The Green Ball is Dead

Oh man it was so hard getting out of bed yesterday morning. Mix howling wind and pouring rain together, and Ashley just wants to lounge in bed all day.

But, I forced myself to the gym for quad day. Let's put it this way- I survived haha. Quads are probably my least favorite muscle to train and I have zero motivation for it. UGHHH, soon enough shorts weather will be here. <----That can be my motivation.

Since my house gets extremely drafty when the wind gets intense, I was freeeezing. Naturally, lunch ended up being comfort food at its finest. Sweet tomato soup with basil. This stuff is good!

Almost Like Starbucks Chocolate

Happy What I Ate Wednesday! Hope you all are having a good start to the day.

Instead of the usual shake on the way to school yesterday, I switched things up a bit. Over the weekend, I had baked up some more protein muffins and they looked too good to pass up. I defrosted one of those bad boys and grabbed two hard boiled eggs on the way out the door.

The Stairmaster is Wicked

Hi friends!

Oh my goodness, my whole body is sore. Yesterday was a marathon of fitness type of day.

In the morning, I trained with my personal trainer. We hit shoulders and hamstrings. I have officially moved up to the big boy shoulder press. Woot! This was a big gym moment for me over here. After doing some weights, I decided to pass on the usual cardio on the treadmill and use this wicked machine. If the stairmaster and the elliptical had a baby, it would look something like this. Oh boy, this thing is rough....I only did 30 minutes on this bad boy and sweat was pouring down my face. Nothing like a good face sweat.

Sushi Date and Caramel Sauce

Long time no talk huh? I had all intentions of coming back and chatting with you guys on Sunday, but the day just flew by. Sometimes it feels like I need 36 hours in a day instead of only 24. To be honest, it was kind of nice shutting the computer down for the day. Technology is something that is very easy for me to get addicted to.

Even though this weekend was a busy one, it was a marvelous one. Thanks to Katie for Marvelous Mondays!

On Saturday I picked up a new cereal at my local health food store. Finding a gluten free cereal thaat is low in sugar, but high in protein proved to be a challenge. We all know I eat my beloved oatmeal cookie almost everyday, but a girl has to change it up every once in awhile. This one by Better Balance is pretty tasty, but at $8 a box, it is def. not something I can afford on a regular basis. That is way too much money for a box of cereal, but it is nice for a treat.

Currently...

Reading: my statistics textbook. How boring right? Considering I'm paying $20,000 dollars a year to go to school, I guess it has to have priority. For enjoyable reading, I'm planning on picking up Gone Girl at the library this weekend. If anyone has read it, is it a good read?

Watching: The Americans. It is a new show about Soviet spies in the U.S. during the Cold War. At first, it was hard to get into because you had no idea who was who, since most agents have double covers. By the next episode, I became intrigued. I like a good tv show, in which I can't figure out the ending during the commercial breaks.

Things Making Me Happy

Hey Hey.
Yippppppeee. It is the official start to the weekend and it feels glorious.

And holy moley excitement on the What's in my Purse post!!!

Honestly, I didn't even think it would be that popular. I'm glad you guys liked it. I was talking to my boyfriend about all the feedback from it, and he said "people want to see things they can relate to". His words got stuck in my head last night. It rings true for me that I feel like I know a blogger well, when I see they're human. It is very easy to read blogs and see their perfect life filled with a charming husband, toned body & abs, and healthy meals 24/7.  

What's in my Purse?

Hi. I can't believe it is Thursday already. This week has been flying by. Almost the weekend :)

Call me nosy, but I like seeing what is in people's purses. Maybe I'm weird, but I like seeing other girl's favorite products. A purse is not only a ten pound, carry everything in your house bag, but a survival kit for everyday life. My bag's contents go far beyond chapstick and money, I'm fully prepared for anything life throws at me.

Let's start with the bag. I'm fully obsessed with Coach, I love anything by their brand. Their bags fit all my stuff and don't fall apart from my daily abuse. The boyfriend usually lets me pick out a new one every year for my birthday. Yes, all that stuff junk does fit in there.

