first day recap

what a first day back to school it has been! i feel like i have walked to africa and back and am so happy the day is finally over. i know i will sleep like a baby tonight.

the first day of junior year started out with one of my absolute favorite breakfasts: peanut butter banana oatmeal with strawberries. it is so easy to make and keeps my full through the morning until lunch.

peanut butter banana oatmeal

1/2 c old-fashioned oats

1/2 c water

2 tbsp low sodium better'n peanut butter

1 banana, sliced

other toppings of choice (nuts, dried fruit, berries, etc.) 

1. Combine oats, water and peanut butter.
2. Microwave for 1 minute, stir.
3. Microwave for 45 seconds, watching closely (you don't want the peanut butter to get too hot or the oats to spill over). Stir. Repeat until desired thickness is reached (oatmeal will thicken as it sits). 
4. Top with banana and additional toppings! Enjoy! 

all ready for school! 

all my classes this semester are diving into my major, supply chain management (logistics), and my minor, retail and consumer science. i am really looking forward to taking these classes. i am most excited about my fashion and culture class, for obvious reasons! whats even better this semester is that i have girls in my sorority in every class! i love having friends in my classes so i am never alone! the only downside to this semester's classes is the amount of books i had to purchase. i think i sold my soul to the UT bookstore (or rather my parents' souls). 

today's workout was also a favorite of mine! to get a break from the usual cardio machines, i decided to do a nice little bike ride on the spin bike. i slightly modified the ride from one of the MAC trainer's rides that has become one of my favorites. the workout is a pyramid that always leaves me worn out afterwards! the ride begins with a warm-up then a set of intervals that are repeated and end with a warm-up and adds up to a 45 minute workout. 

spin pyramid

5:00 warm-up with resistance

:15 run in hand position 2

:15 seated sprint

:15 standing climb

:15 standing climb sprint

:30 2-count jumps

:30 run in hand position 2

:30 seated sprint

:30 standing climb

:30 standing climb sprint

:30 2-count jumps

1:00 run in hand position 2

1:00 seated sprint

1:00 standing climb

1:00 standing climb sprint

1:00 4-count jumps

2:00 run in hand position 2

2:00 seated sprint

2:00 standing climb

2:00 standing climb sprint

2:00 8-count jumps

1:00 run in hand position 2

1:00 seated sprint

1:00 standing climb

1:00 standing climb sprint

1:00 4-count jumps

:30 run in hand position 2

:30 seated sprint

:30 standing climb

:30 standing climb sprint

:30 2-count jumps

:15 run in hand position 2

:15 seated sprint

:15 standing climb

:15 standing climb sprint

cool-down until 45 minute ride is completed

we also got a preview of the family portraits i posted about a few weeks ago that Angel Pardue took! i am anxious to see the rest of them! i really like the one of the six grandkids. 

(photo credit Angel Pardue Photography Facebook) 

after such a long, busy day (i didn't even tell you have of it) i made one of my favorite 30 minute meals,  broccoli chicken mac and cheese, and fixed a salad to go with it. of course i modified it for just me but i highly encourage you to make the original recipe. the only thing i change is adding more broccoli and less shells. here's the link to the delicious broccoli chicken mac and cheese from iowa girl eats. she has a great collection of healthy recipes you should browse through! **update 4.14.14: this pasta is just as good cold too! great to make and take!**

this turned into a much longer post that i intended so i am going to stop here! this red-head is worn-out and ready to call her mama! 

xoxo, 

clp

last summer saturday in the boro

today is my last saturday in murfreesboro for a while and it is a busy one!

this morning came super early because i ran the Fenton, Payne and Fred 5k with Alex, my older cousin.  i have only run 2 other 5k's, but i think they are really a fun way to donate to charity. this race's proceeds go towards multiple organizations in murfreesboro which is a plus. also, the race's route was really nice, especially since my grandparents and aunt and uncle could walk out their front doors and cheer us on!

alex and i pre-race

and i'm off! 

i ran it in 27 minutes and 41 seconds and placed 192/702 overall and 4th in my age group! pretty happy with my results since i hadn't run a mile, much less 3, since early may!

after the race, dad and i went to the farmer's market on the square for our weekly trip! i loaded up on veggies and fruits to take back to knoxville with me! i really am going to miss the market on saturdays, but UT has one on wednesday afternoons on the ag campus that i will have to visit!

i mixed up a batch of my go-to granola this morning as well. it is a breakfast staple in our house so i wanted to make sure mom and dad had some for after i left and that i had some since i have a busy couple of weeks coming up. it is a simple recipe but i like it that way because you can mix it with just about anything. we like ours over yogurt or with kefir and any kind of fruit. here's the recipe:

claire's go-to granola

2 c Old Fashioned Oats

1 T Cinnamon

1 T Vegetable Oil

2 T Honey

2 T Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (or 1/4 c Regular Brown Sugar)

1 t Vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In mixing bowl, combine cinnamon, vegetable oil, honey, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir.
3. Stir in oats until oats are fully coated.
4. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Take granola out and flip with spatula. Bake another 15 minutes.
6. Cool completely and store in airtight container. 

this afternoon is going to be busy as well. there are four birthdays in our family during the month of august and since all the grandkids are home, everyone is coming to our house to celebrate. to make it easy on the birthday girls (who would have ended up doing most of the cooking), we ordered pasta, soup, salad and bread from demos' and i am already looking forward to it! we will top off the meal with birthday cake of course!

before supper we are having pictures made of the six grandkids for my grandmother. we attempted this two years ago and the whole thing was a catastrophe from start to finish. mom and i were in tears from laughing so hard when we got the proofs back. however, we are using the talented Angel Pardue today and we are having her take casual shots outside. i feel like i have been recruited as the personal shopper for everyone on what they will wear and am loving it! hopefully these photos turn out much better than the last ones!

amidst all this, i am also trying to get packed up to head back to knoxville on monday. i can't believe that summer has come to an end so quickly but i am looking forward to seeing my sisters and friends in knoxville and moving into my first college apartment. the packing list keeps on growing and growing, along with the piles of stuff that are ready to be loaded in the car tomorrow. hopefully we will have most everything done by early afternoon tomorrow so i can lay by the pool!

happy saturday to all & xoxo,
clp