipped morning snack and had lunch around noon. More Kale Quiche and Salad with Cashew Ranch.


Yay for leftovers! I went grocery shopping in the afternoon, and all the grocery stores were CRAZY! Today was the first day the ice was all melted from the streets, and many people were off for the holiday. Plus, it's supposed to snow again tonight. So people were stocking up! Parking was nearly impossible, and the checkout lines were super-long. But I made it out alive.

I was pretty hungry when I got home from shopping, so I snacked on some blueberries, roasted peanuts, and mixed nuts in the shell. You can see here that the cats were also very hungry when I got home. They were prowling around me as I prepared to feed them!


Dinner was super fun! I made Lacy's Hearty Veggie Chili from last year's Reset & Restore and served in my Bordallo Pinhiero soup tureen. My granny gave me this for Christmas. It was hers, and she's had it for years. I've always adored it, and I told her I had dibs on it when she died (morbid, I know, but my family does this!). So she went ahead and gave it to me anyway!



And then my awesome dad got on eBay and found me some matching bowls and a condiment platter. I used the condiment platter for cashew cheese, red onion, and minced jalapeno.



Here's my bowl, all fixed up and ready to eat!


Paul and I sat down for dinner together, which we rarely do. So I had a nice glass of sauvignon blanc because that just seems like what you do when you actually sit down for a meal.

Reclaim & Revolt, Days 12-14

Another weekend on Reclaim & Revolt has come and gone. And I'm feeling great! This is actually a 4-day weekend for me (sort of) because Friday turned out to be a SNOW DAY! Remember how I said in my last post that I'd believe it would snow if I saw it. Well, I saw it. And Maynard did too, but he didn't like it, so he closed his eyes! Ha! Maynard hates any kind of precipitation.


My work called a snow day, and even though I'm walking distance from the office, I opted to work from home and stay warm. We weren't supposed to do any work unless it was absolutely necessary, but I had some Friday deadlines, so I had to work for a few hours.

Before all of that though, I woke up at my usual 5 am, looked out the window and saw snow, and knew I'd be skipping my usual Friday morning bootcamp since the gym is about a 7-minute drive downtown. Instead, I opted to do the workout that Lacy sent us on Tuesday. The Reclaim & Revolt plan includes recipes, workouts, gut health tips, Tarot lessons, astrology lessons, and journaling prompts. After Lacy's workout — a leg-heavy set of lunges and squats — I had more of my Savory Breakfast Oats from earlier in the week.

For morning snack, I had a few roasted peanuts while I worked. And then I had the salad I'd so carefully packed into a jar the night before to take to work. It had smoked tofu, cashew ranch, brown rice, and veggies.


I was able to wrap up my work by 2:30 or so, so I used my free time to make Hannah's recipe for sauerkraut that was sent to us on Thursday. This should take about seven days to ferment, and I can't wait to try it!


Paul got home from work early too, so we braved our way down the icy street to the Redbox and rented a couple of movies. I poured a glass of red wine and made Lacy's Socca Pizza with Cashew Cheese (from last year's Reset & Restore recipes). I used my leftover Slow Cooker Chunky Red Sauce from last week's spaghetti squash meal. This was so good!

I was starting to get sleepy mid-way through our second movie, so I popped some popcorn in garlic-chili oil (another of Lacy's recipes! This one is from her e-book, The Super Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen). 

On Saturday morning, I slept in and then got up and made some Oats with Almond Butter & Blueberries, enjoyed in my PJs while catching on the The Sopranos.

I had lots to do on Saturday — cleaning, meal planning, grocery shopping — but I had to nix the shopping part since it was still too icy out for me to drive. I have to be chauffeured around when it's icy! So I made another salad to snack on while I cleaned. I love eating while cleaning. It makes cleaning more fun.

