Namaste

You're playing your life safe if there is nothing at stake

2012-01-29T18:34:00.000-05:00

I don't feel quite ready enough for Foundations in Action. I hadn't been to Moksha in 15 days. It wasn't overly hot, so that was good, but it was tough.

It brings up the usual question; why is it that sometimes I can go everyday and sometimes I can't make it once a week?

Why do I forget how good yoga makes me feel from one time to the next?

Summary
Class : 10:00am Moksha - 90 minutes
Instructor : Jordanna
Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

If Only...

2012-01-21T18:23:00.002-05:00

Today was absolutely fantastic... if only I wasn't fighting a cold.

I am not sick yet, but I am so tired. I can feel that cold waiting in the shadows.

Feeling under the weather didn't stop me from stocking up the fridge. We were at the grocery store at 8am and after a quick breakfast, I was cooking up a storm.

In just a few hours, while clothes were in the washer and dryer, I made my Mom's Spaghetti Sauce, Kath's Lasagna and some Tuna Croquettes.

I have 3 more recipes awaiting me for tomorrow. And Moksha, and a brunch.

That's what I call a full weekend.

The only person who can open the door to inner truths and lead you into the light is yourself

2012-01-14T18:18:00.000-05:00

My friend C. talked about the possibility of coming with me to yoga this morning. He was supposed to text me before 9:20 if he had decided to come.

I waited.

No text.

I could have chickened out. It was really cold after all.

But I didn't let the disappointment and the cold stop me. I dressed warmly and walked over to Moksha. I was rewarded with a fantastic practice taught by Anna.

Summary
Class : 10:00am Moksha - 90 minutes
Instructor : Anna

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Transformation comes out of your willingness to be

2012-01-10T20:32:00.001-05:00

The couch was so comfortable last night. I could have stayed there, but I chose to go to Moksha instead. It was a fantastic 90 minutes practice, just lovely and challenging.

T -22 before FiA!!

Summary
Class : 5:30pm Moksha - 90 minutes
Instructor : Anna

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Think less; be more

2012-01-07T23:29:00.000-05:00

Summary
Class : 5:00pm Moksha - 90 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Treat : Dinner with O (what a wonderful friend) at Mythos (what an amazing discovery).

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

New Year Resolutions - 2012

2012-01-03T21:48:00.005-05:00

New Year Resolutions - 2012
I won't go on and on about Resolutions and how good or bad they are. In the spirit of being present and pro-active, I will just do it.

Here goes nothing.

1. Leave work at a reasonable time. I love my job, but there are times when I would benefit more from a yoga practice than from an extra hour at work. I just need to set some limits and respect them, for the sake of my health, and my marriage.

2. Create a regular Moksha Yoga practice. I practiced 89 times at Moksha in 2011. This included 2 x 30 Day Challenges which means I haven't really had a regular practice in 2011. Ideally, I would go every other day but I am not sure it is possible. However, if I maintain the above resolution, it could happen.

3. Read one book a month. If less time is spent on the internet, I can attain that goal. Books will include fiction and non-fiction. I will even attempt to blog about the books if they are worth it.

4. Save money every month for an upcoming (undetermined) yoga retreat or training. First take care of credit card, then start saving.

5. Take a ME DAY every month. This could include something fun like my Chistmas Eve morning (Moksha, Brunch and Manicure/Pedicure), a midday massage or a couch and book day. This will all depend on funds and time availability.

6. Be in the best shape ever This should include the following sub-goals :
a) Drink 8 cups of water a day
b) Drink 2 cups of green or herbal tea a day
c) Step, Yoga and other workouts to be done to the fullest
d) Eat clean 80% of the time

Have a fantastic 2012!!

This moment is a blank canvas

2011-12-31T20:03:00.000-05:00

This is the last day of 2011.

Here is what I hope for 2012 : Health, Happiness and Love for one and for all.

I hope for some smooth sailing at work.

I also hope for lots of yoga. If possible, somewhere exotic.

I want 2012 to be a year of growth and joy. All the best to you!

Summary
Class : 10:00am Moksha - 90 minutes
Instructor : Matt

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Your breath is always right there waiting for you

2011-12-27T20:27:00.001-05:00

Summary
Class : 4:30pm Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Treat : Pizza and drinks with my Hubby at Romeo

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Your power is not in your speaking, it is in your listening

2011-12-24T14:26:00.001-05:00

Perfect Christmas Eve morning :
Moksha Yoga
Breakfast at Laika
Manucure and Pedicure at Rouge Nail Bar

Lovely, peaceful and festive.

Summary
Class : 8:00am Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Jordanna

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Be a warrior, not a worrier

2011-12-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

My heart has been full of worries in the past few weeks.

Tonight, as I was overwhelmed by those feelings, I changed into my yoga clothes, walked to Moksha and cleared my head with a wonderfully mild practice.

How can I leave all those worries behind? How can I stop that unnecessary dialogue with myself in my head?

Summary
Class : 7:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Anna

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

It is so simple: we get what we give

2011-12-10T20:22:00.001-05:00

Tonight I went to a special class at Moksha to commemorate the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Jessica Robertson was guiding the class and she invited us to focus on gratitude.

We certainly should be thankful for all the freedoms we have here in Canada.

Summary
Class : 5:00pm Moksha - 90 minutes
Instructor : Jessica R.
Treat : Getting to hear Jess sing is a treat in itself.

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 30 : Transformation is a process meant to be lived

2011-11-30T20:24:00.002-05:00

I have completed the my third 30 Day Challenge.

I feel strong and healthy (if it wasn't for that stupid skin rash).

I will go on. Not 7 days a week, but I will maintain a regular practice, 4 to 5 days a week. I want to be strong for my second participation at Baron Baptiste's Foundations in Action in February.

Love life, Love Yoga.

Summary Day 30
Class : 4:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Jordanna
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : tea and good amounts of water
Treat : Hot bubble bath

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 29 : Be unmessable-with

2011-11-29T20:22:00.001-05:00

Summary Day 29
Class : 4:00pm Moksha Power Flow - 60 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 6 hours
Water intake : ok
Treat : Haagen Dasz Almond Caramel ice cream bar

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 28 : Equanimity is the art of meeting life as it meets you - calmly, without drama or fuss

2011-11-28T20:20:00.001-05:00

Summary Day 28
Class : 4:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Hannah
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : Medium
Treat : No time for treats tonight, too tired

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 27 : The prize is in the process

2011-11-27T20:17:00.003-05:00

Summary Day 27
Class : 6:00pm Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Annie
Hours of sleep : about 7 hours
Water intake : More marking = more marking
Treat : Raspberries with chocolate and soy milk

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 26 : Often the pain we feel is the breaking of the shell that encloses us

2011-11-26T20:12:00.001-05:00

Summary Day 26
Class : 7:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Annie
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : marking papers is very conducive to drinking a lot of water + tea
Treat : Salad made by my Hubby and some cheese

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 25 : Don't rush the process

2011-11-25T20:09:00.002-05:00

Summary Day 25
Class : 4:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 10 hours
Water intake : my skin does not like me right now
Treat : Sushi at Mikado wit my Hubby

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 24 : To be true to oneself is the beginning of being true to others

2011-11-24T20:05:00.002-05:00

Summary Day 24
Class : 7:00am Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : Dried lips... not a good sign
Treat : Academic Council cookies and Dinner at ChuChai

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 23 : Go from a human being doing yoga to a human being yoga

2011-11-23T20:04:00.001-05:00

Summary Day 23
Class : 4:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 6 hours
Water intake : I made up for yesterday but must keep on track
Treat : A glass of wine with dinner

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 22 : Be like water. Flow around the rocks in life

2011-11-22T20:02:00.002-05:00

Life is about obstacles and challenges. So is yoga.

It is my decision to resist or adapt.

A branch that resists breaks, a branch that bends survives.

Summary Day 22
Class : 7:30pm Moksha Powerflow - 90 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : not enough as shown through some mild cramping in my legs tonight.
Treat : Good laughs and breakfast with my Hubby

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 21 : Just let it be and see

2011-11-21T20:00:00.003-05:00

3 weeks in. Almost done.

Will I stop after 30 days?

Let it be... and see.

Summary Day 21
Class : 7:00am Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Jordana
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : Not enough
Treat : Dark chocolate Belsoy

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 20 : The breath is the anchor where we all meet up

2011-11-20T18:59:00.001-05:00

Breathing is the only thing I could do today.

While I was shaking and feeling weak, I got into child's pose (balasana) and stayed there to breathe. I know perfectly well that it all comes down to fuelling which I hadn't done properly.

During today's practice, I was challenged by the postures and the quick flows. It was great. I just wish I had enough energy to do standing half moon (ardha chandrasana) the second time around.

But there is always tomorrow's practice.

Summary Day 20
Class : 12:00pm Moksha Powerflow - 90 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : I couldn't get enough water and I downed a grape Gatorade
Treat : Nachos made by my Hubby

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 19 : Be the energy of possibility

2011-11-19T20:56:00.002-05:00

Summary Day 19
Class : 7:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : Never enough when I visit my parents
Treat : Nutella... spoonfuls of it.

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 18 : It's not what you GET, but what we BRING to our practice that expands

2011-11-18T16:51:00.006-05:00

Summary Day 18
Class : 7:00am Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Eric G.
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : Not enough considering today's treat...
Treat : Pop corn while watching Breaking Dawn

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 17 : Judgement creates distance

2011-11-17T19:49:00.000-05:00

Summary Day 17
Class : 4:00pm Moksha Powerflow - 60 minutes
Instructor : Sarah N.
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : Tea and water
Treat : Dinner at Nil Bleu with my Hubby

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 16 : When you shift your perception, you shift what is happening

2011-11-16T16:47:00.001-05:00

Summary Day 16
Class : 7:00am Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Annie
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : the purchase of Celestial Seasonning Bengali Spice tea helped
Treat : cheese on my spaghetti

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 15 : "Try" is a lie

2011-11-15T20:45:00.001-05:00

If I was just trying, I wouldn't have made it.

Today I didn't try... I did, because I know I can.

Summary Day 15
Class : 7:00am Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Hannah
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : I feel fine!
Treat : Appetizers at the Board meeting

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 14 : Finding peace is a moment-to-moment practice

2011-11-14T20:42:00.003-05:00

Day 14 Summary
Class : 7:00am Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Jordana
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : I did my best
Treat : Lunch was awesome

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 13 : Challenges are opportunities for growth

2011-11-13T16:40:00.003-05:00

I think I have been growing physically and emotionally since the beginning of the Challenge.
I feel tired but strong, I feel sometimes anxious but determined.

Day 13 Summary
Class : 2:00pm Moksha - 68? minutes (was supposed to be 75 but the instructor got confused)
Instructor : Sarah N.
Hours of sleep : about 7 hours
Water intake : Fair + a bit of coconut water
Treat : A hot eucalyptus bubble bath

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 12 : If you are operating out of your own center, people cannot mess with you

2011-11-12T16:38:00.002-05:00

We all love our comfort zone. Why leave it? It is much easier to keep with what you know and what you like. Sometimes it is just necessary to break patterns to find new ways of doing things.

Day 12 Summary
Class : 7:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 11 hours
Water intake : Probably not enough but I feel fine
Treat : Waiting all day to take a class with Anna

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 11 : We are either growing and expanding as a person or we are contracting

2011-11-11T20:36:00.002-05:00

Day 11 Summary
Class : 5:30pm Moksha Power Flow - 90 minutes
Instructor : Sarah N.
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : Didn't keep track
Treat : Mini-carrot cakes

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 10 : Be open to getting what you don't think you deserve

2011-11-10T20:31:00.001-05:00

I deserve to be happy and healthy.
I deserve love and friendships.
I deserve the freedom to practice yoga.
I deserve to choose my life plans.

What do you deserve?

Day 10 Summary
Class : 7:00am Moksha NDG - 60 minutes
Instructor : Raquel
Hours of sleep : about 7 hours
Water intake : A conscious effort was made throughout the day
Treat : Chocolate chip cookies from Academic Council

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 9 : The past is gone and the future doesn't exist. Your life is right here.

2011-11-09T20:28:00.002-05:00

What I have done last year or what I will be doing tomorrow does't really matter.

It's all about right now.

Day 9 Summary
Class : 7:00am Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Hannah
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : I must drink more; I had a bit a headache this morning
Treat : Those damn wafers!

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 8 : Give up to get empty

2011-11-08T20:24:00.004-05:00

What's in my way to accomplish my better self?

At the Foundations in Action training in March 2011, Baron Baptiste talked about the importance of giving up "what you must". There are so many self created obstacles in our lives. We must cleanse ourselves of unhealthy relationships, habits or thoughts in order to be stronger and free.

Day 8 Summary
Class : 4:30pm Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Matt
Hours of sleep : about 9 hours
Water intake : I think I did pretty good today
Treat : Homemade pita pizza.

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 7 : Think Big. Bigger than that.

2011-11-07T21:20:00.005-05:00

I am not channelling my inner Elvis Graton, but I am embracing a world of possibilities.

I can do everything I set my mind to accomplish. Last Winter, while in Florida, I felt like I had nothing to look forward to. This was such a bad feeling. I want to be able to look forward to the next big thing, while fully enjoying the present. That's certainly the advantage of linking different projects!!

Day 7 Summary
Class : 7:00am Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Hannah
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : pretty diligent
Treat : my mother-in-law's brownies

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 6 : Love yourself, love your practice, love your life

2011-11-06T17:18:00.001-05:00

All you need is love... Sing along, go ahead!!

Everyday, I realize how important it is to love what you do. It saddens me to see people angry and frustrated towards their lives, jobs or spouse. What a great amount of wasted energy!

It is a conscious decision to make every single day of your life, to love.

I choose love. I choose happiness.

