Outfit of the Day and Weekend Recap

May 4, 2014 by Christine Skari

As the weather gets warmer, I find it a major struggle to try to get work done. I have a physics midterm this Tuesday and my attitude towards it has been alternating between semi-stressed and nonchalant, which is really uncharacteristic of me. Usually, I’m a ball of stress and anxiety when it comes to math-based classes and that causes me to be able to concentrate and focus on practice questions for hours at a time. The problem is that I live riiiiiiighht above the pool in my apartment complex and seeing all of my friends down there partying all day in the warm (90 degree!) California sun is a huge distraction. The weather in general here has been so gorgeous that staying indoors at my desk almost seems like a crime! I’m trying to balance work and play this weekend, but there hans’t been as much studying happening as I’d like. But you know what? Not as much work means that my weekend recaps are much more fun to read. Here’s what I’ve been up to so far!

Friday was spent watching a little Netflix, studying, taking a blissful nap, and hanging out with friends. Oh! And more s’mores ice cream because ya’ll know I can’t get enough of that stuff.

I woke up early on Saturday and went for a super short 2 mile run to stretch out my legs. If I were to pick one fitness goal I’d like to improve on, it would be running longer and faster. For me, running gives me the best overall cardio workout, but I have a love/hate relationship with it and can fall out of a good running groove in no time at all. I kept it short since a.) it was hot and b.) I went out too hard for not running consistently and burnt out early. I feel like if I signed up for a race I would be motivated to run and (hopefully) catch the running bug, but for the most part, my motivation is lacking. If anyone has any tips on how they developed a love for running, I’d love to hear them!

After my run, I came back, showered, did a little more studying, and got ready to go to State Street for a lunch date with my parents who had driven up for a day visit. I tend to only put on real-girl clothing once a week, so I was excited to wear my new floral cardigan out for the first time! If you want to know the formula for how to dress like a stereotypical California girl, just add together high waisted shorts, a crop top, sandals, and some sort of beachy-Indie flair. Voila! You fit right in.

Lunch was at a restaurant named “Jane”, which had high reviews on Yelp. My mom is yelp-obsessed and won’t go to a restaurant without scrutinizing the reviews there first.

My parents had appetizers waiting for us when we arrived, which included balsamic-glazed onion rings and french fries. Both of which were good, but the onion rings were a little too heavily battered for my taste. For my main course, I ordered a salmon shrimp salad that came with avocado and a light dressing.

After Kyle and I got back, we both tried to get some work done (unsuccessfully), before deciding that the only way we’d be able to concentrate would be with a large amount of espresso and a trip to the library. So here I am! Taking a small break to type this post up before getting back to physics :(. I’m almost done though, so I just gotta power through so Kyle and I can get back to a night of snuggling on the couch with our bff Netflix and more ice cream. Go Christine, GO!!!

Baked Honey Berry Oatmeal

May 2, 2014 by Christine Skari

The other day, I mentioned that I’ve been having to inhale my breakfasts while I run around the house. And 90% of the time, I’m eating hot hot hot brown sugar banana oats that, while delicious, feel like a volcano is pouring lava down my throat. Pleasant, right?

So what’s a girl to do when she doesn’t want to give up her beloved oats, but isn’t a fan of lava? Enter: Baked Berry Oatmeal.

This recipe is perfectly sweet, chock full of berries and pecans, and delicious served cold. I know that a lot of people are fans of overnight oats, but I’ve just never been able to get into them. I have a confession to make. There’s something about the runny and semi-slimy texture that I just can’t get myself to enjoy. Eeep. Please still be my friend! I wish I could get myself to like them, but alas.

Before trying these after a few hours in the fridge, I would have sworn that they would taste better hot. After trying them the morning after I baked them, though, I quickly changed my mind! They’re sweet and creamy, but without that weird texture that overnight oats bring. And berries! Big ol’ fat ones distributed evenly in each bite. It reached 90 degrees yesterday, so cool and yummy breakfasts are high up on my list of things to stuff in my face.

Along with that, my slice of Baked Berry Oatmeal this morning kept me full for a straight 5 hours, so I’m counting that as a huge breakfast success! If you get to know me, you’ll quickly learn that I get a pretty bad case of hangry-ness (aka I’m just the most unpleasant person ever to be around when my tum is rumbling), so me eating a big piece of baked dessert-like oatmeal is really doing a favor to everyone around me. You guys are welcome 😉 .

Kind Bar Giveaway Winner ANNOUNCED!

May 1, 2014 by Christine Skari

Hi everyone, I’m just popping in to announce the winner of my Kind Bar Giveaway!

Can I get a drumroll please…

Congratulations to Jennifer Gilson for winning the random giveaway through her entry of leaving a blog comment! Jennifer, please shoot me an email with your mailing address so I can pass it along to the people at Kind. You’ve got some delicious snacks coming your way!

