and i’ve come out of hiding

Hi loves!

I’m sorry (for the tenth time) that I’ve been so MIA lately.

Rush week is finally over, phew! It was such an eventful, fun, yet exhausting week and I feel like I need a whole week to recover! Butttt, school has started so that means no break for moi! This quarter I am taking Chemistry, Biology, Research Methods in Psychology, and a class called Mushrooms, Molds and Society (sounds interesting huh?!). I’m ready for it all to fly by.

Here is a recap of what I’ve been up to lately!

Trying new things…

a mouthwatering nugget sandwich which included: multigrain bread with honey mustard (omg best ever), grilled chicken, lettuce, cucumber, sprouts, red onion, avo, and bell peps! with an iced green tea on the side (new fave! it's naturally sweet so you don't need to add sweetener!).

Better'n Peanut Butter found at Trader Joe's

nutrition facts for y'all

for a knockoff pb with only 100 calories, 2g of fat and 2g of sugar this passes my test!

chocolate coconut water! seriously sooo good! it was just like chocolate milk but has more potassium than a banana 🙂 perfect for after a workout

bouncy fun! brought out the inner youngsta in me.

Partying, partying, YA! Fun fun fun fun. <– Sorry to remind you of Rebecca Black’s song, Friday. Now it’s probably stuck in your head…

the girlss ❤

my darlin amy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYLS!

Nomming…

chicken, veggies and brown rice from ket mo ree (awesome thai food restaurant) for julia's birthday!

a refreshing smoothie made with one frozen banana, one cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, couple handfuls of spinach (i swear you can't taste it!), 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, a few shakes of cinnamon and topped with chia seeds!

fatty salad: mesclun lettuce, cukes, slivered almonds, garbonzo beans, and leftover herbed salmon (from the nugget). dressing was lemon juice, splash of flax seed oil, red wine vinegar and pepper!

sauteed veggies and tempeh in coconut oil, bragg's liquid aminos and bragg's sprinkle (both soo good i def recommend!).

winner winner chicken dinner (cooked in a skillet with s&p, bragg's sprinkle, and EVOO <-- extra virgin olive oil). with a side of broccoli and sauteed veggies.

a sunshine bbq veggie burger (wasn't that great, i prefer the original flavor!) with sauteed kale and bell peppers.

Feelin inspired…

love in a cup of tea!

agreed!

yogi tea, black licorice (i know you're thinking GROSS! but i like it and won't share ;)) and a daily mantra: "by honoring your words, you are honored in this world."

Work work workin out…

I was getting a little bored of running 5 miles on the treadmill (i don’t know how i did that over the summer) so I’ve been changing it up and doing more HIIT workouts (high intensity interval training). Here are a few I’ve been trying!

Workout 1 – 30 minutes

1) Warm up at an easy pace (3.5) for 3 minutes.

2) Jog at 6.0 for 2 minutes.

3) Increase speed to 7.0 for one minute.

4) Increase speed to 7.5 for one minute.

5) Increase speed to 8.0 for one minute.

6) Increase speed to 8.5 for one minute.

7) Repeat steps 2-6 three more times.

8 ) Cool down, walk at 3.0 for three minutes.

Workout 2 – 40 minutes

1) Warm up for 5 minutes at 3.0

2) Run at an easy pace for 5 minutes.

3) Increase the speed by 15 seconds per mile and run for one minute.

4) Decrease the speed back down and run for 5 minutes.

5) Increase the speed by 30 seconds per mile and run for one minute.

6) Return to an easy pace for 5 minutes.

7) Increase the speed by 45 seconds per mile and run for one minute.

8 ) Back to an easy pace for 5 minutes.

9) Increase the speed by one minute per mile and run for one minute.

10) Run easy for 5 minutes.

11) Increase the speed by one minute and 15 seconds per mile and run for one minute.

12) Cool down with 5 minutes of walking.

Workout 3 – 30 minutes

1) Warm up at 3.5 for 5 minutes.

2) Jog for 5 minutes at 6.0.

3) Sprint for one minute (usually at 8.5 or 9).

4) Stop by jumping to the side, a foot on each edge of the treadmill while it’s still going and rest for 30 seconds.

5) Do step 3 & 4 ten times for a total of 15 minutes.

6) Cool down for five minutes.

And that is all!

Hope you guys had a great weekend too!