Day 6 Summary
Class : 2:00pm Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Matt
Hours of sleep : about 8:00
Water intake : several glasses as I marked intros and some more through the day.
Treat : Nachos made by my Hubby and my mother-in-law's brownie.

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 5 : All we ever have is right now

2011-11-05T21:12:00.005-04:00

I feel so blessed to be able to do everything I do.

That's partly why I am doing the Challenge. To fully enjoy and take advantage of my able body.

I hear too many stories of people getting sick or getting injured. The time is now and I want to fully embrace my possibilities.

Day 5 Summary
Class : 8:00am Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Matt
Hours of sleep : a wooping 11 hours
Water intake : no idea (I need to find a way to better monitor that...)
Treat : Lunch at my in-laws and dinner with friends. Enough said.

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 4 : Smile. It confuses people.

2011-11-04T16:08:00.004-04:00

Positivity is sometimes difficult to maintain.

We encounter so many obstacles in life that it is easy to be negative. Trying to move away from the doom and gloom way of thinking is beneficial to you and to all those around you.

Day 4 Summary
Class : 4:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Jordana
Hours of sleep : about 7 hours
Water intake : not enough... on the go all day <- not a good excuse.
Treat : off to bed at 7:15pm

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 3 : To be forgiving is to be For Giving

2011-11-03T21:03:00.006-04:00

When I teach my yoga class, I often mention to my participants that they should be forgiving of their limitations.

Frustration towards yourself or others doesn't lead to anything positive.

Instead of holding grudges, forgiving is a much more constructive approach to life and obstacles. To be generous towards others is much more rewarding in the long run.

Day 3 Summary
Class : 6:30pm Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Sophie
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours
Water intake : almost 2 litres
Treat : Indian take out for dinner

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 2 : The word "someday" takes us off the hook. Make today the day.

2011-11-02T20:30:00.004-04:00

When I registered for the Challenge, I was hesitant.

Experience has shown that I get especially cranky towards the end of the challenge. Even with that in mind, I saw an opening; this November was to be one of yoga.

Was it a coincidence that I was wearing my "You are ready NOW" tank from the Baptiste Foundations in Action?

Day 2 Summary
Class : 4:00pm Moksha - 60 minutes
Instructor : Anna
Hours of sleep : about 7 hours and 30 minutes
Water intake : more than 1 litre
Treat : Chocolate Hazelnut wafers

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

Day 1 : Halloween is Over, Drop the Mask

2011-11-01T19:31:00.003-04:00

I guess the above quote is a call for Authenticity.

Definitely something we should all strive for, but something that isn't necessarily easy to achieve. It is much easier to hide behind a facade so others won't be able to hurt you.

As I started my 3rd 30 Day Challenge today, I thought of that sentence and tried to establish what it really meant for the daily practice. The most important aspect I could think of was that it means being honest with myself (being challenged while paying attention to my body's limitations).

Day 1 Summary
Class : 4:30pm Moksha - 75 minutes
Instructor : Annie
Hours of sleep : about 8 hours and 30 minutes
Water intake : not enough
Treat : Gluten free chocolate chip cookies

Credit for title quotes and pictures go to Baron Baptiste unless otherwise stated.

The Anticipation and the Intention

2011-10-22T15:21:00.005-04:00

Welcome to my new blog. Well is isn't really new at all but its premise is going to be different for the upcoming month.

In 9 days, I will embark on my third 30 Day Challenge at Moksha Yoga. Though it is my third experience, it is my first time doing the Challenge in November. I am very excited and would like to share my experience with you through the blog.

Moreover, I would like this Challenge to be further guided by a clear purpose. At Moksha, we are often asked to set an intention as we start our practice. With that in mind, I will use inspirational quotes to guide my day and practice throughout the month of November.

Aside from the fantastic yogis at Moksha, I am very inspired by Baron Baptiste. I will then use some of the quotes he shares with us as further inspiration.

I can't promise chronicles of the food I eat with the attached pictures, but I'll try to write a few words everyday based on the specific quote.

I hope you will enjoy the new experience.

Namaste

Sweet Improvisation

2011-10-16T12:53:00.003-04:00

To say that my life has changed since last Spring would be an understatement. New job, fewer extracurricular activities... Unfortunately, one activity that was significantly reduced is cooking. It is kind of sad because I really enjoy cooking and it has a direct impact on my well being and weight.

The past 2 weeks have been especially busy but surprisingly they included said cooking in the schedule. For example, last week the fridge was empty and I was looking for something to eat. There wasn't much but I did end up creating something amazing. Here is, for you and posterity;

Improvised Sweet Potato Soup
1 onion
1 tsp of curry
coriander
3-4 small sweet potatoes
19oz of diced tomatoes
2 cups of veggie broth
about 1 1/2 cup of cooked pinto beans
1 small can of light coconut milk
pennes
Salt and pepper.

Saute the onion for a few minutes then add spices. Mix in the potatoes with the spices and add the tomatoes and broth. Cook for 10 minutes. Throw in the beans, pennes and coconut milk. Cook for another 10-12 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This was completely improvised and turned out to be absolutely delicious. I ate some last Sunday and then twice again during the week.

Make 'Em and Break 'Em

2011-09-11T20:03:00.004-04:00

My jeans are tight. My shirts do not fit as well as they did.

I am in a workout rut. I have failed at my workout objectives for August.

I have started to cook again and I have eaten lunch at a more regular time at work.

We don't have television anymore.

So here is the idea. It takes 30 days to make and break habits.

Making Habits
1. Work outs.
Maybe 5 days a week is too much at the moment. So I'll be adding one Yoga class per week on top of my 2 Step classes.
2. Water.
Keep hydrated.
3. Restaurants.
Make the best choices when eating out. If I have a glass of wine, I won't have dessert. And vice versa.

Breaking Habits
4. Watching TV
I'll pick up my books and enjoy literature the way I use to. Reading is so wonderful.
5. That Hermit Thing.
Get out of the house! I have been stuck to my couch for weeks. Let's just remind ourselves that the couch will still be there when I come back from a walk or from yoga.

Here goes nothing!!

August Objectives

2011-08-06T11:37:00.004-04:00

I love being on vacation, that's for sure but, I also enjoy having a schedule and some structure.

Now that we are 2 weeks away from Back-to-School, I have been wanting to establish some routine and goals for the month of August. The objectives also reflect some aspects in which I have been slacking off in the past few months.

AUGUST OBJECTIVES

1. Floss every other day.
Though I love the feeling afterwards, I hate to floss. It probably comes from the fact that some dental hygienist once destroyed my gums and left me bleeding during one appointment. Ever since, I have associated flossing with pain. So I am now trying to break this bad perspective and develop the new healthy habit. Hey my Parents have invested so much in my teeth, might as well keep them healthy.

2. Cook recipes and plan lunches/meals for the week.
I am usually good at this, but I have been pretty lazy in the past few months. Having good meals planned will obviously help keep us home instead of going out to dinner all the time. Going out once or twice a week would be more reasonable and would seem like more of a treat!

3. Apply clean up schedule.
I am terrible at keeping up a regular cleaning schedule. I accumulate all the tasks for one day and then it takes for ever! The New Clean up Schedule involves doing one or 2 rooms in the house at a time, more often on separate days throughout the week.

4. Workout 5 days a week.
I am currently recovering from a tendinitis at the left Achilles, so teaching Step twice a week instead of 3 times a week is a blessing. In the meantime however, I can feel that 2 workouts a week won't cut it for me. Back in June, I tried to start running, but I don't feel like it is the best activity to take on, smack in the middle of recovery. So I'll try to focus on Moksha Yoga and if possible, Spinning. I tried Spinning back in the spring with CH. and I enjoyed myself. Spinning won't put pressure on my tendon and will allow it to heal and at the same time, I'll maintain some cardio endurance.

5. Save money to travel in the Spring/Summer 2012.
I will want to go back to Florida and I would like to do some Yoga training. Maybe I'll just be able to do a weekend like I did back in March, but I'll plan for something bigger... Like an entire week of training or maybe even a MONTH sometime in the Summer!! And if the timing isn't right, well I'll wait a little longer.

Back-to-School : T-15

A New Style?

2011-07-27T13:24:00.003-04:00

So I have fallen off the face of the blogging-earth. One of the reasons why I haven't been blogging is that I haven't been cooking much. I didn't cook for most of the month of May, not at all in June and now in July, I am just getting back into it. I don't think I will resume regular blogging but I still want to keep track of noteworthy recipes.

Two weeks ago, I made 2 wonderful summery recipes. One was found on All Recipes in an attempt to determine what to do with orzo. The Mexican Orzo Salad was delicious and easy to make. It was good for about a week and made for a delicious lunch on the go as I was driving to Hartford, CT to visit my brother.

Recipe #2 is from Angela's blog. The Edamame Pasta with creamy Basil Sauce was fantastic. I chose not to mix the sauce with the pasta in the large bowl so the pasta would last longer.

Today, I made a really good tilapia recipe. This was a guest post of Jenna's blog. I made the quinoa salad as well (with a few modifications; red pepper, no jalapeno, red onion...) The fish was tasty and well cooked and the salad's flavors were a great combination.

I would certainly make these recipes again and strongly suggest you do to!!!

Walking on the Beach, Laying on the Beach, Reading on the Beach...

2011-06-29T09:05:00.014-04:00

Walking on the beach was one of my favorite activities out there. What was fascinating this time around, is that it was very warm at 6 or 7 in the morning. Being settled in our condo meant that we had a bit more freedom. I went for walks on my own, just admiring the beautiful sunrise.

We established our patterns for the duration of our stay : Up early, set up near the pool, play in the pool, play in the sea and go back inside for a nap once it is too hot to stay in the sun.

We would sometimes interrupt our main activity with food. The resort restaurant served good breakfast, though quite greasy.

Depending on the time of day, the pool was sometimes quiet, sometimes not. But one thing is for sure, it was essential. As the sun rose in the sky, the temperature was sometimes hard to bear.

Lunch and diner were most often eaten on our balcony with this incredible view.

This vacation was definitely less healthy than the other 2, but we tried to eat at home to cut on cost and calories. P. made his famous nachos for us to enjoy.

The sunrise is one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed out there. I wouldn't get tired of getting up early to see it all happened. One morning, I laced up my shoes and ran all the way to the pier.

Takes my breath away.

The rest of our days was spent reading or looking at this :

Or running after lizards.

For some reason during our vacation, we were obsessed with burgers and fries.

What's not to like with a scenery like this?

Though a very quiet vacation, it came to an end too quickly. I would easily have stayed another few days. I was sad to leave, but we will be coming back. Plus, the vacation wasn't over, we still had to drive back home.

The Last Few Miles are the Longest

2011-06-25T14:32:00.000-04:00

Waking up in St.Augustine was a tease. We were at the beach, it was beautiful, but we weren't there yet.

First thing we did was to put on our bathing suits and head out the door. We grabbed coffee from the hotel lobby and went to see the sunrise.

The beach was peaceful and we even saw a dolphin in the distance (I saw one, P saw many more!!)

We discussed the possibilities of the day; to either drive to Hollywood or straight to Fort Lauderdale. Both options were interesting but after 4 days of traveling, arriving to our "almost" final destination was most tempting. Thought the Hollywood Little Venice pizza was very appealing too.

So after a quick dip into the ocean, we packed up our things and hit the road once more.

We stopped at Panera for breakfast. I got a bagel with cream cheese and it was just ok.

The guy got P's order wrong but he still ate his little breakfast which left him hungry after just a few hours. I am sure Panera has some great sandwiches and salads but their breakfast was sub-par.

After a morning of driving, we stopped in a Golden Corral and enjoyed their buffet. Out of the 3 we have tried (Ponderosa, Shoney's and GC) this was the best. The one with the freshest ingredients and the most variety. I piled my plate with veggies and a few creamy salads for treats.

A small piece of chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert and we were back in the car.

In the end, we chose to go to Fort Lauderdale and since our condo was only available the next day, we took at room at the Ocean Mile Inn. This little motel was just across the street from the condo so we were able to walk around and discover our surroundings.

In the spirit of being in Florida, we went to have dinner at The Olive Garden. It was kind of sad to be there without P's parents. This wasn't the most quiet dinner either, with a family sitting right beside us. I have nothing against kids, but this girl was one little devil and her parents didn't even care to have her sit down or keep quiet. Some patrons actually left the restaurant because the girl was so annoying. Other disappointment was my choice of meal. I had the angel hair pasta with shrimp. Beurk. I am still burping the sodium from that dish!!

This dish contains an estimated 900 calories according to my Fitness Pal app on my iPhone. Luckily, I left more than half.

As soon as the sun came up the next morning, we were on the beach.

I had a Naked juice (one of the very few without bananas!!) as we walked on the beach.

Eventually, we were quite hungry so we went back for breakfast at the motel. We dug out food from the fridge and managed to put toghether something light. I had the last of the granola (Fourmi Bionique) with blueberries.

After dealing with the manager for a late check out, we went back to the beach to enjoy the sunshine and hot weather.

We stayed on the beach until the clouds gathered and walked back to the Ocean Mile Inn in the pouring rain. It didn't matter because it was still hot outside and I was in my bikini anyways. We played around in the pool and talked about the next move.

Quick shower and some packing later, we went to Whole Foods for a bit of shopping but more importantly, for lunch.

The usual WF salad with all kinds of variety. Delicious. As we were having lunch, we inquired to know if the condo was ready. We were supposed to check in at 3 but it was available for us by 1pm. We were so excited, we finished lunch and went straight back to the hotel.

We only had to cross the street and here we were. The beautiful property of Ocean Manor. We gathered our luggage and headed upstairs. I am so proud to report that though it might not look like it, I packed relatively light.

So much easier to do than in the Winter!!

The condo was absolutely amazing, starting with the view from our balcony.

The bedroom had floor-to-ceiling windows.

