Voracious Vorilee

Something New

I cleaned the house today. From top to bottom, I scrubbed, swept, vacuumed and got everything straightened up. It was great and I definitely worked up a sweat. Once I finished cleaning, everything shone, and I loved seeing the vacuum tracks in the carpet.

To fuel my morning of cleaning, I tried something new for breakfast.

Overnight oats in a jar! Normally I prefer hot oats in a jar, but it has been hot and HUMID lately, and I was craving a nice cold breakfast. Topped with some crunchy granola and a banana, it was delicious.

I loved getting tastes of peanut butter in every bite of my oats, but I did miss how melty the peanut butter gets when I enjoy hot oats in a jar. Regardless, this breakfast was incredibly filling and full of flavor.

After all of my cleaning today, I am TIRED and ready to hit the hay. I’ll see y’all tomorrow!

Flavors of Fall

I don’t know what to write about tonight – it’s been a busy couple of days. What I do know is that my breakfast this morning was delicious.

 

Autumny oats. Made with one smashed SUPER ripe banana, milk, and water. Cooked in the microwave until they were thick and creamy, then topped with flavors of fall: pecan cinnamon bun granola, apple butter, and blobs of peanut and almond butter.

They were amazing.

I haven’t used apple butter in my oats in quite some time, and I forgot how yummy it is stirred into a big bowl of banana oats. The sweet-cinnamon flavor of the apple butter went well with the nutty crunch of the granola, and the peanut and almond butters completed the bowl. Delicious!

Even though I am not quite ready for autumn to arrive, it was nice to eat a bowl of oats reminiscent of crisp air and crunchy leaves.

Girl Talk Dinner

Sometimes all you need is girl talk over dinner.

Jessica came over for dinner last night, and we spent the evening laughing and talking. We hadn’t spent time together since before the fourth of July, when we ordered that tableful of nachos.

We spent a good four hours talking – and our conversation was about anything and everything. We would start talking about boys, pets, or life in general and get off topic – one statement reminding us of other things to share, funny stories, or ideas we’ve had.

We lost track of time while we talked – I had no idea it was midnight until Jessica stood up to head home. I’m always amazed at how easily I lose track of time when I am with my friends – we can talk for hours and it only feels like a few minutes! Last night was a blast, and I can’t wait to do it again!

Color and Crunch

It’s raining out right now. We had a nice thunderstorm move through a little earlier, and may have more during the night. I love summer storms – they tend to cool things off as they move through the area, although when they don’t it can get pretty gross outside. I could see steam rising from the ground this evening when I was on the way back from the gym. It was still raining, and I will admit, it’s pretty weird to see steam rising from the ground before the rain has stopped. I anticipate a humid day tomorrow, but there’s a possibility that I’m wrong (I hope).

My day was full of lots of color and crunch, starting with breakfast. I’ve been doing a lot of my breakfasts on the go, and today was no different. Instead of overnight oats, however, today’s mix was a fruit and yogurt cereal bowl.

 

This bowl included strawberries, blackberries, GoLean Crisp, and a hefty blob of almond butter for some staying power. It was delicious. I love how the natural sweetness of the almond butter complements the sweet-tart strawberries, and with the blackberries, my breakfast was like a giant bowl of AB and J – YUM!

My morning was busy, and by the time I made it to lunch, I was craving some veggies!

This was a colorful and crunchy salad, full of flavor. In my container was mixed baby greens, including some red lettuce that had a nice bite to it. The carrots and tomatoes added a nice sweetness to my salad, and I loved the crunch from the pepper and broccoli. I ate this monster pile of veggie goodness with some simple tuna salad, whole wheat toast, and cherries to round out the meal.

It was raining when I headed home for the night, and I was greeted by Enzo when I walked in the front door. We bought the cats some new toys over the weekend, including some that crackle. Enzo LOVES toys that make a crunch/crackle noise and is obsessed with the ball that we gave him last night. I spent some time hunting it down for him so we could play for a little while before dinner. He wanted to play fetch, and every time I threw the ball, he would chase after it and bring it back to me. He does this frequently, and we never get tired of it.

We’re about to head up to bed – it’s been a busy day, and after lifting weights, I’m pretty tired. Have a great night!

Recappin’ Things

How was your weekend? Ours was busy and really fun! I started out on Saturday by going to the mall to pick up a couple of things for our trip, and followed it with a haircut. I was so ready for a change in style – my hair had gotten long and flat and was up in a ponytail more often than not. I decided to take off a few inches. Maybe five? It seemed like a LOT of hair, but I love the new do!

 

I haven’t worn my hair this short in a few years now, and it is definitely a change. It's lighter and far easier to dry in the morning now – I love it!

I experimented in the kitchen with my breakfast this weekend, layering oats and blueberries in a jam jar for a parfait-like breakfast – like Angela's!

This mix was oats, oat bran, and banana with just a dash of salt. Once it was done cooking, I layered them in my jar with blueberries, and topped them with a blob of runny peanut butter. I used a little extra liquid in these oats, and the result was really good – the oats were voluminous and filling!

We also tried our hands at making fajitas again – but this time going for less spice. 

These were a definite success – they had a good kick, but didn’t leave my eyes watering – perfect! This batch of fajitas was a bit large, so we definitely have leftovers. I’m looking forward to turning them into a tasty lunch later this week.

This morning, I was all for a quick and easy breakfast, and was happy to have it waiting for me in the fridge.

I topped these with peanut butter sauce, banana, and some Archer Farms Pecan Sticky Bun Granola for crunch. The granola added a cinnamon flavor to the oats and totally tasted like a cinnamon roll – so good! It was a very filling breakfast, and kept me full for several hours – a good thing.

Today was pretty busy, and I think The Boy and I are going to play some Magic before bed.

Have a good night!