Mother's Wisdom

The older I get, the more I realize I've learned from my mom (and dad, but just go with it...) She was always teaching my brother and me little things about life that have made us who we are today. There were a ton of lessons around food too, especially because ours was an Italian-Jewish kitchen. We serve delicious food with a side of guilt with pleasure :) I thought I'd share some "Mom-isms" with you tonight.

"Make sure to eat a good breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day."
I knew I had a jam-packed day so I opted to bring my breakfast to work instead of eat at home. I packed an egg white as well as overnight hot cereal (1/4c Bob's Red Mill GF cereal and buckwheat groats, 1/4c unsweetened almond breeze, 1/2c water, 1/2T chia seeds, cinamon) with a few pitted and chopped cherries and blueberries. Topped with 1/2T of nut butter, of course :)

The morning flew by and then it was time for my first meeting, where lunch was provided. Since I was one of the 2 people running the meeting, I was able to make sure that we ordered something I could eat. I ended up having this plate plus 1/2 of what was leftover (think 4 generous cups) of the Greek Salad we ordered. The dressing and cheese came on the size so I used just a pinch of each. There might have been a few chips as well.

As if I didn't have enough produce at lunch, I snacked on a pear for dessert knowing it would carry me through the rest of the work day and meetings.
"Always try and do your best. You are capable of giving 100%"

On my walk to the gym for pilates, my tummy started rumbling. Having learned good habits from my mom, I was prepared with a snack in my bag. In spite of "not bragging," look what I found! Look what I found!

Yes, that's the new Carrot Cake Larabar and it tastes as fluffy and delicious as any carrot cake I've ever had!  I only ate about 1/3 but it was sooooo good. Track these down!

"Always try to be on time. It's a sign of respect for whomever you're meeting and shows responsibility. Being late for no reason is just rude."
I got to the gym in time for pilates and even was a few minutes early. Score! I was all set up and ready to go at 6pm when class started but the instructor was MIA. She usually starts class 5 minutes late which irks me but is fine. Today we didn't get started until 6:10. For a 1 hour class, 10 minutes is a big deal. The class itself was fine and it really felt good to stretch and work my still-sore muscles. But then, she started talking and not teaching, for probably 5 more minutes of the class. And then, we ended a few minutes early. I was peeved when I left because my time was wasted and I didn't get the full workout. I guess oh well... Timeliness - it's a common courtesy!  *steps off soap box*

For this "mom-ism" I'm going to differ to a different mom, of the Pea variety. I believe when she posted this recipe earlier this week she declared "I must be doing something right." Yes, Mama Pea, you are.

I whipped up this corn casserole with a few modifications. I halved the recipe, used unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze instead of coconut milk, used sugar-free syrup (it's all I had), and nixed the cornstarch. While it baked, I washed dishes and took care of a couple of chores.

Dinner was a salad with beets, topped with peach salsa, a serving of Cuban black beans, and a portion of the corn casserole. I'm going to be honest, the corn casserole was the star of the show. Hands down. It was sweet, creamy, warm, and comforting. It tasted like a real treat and yet has good nutrition stats. It was just. that. good. I forgot my manners and licked the bowl clean. Mom wouldn't be happy about that.

My mom never really made Mexican food so I don't feel bad for saying this - if other meals are like this corn dish, I'll trade babysitting for food, Mama Pea. Seriously.

Tonight I'm hoping to tackle some of my to-do list and maybe do some GMAT studying, we'll see. Even though chores and homework were important, my mom loved for us to go out and enjoy summer. The last thing I'd want to do is ignore all I've learned from Mom!

What's the best blogger recipe you've tried? Do you get annoyed when an exercise class starts late / ends early / isn't a jam-packed hour?