We ended up staying in for the remainder of the day as rain came by and tiredness took over. Dinner was made in our little kitchen.

There is something about veggie burgers that just spell out vacations.

We were so thrilled to have finally reached our destination. We were a good 2600km away from Montreal, yet this new environment also felt like we had arrived home.

On the Road Again

2011-06-18T14:26:00.001-04:00

That's it, we made it. We finally had a successful vacation weather-wise.

Day #1: 5am we were in the car and ready to go. We were riding on very few hours of sleep as it was the Graduation the night before and P had a hockey game. We went to bed late and slept very little.

The road was quiet on this sunny Thursday morning.

We made it to the border in less than an hour and didn't even have to wait to cross the Customs.

At some point in the morning, I ate an english muffin with peanut butter and jam.

This wasn't the initial plan; I actually had a pb jar ready for some overnight oats but the yogourt had gone bad... disappointment!!

The time on the road was somewhat redundant, but in a good way. We listened to some music and talked. We alternated the driving, with way more of the road being covered by P than by myself. The first lunch was eaten in the car with some egg salad sandwiches which I had prepared on Tuesday. I also had some tofu sandwiches with some veggies to eat while covering some miles. Sun Chips somehow seem inevitable as we drove. This was the only day (on the way to Florida) we ate some homemade lunch as I was afraid food would go bad in the hot car.

Some crackers and a Starbucks Tazo Passion tea also entertained me throughout the afternoon. Keeping me awake when I got bored.

For the first night, we stopped in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. We stayed at a Red Roof Inn for the first time as the Super 8 only had some smoking rooms. Beurk!!!

Dinner was eaten out, though P was super tired. We went to T.G.I. Friday and enjoyed a fun dinner. We started with the Spinach Dip which was a major splurge.
For the main course, I chose the Ahi Tuna salad.

I was so happy with my choice!! The tuna was fresh and tasty with the right balance of spices. The salad itself was well balanced... especially because I asked for the dressing on the side.

I skipped dessert at the restaurant but purchased a nice little something at Whole Foods. I am very much looking forward to the day Canada authorizes Coconut Milk Yogourt!! I had one with some Snackimals for dessert.

Shortly thereafter, we went to bed... I didn't even have the energy to watch SYTYCD!! Now that says a lot.

The next morning, I was awake before P. so I showered and organized the bags as he slowly woke up. We hit the road again and could only enjoy the sunny and warm temperature. Breakfast was eaten in the car; Fourmi Bionique granola (from home) and berries from Whole Foods.

More road was covered as we patiently drove through the last few urban centers and their traffic.

We eventually stopped for lunch at a Ponderosa! Ponderosa disappeared from Canada about 20 years ago but both P and I have fond memories of the place. We chose the buffet and mostly filled our plates with salad.

Lots of veggies and a few treats of macaroni and potato salad... no salad dressing to compensate! A bit of cake and ice cream for dessert.

Overall the road was uneventful. And you know what?! That's the way I like it. The car did super well, we didn't get into too much traffic. We stopped when we needed too, never pushing our limits.

For night #2, we made it to Smithfield, North Carolina and slept at the Super 8. We used our iPhones to figure out where to eat, but as soon as Outback popped up, that was it!

Love that place!! P ordered a 22oz beer, so of course, I had a few sips! For the main course, I ordered the tilapia with some creamy crab and mushroom sauce and the veggies on the side.

For dessert, I was thrilled to see that they had the "sample size" brownie.

Yeah. Sample size... Still enormous!!

We were early in bed once again and ready to go the next morning. Breakfast was eaten in the hotel room as I didn't resist the waffle maker. I didn't quite pour the right amount of batter into the machine so I ended up with a thin waffle in some section and a full one in others. Still good with some fruits from our cooler.

More driving...

More music, more chatting and eventually a stop at Shoney's for lunch. We were quite early and they were still serving breakfast, so Brunch it was. I had some salad with scrambled eggs, hashbrown, half that biscuit and a sausage!

"Dessert" was actually some more veggies, fruits and half a french toast. It was all right, but not the best lunch I have ever had.

Throughout the afternoon we covered some more states and started to see some palm trees. Beautiful blue sky accompanied us as we entered Florida.

Storms helped tired us to the max.

For the third night we made it to St.Augustine so we could enjoy the white sand beach. As we approached the Super 8 where we were to check in, we saw beautiful sand dunes.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of a such a pretty sight.

One we were settled and we'd walked on the beach for a while, we went to dinner at the Sunset Grille. For starters, we had the cheesy bean nacho dip which was so crazy.

For dinner, I ordered the Mahi Mahi Salad.

I only ate half because it was huge. I thought it was quite ironic that a lady near us, when asked if she enjoyed her dinner, said that it was good but "the portion sizes were too small." Seriously! And then she proceeded to eat her friend's left overs. Hum. Yeah.

Felt like we were almost there. We still had a little more to go, but it was warm and sunny and we had a beach, right across the street.

Part 2 coming up!!

Uncertainty

2011-05-29T20:37:00.001-04:00

I still haven't decided what I will do with the blog...

1. Post once a week?
2. Post whenever I discover a good restaurant or make a good recipe?

I sincerely don't know.
Do you have opinions?

Hiatus

2011-05-16T21:59:00.001-04:00

There are truly not enough hours in my days.
I need to catch my breath for a while.

I hope to return soon!!

And the Beat Goes On

2011-05-13T20:26:00.014-04:00

Happy Birthday to me!!

Here is another 2 in 1 as my life is sort of going non-stop with the end of the semester and the final days of the 30 day Challenge at Moksha... plus yesterday was my Birthday!!

I started my Birthday celebration early with some marking and orange and ginger juice.

After marking for a while, I had one of O's Zucchini muffin and got ready for Moksha.

One of my birthday gifts was to go to the 10am class. Unfortunately, the class wasn't awesome. The teacher seemingly has taken some ashtanga training and she kept talking about it and we ended up holding poses for ever. I really wasn't successful in letting go and sort of got annoyed. I'll have to try harder to achieve contentment in my practice in times like these.

Next up was work with an exam invigilation. However, first I had lunch. No picture of this delicious roasted veggies and goat cheese wrap. Leftovers from yesterday!! Throughout the afternoon, I had an apple, a ginger granola bar and some watermelon.

I ended up getting home so late, I just had time to change to was off to meet my friend Ch. at Brasserie T. The appetizer was a welk (some kind of snail?) salad with grapefruit and herbs.

Dinner was some swordfish on fresh veggies and some spicy sauce.

We ate, chatted and drank a glass of wine to celebrate my birthday. Dessert was a piece of black forest cake and it was light and delicious!

This awesome dinner was preceeding a the Searching for Home ballet. We didn't really like the first part, but the choreography and the music by Philip Glass were fascinating for the second part. A wonderful show which was totally fitting for the celebration week.

Coming home, I spent time with my Hubby and read my book before going to bed.

It was a bit tough to get up this morning, I would guess, due to dehydration.

Water, and juice (orange, carrot and ginger) to get started and I was off to Moksha for Day 25!

Jason's class was fun and challenging and I finally gave up the control and obstacles I was imposing on myself!!

Once at work, I was starving so I ate my Overnight Oats topped with raspberries and chocolate chips.

Work was accomplished throughout the morning and suddenly it was time for lunch. I had a bowl of Indian Lentils with Jasmine rice.

Once I checked on the afternoon's exam, I came home... after a little detour. Somehow, I ended up at Yeh! for some frozen yogourt. I picked the chocolate and coconut fro yo and topped it with fruits, Oreo cookies, chocolate chips and mini-M&Ms.

I actually ate this fun snack on my terrasse in my bikini as I sped-read my book.

Before heading out to the gym, I had a peanut butter toast with chocolate chips.

Step was awesome! It will make it even more difficult to drop the Friday class for June and July!! But I must remind myself that I need the break!

I came home and chatted with my Hubby who was on his way to hockey. Once I came home and made dinner. While the pita pizza baked in the oven, I did some housework in the kitchen.

I might have had a few chips while I waited, and a beer with dinner.

Anyways, lovely few days even if they were busy.
Thing is, celebration isn't over yet!!

I hope to resume to some more regular schedule, but can't guarantee anything!
Have a good Friday night!!

That I Would be Good

2011-05-11T20:53:00.000-04:00

I have been listening to Alanis Morissette's That I would be good and have been really inspired by the message it contains.

Well to say life is busy is an understatement. Let's rewind to Tuesday, shall we?!

Still loving the passion fruit, apple and watermelon mix.

Boy does it take a while to use up that watermelon!!

We discussed the possibility of breakfast but I realized that going to work early would be more advantageous. So I ate 2 peanut butter toasts with jam and chocolate chips and was on my way.

I did a bunch of things including a meeting. I'll have to get used to being distracted all the time and to get back into the task at hand quickly... A skill I still need to acquire.

Eventually I had an unpictured bowl of O's Squash soup with bread. Chocolate for dessert!

I went straight to the 4pm Moksha class and it was probably the worst of the entire challenge. I usually sit up at the beginning of class and meditate but today I felt tired to I decided to lie down. Mistake. I snoozed until the class started and was all groggy throughout the practice. I couldn't put my mind at rest and kept feeling defeated and weak. I usually like a challenge but the planks at the end just killed me. Anyways, I made it out in one piece and felt better after class.

I had a Zucchini muffin as I waited for news from my Hubby about the night's activity. We decided that a Tuesday night was perfect timing to use my Red Flag Deals voucher at Barraka. We had to order cocktails and tapas. Neither of us were crazy about the cocktails which were very strong but we loved the food.

The "Mer" plate was composed of a salmon gravlax, blue cheese stuffed zucchinis, escargots, crab cakes and almonds.

Since the combo was almost free, we also had a cheese plate.

Turns out this was a LOT of food!! My favorite was the crab cakes but everything was so tasty and fun.

We walked home in the beautiful evening and I spent the rest of the night reading my bookclub book. Our meeting is Saturday and I am not very far along!!

Anyways, I was up bright and early this morning and got straight to marking. I had considered the 7am yoga class but figured I would be more productive if I marked in the morning. And I was!! I stopped for a watermelon/passion fruit juice and worked through the morning.

After a quick shower, I continued the Celebration Week and headed over to Le Cagibi to have breakfast with myself and my book. I actually went there last year for my birthday and fell in love with the place... my Hubby didn't like it so much so it is my solo hang out now. I had the scrambled eggs with toast and salad.

Allongé on the side.

Off to work, more was accomplished and meeting was held. I had an apple and 3 bites of this disgusting bar as I got hungry.

Seriously, don't buy that bar it doesn't taste good and is kind of chalky.

When I came home, my bags were ready for yoga and for the gym. I took some time to prepare dinner and left everything for my Hubby to put into the oven. I drank some ABC juice and ate a date and was out the door again for yoga.

The 4pm Moksha class couldn't have been more different for me than yesterday's. Today I felt cool (well not at all!!), calm and collected. I was focused and could feel and accept all the tensions in my body and work through them. Truly a good one. I had 2 more dates with peanut butter and a few bites of a nut bar and was on again at the gym. Step was super quiet, but fun. I think we will be ready for block 4 Friday!!

I came home to a waiting Hubby who is looking forward to the end of the semester but still had taken care of my veggies. I made Jenna's Roasted Veggies and Goat Cheese pitas with a simple spinach and tomato salad on the side.

Wow! This was such an awesome dinner. I had twice the quantity that you see here! So hungry! Dessert was made up of 2 of Le Cagibi's Peanut Butter cups.

Not the healthiest choice but absolutely fantastic and festive.

So this is my last day at 31 years old! I feel good.
By the way, I might not be able to blog tomorrow night. I actually have a pretty crazy birth day coming up!!

Yet another one!

2011-05-10T20:12:00.001-04:00

So much to do, not enough time and quite tired.

Taking a break yet again tonight!

I'll try to get back on track tomorrow...
Hope you are having a good week!!

Temporarily Blind

2011-05-09T21:59:00.009-04:00

Quick notes on the day.

Juice = Orange and ginger.

Breakfast = O's zucchini muffin.

10am Moksha was awesome.

Broke my glasses.

KERF inspired lunch = Salad (spinach, orange pepper, carrot, cherry tomatoes and walnuts) + a cheese and jam sandwich.

Work was slowed down by the broken glasses. Glasses were fixed at a jewelry store.

Step and yoga were packed!

Dinner = Fajitas with nachos.

Tomorrow is another day... and it looks like a sunny one!!

The Celebration Week

2011-05-08T20:47:00.011-04:00

Day 20 of the 30 Day Challenge. It was a good one!

We got up after 9am today and headed straight to the grocery store. Our fridge is so full right now... This will be most likely the biggest purchase until we leave again for Florida in 6 weeks!!

Juice of the day; passion fruit, apple and watermelon.

French Toast with the return of the Premiere Moisson's raisin bread.

I was a bit heavy handed on the chia seeds but it turned out crunchy and delicious. Topped with an apple and accompanied by a latté it held me over until the the late afternoon.

The rest of the morning/early afternoon was spent marking. Glad I got started on that task. I had a date with peanut butter before yoga.

I went to the 2pm Moksha class with... My HUSBAND!! He hadn't been to hot yoga in 2 years, and I can't say he enjoys it, but I think he can see the benefits.

I marked some more as I came home and drank an orange, sweet potato and ginger juice.

I also had a whole wheat slice of bread and some orange pepper with hummus. I was getting hungry and still needed to get ready for dinner.

We kicked off the Birthdays' Week with dinner at Steak Frites. We brought a Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon which we enjoyed with bread and the Hubby's escargots appetizer.

Next up was the simple green salad.

The main course was the only vegetarian option, but still lovely grilled salmon with the green beans and compulsory fries.

I couldn't resist the choux à la crème for dessert.