Thank you to everyone who entered and made the giveaway such a success! I can’t wait to share more of the products I love with you guys :). Stay tuned for a new recipe coming tonight!

Have a wonderful day!

WIAW: Don’t Eat Oats in a Rush & Ribs. Mhm.

April 29, 2014 by Christine Skari

Happy Wednesday, all! I’d like to say I’m happy the week is moving by so quickly, but the prospect of having to take my physics midterm next week is putting a damper on my excitement for the weekend. On the bright side, Kyle and I are celebrating our 3 1/2 year anniversary the night after my exam, and he’s planning out a special date night for the two of us! I know, I know. Three and half years doesn’t seem like a long time for a lot of people, but we’re young’ins so it’s a milestone for us!

Anyways, I’m sure you didn’t come here to hear me complain. Let’s get to the food. Onwards!

Breakfast:

I had planned to go to the gym before my 9am class, but caught up reading blogs so I ended up being in a time-crunch. Breakfast was a hot bowl of brown sugar banana oats while I rushed madly around my apartment getting my things ready to go. I’m sorry, but trying to stuff super hot oatmeal down your throat really takes away from their enjoyment level.

At the gym, I did a quick 20 minute warmup on the elliptical before doing an ab routine. I’m really lazy about training my tum, so any day where I focus solely on them is unusual for me. Also, I’ve realized that I don’t ever refer to my midsection as my “stomach”. It’s always tum. In our apartment, my best friends and I have developed a habit of shortening words. For example: my roommate Lakshmi asked me today if I had any chocolate. I ask her if she wants a “bun”. She immediately knows what I mean and I hand her a leftover chocolate bunny from Easter.

Coffee Break:

After my gym session and first class of the day, I had an hour break before I had to run over to my physics lecture. I took the time to go grab a coffee cake and cup of jo to snack on as I read my stats textbook outside. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day and it got to the point where it was almost too hot. I’m typing up this post on my bed and am hoping I’ll be able to sleep comfortably when it’s so warm!

Lunch:

After my physics class finished at 12:15, I was starving. I headed over to grab an enormous salad and homemade whole wheat bread stick from our college’s main eating area. The salad was only so-so, but the bread was to die for! I’m constantly on the lookout for healthy alternatives that actually taste good, so I’m hoping to recreate a similar bread recipe at home!

After lunch, I had a 2 o’ clock stats section that went by quickly. Then, it was back home to throw some ribs in the crockpot, inhale an orange, and drive to my bio lab. Luckily, it was a super short and easy one that just focused on the lifecycle of various plants and identifying different plant parts under a microscope. Usually they’re much more intensive, so it was a nice little break from the norm.

Dinner:

Once I got back, I took the ribs out of the slow cooker, reduced the sauce they cooked in, and dinner was served! They turned out fantastically and Kyle could not get over the sweet and salty flavors. I grew up eating asian-style ribs (soy sauce+brown sugar lovin’), so that’s how I usually make them if I get the chance! Look at all that sticky-sweet goodness!

Pre-smothering by the reduced sauce

The rest of the night was spent reading various textbooks and watching the newest episode of The Following with Kyle over some S’mores ice cream. It was a busy, but productive day!

Question of the Day: What is the best thing you’ve eaten today?

Baked Broccoli Chicken Alfredo

April 29, 2014 by Christine Skari

So imagine this. In my belleh. All over my clothes and hands. Creamy white cheese sauce dripping down my face and I look like a toddler trying to eat and missing my mouth but I just don’t care because it’s so damn delicious and I want to swim in it. The cheese, you guys!!

The other day I mentioned my excitement over having bought a new white baking dish. I didn’t mention that the #1 reason I’ve bought four new baking dishes in the last two weeks is so I can get the perfect baked pasta shot. Actually, I only ordered two initially but was smart enough to leave them at my parent’s house on accident during a weekend trip home. Going off me resembling a toddler, I also have zero patience and I just couldnotwait for them to come up to visit me in a week. How could I when supah cheesy baked pasta was calling my name?

Look at it. Just look at it. You have so much good stuff packed in one pan. So here we go, I’ll tell you guys the game plan. Everyone huddle up! So first, we’re going to take a pile of cheese and melt it till it’s all gooey-like in a ridiculously easy garlic-y homemade sauce. Then, we’re going to use that mouthwatering sauce to smother juicy chicken and vibrant broccoli. Pour it aaallll into that pretty new baking dish of ours and go crazy with fresh parmesan on top because really, why not. Now stick that beautiful mess into the oven and pace back and forth restlessly as everything melds gloriously together. Try your best not to let the delicious smells tempt you into reaching in and grabbing a piece to sample. You’ll burn yourself. Don’t ask me how I know this. When that timer goes off, have a quick dance party to celebrate and dish yourself up a big lo’ plate. Devour it. Then get seconds.

Ready? HIKE!