Dinner on Saturday night was more Socca Pizza, and then we made a pretty scary drive out east to celebrate my friend Shara's birthday at Billy Hardwick's All-Star Lanes bowling alley. The roads were clear in places and terrible in others, but we made it! While there, I had a couple beers. I know I said I was only drinking red wine during this reset, but hey, I changed my mind! I'm trying to be better about not restricting. It's more important that I focus on moderation, and two beers is a-okay. I thought I was done, but then our friend Mary came out with surprise vodka shots for every single person there. And it would be rude not to accept, right? ;-) Even still, I felt like I did a good job there.

I was SUPPOSED to have my first trail race today! But sadly, it was canceled due to the icy condition of the trails in Overton Park. But when I awoke at 7 am, they hadn't made the call yet. So I had what I thought was a pre-race breakfast of Slow Cooker Apple Pie Porridge (another Lacy recipe). I put this porridge of apples, steel cut oats, dates, and maple in the slow cooker last night. It was sooooooo comforting and delicious.

My race was supposed to be at 2 pm, and I didn't want to eat much fiber beforehand. Just carbs and protein, so my morning snack was Smoked Tofu Strips, enjoyed while reading Erin's Tarot lesson from this week.

Around 11 am, they called the race off. But Paul and I had already planned to get more running in post-race, so we just extended our Sunday run to a 6-miler. We planned to go out at 2 pm since the race was canceled, so I had this lunch snack of Brown Rice Cakes & Nut Butter with Bee Free Honee about an hour before our run.

Then we headed out! Our neighborhood roads weren't too icy today, and some of the sidewalks were clear. We just made sure to walk the icy stretches and go slow. We even explored Overton Park, where my race was supposed to be. And, indeed, it was quite icy.


After our run, I had a No Cow Lemon Meringue Protein Bar. I am trying to limit processed foods in January, but I'm making an exception for protein powders and bars. These No Cow bars have rice and pea protein rather than something less wholesome, like a soy protein isolate. 

Dinner was Lacy's Vegan Kale Quiche, a recipe that she included on this year's Reclaim & Revolt and last year's Reset & Restore. I made this last year and loved it, so I knew I wanted to make it again. It has a silken tofu base, plus kale and red peppers. The crust is gluten-free and made with almond flour and almond butter (she called for tahini, but I was out and subbed almond butter instead). I had a slice with a side salad. It was so nice to have some veggies after a day of brown food!


After dinner, we went to Ghost River Brewing Co. for a couple beers and Connect 4. I kept it light with a Bloody Beer (Grindhouse Cream Ale mixed with Nikki's Hot Ass Bloody Mary Mix).


And a Beermosa (gose sour ale mixed with OJ). Each of these probably only had 8 ounces of beer and 2 ounces of mix. 

I'm off tomorrow for MLK Day! So I expect I'll be sleeping in again. Yay!

Reclaim & Revolt, Day 11

Today on the Reclaim & Revolt program, we learned about fermentation! Hannah Syd sent us some yummy recipes for homemade kraut and fire cider. I hope to find some time this weekend to get in the kitchen and get fermenting!

This morning started with a 3-mile run. It was 60 degrees outside! Drizzly (we haven't seen the sun in DAYS), but still super-warm for January. I had a medjool date dipped in peanut butter and then headed out for a nice run. I soaked that warmth up because tonight, the temps are dropping to freezing, and they're predicting ice (and maybe even snow!). I'll believe it when I see it though. It so rarely snows here, and we might see ice once a year.
After my run, I had another bowl of Warm Oats & Protein Nice Cream. The oats are sweetened with maple, and the banana soft serve has vanilla protein powder. I drizzled a little tahini on top this time. Sorry again for the dimly lit photo, but the sun is just gone. Gone, gone, gone.

My morning snack at work was a cold bowl of Brown Rice, Avocado, & Kraut. This was all leftovers that I combined together and seasoned with Bragg's. I had this before heading to the YMCA in my office building for some lunchtime yoga!

After yoga, I went back to my desk and heated up my leftover Chickpea Scramble with green beans & roasted red peppers from Monday. I topped with some cashew queso and salsa, and ate this with corn tortillas.