It was a lovely dinner enjoyed with my love.
The Celebration week has started! So much more to come!

What a beautiful sunset!!

Poor Body

2011-05-07T21:19:00.013-04:00

Yet another difficult Saturday.

I started the morning with a mango, watermelon and passion fruit.

I prefered the mix with apple instead of mango.

Breakfast followed shortly with an english muffin with peanut butter, jam and chocolate chips.

Such a perfect pre-workout breakfast.

I was subbing for B. at the gym this morning. This is a tough class with 30 minutes of Step, Aerobics and tonus, all for an hour and a half. Woah. So tired by the end of it.

I drove home and showered. A blissful one to boot! Quick relaxation, and ABC juice and some housework and I was off to Bagel St-Viateur to meet O.

I ordered the Traditionel bagel with the green salad and enjoyed every single bite to the very last one.

Hunger was still with me when I got home and I cracked open O's gift.

Zucchini Muffins!! I had one and a half as I played with my new toy.

Nap and other half of the muffin later, I was at Moksha for Day 19!! It was a 60 minute class and was perfect for my exhausted body.

The walk home was really nice and seemed to be part of my practice.

Dinner was eaten while watching Ally McBeal. It was kind of on the late side so I had a piece or 2 of Premiere Moisson bread with Earth Balance as my pasta was cooking. These were left overs from 2 packages; quinoa spaghetti and kamut linguinis. Though they had different cooking times but turned out great with some broccoli/nut sauce.

This had been in the freezer for months but still tasted great.

Dessert will be enjoyed while watching some more relics of the 1990s. Raspberries, chocolate chips and soy milk it is.

I don't really feel tired now, possibly because I am properly fuelled?
Off to drink more water!!

The Addiction

2011-05-06T21:00:00.000-04:00

Here is what happened to me yesterday!!

That's why I abandonned you. All for a brand new white iPhone!

Let's catch up a bit, shall we?!

Juice to start my Thursday. Strawberries, sweet potato, watermelon and orange was a delicious mix.

I went to the 10am Moksha class during which I was very tired. The squats and the lunges were so hard to hold. I was shaking all over.

After a quick shower, I went to work. Office hours and some exam preparation led me to lunch. I had some Corn Chowder with toast to fuel me up!

When I returned home, my Hubby had a surprise for me... yes indeed an awesome white iPhone. I almost was late for a date with my friend I. at Café Cherrier. I took the metro even if it was only one station because it's been raining for 3 days.

Dinner with my friend was great. I started with the very simple and small spinach salad.

The main course was some swordfish with mango/shrimp salsa, rice and steamed veggies.

All of this with an absolutely delicous La Crema pinot noir from California.

We walked back together and stopped for some gelato at Suite 88. I picked the praline and cinnamon/chocolate gelato.

Last stop of the evening to buy a Skin for my phone!!

Upon my return, all I did was to play with my iPhone, neglecting my blogging duties!!

So this morning, I was up and ready to go despite somewhat of a rough night. I had stomach pains a few times during the night but felt fine in the morning.

I had a smoothie to start; spinach, fresh apple juice, watermelon and coconut tofu.

Off to yoga, I had difficulties finding a parking and had to go with a parking meter which reduced my preparation time after class. The 10am Powerflow was especially challenging but I felt stronger than yesterday. Lots of vinyasas which I love and fun postures. I was actually able to hold Crow for 5 breaths!!!

Super quick shower and an Agave juice and coconut water, I was back in my car!

Because of the parking situation, I was at work especially early. A few things were accomplished and a meeting with students and it was time for lunch. A bowl of Cauliflower, Chickpea, Curry Crockpot mix with brown rice.

So good. For dessert, I had half of this chocolate, almond and caramel bar which I purchase for fundraising.

Hey it was a good cause!

I worked late which gave me just enough time to change and eat a snack before going to the gym. 2 dates with peanut butter and a stop at the grocery store and it was time for Step. I got my first 3 blocks of choreography down!! It went so well and was so much fun!!

I walked home as I chatted with on my iPhone. Talked about a few things, including summer plans. My Hubby and I are going back on the road in June and I will do a solo trip to NY state in July. Too bad that I didn't get the support I expected on projects that make me supremely happy. I can get where ever I want and don't need other's insecurities. Letting go.

Dinner was very Friday to me; pita pizza topped with onion, red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach and cheese.

So very good.

Ok, back to my iPhone now!!

Toughy but Goody

2011-05-04T20:44:00.008-04:00

So tired tonight. It took me everything to finish the day.

But this morning was great. Watermelon, passion fruit and apple juice is awesome.

Apple Oatmeal is filling and healthy and I love it.

Work was busy. Lunch was a delicious spinach, lettuce, dried cranberries, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, half an apple and goat cheese.

Last Canadian History class of the semester.

Came home to some ABC and I was out the door again.

I wish I could have stayed in and napped.

I went to the 4pm Moksha class and felt tired but strong all the way through. Water was consumed on my way to the gym and once changed, I ate the last of my dried fruits bar and 2 peanut butter dates before Step. This simple snack energized me through this complicated Step routine I have created.

On my mind coming from the gym were fajitas which I built with the veggie and black bean mix, salsa, cheese and half an avocado.

Nachos on the side.

I might have some dessert but find the idea of a bath more appealing...

Tuesday's 7 Steps

2011-05-03T20:56:00.011-04:00

1. Orange, carrot and ginger juice.

2. Egg sandwich on english muffin with spinach, tomatoes and cheese.

3. This and that at the Honours Social Science potluck.

Not great, too many carbs.

4. Nap and juice (spinach, carrot, Granny Smith and lemon).

5. Walk in the rain and 4pm Powerflow at Moksha.

6. Dinner with friends at St.Hubert. Nachos shared with the table.

Chicken!

Brownie shared with my Hubby.

7. Relaxing after cleaning up the kitchen and preparing my bags for tomorrow.
Good night!

Election Night

2011-05-02T21:43:00.007-04:00

This is the day of the Super Bowl of politics. Election night!

I slept super well last night. I actually woke up on my own at 8:30 and got ready for my day. As I packed my bags for the day, I drank an ABC juice.

On my way out the door, I also grabbed 2 dates with peanut butter for more fuel for yoga.

I took the 10am class at Moksha with Amy. While I hated the first 2 postures, focused on the feet (the Toe Squat hurts so much!!), the rest was great. Some long holds and cleansing twists.

After a quick shower, I made my way to work. I ate a delicous salad made of spinach, lettuce, yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, carrot, roasted potatoes, walnuts and half and avocado.

Such a good mix!!

Office hours and a meeting made up for the rest of my day. I came home and had a peanut butter and chocolate chip toast to hold me over for the evening.

Quick stop at Milada to get beautiful hairless legs and off to the gym to practice my Step routine. I could have been more ready, but it was still fun to start something new. I had half a dried fruit bar (brand to be shared tomorrow) between classes. Yoga was full and was absolutely awesome.

I came home and am now seated on the couch to watch the electoral results. I had a bowl of Cauliflower, Chickpeas, Curry Crockpot casserole with naan bread.

I'll be up for another while to see History in the making, so dessert will be in order.

Good night and I hope you did you Canadians did your citizen's duty!!

Hello May!

2011-05-01T21:55:00.006-04:00

I was up on my own on this beautiful sunny morning of May. No alarm clock!

First task, mark a few papers while my mind was fresh and awake. Eventually, I went to make a carrot, orange and ginger juice to brighten my morning.

More work and some French Toast for breakfast.

I used the date and nuts bread (a large piece that hadn't been sliced...) which I topped with a cinnamon apple.

I then made my way to the gym with some Bengal Spice tea. Today was time for the first evaluation for future instructors. We spent 2 hours with them evaluating, giving feedback and finally helping them preparing their routine. Though they were tired by then, several of them came up with good stuff.

Back home, I put together a salad with spinach, red pepper, half an avocado and the left over fake-crab salad.

Though it was seemingly light, the meal sat on my stomach for the entire afternoon. I finished today's tasks and headed to bed for a while.

I woke up with a start, realizing that the next class at Moksha was in 20 minutes! I was preparing myself to wait for another hour when my Hubby offered to drop me off over there. I jumped at the opportunity and arrived just in time to change and get ready for the 5pm class with Anna. I was still uncomfortable from the lunch and had stomach pains but soon I forgot all about it. The practice was awesome and I was very focused.

I walked home in the absolutely wonderful weather and without music because I didn't bring by earphones. I thought I would get bored walking without the radio but it was so lively outside that I felt like I could really absorb the atmosphere of the budding Summer.

Upon my return, I got to work on my Step CD and routine. Dinner came late, after I felt I was done. I baked some potatoes and sweet potatoes and reheated a black bean burger.

Very yummy dinner. Dessert was in 2 parts; a chocolate Belsoy and some chocolate chips, strawberries and soymilk.

Objective of the week; eat more veggies. I feel like they were lacking in the past few days...
Have a good evening!!

My Shoulders Hurt

2011-04-30T19:46:00.009-04:00

Did you have the chance to be outside a bit?! I did!!

My alarm was set a 8am so I'd have time for proper breakfast before the gym. Apple, pineapple, blueberries and a passion fruit juice to start.

After gathering my things, including a few aerobics CDs (which I don't carry in my bag because I DON'T teach aerobics!!), I sat down with buckwheat waffles served with almond butter, strawberries and maple syrup.

This morning's training was intense. 30 minutes of Step, 30 minutes of Aerobics and 30 minutes of Tonus. All went well but I was so done with it by the end!! An hour and a half is a LONG time, especially with Aerobics in the middle.

I drove home and made lunch right away. Simple and light with a carrot and apple juice, and the leftover pita pizza from yesterday. It contained onion, red pepper, mushrooms, zucchinis, spinach, cheddard and goat cheese.

Not great reheated but still fine. It looked and tasted better yesterday night.

Though I felt like curling up in a ball and sleeping for the rest of the day, I got dressed again and was off to Moksha for Day 11 of the Challenge. I had a date with peanut butter as I put one too many layers on. The walk was so beautiful and warm!! Yeay for sunglasses!!

As I sipped on some tea, my friend I. walked in! I was so happy to see her, even if we didn't really get to talk much. The 2pm class was the hottest I have been to since the beginning of the Challenge. Regardless, I was able to push myself and finished in savasana in a glorious puddle of sweat.

The walk home was equally great and so was the shower I took upon coming home. I must have stunk! The afternoon was spent relaxing and refuelling while my Hubby was busy doing some home renovation project. Throughout the afternoon, I had an ABC juice and a small bowl of apple crisp with soymilk.

I also broke out the cheese brought on Thursday and ate some with some dry bread.

Dinner plans were discussed but everything fell through because of sheer exhaustion and we ended up ordering pizza.

Ok, twice a day, not the best choice, but admittedly it is the entire week that counts.

I am now spending time with the Hubby and will watch a bit of TV for a quiet Saturday night.
Can't type anymore, my shoulders hurt!!

Break

2011-04-29T20:31:00.001-04:00

Taking a break tonight!
Have a good evening!

Productivity

2011-04-28T22:01:00.009-04:00

Productive is what would define the day.

Up late but happy. We drank some orange, grapefruit, carrot and ginger juice.

My Husband then invited me for breakfast. We went to our now favorite restaurant Bistro Etc. and I chose the simple plate of 2 eggs, fruits, sausage and toast.

I ate all my fruits but ate half of everything else. Coffee was fantastic.

Off to work, I did a bunch of things in my office, including some planning for next week (the LAST week of the semester!). I only had a brief office hour planned but ended up staying until 2 because I was in the groove.

Lunch was eaten back home. The fridge was quite empty, but I was still able to pull together a fajitas with roasted veggies and black beans.

It was good but the frozen tortilla did have a taste of freezer. Luckily, some cheese, avocado and salsa saved the day with more dominant flavors. 2 Adora discs for dessert.

I marked some more for the rest of the afternoon until it was time for Moksha. The 5:30 class was taught by Anna. She included a lot of new postures and some breathing exercises. Surprises are good, especially on Day 10 of the challenge!!

I walked home and was immediately wisked away to the grocery store by my Hubby who'd had enough of the food situation in our house. Upon returning home, we made a piknik of sorts on our living room table. Some crab salad (inspired by St.Viateur Bagels), cheeses, paté, baguette, tofu spread and veggies.

I ate just enough and had some strawberries, chocolate chips and soymilk for dessert.

The evening is already almost gone and I still have much to do.
See you tomorrow!

14 Hours

2011-04-27T21:27:00.007-04:00

Yet another busy day. I was out of the house from 6:30am to 8:30pm.

The morning started with a Green Smoothie made with spinach, cantaloup, acai and blueberry juice and tofu.

Almost a repeat of yesterday to finish ingredients.

The 7am class was taught by Annie and it was my first class with her. I have known Annie for some time but never had the chance to experience her expertise as an instructor. I loved her hands-on style as she modified several of my postures.

I showered and got ready at Moksha. When I repacked my bags, I realized that I had left my breakfast at home. Therefore I started the hunt for a Starbucks to get their oatmeal. First one I stopped at was closed so I made my way to work and found another one over there. The Perfect Oatmeal is funner on vacation than on a weekday.

I added all the toppings and it was good but not quite filling enough.

I worked through the morning and snacked on almonds and maple pecans. The morning was also entertaining with a photoshoot and then class.

Lunch was eaten afterwards. A delicious salad made me happy. In the bowl; spinach, lettuce, green and red pepper, carrot, cucumber, 1/2 avocado, cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Yum!

After a very interesting meeting, I made my way to the gym. (I had some raspberry pastry during the meeting, which it seems, made me more hungry!) I had all my stuff with me so I made a quick shopping trip at Pharmaprix where I picked up a Chocolate Chip Larabar to hold me over until dinner, and headed straight to the gym.

