Kabocha Kraze

happy holiday weekend folks! for some reason I adore the 4th of July it just screams SUMMER! It's just the day of the year where everybody appreciates the grill, hangs out outside, eats and basks in the glory of summah vaca even though many of us don't neccesarily get a summer vacation, it's the idea of it that matters!

I woke up bright and early this morning to hit the gym before my 9am client. I munched on a slice of toast with pumpkin butter and some strawbreezies along with a big ole glass of water. And then off to the gym I went!

The gym was empty! I guess everyone had the day off and took advantage of sleeping in. cause Lord knows there was naner good weather to take advantage of. Sometimes I hate when the gym is empty! I like the vibe of a packed gym and people working hard. For some reason the more people at the gym makes me want to work harder! how about you?

workout:

elliptical action 30 minutes of hills (increasing the resistance by 1 every minute until my max then reducing by one)

hammer curls; 3 sets of 12, 10lb FW

reverse plank; 45 seconds hold, 3x

standing tricep extension; 3 sets 15, 15lb bodybar

cardio: sprints 30 seconds on 30 seconds off; 5 minutes

straight bar bicep curl; 3 sets 12; 35lbs

tricep pushups; 3 sets 12

straight arm crunches; 3 sets 25

elliptical action 20 minutes rolling hills (45 seconds high resistance, 45 seconds resistance lowered)

done!

I quickly ran home, showered and got ready for breakie because I'm a woman who knows what she wants.

cue most amazing english muffins ever. so fluffy and delicious.

+ Better N Peanut Butts & banana..

= :) <---me

duh green juice!

amazing grass goji berries + USVAM and the other half of my naner

blend blend blend!

best. breakfast. ever.

must. restock. amazing grass products.

work involved a whole lotta standupage. I guess a lot of people forgot about losing weight this week and decided vacations were more important. ...fools. i keed i keed..

while waiting around at work and catching up on Jillian Michaels ad in Self Mag I munched on a very camera shy hugh jackman sized apple.

after my last client I BOOKED it out of there because I had negative time to get to my doctor's appointment on the other side of the island.

car fuel

i mean people fuel..

doctor's diagnosis:

The doctor was well VERY informative and after poking and prodding with my leg she diagnosed me with a definite hip problem. apparently you can be too tall & too flexible. It's actually not an IT band problem but from the xrays that were taken she noticed that my left hip bone juts out more then normal. just great. She scheduled me in for an MRA which is apparently different from an MRI because they will use a liquid dye that will better help diagnosing the problem. She couldn't exactly point a problem out besides my jutting bone but said she would know more after the MRA results which will be in the next two weeks. She said that the hip bone jut can sometimes be a common problem with atheltic flexible girls and there is not much you can about it. Apparently my snapping hip syndrome is INDEED a type of injury! You see! this is what I've had all my life. Check the link out it's VERY informative :) SO ergo I will be getting my MRA done within the next two weeks to find out if it is anything more serious. Until then the doc said I can continue with any physical activity that doesn't aggrevate it and to stay clear of running for now. damn.

I guess it could be worse though! glass half full baby

By the time I got home I was in need of some comfort food. enter plate-oh-joy. assemblance of this plate is somewhat laborious but in the end totes worth it.

the start of the kabocha kraze. begins here:

"yes I'd like a side of kabocha squash fries"

yep. that was the rest of the half of the kabocha from yesterday. where's the rest you ask? just wait and see..

enter mid afternoon boredom.

After creeping & facebooking & hating myself for already having seen EVERY episode of Wife Swap. Tyra Bank's episode on How To Be A Good Wingwoman came on and I felt the need for a boredom snack consisting of camera shy popcorn & a few strawbreezies.

doesn't this look like little butterflies or something!? haha just say no if it doesn't. i won't be hurt

Eventually after the boredom subsided I carved and caved into my kabocha kraze and assembled dinner while simultaneously watching Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day while realizing that I was most certainly not living for a day haha. Soon after that it was time for dinner. I wasn't even reallllly hungry but the clock said dinner time! annnnd so I caved.

medium sized salad? maybe more on the large side..

....i thought you weren't hungry Julie...

spinach

mushrooms

red peppers

carrots

tomatoes

onions

TJs Garlic Aioli Mustard Sauce w. apple cider vinegar

a spoonful of Cedars Taziki dip

boca burger

am I almost a vegan? haha nope.

you asked what was in the oven didn't you?

fun kabocha facts:

- Japanese version of winter squash!

- that's right girls. it's an aphrodisiac. okayyy gurrrrrrl. now your man can't hate on you for splurging on your veggies..

-it is also known as a Japanese pumpkin!

-it's chock full of beta carotene, iron, vitamin C & potassium! whoop whoop

So you can most certainly say that I've eaten a life time supply of the good stuff over the past two days. i'm kaboched out.

I know you'll miss me BUT I won't be back until Sunday night! I'm heading out East on the Island for the 4th festivities for the remainder of the weekend after work tomorrow :) hoping for some hopping fireworks and good ole bbq action. come on out if you want!

What's your most favorite 4th of July memory? I think mine is when I was younger I was at a party around the block and we were playing manhunt in the schoolyard across the street and silly me I thought my tall self could run under the monkey bar without ducking. major manhunt fail. next thing you know I'm laid out on the ground with a serious dent in my head. monkey bar to head. talk about fireworks. Haha it was actually hilarious when I think back about it. share yours!

happppy happppy 4th