In the afternoon at work, I had a square of dark chocolate from my desk stash, and when I got home, I snacked on an apple while I did a few chores around the house.
Dinner was more leftover Spaghetti Squash with Chunky Red Sauce & Tempeh Sausage from last night. Here's the exact same pic from yesterday!

Sorry today was all leftovers! But hey, it sure made my life easier. Going into the weekend, I'm excited to finally have time to catch up on the Reclaim & Revolt lessons and activities I've not had time for during the week. Weekends on R&R are designated as catch-up times, so I'll finally be able to do Lacy's workout, read Erin's Tarot lesson, and get fermenting with Hannah!

Reclaim & Revolt, Day 10

Today's focus on Reclaim & Revolt — a 28-day program to improve physical and spiritual health run by four amazing femmes from Portland — was on honing our intuition. Erin Aquarian sent us a huge Tarot primer, and I can't wait to dive into it this weekend when I get some free time.

This morning, I had one of my favorite bars — a Cookie Doughpness Cinnamon Raisin Picky Bar — before my 6:15 am gym class. I always eat my bar on the 7-minute drive downtown. Have y'all had these? I can only find them at my running store (Breakaway Running), but they're worth the special trip. They're made with dates and nut butter and other real foods.


After the gym, I came home and had a proper breakfast of Lacy's Savory Baked Oatmeal. This has pinto beans, lots of cilantro, oats, nooch, and salsa, and it's just perfect. This was on her Reset & Restore plan last year too, and I remember loving it then. I cut her recipe in half and baked it in two ramekins — one for today and one for Friday. I topped my little ramekin with avocado and salsa.

I had a few bites of trail mix before lunch (no pic, sorry), and then my lunch was a leftover Macro Bowl — gobbled up during a noon-time work meeting. This has brown rice, steamed kale, chickpeas, tahini, sesame seeds, and kraut.

I got a chocolate craving in the afternoon, so I had a little of this Endangered Species Chocolate. I always keep chocolate bars in my desk for emergencies!

I go to yoga at my gym most Wednesday nights, and tonight was no exception. Before my 6:15 pm class, I had Apple Slices with Sunflower Seed Butter.

When I got home from yoga, I had a glass of cab sauv (because it sounded good), and then I sat down for dinner.
I started a batch of Lacy's Slow Cooker Chunky Red Sauce in the Crock Pot this morning before work, so I could have Spaghetti Squash with Red Sauce & Tempeh Sausage for dinner after yoga. The tempeh sausage was another of Lacy's recipes, one she recommends serving with this sauce. This was so good! I love how you can eat a TON of spaghetti squash before you get full (or at least I can!). This sauce has minced cauliflower, carrot, and eggplant, so the veggies are snuck in! 

Reclaim & Revolt, Day 4

In case you've missed the posts so far, I'm doing Reclaim & Revolt this year as my January reset. It's a program about intuitive eating, spiritual health, radical self-care, and more.

Day 4 on Reclaim & Revolt is gut health day, and Hannah Syd sent us a gut health primer and some tips for improving digestion. There was also a poop quiz to determine our bowel health! I think my gut health is pretty good most days, but I do get gassy from time to time (don't all vegans?). I can't wait to put some of her tips into action!

My day started with another cold morning run (after a half a Larabar). Four miles in 19 degree weather, which is about 10 degrees warmer than my run on Tuesday. Typically, I would think 19 degrees was insanely cold, but it felt much better than 10. It's all about perspective! I'm sure my northern friends think 10 or 19 is nothing compared to the sub-zero temps they're experiencing now, but 10 is about as cold as it gets down South, and we're big babies about it.

Post-run, I had Lacy's Green Workout Recovery Smoothie with coconut water, kiwi, banana, avocado, hemp seeds, lime, and celery (YES, IN A SMOOTHIE — and it was good). Plus, I added some hemp/pea protein powder.


That smoothie kept me full for quite awhile since it was loaded with fats. But I did finally get hungry for my morning snack just after 11 am. That's when I had some Veggies & Oil-Free Hummus at my desk at work.