What I Ate Wed.-Leftover Chocolate

Happy Wednesday! I'm still off from school today so I am enjoying relaxing and taking it easy.

So let's take a look at my eats from yesterday??

Breakfast started off nice and early around 8am. No matter how hard I try, I can't sleep late. 8:30 is super late for me. Usually, I'm always up by 7:30. A big bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter hit the spot. Big shocker right?? ;)

Healthified Muffins!!

Hi, how was everyone's day off yesterday?

After living off these two weeks ago, I wanted to share this muffin recipe with you guys.

Who loves a tasty muffin? Oh right pretty much everyone on the planet. Except nobody loves the calories that come along with that muffin. I looooooove picking at the top layer with ALL those crumbs.

A Big Break

Hey hey!
Monday already?! The weekend flew by over here. The week always drags on, but weekends fly by.
Thank you President's Day. I'm off from school and work today, but we'll get to that in a second.

Snapshot Sunday

 

Things Making Me Happy

Happy Weekend! I hope you are reading this in your pajamas with a big cup of coffee (or in my case a tall Skinny Vanilla Latee).

Sleeping in felt glorious this morning. I had a wild night last night and stayed up past 11:30, which is much later than usual. Party animal over here huh? Well technically my wild night consisted of Bingo haha. I really am a 80 year old grandma on the inside. Don't laugh, but I love to crochet too. But I did need my Starbucks to keep me awake.

  

Why I Feel Like Betty Crocker

Because...
I can't stop baking this week.

Hi guys. I'm sure you are all stuffed from eating chocolate last night. If not, go buy some now. Seriously, on Feb 15th those big hearts are dirt cheap! And it is Friday! Woot. Cheap caramels and the weekend make me happy.

Last night, I ended up getting a workout in with my trainer. I brought him some cookies since he was working on Valentine's Day. (and i shared his pain for many years). And yes, I'm sure you are saying to yourself, why the heck would she give her trainer sugary sweets?  Well, lo and behold he is human and does indulge every once in awhile. What is the point of going through life and being so restrictive you can't enjoy any food. All in all, he was happy to enjoy some sugar cookies!

 

Of course, I had to bake up some gluten free cookies for myself last night. Who likes to bake up cookies and then not eat the cookie dough? UM def. not me. As we all know, that is the best part of baking! My favorite brand is Immaculate. My fellow gf friend (Hi Kim!) turned me on to this brand almost a year ago. Oh my goodness, these things seriously taste like the real thing! I swear the non-gluten free people in my house like my food better! Let's just say there is only about two cookies left....

After my workout I showered quickly and raced over to my pajama party to celebrate V-day. At least I brought the booze right? (well technically, fake booze)

True Life: My boyfriend is trying to make me fat. Haha not really, but look at all these delicious foods. Fried calamari, baked ziti, and garlic knots...I had about three bites and was full, which is not like me at all. My appetite was just not there last night, maybe because it was 8:30 by the time we sat down to eat. 

 

 Also, when I came home yesterday I found this huge package waiting at my door. What a surprise! I thought it was a Valentine's Day gift. Boy was I wrong.

The package actually ended being dog supplies/treats. Silly me haha. Seriously though I was impressed with all these free goodies for work. I can not say enough good things about Blue Buffalo. Their company is just fantastic for hooking me up with all these fun things. The box came loaded with bags of treats, a tote bag, treat pouches, and some more goodies.

Wishbone was patiently at least trying to be patient to sneak into those treats. (you can see her tail can't stop moving once the food comes out) She was happy with her Valentine's Day gifts!

 **On a side note, I was not compensated at all for this review for Blue Buffalo. I just love the company and wanted to share with other animal lovers! Also, Blue Buffalo produces everything in the U.S.**

Question for the morning:

Did you eat a lot of chocolate last night?  Usually when I get a box of mixed chocolate, I will squish them from the bottom to see if it is a good flavor haha.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to you all out there!

