Gooood morning all!
The Iowa City road trip was great! Ben’s Mom was very surprised to see us and we ate at a stellar pizza joint – Wig and Pen – which makes some inSAne Chicago-style pizza. You know, the kind that’s about 10 inches deep and smothered with a layer of fresh tomato sauce on top? Yeah, that kind. Heaven! On our way home we ran into some MAYjah storms. Check this out!
Have you ever in your life seen a storm cloud like this? (Don’t worry I wasn’t driving and snapping pics – I took this from the passenger seat.) It looked like a UFO! We literally saw where the wall of rain started and drove straight into it. Super crazy, cars pulled off to the side of the road, can’t hear yourself talk kind of rain. Thankfully though, we made it home safely 
I spent the rest of the evening getting ready for the week and went to bed super early. I’ve been a go-to-bed early gal all weekend! Love it.
This morning after my Mom walk, I channeled my inner Bugs Bunny and had a Carrot Cake CLIF Bar and Carrot Chips with Almond Butter for breakfast!
If you ever get a chance to pick up this CLIF Bar – I beg you, do it! Read my full review here. It is so close to the real thing that if I shut my eyes, I’d swear I was in a sweet little cafe sipping cappuccino and eating a big slice of cake…
Instead, I’m in my kitchen having some Folgers…hey, whatever works This bar also has 10g of protein and 5g of fiber. Pretty stellar for something that tastes like dessert!
Here’s my carrot chips with almond butter. Or rather, my almond butter with carrot chips. I tend to lick the AB straight off the carrot and then eat all the chips at the end. I can’t help it…sometimes I just need that AB straight up! 
For lunch today I packed a big salad – I love starting off the week with a big salad full of fresh veggies and goodies. It just makes me feel good and sets the tone for the rest of the week. No matter what kind of crap I’ve eaten over the weekend, a healthy salad always brings me home.
Today we’ve got:
- Mixed greens
- Sliced carrots
- Cheddar cheese
- Sliced radishes
- Dried cranberries
I packed light Italian salad dressing with a couple drops of Sesame Oil mixed in to dress the salad. Just these few drops takes both the “light” and “bottled” taste out of the dressing.
Oh, that juicy melon I referenced yesterday is a giNOURmous watermelon, which was so huge that it was difficult to lift onto the cutting board! Thankfully I didn’t have to pay by the pound – the whole thing was only $2.88. Sweeeeet
I took a giant, four cup tupperware container of it for lunch. Wa-wa-wee-watermelon!
In other news, remember when Ben and I went to Modale, IA back in May?
Well, this corn:
has turned into THIS CORN!
It’s the attack of the 10 foot corn! Isn’t that one of the scariest things you’ve ever seen?? Ben and his Dad went to go visit his Grandma, who was Grand Marshall of the Modale Fun Days Parade, this weekend and provided this corn update shot. Here’s the Grand Marshall herself!
Cutest.picture.ever.
Well I took the weekend off from running so I’m hoping to hit the trail after work tonight. Then it’s off to dinner with my dinner-date girls. Have a great day back everyone!
That is some tall corn!!!
Wow that corn is huge, watch out for those Iowa corn spiders though!
I just bought that carrot cake clif bar, I couldn’t find it anywhere for a while, but can’t wait to try it!
Girls night out during the week is so fun and relaxing, ENJOY!
Hey, what’s the best brand of almond butter?
I love me some Wig and Pen pizza. They opened one up in Ankeny a while ago, and I live close enough to order carry out every once in a while. (probably not a good thing, but YUM!)
great salad! and i love the breakfast. i haven’t tried that clif bar, but it looks great!
That corn is huge! I will have to try that cliff bar, it looks yummy!
Great breakfast! That flavor Clif Bar is one of my faves. The Banana Bread one is awesome too. I love Clif Bars.
Wow, that drive sounds super scary. What a crazy storm cloud! I definitely would have been freaking out. That clif bar looks delicious! I’ll keep my eye out for it. Your salad looks so summery
Wow that watermelon is giving the juicy cantelope from last week a run for its money–delish! Enjoy your girls night out!
LOVE the carrot cake clif bar!!!
I stumbled upon this website googling ‘how to cook oatmeal’ (not hard, I know, but I am a recipe follower) and entered the site because I’m an Iowa girl too, transplanted to San Francisco. I really enjoyed the pictures of the storm: the clouds, the skyline for miles-Iowa is so beautiful. Other interesting commonalities that inspired a response is 1. I use to work at The Wig and love the Chicago style as well and 2. was wondering if you ever eat at The Red Avocado in Iowa City? It is an all organic, vegan restaurant with great beer and wine too. Truly amazing, healthy and delicious food; I highly recommend it if you haven’t been there recently!
P.S. Next time you are in SF, try Little Star pizza. I love the Wig, but LS is the best deep dish I’ve ever had! Ever!
Hmmm as much as I wanted to like that Clif Bar, it just tasted like a sweet plain Clif bar to me! That and the Maple Nut. Two flavors that so many people seem to LOVE!
Bahaha that corn is GIANT!!! Poor Granny is gonna get swallowed by the corn!
Wowsa that larger picture is INSANE!
wow that IS big corn. lol
-muffy
That storm cloud is insane! I always hate driving in inclement weather — it frightens me! Glad you made it ok!
Wow! That corn is huge! And to think our corn in the garden is maybe 1.5 feet high – IF that. And that storm … geesh. We have had a few come through our area (Central Alberta, Canada) that have been insane.
I would love to try that Clif bar! I’ve only really liked the Maple Nut and Peanut Crunch. Mmm … makes me hungry!
K
That is a fabulous idea to add sesame oil to the light italian…I have a problem eating bottled dressings…they always taste funny to me…but I’m thinking this would help!! Thanks for the tip!
I was at the grocery store today and saw the carrot cake clif bar and remembered your post and picked it up
aww that is a really cute picture!
My gosh that sky looked awesome and so powerful!…scary too!
Glad you are okay!
That’s some pretty gosh darn tall corn….lol!!!
http://www.alovefornewrecipes.blogspot.com
I agree, the Carrot Cake Cliffs are TDF! A healthy carrot cake? Umm, yes please!
I just bought a watermelon for the same price and it is the sweetest thing in the world. I just cut it up two days ago and it’s alreday almost gone.
Funny how these big juicy melons seem to disspear. Must be magic, right!
Hope you had a wonderful Monday Kristen.
That is indeed the cutest pic ever!
And those corns scared me! Love the juicy watermelon pic.