Step was super intense and I switched up things with the tonus portion as I was inspired by yesterday's requests.

Driving home felt so weird! It reminded me of when we lived further away and I would drive to the gym every night and would have to park. I unpacked all my bags (yoga, lunch, gym...) as I waited for Survivor to finish. Dinner was put together fast and easy. Black bean burger with left over potatoes was all I wanted.

Eaten in minutes. The day's round up of eats was an Adora disc.

So thrilled that I don't have to be up at 6 tomorrow!! I wish I could stay up late but I don't think I can handle anymore.
Good night.

You are ready NOW.

2011-04-26T20:26:00.010-04:00

One crazy day! But I was ready...

It started off super early with a smoothie. Wasn't as good as a few days back. In the blender went some pineapple, cantaloup, 2 handfuls of spinach, tofu and store-bought acai and blueberry juice.

Ended leaving about 1/3.

7am Moksha was the only one that fit into my schedule today and it was a great one. Anna is back and she guided a very calming and mellow practice for Day 8 of the Challenge. I drank some Coconut water as I drove to work.

It was my second attempt at Coconut water and this one went much better (well I hated it the first time I tried so that's positive!!). I'll be having some more once in a while.

Once in my office, I broke out some Overnight Oats for breakfast. The usual mix topped with raspberries and chocolate chips.

So sad I forgot the almonds. During the morning's meeting, I had an unpictured chocolate and coconut square. Sweet but good!

I had half a red pepper and an egg salad sandwich for lunch as I held my office hours.

Apple for dessert.

As I returned home, I unpacked and repacked my yoga stuff for tomorrow. Snack of the afternoon was a flax toast with almond butter and jam.

I worked for another while and headed out to teach a Step class in Brossard. It felt like a day trip as I was taking the city bus over there. Technically, it takes longer than by car, but with the rush hour traffic's reserved lane, I am sure the bus was faster. Wasn't even that long to come back. The class itself was small (6 people!) but the participants were very enthusiastic.

My Hubby was super focused on the game as I arrived, so I prepared dinner on my own. Cyprus traditional cheese bread to keep me waiting.

And some pennes with white bean tuscany sauce as my main meal.

Yummy and exactly what I wanted/needed!

I might have an Adora disc for the sweet tooth but my evening is pretty much over now. Tired but satisfied that all went well.
Another crazier day tomorrow. Let's keep in mind that all will be good.
If faced with obstacles remember the words of Baron Baptiste: "You are ready NOW!"

Summer Vacation Preview

2011-04-25T21:53:00.008-04:00

Well the Easter Break is over. Smooth sailing until the end of the semester is the plan.

It was kind of tough to get up this morning, even if it was well past 8. As I was heading out to yoga, I made a smoothie. Since we got the juicer, the smoothies have been less appealing, but I knew I needed some fuel. In the blender went a piece of pineapple, 2 big handfuls of spinach, fresh apple juice and coconut tofu.

Green is good!!

The 10am class allowed me to round up my first week of the 30 Day Moksha Yoga challenge. It was a good class and I felt peaceful in a lot of the postures. In line with yesterday, I focused on being thankful for what my body does. I walked home in the beautiful sunshine!

In celebration of the long weekend, we went shopping for roller blades. Not for me!! I can't handle myself on skates, but I might have fallen in love with some Merrell sandals... We then went for lunch at Bagel St.Viateur where I got the Traditional Bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese and a side salad.

Lovely lunch with my love.

Ice cream was also in order with such a warm, sunny and festive day.

Naptime and some cooking got me to gym time. Both Step and Yoga were quiet but fun and quite demanding because it was very humid in the room. Well it was hot in the entire gym for some unknown reason.

I came home to a delicious Cauliflower Crockpot Curry Chickpeas as seen on Kath's blog. Yey for the Crockpot!! I put everything together as I left for the gym and the timer buzzed as I walked in the door! I served the dish with some brown rice and a piece of special bread.

My friend V. gave me some cheese bread made in the tradition of Cyprus. I couldn't wait to try it and I loved it! What spices are in there, I don't know, but it was really good! Happy to have another half for later.

Concluded the day's eats with raspberries, chocolate chips and soymilk.

Also a lot of preparation for tomorrow was involved. Busy day ahead, let's hope all goes well!
Good night.

Thankful

2011-04-24T20:10:00.010-04:00

Happy Easter everyone! Or whatever else you celebrate, I hope you had a good time with your family.

Fun morning. First some cantaloup, orange, carrot and ginger juice.

My Parents were visiting today but I couldn't wait until they got here, so I had an english muffin with almond butter and jam/chocolate chips.

When my Mom and Dad finally arrived, my Hubby got to work to make breakfast. He was in charge of the eggs, potatoes (by the way, these aren't burned potatoes but rather the purple ones!!), beans and toast.

All I had to do was chat with our guests. Very thankful to have been able to spend some quiet time with my family.

After our visitors left, I couldn't resist the little Easter hen by Mom had brought me.

Perfect size and quantity. Thanks Mom!

Work for the afternoon wasn't really appealing, so we headed for a nap. Upon waking, I made my way to the 4pm Powerflow II at Moksha. I had never done that class but I am happy I tried. We attempted a bunch of postures that were quite challenging, including some handstands (frog and side crow among others). I was able to do a few with some assistance. Very thankful to be able to accomplish so much with my body. So thankful to be healthy.

When I came home, my Hubby and I decided that to gear up for the upcoming crazy week, Tomato was in order. As an appetizer, I ordered the beet salad. What a disappointment!! Cooked beets in a bowl, topped with (supposedly) goat cheese and some croutons.

No presentation, and the flavors were just ok. I ate a lot of them anyways, because beets are full of nutrients. The vegetarian pizza redeemed the appetizer.

Good crust, good cheese and great veggies.

Dessert was the 2 last Lindor chocolate bunnies as I watch TLMEP.

I got quite emotional seeing Dominique Michel talk about her battle with cancer. Again, so thankful for my health.

What's in the Cards?!

2011-04-23T21:28:00.000-04:00

4 day weekends are so awesome. I woke up this morning, not really knowing which day it was and then, I didn't really know what to expect.

I thought that 10am Moksha was in the cards but turns out other things could be accomplished first.

After a passion fruit, orange and cantaloup juice, I cleaned up for a while.

I worked up an appetite as I straightened the living room. Breakfast came up in the form of French Toast topped with warm cinnamon apple.

SO very good.

Housework and real work continued throughout the morning, until it was time for lunch. I had a bowl of Squash soup with a flax toast.

A quick decision that the 2pm Moksha class was the one I would do today made me change rapidly. I grabbed a date with pb on my way out the door and that was it!

I walked to the studio and settled my mat in the middle of the room as I like it. Turns out I am not the only one who thought the 2pm was a good choice, the room was packed. I didn't mind as people are usually respectful and understanding in such close quarters. Plus I was beside and in front of 2 instructors which inspired me very much.

After class, I made the purchase of a new Yogitoes towel.

Though expensive these skidless towels completely changed my practice. I had 2 already, but my yellow one stinks a few minutes into the class. We'll see if I can still save it. It was a bit cold outside, and windy but I still met up with my Hubby to go VOTE. I proudly exercised my public duty a few days early (no line ups; priceless).

Upon coming home, I started the laundry and made an ABC juice.

Being still hungry afterwards, I also had a peanut butter and chocolate toast.

Some Lindor bunny might also have found its way in my belly!!

An energizing nap allowed me to work some more in the early evening.

As I was getting hungry, I made Emily's Black Bean Burgers for dinner.
I also prepared some sweet potatoes to roast and the 2 made for an excellent Saturday night dinner. Left over Aux Vivres brownie for dessert!!

Some more Ally McBeal for a fun evening!

A Gooood Friday

2011-04-22T20:51:00.010-04:00

1. Delicious orange, sweet potato and ginger juice.

2. A small bowl of La Fourmi Bionique granola and a date with peanut butter.

Juice and granola got me ready for Moksha's 4th day of the Challenge.

3. Lunch was eaten with my friend V. at Aux Vivres.

Funny to think that we ate together at Aux Vivres on Good Friday last year!!

4. Dessert was a vegan brownie that came with 2 forks.

I am the only one who ate some but left half.

5. Some grocery shopping and regular shopping were involved. I somehow ended in the Sales rack at Lululemon!! Hehe!

6. Drinks for a Step-less Friday night.

7.My Hubby took me to dinner at Bistro etc. We had been for breakfast but this was my first time for dinner. I ordered a Verde Croque-Monsieur.

It came with fantastic fries and a salad. Super fun dinner.

8. I rented the first season's dvd of Ally McBeal! 1990s flash back!
A goooood Friday!

A few missing pieces

2011-04-21T20:09:00.008-04:00

The morning started early with a pink juice! I juiced 2 passion fruit, 2 apples and ginger.

Oh wow! Passion fruit smells and tastes so good!

I then dropped of the car at the dealership to get my Summer tires installed and for an oil change. I took the metro to work and read the entire time. Time goes by so fast with music and a book!

Breakfast was eaten at work... Overnight Oats in a giant peanut butter jar. That's my Hubby's crunchy pb, I don't usually eat Kraft. The usual mix was topped with strawberries, blueberries, chocolate and almonds.

It was good but not great. Not sure if it is because of the large spoon or what, but these weren't the best OO ever.

Worked the morning away and waited too long to have lunch. I had some curry tofu with veggies and rice but ended up eating most at a meeting, feeling rushed.

I went to the 5:30 Moksha class and completed Day 3. This was one of the most unfocused I was in quite a while. I was quite restless in savasana. The walk home was pleasant; it is so great that the sun is still up after class.

Dinner was made with whatever was in the fridge. I made a pita pizza topped with tomato sauce, onion, green pepper, mushroom, a small piece of cheddard and shaved parmesan. Despite missing a few key ingredients, it turned out to be a really delicous meal.

Berries, chocolate and soymilk for dessert.

Now I am off to watch ANTM and hydrate like it's my job!
See you tomorrow!

Moksha Yoga 30 Day Challenge - Take 2

2011-04-20T20:45:00.008-04:00

Today was so much better than yesterday. The expression "Tomorrow is another day" never sounded so true.

I was up bright an early to get to work on time. Started my morning with a sweet potato, orange and ginger juice.

Starting on the right foot!

Next up was an egg sandwich on an english muffin. The sandwich was filled with lettuce, cheese and cherry tomatoes.

Tomatoes kept trying to escape but they all made it into my belly.

Drove to work in a winter climate with some ice pellets and drizzle. Spring, where are you? A lot of things were accomplished including the review of my Canadian History course. I found a Fifth Estate documentary on communism in Canada. Glad that I was able to trace it back.

Lunch was the Corn and Bean Chowder with a whole wheat toast.

Toast is awesome!!

I wasn't talking about the 1950 in class yet, but rather the treatment of minorities during WWII.

Quick pit stop at the grocery store to replenish the fruit drawer for juices. I made an ABC juice and grabbed an almond butter date and I was off again.

The crazy thing I did today was to register for the 30 Day Challenge at Moksha Yoga. I have done the Challenge in 2009 and I have been wanting to participate again since then. With the emotional turmoil of Tuesday, I found Moksha liberating. I need to focus my energy for the rest of the semester and this is my way. So I completed Day 2 today, because in my mind, yesterday's class counts. Tonight's class was taught by Brit and it was a fun 60 minutes.

I also felt awesome during Step. Surpisingly, I didn't feel tired and was on the contrary very energized. Good workout.

I came home to watch Survivor and made a quick bowl of angel hair with the last of my Mom's spaghetti sauce.

I added some shredded cheese but thought it was unnecessary as I ate it. I bought strawberries at Provigo today, so I couldn't resist the berries and chocolate chips/soymilk for dessert.

Last day of the week tomorrow!!
The long weekend is going to be fantastic.

The Breakdown and the Breakthrough

2011-04-19T20:35:00.001-04:00

I have been quite upset all day at something that happened at the gym last night. I will spare you the details, but I admit I was wrong. However, after sincerely apologizing to the person in question, I was told off in a disrespectful and inappropriate way. Why wouldn't one forgive another person's mistake? I don't get it. I wouldn't want this to ruin my gym experience, that would make me so sad.

Anyways, the event was on my mind all morning but until I got yelled at, I was doing quite well. Starting off with an orange an ginger juice was good.

Also great was the english muffin with peanut butter and jam/chocolate chips.

Made it to work and did some concluding Jeunes Democrates stuff (budget, sorting documents...) until I was floored by that person's anger. Luckily, I am surrounded by mature and understanding colleagues who gave me advice. My focus all morning was to think positive and find the best way to handle things. In all of this, I might have made a mistake, but I will be the bigger person.

After supervising some assignment done by the students, I came home starving. I still haven't been to the grocery store and couldn't handle even half an hour at Provigo. So I made it home and had a quick black bean and veggie fajitas with cheese and a smear of sour cream.

A Nut Bar for dessert which I bought at La Carotte Joyeuse. It was all right, all natural and vegan but not that great.

I wouldn't buy it on a regular basis even if I lived in Quebec City. Better for a snack than for a dessert.

I worked some more from home and tackled yet 2 other tasks from my To-Do List. I am thinking of the Easter break as the key to the end of my semester.

I chatted a bit with my Hubby and eventually convinced myself that the only thing that would make me feel better was Moksha Yoga. I ate the rest of the Nut Bar as I walked to the studio to attend the 5:30 class taught by Dina. It was great and absolutely wonderful. I almost broke down into tears when she played some Krishna Das. It felt like I was back that the Baron Baptiste FIA in Boston. I might have taken a crazy decision as I left the class. More on this later.

The walk home was pleasant and we talked about going out but were both tired so instead, we went to pick up Subway sandwiches. I had the Vegedelice with everything aside from the hot peppers.