Hope you all are celebrating love in one way or another. Even when I was younger and had no valentine, I never hated today. I couldn't relate when people used to hate on February 14th., describing how Hallmark created the holiday. V-day is all about love. It is not just about loving your partner, spouse, kids, etc... but about loving yourself. Spreading joy and being happy is what this day means to me. It doesn't have to be celebrated with huge expensive gifts or putting too much pressure to have the most romantic night possible. 

Since this is my first Valentine's Day off in three years (I usually end up working every holiday) the boyfriend and I are choosing to stay in. Yep, no fancy plans over here. We've done the whole overpriced and overcrowded restaurant date. And I prefer staying in and actually being able to hear what he's saying. 

The past five years convinced me I had a Valentine's Day curse. Every single year I would come down with some type of sickness. The worst year was getting food poisoning at Taco Bell. Keeping my fingers crossed I don't get sick today!

 
My plans for tonight include a workout (will be awesome because the gym will be EMPTY and no waiting for any machines), yummy takeout, and great tv. Sounds like a pretty fun night to me. Love should be celebrated everyday, not just today.

In the spirit of V-day I wanted to share a fun little love survey with you guys. If you don't know Cara, go say hi to know her. Her writing is fabulous and her posts are nothing short of unique. So when I saw this survey on her blog, I knew I had to do it. Thanks Melissa for hosting!

So get your cup of coffee and get ready to feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Here are the questions:

How long have you been married? 
He said: We've been dating 7 years.
She said: Dating 7 years.

 
Where was your first date?
He: At the movies.
She: Walking around in town with friends.
(For the record, he was right! I had to think about this for awhile)
 
Where was your first kiss?
He: At his house before you left one afternoon.
She: At a friend's house.
(Again he was right! I was beginning to doubt my memory)
 
Who first said, "I love you"?
He: I did.
She: He did.
 
What is her most commonly used phrase?
He: I love you.
She: Oh my god. (in my best long island accent of course)
 
Who is her celebrity crush?
He: Ryan Gosling.
She: Obviously Ryan Gosling. (This was an easy one and clearly no secret!)

  
If she was ordering drinks for both of you what would you each get?
He: Pina Coloda for her and Gin&Tonic for me.
She: Margarita for me and Gin&Tonic for him. (We rarely drink so this is pretty much the only drink we ever order, so he should have got this one right!)
  
What is the best meal she has ever cooked you?
He: Cookies.
She: Bacon wrapped chicken. (oh yeah it was as delicious as it sounds) It looked something like this:

 
What is the worst meal she has ever cooked you?
He: Cake
She: German chocolate cake. It took me over five hours to bake, the ingredidents were so expensive, and the whole thing tasted mushy//wet.
 
What is the most-played song on her iPod?
He: "I kissed a girl" by Katy Perry
She: "Is this love" by Bob Marley.
(First off, I don't even have "I kissed a girl" song on my ipod haha. So don't know where he got that from)
 
What would she say is your most annoying habit?
He: Smoking.
She: Smoking. (This one was so easy for both of us)
 
What is the last thing she does before she goes to bed?
He: Turn on her sound machine.
She: Put on chapstick. (I do both of these things. Can't sleep with dead silence or with chapped lips)

  
If you could throw out one item of her clothing what would it be?
He: All dress pants.
She: I thought he would have went with big, comfy sweatpants.
 
What would you say is your favorite thing about her?
He: Waking up with her next to me smiling.
She: I thought he would have said intelligence. (Aww I can't take how cute he is)
  
What's her go-to drink at Starbucks?
He: Skinny vanilla lattee.
She: Same!

  
What's her blog's name?!
He: Life and Fitness by Ashley (he occasionally reads it!) 

Alright, now that we are over the survey fun, I need your help. Kelp noodles. I really want to like them. But last time I cooked them they tasted like soggy seaweed. So, I'm determined to make them taste as good as pasta or just good. Give me some ideas of how to cook them//what to put on them//or just anything. Help!

Have a great Valentine's day<3
For those of you that follow me on Instagram already saw how last night I was baking up some love.
 

