Food, Friends, & Packet Pick Up

On Friday morning, I drove into San Antonio to meet up with my friend, Kacie. :)

(Us at the river during Spring Break)

I met Kacie in one of my math classes freshman year at our university, and she's been a great friend ever since. However, the only downside to our friendship is that we live about an hour from each other. :( So, each time we get to see each other, it's always a treat!

First, we went to the convention center to pick up my race packet for my half marathon on Sunday. Thankfully, Kacie drove, and she knew her way around downtown. The traffic was crazy! She is a runner as well, but sadly, won't be doing this race with me. After, we went to The Corner Bakery Cafe for lunch, since neither of us had ever been. It took us a long time to decide what to order, because everything sounded wonderful! One of the things I really liked about the restaurant was the fact that they had the nutritional information available for you on the menu, which made it easier to narrow down my selections. After a few minutes, I finally decided on ordering the egg salad sandwich. It came with one side, I chose baby carrots, as well as a pickle spear. Kacie ordered one of the combos, and got half of one of their paninis, half an order of macaroni and cheese, and one of the pumpkin treats on the side. Her meal, and especially the dessert, looked great as well! Total, my meal came out to be 540 calories, and I enjoyed it. :)

 If I have the option to eat here again, I will definitely go! It reminded me a lot of Panera, and I love being able to have healthier options available. It was a wonderful day with a great friend, and I'm excited for the race on Sunday! :)

For dinner later on that night, I decided to make a sausage, pepper, & rice bowl. Although this recipe is a bit high in calories and carbs, it's great for protein. The next time I make this, I plan to cut down the carb and calorie content for sure. However, I made this dish as one of my meals to have in preparation for a big race, and the few days before, I always try to increase my carb intake a bit. :)

Servings: 2

1 serving=
406 cals
45g carbs
15g fat
23g protein
807mg sodium
6g fiber

Ingredients:
2 Minute- Ready To Serve- Brown & Wild Rice cups
1 red bell pepper
2 links Jennie-O Lean Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage

Directions:
Cook your rice according to the package, and then rinse your bell pepper, cut in half, and remove all seeds. Use a cutting board and knife to cut into small pieces, and set aside. Next, cut your sausage into small rounds, and then place in a skillet with non-stick spray, and cook on high. When finished, turn to low, and add in your bell pepper and rice. Stir for a few minutes, and then remove from heat. Divide into two, serve, and enjoy!

When you're cooking, make sure you don't set off the smoke alarm like I did! My roommates and I had gone the whole semester without setting it off, and sadly, I was the one to break our streak. :P Haha, have a great weekend!

<3 Stephanie