I picked the first tomato from my tomato plant today!

I can’t wait to use it tomorrow.  

Right when I got home from the gym Mark opened a bag of Trader Joe’s Unburied Treasures. It’s like Pirate Booty, but way better because it’s a little bigger and airy. Nom nom.  I tried to contain myself as to not undo all of my hard gym work, but I mean come on!

I also tried the Chocolate Infusion Amazing Meal from Amazing Grass today.

To try to combat the “sandy” texture, I used milk instead of water. I wasn’t really bothered by the sand, but I was curious to test the difference with milk. The texture was definitely less sandy, but I didn’t like this flavor as much as the Pomegranate Mango Infusion Amazing Meal. It does not have as fresh of a taste and it did not give me the same energy boost either.  I’ve heard others compare it to chocolate milk, but I am going to be honest with you – that is an extreme exaggeration. I would say the chocolate flavor is subtle at most.  But, I am drinking this because it’s good for me, not because I want a chocolate milkshake.

For dinner I had leftovers from last night. These pictures are from then, but picture pretty much the same thing. The meal that lasted two nights included Marinara Sauce I received from Nanny’s Cucina with Trader Joe’s Gnocchi & Broccoli & a salad.

The sauce was really good, quite spicy with lots of pieces of garlic in there. The gnocchi was just okay, kind of mealy. I am not the biggest gnocchi fan though and Mark seemed to like it a lot.

The salad was quite good and contained the usual suspects.

• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Green Beans
• Broccoli
• Red Pepper
• Raw Corn on the Cob
• Dijon Mustard + Apple Cider Vinegar
• Plain Hummus from the Trader Joe’s Quartet

Today’s salad was pretty much the same, but I did not have any green beans left.

Right now I am waiting for Mark to pick me up so we can pick up his bike at his house. My gym membership expires tomorrow, which interestingly coincides with the beginning of my training for the Newport Liberty Half Marathon. I need something to do on days off from running and plan to use his bike. I used to love riding my bike when I was little, but now it just hurts my bum. I hope I get into it because I could really bike to a lot of places in my neighborhood and get a lot of errands done this way. Walking to do everything is probably one of the only things I miss about living in NYC. Do you walk or bike to run errands?

Traditionally, I love early fall the best. I love the smells, colors, weather and excitement of back to school. This morning, however, with the sun gleaming in my bedroom window, I had a renewed appreciation for spring! It’s such a gorgeous day – how could anyone be in a bad mood? Even though I was sad that Villanova lost lsat night, I smiled because the sun warmed my heart.

Mark made me a pre-run smallish breakfast of toast and egg whites. He’s the best egg maker.

Pepperidge Farm Vitality Whole Grain with Purple Grain Bread Review

I had my egg white on a new kind of Pepperidge Farm bread that we received. This one is also from the Vitality Line that Mark discussed. Tim Hassett, General Manager, Pepperidge Farm said this about the new breads: 

The new line of Vitality Bread reflects Pepperidge Farm’s commitment to producing great tasting breads that provide you with the nutrition and energy for today’s active lifestyle.  Each loaf of Vitality Bread offers a great bundle of benefits and reveals a real baker’s touch, with special care taken to ensure delicious taste and freshness for a truly enjoyable eating experience.

This is the Whole Grain with Purple Grain Bread. Purple Grain gets its purple hue from pigments called anthocyanins, which are also found in blueberries. The bread is not exactly purple, but it has a slightly different color than wheat breads. Next time I’ll do a side-by-side comparison shot. 

Taste wise it’s really good. Nice and wheaty, but not dull. It’s soft, but has lots of whole bits of different grains in there. 

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving (serving size) = 1 slice

After breakfast and ample digestion time, Mark walked with me to the gym. I went inside to run and he went to the park nearby to read. About an hour and 7.25 miles later we met back up and walked home. I loved seeing the flower buds peaking from the ground. See, a new appreciation for spring.

I took a shower, put on my springiest clothes and made a big salad that I ate with with a pita and Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing.

In it is:

• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Kidney Beans
• Raisins
• Corn

Now we’re at Mark’s studio, but I hope to walk around Hoboken a little more to enjoy this beautiful spring day. Enjoy Sunday everyone!