Lunch was leftovers from last night's Braised Tempeh with Green Beans in Peanut Sauce over quinoa. I practiced intuitive eating while I ate this, and I actually stopped when I was full! That pretty much never happens since I tend to be a plate cleaner. It took a LOT of willpower for me to leave a few bites, but I'm quite proud. Last night, at dinner, I finished my bowl and felt fine. But I filled up faster at lunch today for some reason.


In the afternoon, I had some Toasted Green Tea from French Truck Coffee (our coffee shop in Crosstown Concourse) and enjoyed it while working from the 7th floor atrium. I love to work for about an hour a day outside the office in one of the building's public spaces — lovely change of scenery (and I get some quiet time since our office is still under construction).


Around 4 pm, I realized I was hungry again! I had some Sprouts brand California Trail Mix in my desk with raw nuts and fruit so I snacked on that.


Dinner was a super-soothing meal of Slow Cooker Lentil Stew (from Lacy's recipes). I rarely use my slow cooker, but it's such a good idea! I love throwing everything in the pot in the morning and having supper ready when I walk in the door. This was especially nice on this cold night. It had kale, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, and herbs. It's amazing the depth of flavor you get from slow-simmering veggies. This needed no seasoning aside from the veggie broth and a touch of salt in the recipe.


By the way, one of Hannah's gut tips today involved not drinking liquids while eating, so I tried that during dinner. It was HARD! And it seems counter-intuitive, but I've always heard that can help with digestion, so I'm giving it a try.

After dinner, my girls and I had our bi-weekly Show Night, when we gather to watch TV. We just started the last season of American Horror Story. 

Reclaim & Revolt, Day 3

It's a lovely day on Reclaim & Revolt! I woke up at 5 am, had a morning mediation and a blueberry Larabar, and then I headed off to the gym after a week-long break. It felt great to squat and lift again!

And then I started the day with a smile!


These are Lacy's Ginger Carrot Maple Muffins and a Banana. These are gluten-free muffins with maple syrup, carrots, fresh ginger, walnuts, and I added some candied ginger (on Lacy's add-in recommendation). I made a half-batch to enjoy throughout the week for breakfast on my non-running days, and they're really good. They're small-ish, so I had two, but they pack lots of flavor from the maple and ginger. And the gluten-free flour mix of oat and almond flours made for a very muffin-y texture.

By the way, these muffins do have a little sugar, but that's a-okay! I'm not restricting anything on this January plan. Just limiting stuff like sugar and booze. Moderation is healthy.

I skipped morning snack because I had to leave work for lunch extra early today to meet a dryer vent cleaning guy at my house. Around 11:30 am, while the dude was cleaning my vents, I had the leftover Chickpea, Potato & Spinach Soup from yesterday. Didn't take a pic since I ate it from the same bowl as yesterday, and it looked exactly the same as in yesterday's post.

In the afternoon, I had small taste of my co-worker Madelyn's homemade shrub syrup. It's like a vinegar-sugar based soda syrup that you mix with sparkling water. Very good! I would have had an entire glass, but you know, moderation with the sugar and all. It feels good to be able to just taste something and have that be enough so I don't get the weird sugar feelings afterward.

I also had an afternoon desk snack of Hoppin' John & Brown Rice, leftover from Monday night. One thing I learned in Lacy's Reset & Restore plan last year is that small portions of leftovers make nice snacks. No idea why that never occurred to me before! Duh!


After work, I had yet another snack — Apples & Almond Butter — before heading off to my 6:15 pm yoga class. Also felt great to be back at yoga! This heartier snack kept me satisfied through class.


And then it was time for dinner! I made Lacy's Braised Tempeh & Green Beans with Peanut Sauce. This is a simple dish of tempeh and beans sauteed with a PB-vinegar marinade, then topped with scallions and sesame seeds. I served mine over quinoa so it would stick to my bones.


Today's Reclaim & Revolt topic was on self-care. There was an 8-minute meditation with Erin Aquarian and some lessons on self-care. Loving this program!