A little Sunchips bag to round up everything. And La Fourmi Bionique granola with extra chocolate chips and soy milk for the sweet tooth.

Overall a very simple eats. Thankfully I can say goodbye to this rather difficult day. Though it might have started with a breakdown, it finished with a breakthrough.

The Simplicity of Monday

2011-04-18T21:34:00.008-04:00

Though week #2 of Sticking to the Healthy Choice clamors "Go Green!", there wasn't much green on my plates. It remains a good day of eats overall.

Orange and ginger juice to start the morning.

Missed my Jack Lalanne juicer so much during the weekend away!!

Breakfast was some delicious French Toast made with date and nut bread which I bought at L'Epicerie Couillard.

Topped with an apple, this made for a great Monday breakfast.

I got up quite late, so unsurprisingly my workday started late. I marked through the morning stopping once in a while to check on e-mails and to do the laundry.

Lunch though eaten at home was a simple végépaté sandwich with tomatoes, salad, avocado and mustard.

Lime and pepper chips on the side and some carrot/apple juice to complete the nutrients and tastes. I also had the rest of the chocolate/pecan/caramel bar for dessert.

Fresh, vegan and delicious.

More work and the compulsory Monday afternoon nap were followed by a great workout at the gym. 6th block of choreogaphy was introduced today... this will keep us entertained for the last 2 weeks of the session. Yoga was absolutely fabulous tonight. Everything felt so right. We did lots of downward facing dogs and some backbends. Of course Krishna Das carried us through Savasana.

I came home to a quick bowl of pennes served with White Bean Tuscany Sauce.

Really good. Cookies for dessert!!

Lots more to do tomorrow. See you then!

Back from the Great North

2011-04-17T14:40:00.012-04:00

I had a great weekend but I am so happy to be back home.

The morning started off early, not what I intended to do... I just woke up at 6:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. I jumped out of bed and into the shower only to realize that I had 2 hours ahead of me. So even if this didn't seem like the most productive thing, I put on my gym clothes and headed over to the hotel's gym. I ran 3km on the threadmill in about 20 minutes and did a bit of an upper body workout (arms, pecs, shoulder, abs).

When I returned to the room, I showered again and got ready to head out to see one last Jeunes Democrates game. I had a hunk of fresh date and nut bread with Justin's Maple Peanut butter.

Awesome breakfast!! Loved it.

The walk to the Petit Seminaire was absolutely disgusting and miserable. It SNOWED during the night in Quebec city and the sidewalks were slippery and covered in slush. I hadn't brought my boots so my running shoes were soaked within seconds. Not cool. After the match I actually stopped in a couple of shops to try and find rain boots... lots of umbrellas but nothing for my poor wet feet.

My Jeunes Democrates had the entire morning to themselves, so I headed back out to have brunch with I. We went back to Le Bonnet d'ane. My memories were of a really good végé pâté but as time passed they must have changed their recipe because it was just all right.

The potatoes were undercooked but the rest was quite good. Coffee and company were great!

I went shopping at la Carotte Joyeuse and made it back to the hotel for check out. All my bills were settled, I said goodbye to I. and waited for the Jeunes Democrates to meet up at our determined location.

After reading blogs for an hour, I took out some Ginger Juice I had just bought.
This stuff was strong but so delicious. It will be replicated at home really soon! Eventually broke out the sandwich, also purchased at la Carotte Joyeuse. It was an avocado sandwich and was surprisingly spicy.

I was afraid it would be too mushy and bland but it turned out to be a great choice. I had also opened this kettle corn but kept it for dessert as it was sweet and salty.

When we hit Drummondville and I was all done with the blogs, pre-blogging and the article for tomorrow's Stick to the Healthy Choice was written, I was a bit discouraged. Out of boredom, I dug into my shopping bag from la Carotte Joyeuse and had a few bites of an organic chocolate, pecan and caramel bar.

Couldn't eat more anyways, it was too rich.

When I finally made it home, I spent time catching up with my Hubby. Though I ate out all weekend, we still decided to go have dinner at St.Hubert. Yes, a bit of chicken, fries and cole slaw made my evening.

I think I was quite reasonable and left some of everything... except the brownie which I ate in its entirety with the help of my Husband.

Lots of work and catching up to do.
See you tomorrow!

And We Competed

2011-04-16T20:35:00.010-04:00

The day was quite eventful with competitions back to back.

My morning was kind of sad and incomplete without some fresh juice. In my hotel room, I had a nice bowl of cereals and canned fruits.

The cereals were oatmeal crunch and La Fourmi Bionique granola (don't remember which kind I brought with me). Good and filling and much better than all the pastries available at the bakery Paillard where I stopped with the students.

Several games were played and I had an apple during one of the breaks. The real break came at 12:30 and with almost an hour to spare, I went to l'Epicerie Couillard to grab their fabulous végé pâté sandwich. On sesame bread, I had a delicious sandwich filled with all the veggies available, some cheddard chips and a V8.

I think it is the first time I drank non-natural juice since January. Still better than nothing. For dessert, I had a little bag of lucy's cookies which are gluten, egg, milk, barley, rye and nut free.

Though natural, they did taste a bit commercial.

Later in the afternoon, I had a break so I met I. at Le Temporal where I enjoyed a good conversation and a café au lait.

More games culminated unfortunately, with our elimination. The participants gave an awesome effort and were just great throughout the day. They certainly put up a fight and were fair competitors.

We came to the hotel and had just enough time to refresh before dinner. After a quick change of clothes we were off to the hotel's ballroom. The meal started with a vegetable soup which was quite tasty and a roll.

I had warned them that I am a vegetarian so I was served... pasta!! Linguine with some tomato sauce, and steamed veggies.

Just ok. Nothing impressive or special. Dessert was a chocolate/caramel mousse and it was delicious, though admittedly, I wasn't really hungry by that point.

The rest of the evening will be spent relaxing in our hotel room while the kids watch the game.
More games for fun tomorrow and some more travel.
Have a great evening!!

Quebec City 2011

2011-04-15T22:23:00.000-04:00

Oh wow! I am sleeping so much! I went to bed a little after 11 last night and finally woke up at 9:30 this morning. I wasn't feeling too great, but I had to pull it together because I was on my way to Quebec city with the Jeunes Democrates.

The morning eventually started with an orange, sweet potato and ginger juice.

I really wasn't hungry so I packed my bags and prepared my lunch waiting for hunger to come. It didn't really, but I still made some chocolate/blueberry oatmeal topped with a small teaspoon of almond butter.

I regretted the AB and would much rather have some maple pecans that add crunch and do not completely overwhelm the bowl.

After getting everything ready, I made my way to the bus station to meet with the students. As usual there were some early and some almost late. That stresses me out so much! Once everyone was on the bus I could finally relax.

I read blogs for a while I had a beet, apple and carrot juice.

By 2:30 I finally took out my sandwich. Between the 2 slices of bread went some végépâté, tomato, lettuce, 1/2 avocado and mustard.

I had some home made cookies for dessert.

I had a few carrot sticks before D. and I went to the compulsory coach meeting. We then we made our way to le Bonnet d'Ane. This little restaurant on St.Jean used to be a favorite hangout of mine when I was at Universite Laval and I always bring the students there. I think it is better and way more fun to go to a local spot than to some chain restaurant they could go to in Montreal. The atmosphere was good but the food was just all right. I had the vegetarian pizza and frankly, it wasn't the best.

We walked back to the hotel briskly as it is quite cold outside. Now getting ready for bed to get all the energy possible for tomorrow!!

Still Resisting

2011-04-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

Ok, my body has chosen to give up to the cold. Though I thought earlier this week that I was out of trouble, I was feeling more tired and sniffly today.

It all started well with a fantastic orange, sweet potato and ginger juice.

Then, my Hubby and I were off to have breakfast at Bistro Etc. The service at that restaurant had been more than disappointing but for the first time we saw a friendly face. I ordered a simple plate of eggs over easy.

I left about half of everything (fruits, bread, sausage(!)) and stopped when I wasn't hungry anymore. Also enjoyed some conversation time with my Hubby.

Off to work. I ended up eating lunch after the Jeunes Democrates meeting (the last of the year)!!! I had a bowl of Indian Lentils with some sweet potatoes and naan bread.

Yummy! I was also tempted by a cupcake from a school bakesale.

Worth every single calorie.

I came home and totally didn't expect to take a nap but it just happened. Upon waking, I went out for a walk. I wanted to look at the running shoes possibilities but wasn't impressed and came home empty handed. I walked for a hour and back home, almost completed my suitcase for tomorrow.

Dinner wasn't exactly what I felt like eating, but brussels sprouts needed to be eaten. Once the Sesame Glazed BSprouts were on my plate with the Spicy Rainbow Rice Salad, I knew it was the right choice.

Loved everything to the last bite.

Also as I settled to watched ANTM, I decided to make some Awesome US Chocolate Chip Cookies (you can find the recipe on the Recipe Page)!

I had 3 and they were quite good, a bit soft though. They will definitely be better as they spend some time in the fridge.

Planning an early bed time to work on healing that cold. No time to be sick this weekend!

Orange You Glad?!

2011-04-13T20:21:00.006-04:00

The orange love continues this week!

The morning started off with a wonderful juice; apple, grapefruit, orange pepper and ginger.

Great combo!

Breakfast followed with Apple Crisp and soymilk.

It was tasty but I wasn't that hungry.

Off to work and stuff was done.

Lunch was a bowl of Olena's Squash Soup with a side of steamed asparagus.

It might sound odd but I need to eat those asparagus before the weekend.

Canadian History covered the participation of the Makenzie-Papineau Battalion in the Spanish Civil War. Interestingly, not a topic that is studied a lot.

I came home after doing a few more things and had a bowl of Aphrodisiac La Fourmi Bionique granola with chocolate soymilk as a snack. I relaxed a bit with my Hubby and had 3 small dates with peanut butter before going to the gym.

After a quick grocery store stop, I taught my Step class. I must come up with block 6. I almost ran out of choreography tonight!! It was still fun, but I do need a challenge and so do they!

I walked quickly home to watch Survivor (yes, I prioritize Survivor over the Debate). Throughout the afternoon, I had made some curry tofu with veggies which I just had to reheat before serving with jasmine rice.

Mmmmmm!

Lovely evening, just hanging out!
I hope you are having a good time too!

The Consequences of your Actions

2011-04-12T20:07:00.007-04:00

Ooof! It's a tough week down here. Feeling good one day and not to great the next. Let's hope that all returns to normal by Friday. But let's also be honest here and admit that I am not making the best choices.

The first part of my day was all right. Orange, carrot, grapefruit, grape and ginger juice to start.

I drove to work in the sunshine and had breakfast upon arrival. Overnight oats were delicious especially topped with strawberries, chocolate chips and almonds.

I worked the morning away until it was time to meet the last group for the oral presentations. What an accomplishment! All done; a major step forward for all!

Before heading out to the Jeunes Democrates meeting, I had a bowl of my Mom's spaghetti.

It's been in the office fridge since last week and needed to be eaten! Thanks Mommy for a good lunch!

More stuff done throughout the afternoon until my Hubby texted me that he was going home. I joined him promptly and we got ready for the Debate. We considered going out but settled for nachos. My Hubby was the master chef of the night and unfortunately, his recipe wasn't a success. He made a thin plate of tortilla chips with cheese and onions and on the side he cooked veggies with salsa and ground round for dipping.

It was too heavy. I spent the rest of the evening trying to digest that meal. Belch!

A heavy stomach almost kept me away from the project of the evening; running. I would really like to get into running in the next few months and for the plan to work, I had to start today. All suggestions of plans say to start slow, so I did. In the long term, I would like to build up endurance to run something big by the end of August, early September. I am quite far from a half marathon with my little 2.31km in 14 minutes but considering how I felt, I am satisfied. Yeah, feeling like throwing up isn't great. But fuelling and timing will be better thought out in the next few weeks. More on this later.

I am now drinking herbal tea and nursing that poor tortured stomach. All it asks is for better fuel and I should oblige... otherwise I'll be suffering the consequences of my actions.

Go Orange!

2011-04-11T21:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog!! Though the primary forum of Sticking to the Healthy Choice is the MSU Fabebook page, I will try to do as I say during the next few weeks. Hopefully this encourages you to make those right choices!!

After not feeling too well yesterday, my body is surely healing. I slept for 11 hours last night and woke up feeling slightly better. Should be all good soon.

To continue strengthening my immune system, I made a delicious cantaloup, orange, carrot and ginger juice.

After working for a while, I made a breakfast of buckwheat waffles with strawberries almond butter and maple syrup.

I spent the entire morning marking and I made significant progress.

Lunch was simple but fun. A salmon salad sandwich (salmon from last week mixed with mustard and greek yogourt), topped with some avocado, tomato slices, spinach and more mustard. An Apple, Beet and Cucumber (ABC) juice on the side.

I also went back for the Ms. Vickie's Jalapeno chips. Why do sandwiches and chips go so well together?!

More work done throughout the afternoon, as well as Monday afternoon's nap were followed by the mandatory date with peanut butter before going to the gym.

It was very hot and humid during Step, I am not sure why... I actually decided to cut the class 2-3 minutes short because I though someone might slip and fall. Indeed the floor was quite slippery towards the end. Still a very good workout. Yoga was also busy and I challenged the participants with lunges and quick warrior flows. We even did Dancer's Pose to get people fully into their core and balance.

My Hubby met up with me at the gym and we walked home together. As soon as I got home, I cooked some pasta which I served with some White Bean Tuscany sauce.
Delicious dinner.

Just relaxing now and off to bed for a productive day tomorrow.

Under the Weather

2011-04-10T19:05:00.000-04:00

Up until late this morning, I though I had escaped my Hubby's germs. But as the day went by, I felt tired and my scratchy throat hasn't gone away.