**How are you celebrating love today??**

WIAW-Veggie Style

Do you ever feel like you're missing half your brain? I feel like it's been that type of week. Today I keep forgetting little everything things, like I went through half the day yesterday with toothpaste all over my shirt. I don't know if it is from getting over being sick or just tired from my trip, but I am in a major fog today. Meh. I'm thinking maybe a long nap or a trip to Sephora will get me out of my funk?

Now on to some food!

My very typical breakfast cookie and two steamed eggs. Sticking with what works.

I wasn't feeling in the mood for a shake after my workout. So I went with two homemade protein bars to hold me over until lunchtime. I defrosted them in the microwave and it was like having strawberry chocolate cake for a snack.

 

Since I'm finally home I wanted something tastey for lunch. A spicy egg wrap with cheese hit the spot.

 

I've been all about the dip lately and ended up making my egg wrap into an egg quesadilla.

 

Before dinner, I grabbed two amazeballs to hold me over. I guess I was loving the chocolate yesterday huh? ;)

 

 

Yesterday flew by and pretty soon before I knew it, it was dinnertime. As you can see my fridge was pretty empty. All I had left was some dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit, and old lettuce).

Dinner had to be quick, easy, and with less than 5 ingredients. A stir-fry to the rescue. I defrosted some baked chicken and a bag of frozen vegetables, and brown rice. Then, threw everything in a pan together and cracked an egg in there.

This was my first time using an actual egg in there and it was delicious! I don't know why I never tried this at home before. I guess I thought it was way too complicated to make fried rice? I was missing out! I stirred it around for a good 5 minutes until the rice got a little crispy.

The end result was pretty tastey and the whole dinner ended up taking about 15 minutes. Winner winner chicken dinner. (If you saw the movie 21, you will know what I'm talking about). There were no leftovers of this meal since it was a huge hit. I was glad I stuck some veggies in there because last weekend was a huge carb feast.  (Still can't get over how HUGE that plate of nachos was)

After dinner I was still a little hungry. So I snacked on some rice cakes with peanut butter and jelly.

It feels good to be back home and get back into a routine. I've missed my workouts and veggies. I think I might run outside since the weather is warming up and do two rounds of my boot camp workout.

Happy Wednesday!

xox

BBQ Cauliflower With Yogurt Dip

Good morning friends. So after all the outside activities over the weekend, I am exhausted over here. Think I will be skipping my workout today. I see some quality time with the couch and tv tonight. If you missed any posts, you can catch up here.

•   Fancy Shmancy
•    No Surprises in Lake Placid 

 

Last week I forgot to share a great recipe with you guys! It is not a very photogenic one, but sure is tastey. The recipe below is adapted from here.

BBQ Cauliflower with Greek Yogurt Dip

• 2 packages of frozen cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
•  1/2 cup of BBQ sauce

 For the Greek Yogurt Dip

• 1 container of Greek yogurt
• Juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped herbs (I used parsley and basil)
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• Salt and pepper 

 For the BBQ Cauliflower: 

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Microwave packages of frozen cauliflower.
2. Place cauliflower onto a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and place in a large bowl. Toss with BBQ sauce.

Warning: It will look very messy

 
 For the Greek Yogurt Dip:

1.  In a small serving bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, and herbs.Season with a pinch of  salt and pepper. Serve alongside BBQ cauliflower for dipping.
   
   
   

   

   
   I've been loving this dip lately and putting it on everything. It is much healthier than creamy ranch dip. Hope ya like it! :)
   
   Oh jelly beans. Why did you call my name in the store? Seriously these things I can't put down. They are too good. I have to hide the bag or else it will be gone in a day.
   

   
   

   

   
   

     

   I came acorss this article this morning: The Worst Valentine's Day Stories and it gave me a laugh. I'm off to find the boyfriend a vday gift. Nothing like waiting until the last minute right? 

   See you guys tomorrow!

   
   

   Questions- What is one candy you can't stop eating?

   
   

   What is your favorite dip?