 

Questions of the day:

What have you been up to lately?

Have you had any of the new food items I tried this weekend? What did you think?

Let me know if you try any of the above workouts and what you think of them! 🙂

 

Lovesyaa

Kara

wiaw + ke$ha!

Hiiii loves!

It’s gonna be a quickie todayyy.

For breakfast, I had some plain greek yogurt with cinnamon mixed in, strawberries and a spoonful of White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter (found at Whole Foods on sale)! <– MMMM SOOO GOOD YOU MUST TRY NOW. Sorry I failed at getting a picture this morning!

i did manage to snap a picture of the star of the show....seriously addicting

After some singing & dancing at our sorority house (in preparation for rush week), a few of my friends and I walked to Trader Joe’s just down the street.

i had the tofu spring rolls and an apple. delishhh.

kirsten had the egg white salad and an apple. what a cutie patootieeeee!

elana had the chicken santa fe flatbread wrap!

Excuse the not very clear iphone photos!

For dinner, Elana and Hayley and I went to the Nugget because we were cravin their nommy sandwiches! I accidentally deleted the picture of my sandwich buttt it was incredible. My personalized sandwich looked a little somethin like this: multigrain oat bread with dijion mustard spread, grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, cucumbers, red bell peppers, basil leaves, arugula, spring mix, pickles, balsamic vinegar and pepper! It was huge and I enjoyed every single bite! I’m so disappointed I couldn’t share the picture with you guys :(.

Later, Shauna and I tried out a “Booty Barre” class, but unfortunately we were quite disappointed. I barely broke a sweat 😥 and it cost $20!!! This struggling college student was so not down. We are determined to find some fun classes to mix up our workouts! Running is starting to become a bore.

Dessert dessert dessert! A spoonful (or two or three…) of Dark Chocolate Dreams and White Chocolate Wonderful. Fave is definitely the latter.

hi i'm obsessed with you.

Here are some pics from last nights concert! WOOOO Ke$ha rocked!

it's her! was shoved around a ton to get to this spot.

keeee dolla sign haaaa

literally rolling around in glitter..?

That’s it!

Hope you all are having a fabulous Wednesday and had some good eats :)!

muahhh

Kara

we’re back and ready to attack

Hey babess!

The apartment is not quite finished (aka my room). Pictures are coming soon! We are beyond obsessed with the new place. I’ve been having the time of my life catching up with all my college friends and so-rawrrr-ity sisters before school actually starts (next week eeek)!

This week has been full of frat parties, working out, singing and preparing for rush week (“i wanna be a pi beta phi boom boom!!”), dancing in the apartment, and making delishhh food (DUH).

Here are some pics from the past week/weekend:

Enjoy! 🙂

went to the nugget for lunch! mmm teriyaki salmon, quinoa salad, and green beans!

looooooove them

our first fam dinner!

my plate. salad, chicken, and 2 types of pasta! ahhh drooling

he's a lucky boy

happy brownie!

myspace pic! wow we're cool.

my brekkieee for the last few days

broke into the pool...

Ke$ha is performing here tonight so I’m about to go roll in some GLITTER!!!! Woooo!

xoxoxo

Kara

freaky {food} friday: buckwheat

Hey dolls!

Again, I apologize for sucking at blogging lately, but I’ve been a busy bee catching up with friends and organizing my war-zone of a room.

But today’s freaky food is buckwheat!

Ever heard of it?! Well now you will have! Less goooooo.

What is buckwheat?

unroasted buckwheat!

Buckwheat is a nutritious alternative to rice and grains.

While many people think that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed making it a suitable substitute for people who are allergic to wheat. It can be ground into flour (either light or dark variety…dark is more nutritious) and is often found in gluten-free flours.

Buckwheat is of similar size to wheat kernels, and has a unique three-sided shape. It is sold either unroasted or roasted. Roasted is called “kasha,” from which a traditional European dish is made. Its color ranges from tannish-pink to brown.

What does it taste like?

Unroasted buckwheat has a very subtle taste similar to oats. When soaked it’s chewy and absorbs the other flavors in the dish. Roasted buckwheat has a more earthy, nutty flavor.

Why should you eat buckwheat?