I worked for a part of the early morning accompanied by a warm cup of green tea.

Sick or not, I started the morning with a delicious orange, grapefruit, carrot, grape and ginger juice.

Yet again a winner combination providing me with lots of vitamin C.

Breakfast time snuck up on me and I finally prepared a poached egg with some reheated roasted sweet potato, a kiwi and a piece of baguette.

The coffee ended up being unnecessary and I left most of it.

Some more work was tackled and items crossed off my to-do list until lunch. I've had a butternut squash sitting on my kitchen counter for about 3 weeks now. I knew what I wanted to do with it but never actually got around to it. With that feeling of being under the weather, soup seemed perfect. I made Olena's easy Puree of Squash and Onion Soup and it turned out great. The only annoying thing about this recipe is the peeling of the squash, a task I dislike very much. Other than that, in 45 minutes, I was seated with some kamut/millet toast, ready to enjoy a warm bowl of soup.

I was getting slower and slower with work as this cold's power kept increasing. Later in the afternoon, we decided that some fresh air might be a good remedy. I had a tiny bowl of La Fourmi Bionique Aphrodisiac Granola before we headed out the door.

Now that's a respectable chocolate chunk!!

We strolled around the neighborhood with a final stop at Starbucks for my Hubby. I stared lovingly at the peanut butter/chocolate cupcakes but didn't succomb to the temptation. I don't think my stomach would have appreciated. Instead, upon coming home, I drank lots of water and had a Ginger Chew.

Did wonders to my throat!!

Throughtout the rest of the afternoon, some research was done in order to establish the possibilities of a project I have in mind. It will all have to unfold this week if it is to happen!

Dinner was an early bird special of old stuff. I had a couple of tupperwares waiting and begging to be eaten in the fridge. So, in a bowl, I combined some pasta, tomato sauce, sauteed veggies and tofu.

This resulted in a wonderful leftovers meal; light, veggie-ful and easy to digest.

I don't think I will last very late tonight and luckily I work from home tomorrow.
Off to make some Cold Formula herbal tea...

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the launch of the Health and Wellness Day's spin off program; Sticking to the Healthy Choice.

You can check out the Marianianopolis Student Union Facebook page for an earlier update if you can't wait!!

Good night!

All About Balance

2011-04-09T21:06:00.012-04:00

Life is good. I sure can say that.

The morning started around 7am after a 10 hour night of sleep. Unfortunately, the night wasn't so great for the Hubby and as I sat with my carrot, orange and ginger juice to work, he stumbled back to bed.

Ah! A man's cold.

I crossed off one item on my to-do list and then took a delightful shower. Weekend breakfast of French Toast and Apple followed.

I am now all out of raisin bread from Premiere Moisson... will need to replenish soon!

Back to work until my Hubby felt better and asked if I'd accompany him on a walk. Cat seeing!

A little sunshine and some flowers certainly gave us some energy.

We ended up at Tomato for lunch.

A green salad to start.

The main course followed shortly with a goat cheese and sundried tomato pizza.
Delicious to the very last bite.

We walked some more after lunch, over to the Ice Cream parlor where I got my first ice cream cone of the season!

Me happy... though I need to be reasonable with all this dessert business!

After a few errands we came home where I finished the week's laundry and marked some more. I have a busy week ahead, so I need to do as much as possible over the weekend. I eventually passed out on the couch, content with the beautiful sun and the lungs full of fresh air.

We debated dinner for a while and eventually headed over to the grocery store. We don't like crowds and the grocery store itself was all right. But the lines were never-ending for the self checkout stations. We still came home in about half an hour and replenished our fridge for a good week.

Going out and nachos were considered, but we concluded that a Hubby-made salad and some cheeses were the best option.

Enjoyed with a glass of wine.

We are now watching the last game of the regular Hockey season.
Go Habs Go!!

No Meals at Home

2011-04-07T17:20:00.016-04:00

Good evening healthy foodies!

I've got one of those "busy all day - didn't accomplish anything" feeling.

Juice of the morning; orange, ginger and carrot (with some left over beet juice from yesterday!)

The morning was spent with a well deserved catching up session with my Hubby. It really felt like we hadn't seen each other in days, so we headed over to ETC Bistro for breakfast. I ordered the Vegeterian/Cheddard omelet which came with fruits, toast and potatoes.

Though it was good, this was my least favorite meal at that place, so far. All the cheese was in the same section of the omelet and the rest was rather bland without it. We chatted about our new upcoming challenges until it was time to go to work.

Today was actually quite exciting. The College was having its first Health and Wellness day. It was a day full of activities, inspirational speakers and great demonstrations/samples.

I spent most of the day at the event, chatting with guests, colleagues and students. I also enjoyed the inspirational speakers; Yannick Lupien, Patrick Leduc and Hank Palmer addressed the students about their struggles and successes.
Especially, they talked about the importance of balance in life which is something I truly believe in.

I am also looking forward to the spin off program to start. Called Sticking to the Healthy Choice, the program is going to promote healthy living and eating as a life style. Knowing very well that stressful times are coming up with the Finals, we would like to promote the best choices so our students feel their best. Look out for more information starting Monday!!

We had such a filling breakfast that I didn't eat lunch at all. However, when I got home, I got to taste the Fourmi Bionique Aphrodisiac Granola. Fourmi Bionique was one of the day's sponsors and was kind enough to let me try their products. Knowing me, you certainly aren't surprised to hear that I tasted the Dark Chocolate Granola first! I had a bowl with some soymilk and really liked it.

Though I would like more chocolate (Ah! Who wouldn't!?), I did love the combination of flavors and the crunch of the mix. I also really liked to read that each granola has benefits. For example, according to the Fourmi Bionique website, the Aphrodisiac Granola "aids stress resistance and stimulates the brain". Definitely a product I would purchase for myself in the future. Plus, it is a product from Quebec! Good, healthy and local! What else could one ask for!?

My evening started with an event at Gallego Center on St.Laurent. In collaboration with Parks Canada, les Amis du boulevard St.Laurent have created some historical panels to commemorate the original historical sites on the Main. It was a very nice event where I enjoyed historical tidbits, a glass of wine and some appetizers.

After a while at the launch, my friend I. and I headed to Robin des Bois. This community restaurant has a staff made up mostly of volunteers and benefits charitable organizations like Le Chainon and SunYouth. To start, I had a beet and goat cheese salad. It was tasty but not exactly what I expected.

As my main course, I ordered the Croque-Vege (bread and cheese were abundant today!!) which was topped with root vegetables and other unidentified veggies. Green salad on the side.

I couldn't resist the Fudge for dessert.

I would love to say that I used self-control, but I didn't. I ate everything to the last bite.

We walked in the direction of my home together and said farewell.
I now realize that I haven't cooked any of my food today. Must compensate tomorrow!!
Indulgences fun and necessary but they are not a lifestyle.

Stuck in Traffic

2011-04-06T20:41:00.010-04:00

I slept really well last night at my Parents' house. Up and getting ready with some orange juice.

Breakfast was fun with a toast, cheese and tomato slices.

Bird watching before leaving!

Check out the beautiful cardinal.

On my way to work, I spent an hour and 45 minutes stuck in traffic. It was horrible and unpleasant. It felt like I was losing my entire morning. So frustrating. You can argue all you want about the benefits of the suburbs, but it will take more than a larger house or a pool to make me move off the Island. Anyways, I made it to work 15 minutes late. I hate that; I am never late. Being late makes me feel anxious.

I guess feeling anxious, carved out some appetite because I had lunch almost as soon as I got in my office. I had a delicious Mom-made egg salad sandwich with some coloured carrots and slices of yellow pepper.

Frustration also made me go buy a chocolate cupcake at the bake sale downstairs.

It was great, exactly what I needed.

Off to class to discuss the Great Depression and actions taken by the Canadian government in the 1930s. Always interesting. I did a few more things in my office after class and went home. Got there at the same time as my Hubby!!

Snacks included an ABC juice and 2 dates with peanut butter.

Step was fun though I might have gone too fast towards the end. Ha, I am sure they were ready for the challenge.

Dinner was a BBQ Tempeh burger (no idea where the BBQ flavor was!) with some baked sweet potatoes. In the burger went some spinach, onion, tomato slices, mustard, mayo and half an avocado.

Fantastic dinner!! The usual for dessert as it is so wonderful.

Have a great evening everyone!!

Doctors' Orders

2011-04-05T19:36:00.011-04:00

Yet another crazy day!

I had to be at the garage very early this morning. Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well at all, so it was hard to get up. I still got on my way after drinking an orange, carrot and ginger juice.

I dropped the car off at the garage and made my way to the Metro. The ride was so long, as I was really excited to get to work to eat my breakfast. I made some Overnight Oats yesterday night and carried them... in an Almond Butter jar.

Oh my!!! Topped with berries and chocolate chips, this was absolutely fantastic.

The morning just flew by with some small tasks here and there and some oral presentations. It was then time for the Jeunes Démocrates meeting where I ate my delicious salad for lunch. In the bowl went some spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow pepper, half an avocado, cooked tofu and without contest, the star of the salad: the left over sweet potato from yesterday.

Wow! What a great lunch!

With good guidance from D., the Jeunes Démocrates continued their meeting as I made my way back to the garage to pick up the car and head over to my Parents. My annual medical appointment completed, I got to spend time with my Mom and Dad.

Dinner was eaten early. The traditional spaghetti was really good and spicy and the french baguette was super fresh.

Some cheese topped the plate and was eaten on the side. Yum!

Dessert was fun and provided for a little evening entertainment... A Giant Kinder Surprise egg!!

The surprise was really amusing and the chocolate was good! What else could I ask for!!?

I am now off to take a bath and I am aiming for an early bedtime.
Have a good evening everyone!

Not Your Usual Monday

2011-04-04T17:13:00.007-04:00

First experience at working from home today and this is going to require some practice.

I started the morning quite late with a spinach, pear and apple juice.

I also completed my light breakfast with an apple accompanied by almond butter.

I made it just in time for my appointment after a walk in the snow/rain. I was drenched when I got there. MYM and everything and I was out of there.

Since I hadn't had a real breakfast, I opted for "breakfast for lunch" with a broccoli/spinach omelet, sauteed sweet potatoes and vegan baked beans.

And a coffee!!

Work was done throughout the afternoon, followed by the necessary Monday afternoon nap.

Before heading out to the gym, I had a date with peanut butter and packed another one to eat before yoga. Fresh dates are so much tastied than those sad dried ones.

Step was very busy, probably because it is so awful outside, gray and rainy. We actually got started on Block #5 and it was a lot of fun. Yoga was challenging tonight with a focus on detox with a lot of twists.

Dinner was eaten upon my return. I simply steamed some asparagus and reheated some Salmon with Herbed Yogourt Sauce which I made yesterday. Last week's salmon was a disappointment because I was all out of dijon mustard but this week was a hit.

Some very ordinary pasta on the side for the carbs craving. Some berries, chocolate chips and soymilk for the sweet tooth.

So that was my first Monday working from home and I loved it! I must work on establishing a more adequate schedule but otherwise, all was good.
Do you adapt well to new schedules?
I hope you had a good Monday too!

Funky Days

2011-04-03T21:32:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the absence of posts yesterday, this has been kind of a funky weekend.

When I got up yesterday, I was weirdly not hungry. I made some orange, carrot, grapefruit and ginger juice and waited patiently for hunger to manifest itself.

In the meantime, I made the always delicious and long awaited Breakfast Granola Apple Crisp from Smitten Kitchen. It takes a while to peel, core and chop 2 lbs of apples (actually, the recipe calls for 3 lbs but the dish I used was full with 2)! I waited some more while the Crisp cooked and cooled. When it was finally ready, I too was ready to enjoy!

I served myself a bowl with soymilk and a latte on the side.

It took me such a long time to get started with work!! It was beautiful outside and I would have liked to do "something"! A walk, some kind of special outing... but I knew very well what needed to be done; marking tests. And that's all right! The only thing is that it took me from 8 to 11 to get moving. Should have done some meditation or something to get my brain working properly!!

When I finally got to it, all was fine. Good music, water and a quiet environment allowed me to accomplish a lot.

When lunch time came around, I got to work on one of my favorite combo plates. First off: salmon with yogourt, mustard and curry powder. Cooked red quinoa and sauteed veggies were added.

The plate was topped with feta cheese and walnuts.

This light but filling lunch got me through an afternoon of marking. The only addition was a peanut butter toast with chocolate chips to satisfy a craving more than hunger.

Nappy, nap. Late in the afternoon, I got ready to go out to dinner with people from the gym. We are saying goodbye to our manager so we went to La Commission des Liqueurs. This was my second visit to that restaurant/bar and I wasn't really impressed the second time around either. Though the flavors were more controlled and adequate, it still is "just ok". I started with the mushroom soup which was all right.

Not all that tasty. The main course was the salmon again.

It was still sweet (I think it is exactly the same sauce as the other time, though called otherwise) but was better balanced with herbs on top. Wine and company were great and I made it home before 10.

I didn't last much longer after that, so waking up at 7:45 gave me a good night's sleep. My Hubby actually woke me up so we'd go to the grocery store. Though we thought we didn't need much, we still filled out cart and came home to a fill up the fridge strategically.

As I waited to get hungry, I had an ABC juice.

Breakfast options were numerous but I still wasn't that hungry and wanted to get to work. I settled on oatmeal, but not any old oatmeal; I cooked today's mix in cappuccino soymilk with blueberries and a date.

I topped my bowl with raspberries and maple pecans and it was fantastic. Light, sweet and unusal.

I worked the morning away and as my Hubby and I considered going out for a walk, I quickly ate a fajitas for lunch. Into the tortilla went some spinach, 1/2 avocado and yogourt...

and of course the black bean and veggie mix.

