My aforementioned blog had tons of WIAW posts; I'll admit it – I'm nosy about that kind of thing, and other people are too. So in the spirit of blog posts past, I'm laying out what I ate on this particular Wednesday for the internet's voyeuristic enjoyment.
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5:30 a.m.
Awake. Mostly. Squeezing in a run or lifting session before work isn't always fun, but it keeps me focused throughout the day and (best part) it lets me eat more so I can try more of Denver's awesome restaurants. Not ready for a full meal, I usually grab a hunk of bread or a few almonds before stumbling down to the gym in the early dawn light.
6:45 a.m.
Repeat earlier grabbing of snack to tide me over for a few hours. Also, one cup of black coffee. We're out of milk, which reminds me how awful our Mr. Coffee makes coffee taste. But being a caffeine addict and all, I drink it, washing down my vitamins. Anyone else take a gajillion vitamins everyday? But then again, I'm an old soul who appreciates oatmeal and fiber.
Said cup of coffee wasn't enough to keep me alert as I proofread news stories summarizing Colorado house and senate legislation. Weather's nice so I walk past the Capitol and the Scottish Masonic Lodge, down to City O City for a cup of coffee. As I'm waiting, I overhear this conversation.
Host (to girl behind me in line): Oh my god, I love your tattoo!
Girl behind me in line: (Looks down at shoulder tattoo of stylized flowers) Haha, thanks!
Host: It looks like a page out of a Land Before Time coloring book! It's awesome.
I contemplate getting a cool tattoo so I can receive specific, descriptive compliments at hipster restaurants. But coffee will do for now. I take it with lots of almond milk.
It just works for me right now; I read a study that said skipping breakfast and eating a larger lunch can be better for insulin resistance, in a similar way to Intermittent Fasting. So, food for thought. Do what works for you.
[Disclaimer: Do you see Registered Dietitian by my name? Nope? That's because I'm not one, so don't take dietary advice from me. I am, however, a card-carrying foodie. But you should probably take that advice with a grain of salt too – or rather, a smoked flake of Hawaiian sea salt.]
You know those old man caramels? The hard candy ones? I've got a vat of those on my desk, so throughout the morning I have one or seven to satisfy my sweet tooth.
'K. Starting to get hungry for lunch. After managing administration and solving problems for a few hours, I eat a spoonful of crunchy natural peanut butter. Hands down, the best kind.
1:30 p.m.
Right about now, I'm good and hungry for a sizable lunch, and since I haven't brought anything from home today, I fall back on one of my favorites: Green Fine Salad Co.
Just missing the lunch rush, I get my salad super fast and eat it with a side of word puzzles. I should tell you, these salads are quite large. Like, half of it could be a lunch portion. That's why I wait till I'm nice and hungry, so I can get my money's worth. A creature of habit, I usually get the same exact order: the Santa Fe Salad, which combines all the good stuff (avocado, tortilla chips, salsa, steak). Save for some more un-pictured peanut butter, that filled me up for the rest of the afternoon.
I get home and I'm ready for dinner, but I have to rush out to a swing dancing thing in about 20 minutes. I grab about one and a half date-sweetened brownies from a batch I made late last night.
You hear date-sweetened, you think healthy at the expense of taste. Think again. This recipe is out of control. It's decadent, super easy and super chocolate-y. Be good and I might post it on here.
Okay, I might have had more like two. But they're healthy! (She keeps telling herself.)
7 p.m.
I finally get home with nothing to do but blog and think about some kind of substantial dinner. Dinner is usually the most important meal of the day for me because it's my unwinding time. Owen and I finally have a chance to relax, drink wine and rehash our work days. It's as much about the connection the food make as the food itself.
It's also when our foodie side comes out and we create dishes like the one in the lead picture. That was a dish from Sunday that incorporated some of our farmer's market hall. That's pretty average for the Tharp household. We bustle around, dancing the tiny-apartment-kitchen-and-two-cats dance, seasoning, tasting, plating. It's like a weeknight date.
But then there are other nights where life, work, etc. just gets in the way and neither of us feels like cooking, much less cleaning up afterward. That's when we bite the bullet and get fast food. Tonight it was Chipotle. But that's okay, because the most important thing is to practice moderation in everything – even salads. Which is why I'm off to eat a few brownies to balance out all the healthy stuff.
Good night!
– M