• contains 8 essential amino acids
• rich in flavonoids and plant lignans which are phytonutrients that protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers, and heart disease
• high in magnesium which is needed for a healthy cardiovascular system
• controls blood sugar better, lowers the risk of diabetes & helps manage diabetes, and scored highest on their ability to satisfy hunger
• eating foods high in insoluble fiber, like buckwheat, can help prevent gallstones
• good for weight loss because it keeps you fuller longer

What are its nutrition facts?

In one cup of cooked buckwheat:

• almost 35% of your daily value of manganese
• about 22% DV of magnesium
• almost 20% DV of your dietary fiber for the day
• 154 calories

Where can I find buckwheat?

I buy my buckwheat in the bulk food section of Whole Foods, but it can be found at most health food stores or online!

How do I eat it?

It can be used as an alternative for rice, oats and most grains. Often found as buckwheat pancakes or pizza. Also the main ingredient in Japanese soba noodles. Buckwheat can be cooked and made into porridge.

Recipes!

Tried this and loved it! Raw Buckwheat Porridge.

Mmmm want to try this! Buckwheat Tabbouleh.

Buckwheat granola? I must make this!

My overall score:

At first, I wasn’t sold on buckwheat. The chewy texture definitely takes some getting used to, but now I absolutely love it! If you’re hesitant on trying buckwheat, I would suggest making buckwheat pancakes (which are made with buckwheat flour) because they will change your life! Buckwheat scores an A+.

A Blondie Bakes and Bikes Recipe!

Buckwheat Breakfast Yogurt Bowl

serves 1

what you'll need

Ingredients:

1/4 c plain greek yogurt

half a smashed banana (or any other type of sweetener)

2 T buckwheat

1 T lemon juice

1 T flax oil (or you could use coconut oil or not put any at all)

cinnamon

toppings! (I used blueberries, coconut and pecans this time)

isn't that such an adorable bowl?! courtesy of my amazing roomie shauna!

Directions:

Mix yogurt and buckwheat together and let sit for up to 10 minutes. Then add all other ingredients, sprinkle on desired toppings (i.e. fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, peanut butter, etc.) and eat!!!!

time for it's close up! mmmm

Try this now! I promise you won’t regret it 😉

I’m about to whip up a fabulous first dinner with the roomies and boyfriend! Wooo mmm delish!

xoxoxo

Kara

wiaw + tahoe!

Heeeelllloooo!

Sorry, I’ve been a horrible blogger lately! Clear Lake was ahhhmazing, and I just moved into my brand new apartment (ahhh! pictures to come, I’m still slowly unpacking).

well aren't we cute.

the roomies! SAKE ❤ (shauna, amy, kara, elana! clever right?!)

Today, my girlfrans and I decided to take a day trip up to Tahoe (school hasn’t started for us yet). We went swimming, tanned, and ate delicious food. The most perfect combo, eh?

the gang

jumped off a couple docks too... we are such thrill seekers!

This morning before heading off to T-hoee, I had a banana with almond butter. The picture I took of it looked absolutely disgusting and unappetizing so I’ll spare you guys ;).

After swimming around, trying to sneak into hotels to use the hot tub (oopsies..), and tanning, we were STARVING. Sunnyside for lunch it was!

the outside!

I decided on the fish taco (so confused to as why there was only one?) and the green salad.

my lone fish taco. doesn't look very good but i swear it was!

green salad with pecans, apples, gorgonzola & dried cranberries

And the other girl’s food…

shauna's green salad with grilled shrimp

elana's chicken sandwich & friesss nom nom

I didn’t get a picture of Hayley’s shrimp tacos or Amy’s fish sandwich but they both looked yummyyy. I definitely recommend the Sunnyside Lodge!

We saw a couple eating this HUGE ice cream cake/pie when we first walked in and we all decided we had to try it. It was between that or the molten chocolate cake…but both sounded incredible. The Hula Pie had an oreo cookie crust, vanilla ice cream, macadamia nuts, hot fudge and whipped cream.

irresistible.

demolished.

Once we got home, I made my first dinner in the new apartment! I wanted something quick and easy so I had an egg white omelet with s&p and fat free feta, and sauteed kale & spinach with s&p and balsamic vinegar.

mmm delish

All that tanning really took it out of me! I’m relaxing with my roomies plus Hayley watching Cheaper by the Dozen (throwback!!). Loooove.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend and are having a great week!

Hugs & kisses,

Kara