Simple lunch eaten we were out the door to soak up the sunshine. Cat seeing!!

We walked for about an hour and finished our neighborhood loop at Suite 88 for the first gelato of the year. I picked mocha and praline, 2 great complementary flavors.

Upon our return, more work was involved and piles were finished. Hurray for me! I got to relax a little as I finished folding clean clothes and made a few phone calls.

Dinner was super fun. I made some salmon for my Hubby and he made me a delicious salad. In the bowl went some spinach, red pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, cheese and red onions.

So very good... with a side of cheddard SunChips.

Not much else happening tonight!
Have a great week!

Abandoning You Again

2011-04-02T22:38:00.002-04:00

2 nights in a row and I am taking a break.
I promise a full recap of my Saturday tomorrow evening.

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Hopeful Breaths

2011-03-31T22:31:00.009-04:00

The last few hours of March 2011 have sure been exciting.

The day started with an apple, carrot, pineapple, cantaloup and ginger juice.

An English muffing egg sandwich followed and fuelled me for this busy day.

Off to work and to class for yet another test. Back in my office, I posted a few things on Omnivox and had an early lunch of Spicy Rainbow Rice and Beans salad.
Though I missed the addition of the Brussels Sprouts it remains an awesome dish.

After an important meeting, I came home and snacked on a peanut butter and chocolate chip toast. Nappy, nap and late afternoon ABC juice.

I was then really excited to make my way to Moksha for a special 2 hour Shiva Yoga class. I had half an Amazing Grass Super Food bar as I walked to the studio.

Dina and Ryan were teaching the class together. It was fun and challenging at the same time, with some awesome music playing all along. We also did some assisted poses, including a hand stand as I had experienced during the FIA weekend in Boston. Really great to try again so soon. A few Radiohead songs got to me and we said our goodbyes with Just Breathe by Eddie Vedder.

I walked home in the warmish Spring weather, taking some big hopeful breaths and welcoming the new season and the new challenges.

Upon coming home, I cooked pasta which I served with some nut and broccoli sauce which I dug out of the freezer.

I also ate the leftovers from my Hubby's pasta salad because I was starving by then, though I had eaten the second half of the Amazing Grass bar on my way home.

I now need to guzzle down some water and head to bed.
Careful, tomorrow is April Fools' Day, watch your back!

Peanut Butter Kick

2011-03-30T20:44:00.010-04:00

I hope you had a great, sunny Wednesday!
Juice this morning wasn't great; 1 orange, 1 carrot, strawberries and ginger.

I don't know what went wrong but the flavors didn't merge well.

Breakfast needed to be a fast one as I had to head to work for a test. English muffin with peanut butter and jam & chocolate peanut butter.

The chocolate pb almost tasted like some nutella on a crumpet! Quite a pleasant surprise.

I was starving throughout the morning but fuelled properly with a home made energy bar, a handful of almonds and later a Vega bar.

I was HUNGRY!

Lunch was eaten quickly, in between meetings with students. I had some Crockpot rice and beans with half an avocado and some tortilla chips.

What a lovely recipe!

Back to class to discuss Canada's involvment in World War I. It is so surreal to think that the Battle of Vimy Ridge happened 94 years ago next week.

More work done throughout the afternoon, as well as a quick meeting. Upon coming home, I had a peanut butter kamut toast with chocolate chips.

2 dates with peanut butter were also eaten before heading out to the gym.

I was a bit tired tonight but was so happy to Step with my participants. Once I got going, I felt all right. The workout was intense but fun. We even did some extra quads strengthening exercises.

Dinner was eaten while watching Survivor. The last of the very crumbly black bean burger served with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo and mustard.

Baked potatoes and ketchup on the side. Dessert was a fun home made peanut butter cup which I made yesterday. I just melted some chocolate chips and cocoa nibs, layered with pb and refrigirated. Messy but tasty!

It is great to be home and have a few hours just to myself!
Good night!

Best of...

2011-03-29T19:32:00.010-04:00

Best Juice : ABC.

Best Peanut butter: Justin's Organic Chocolate peanut butter.

Served on a buckwheat waffle with berries.

Best food catered by the cafeteria: Roasted red peppers and cheese rolls.

AND roasted veggies marinated in balsamic vinegar.

Best date night with my Hubby : Drinks and appetizers at Barraca.

Hummus, cheese, bread, almonds and a bunch of crazy meaty things!!

Best light dinner to round up the craziness of the night : White beans tuscany sauce pennes with cheese.

I had a great day! I hope you did too!

Justin's Win

2011-03-28T21:58:00.006-04:00

Week 10 of the Winter Semester has started in earnest.

First with a delicious juice; cantaloup, carrot, ginger and an orange.

The hit of my morning : Overnight Oats in a jar. Usual mix in an empty Justin's Organic Peanut Butter jar.

Topped with raspberries and chocolate chips, this was by far one of the best breakfasts ever!

Off to work and into class. Back in my office, I accomplished a bunch of tasks until lunch. Yesterday, I made those awesome egg salad sandwiches for myself and my Hubby's lunch.

1 sandwich isn't much, but luckily, I had some leftovers veggies in the fridge.

All went well with the rest of my afternoon which included more work, a nap and a great snack of dates with peanut butter.

Step was almost full tonight and we finally got back to the 4th block after a week of only doing half of it. It was quite intense and I was getting hungry by then... maybe I wasn't fuelled properly tonight. Another date before yoga and we had a great practice mostly focused on hip openers.

Once home, my Hubby had taken care of cooking our favorite Salmon with herbed yogourt sauce.

Served with steamed brussels sprouts, this turned out to be a great post-workout - "early" bedtime dinner. Even with a dessert of berries, chocolate chips and soymilk I am not feeling full and getting ready for bed.

Before I go though, I will be registering for a super fun event happening this Summer!
Have a good night!!

Where the Body Goes...

2011-03-27T20:11:00.007-04:00

The mind follows. My mind is still in Boston... well it is here, but I am still thinking of Boston quite a lot. And that's all right.

As soon as we got up, we went to the grocery store. I think we were the first customers in. Certainly the first through the parking doors. We happily replenished our fridge with fresh produce and a few other goodies.

Juice of the day: lettuce, apple, strawberries, pineapple and carrot.

Breakfast was good but could have been better. Unfortunately, I was impatient and didn't let my French Toast cook enough.

The morning was great, just working, relaxing and checking out blogs. I ended up having a quick lunch of fajitas; black beans and veggie mix with salsa, cheese, lettuce and avocado.

No time to linger after that because I needed to head out for a training session.

I still love Step, don't get me wrong. But frankly, my mind is more in yoga right now. The afternoon was fun with a lot of new ideas of choreography, but I would have prefered to head out to Moksha for a sweaty session. It was still great to see fellow group workout instructors! My body was there, but my mind was elsewhere.

Once I got home, I spent time with a tired Hubby who had been working all day on various projects. I ate a few chips and then was tempted by a tasting plate. He just put together some veggies, crackers, cheese, hummus and a smoked salmon/spinach mousse.

Yummy and light.

I finished a required task and then made lunch for tomorrow. I ended up eating a piece of the said lunch and now feel a bit full. Oops.

This was probably the last quiet weekend for a while. Luckily, I got to enjoy it to the fullest.

We Need to Go Grocery Shopping

2011-03-26T18:28:00.010-04:00

Yesterday night's break was in my humble opinion, well deserved. And you know what?! I made it to bed at 9pm! Now that's wild!!

Anyways the good night's sleep paid off because I was up at 5:30 this morning, ready to work. I drank tea as I marked papers. There is something about marking while it is still dark, in my pyjamas. It just makes me so efficient! After a good hour and a half, I made some juice; 1 sweet potato, 2 oranges, cantaloup and ginger.

This great orange mix held me over until breakfast.

Out of the blue, my Hubby invited me to breakfast. We went back to Bistro ETC... on Mont-Royal. I decided to pick something different and chose the eggs benedict with spinach and goat cheese.

This turned out to be a delicious breakfast with fruits, potatoes and an allongé coffee.

After breakfast, we took advantage of the Spring sales and found a new Winter coat for the Hubby. I was somewhat jealous as I would have liked to get some new Winter gear as well. But, truly, there was nothing for me at the moment.

Upon our return, I finished the task set out for the weekend and spent some time with my Hubby upstairs. I had been thinking about yoga all day so I pushed myself out the door and headed out to Moksha for the 3pm class. In preparation for the class, I had 1/2 Chocolate chip cookie dough Larabar and 1/2 of this delicious juice made of a small beet, 1 carrot, 1/2 cucumber and some cantaloup.

Yoga was great as usual, but coming back from such an intense weekend, I would like to be challenged. For example, we did a low squat, and I was hoping for the option of crow. Didn't happen. But that's all right. The 90 minutes were complete and had aspects of strength, flexibility and relaxation. As I walked home, I had the rest of the Larabar as I enjoyed the cold but beautiful afternoon.

Finished the juice as I arrived and got ready for tonight's date! We went out to Blue Nile. If you have been reading for a while, you know we love that Ethiopian restaurant. We hadn't been in a month and the craving had been building since then.

The picture isn't great because it was pretty dark out there, but let me tell you that it was awesome!!

The walk home was really cold and therefore less pleasant but still a great time spent together.

I hope you had an fantastic Saturday!

Break Friday

2011-03-25T20:21:00.001-04:00

I am taking a night off tonight!
Enjoy your evening!!

Dealing with an empty fridge

2011-03-24T20:17:00.010-04:00

Life is taking its course and the exciting past weeks are sort of catching up to me.

Juice of the morning was made with a carrot, some pineapple, cantaloup and ginger.

I really didn't know what to have for breakfast and ended up going with a suggestion from my Hubby: egg wrap.

I stuffed my tortilla with cheese, tomatoes slices and lettuce. Good choice.

Off to work, I marked some papers and went to class. Worked some more and eventually had lunch. My fridge is somewhat empty so lunch had to be simple. I had half a pepper, a carrot, some dill tuna and crackers.

Very good. Dessert was purchased at the students' bake sale (I think there was a bake sale everyday this week)!

Mini cutie cupcake.

After a meeting, I marked another paper and then headed home to spend time with my Hubby. I had a toast with Justin's Honey Peanut Butter (bought at Whole Foods)

and chocolate chips.

Loved it!

Best decision ever: taking a nap.

Upon waking, I was ready to get back to work. Sat back down until dinner. Super hungry, I cooked some pasta which I served with the White Bean tuscan sauce.

It was a big plate and I left some of it. Might serve as a snack later this week.

Finished the tasks I had to do for this week and sat down to relax a bit. Dessert came my way with a few dates and some honey peanut butter.

Heading to bed and planning to sleep in tomorrow!
Good night!

Beautiful Memories

2011-03-23T21:21:00.000-04:00

You guys! I am thrilled to share those scenes from the weekend with you. I went on the Baron Baptise Facebook page yesterday and saw those awesome pictures of the weekend. They beat my low lit pictures any day!

This first picture is from the first practice on Friday night. When we finally understood what we had gotten ourselves into.

Some moments were challenging, for example doing several repetitions of high and low boat pose (navasana).

There was a lot of practice but also some demonstrations. For example Baron Baptiste demonstrated that it is possible to close your eyes in Tree Pose

Final Savasana of the weekend, before we got our surprise.

The surprise being Krishna Das' live performance. Absolutely awesome.

These are just a few illustrations of the wonderful experience I had the chance to be part of...

Other than that, today's eats were kind of boring. Orange, carrot and ginger juice to start, followed by an english muffin with peanut/almond butter jam/chocolate chips.

Off to work, I was busy all morning. Lunch was a bowl of Indian Lentils made according to the recipe from Emily's blog.

Naan bread makes everything better.

After a meeting, I made it home starving. I made an ABC juice which I savored to the last drop, and had a couple of dates with almond butter.

Yummy.

Step was fun with several newish participants. I taught the class for them so they'd stick around for another while.

Made it home too late to catch Survivor live. My Hubby had made dinner for me: Philzza!

I ate my delicious pita pizza while watching last week's ANTM on my computer. Dessert was a home made truffle bought for a fund raiser at school.

SO very delicious. Also did some housework which included a laundry load and emptying the dishwasher. I had been so behind in keeping up with housework!!!

Anyways, off to bed to catch some zzzzzz.
Namasté

Out and About

2011-03-22T20:23:00.011-04:00

Good evening folks!
Once again busy day. Life is good!

By the way, I ended the evening with some Justin's dark chocolate peanut butter cups for dessert.

I had forgotten that I bought these in Boston and was so happy to find then!!

The juice was delicious; 2 oranges, 2 carrots and a piece of ginger.

My hubby then invited me to breakfast. We went to a near by diner. I chose the veggie omelet but realized that I wasn't that hungry.

I ate all my fruits, but left half of the rest. I still enjoyed the time spent with my Hubby.

Off to work, I didn't see the time go by. Soon it was time for my Jeunes Democrates meeting and lunch. I had a bowl of Spicy Rainbow Bean and Rice salad at the meeting and it was great!! Would have been better with brussels sprouts... but hey, didn't have time for groceries this week. For dessert, I had a Buddy Fruits from Whole Foods...

yet another snack I didn't get to eat during the weekend!

I tackled a few more tasks throughout the afternoon and then headed out to Moksha for the 4:30 yoga session. It is interesting because I felt more tired today than I did on Sunday. It must be due to the group energy at the Baptiste weekend.

Upon coming home, we were both starving. So as we discussed dinner possibilities, we ended up chosing something easy and close to home; St.Hubert. As usual the lighting is terrible so I don't have much to share. I started with the chicken noodle soup and cole slaw.

I also ordered the chicken and fries.

We ended this delicious meal with a brownie. I was so hungry, this was just fantastic of a dinner.

I am currently doing the laundry because I will run out of gym clothes before the end of the week!!