Leftovers, Revisited

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Meghann taught me a really great trick a few months back — when I go out for Thai food, I’m always sure to bring back the broth/leftover veggies to transform into a new meal.

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I mixed about 1/2 cup organic brown rice and 1/2 cup kidney beans to my leftovers (approximately 1/4 cup of white rice, some random veggies, and tons of spicy Pa-naag sace).

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Plus, frozen organic green beans (thank you, Costco):

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Dessert was a few dates.

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Awkward Years

 

My dad is digging through old photos and scanned this one for me:

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Ah, my short-lived stint as a cross-country runner in middle school.  I was 12 years old in that picture and remember just HATING to run 3.0 miles.  I thought those "long runs" lasted forever and the other girls were a lot faster than me.  I only did it for one season (and then I became a lazy teenager).

 

I also hit puberty that year and it was just terrible — I went from being the little girl in that picture to being rather… womanly… in just a few months.  :)  I seriously could’ve won a Guinness Book of World Records title for fastest puberty growth spurt ever.  It was like being in a stranger’s body! I don’t think I really knew how to deal with it!  But what pre-teen does? 

 

Middle school was such an awkward time, wasn’t it?  I don’t think you could pay me to go back!

 

Update:  My Dad just emailed me this photo with the subject line "Puberty Hits."  Holy eyebrows!

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I just died laughing at myself.

{ 55 comments }

 

  • Kimberly August 6, 2009, 10:34 am

    Aww, cute! God, middle school… bangs, bodysuits, Ace of Base CDs. I actually remember on a 7th grade field trip to EPCOT, my 95-pound sef chowing down on ice cream, churros, whatever else in the park looked good, and a mother chaperone telling me I "shouldn't eat like that, because it'll catch up with you before you know it." Looking back, what kind of adult says that to a 12-year-old?!

  • Amelia (AC/DC: Highways to Health) August 6, 2009, 10:35 am

    Agreed! I don't remember being particularly unhappy with my appearance, but I definitely felt like an awkward mess! Someone should tell every middle schooler – don't worry, it will get LOADS better! 🙂

  • Jennifer @ His N' Her Health August 6, 2009, 10:41 am

    God middle school was the worst. super awkward and I remember I flip flopped friends so often. I never want to go back! haha. Good idea for leftovers!

  • Cait (Cait's Plate) August 6, 2009, 10:42 am

    Are you a natural blonde?!?!

    And YES! Middle school was horrible! Braces, acne, growing into your body…oye. Haha. I feel so bad for them when I see them now…I can still feel their pain!! Haha.

  • Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point August 6, 2009, 10:42 am

    cait- i was a blonde naturally until i hit (haha i just wrote hate) puberty, and then it went brown.

  • seesaraheat August 6, 2009, 10:45 am

    Ack, middle school was the worst! I love what you did with the leftovers 🙂

    I was going to ask where you got that stuff and then I saw the "thank you Costco" shout out. I swear, everyone is raving about Costco, I'm trying to figure out why I'm not a member yet?!?

    Have a great day!

  • hookedup August 6, 2009, 10:46 am

    I was all limbs at 12, taller than 75% of the boys and ridiculously skinny. I had my own personal horror in that my sister who is 2 years younger developed before me. I remember once overhearing my mother talking about it to a friend of hers. Very embarrassing.

  • brandi August 6, 2009, 10:47 am

    i love leftovers!

    you were so blond when you were younger! isn't is crazy how your hair color and things can just change so quickly.

    i was totally awkward, too, but sadly, I never got "really womanly" 🙂 my older sister got ALL of those genes.

  • Mandy August 6, 2009, 10:48 am

    I love leftovers 🙂

    oh boy, middle school! Yeah, definitely a wake up call to all the fun "clicks"!!! I was a crazy mess… who knew you weren't supposed to BRUSH naturally curly hair… uh me, obviously! I had quite the fluffy do back then! And I lived in Orlando at the time…so as you know, the humidity made it that much better! 🙂

  • Pam (Highway to Health) August 6, 2009, 10:49 am

    Middle school was torture! On top of being the tall and lanky I had horrible acne. Ugh. I would never go back.

  • Sarah W. August 6, 2009, 10:57 am

    that is such a FABULOUS idea – I never do that, I feel like bring home 1/4C leftovers is weird. but that is a great idea!!!

  • Beth @ CrossBorderCravings August 6, 2009, 10:57 am

    I totally agree! Elementary and High School were so much fun but middle school was soooo akward! Luckily it only lasts 2 years!!

  • Dori August 6, 2009, 11:03 am

    Funny about how hair changes. Mine was nice and straight until puberty, when it turned into a big fro!

    One of my clearest memories from this time was finding out that in 8th grade, the guys said that I have a nice body but my face messes it up. So awful! That still sticks with me, even though I think (and always thought) my face is much better than my body!

  • Deva August 6, 2009, 11:06 am

    I think the years between 4th and 8th grades are ones that I want to forget..

  • Britt August 6, 2009, 11:08 am

    Jr. High was such an interesting time…. don't want to go back at all though. 🙂

    Great idea on the leftovers, I do feel silly sometimes taking a small amount, but when you mix it with other stuff why not?!

  • recipesforcreativity August 6, 2009, 11:12 am

    Lol, there is no freaking way you could pay me to go back to junior high! Or even high school, for that matter!

  • Low August 6, 2009, 11:15 am

    Oh geez, I had several verrrry awkward years. I can't say there's anything awkward about you in that pic though!

  • Thinspired August 6, 2009, 11:18 am

    Oh geez, middle school SUCKED. I am actually writing a post about my weight history and I could just go on forever about how awkward and horible it was. You couldn't pay me a million dollars to go back! Cute photo though!

  • Julia August 6, 2009, 11:23 am

    oh man….. middle school was ok but high school…..I wouldn't go back for 5 million bucks! lol. Total AWKWARDNESS

  • beesknees August 6, 2009, 11:38 am

    I am not joking when I say I have the EXACT same picture from CC! Blue and white uni's and everything. Only you are actually cute. I was lanky, skinny, and had the worst frizzy hair.

    Ugggh middle school was the worst! Everyone is awkward.

  • Michelle August 6, 2009, 11:38 am

    SO awkward! I would not want to go back there either!!

  • Quinn August 6, 2009, 11:41 am

    I had every orthodonture procedur known to man, I had ginormo glasses, it was the days of the chokers so it made me look fatter, I weighed what I weigh now, and I'm pretty confident I wasn't wearing a bra yet. I have got to pull out a picture. I had a friend from college come home with me once and ask my mom who was in a picture with her – it was me.

  • Sheri August 6, 2009, 11:52 am

    I also hated middle school…it sucked! I was akward, gained weight and had acne…bah! Would never want to go through that again!

  • eatingmachine August 6, 2009, 11:59 am

    Bangs. I cannot be the only one in middle school who had terrible bangs. Ugh, I remember trying to grow out my little kid bangs forever!
    And tying a sweatshirt around my waist cause we all thought that hid any of the new-found puberty pudge we were sporting. Which doesn't work at all.
    Oh memories…

  • Janessa August 6, 2009, 12:03 pm

    Cute!

  • Marissa {sparkles and fate} August 6, 2009, 12:05 pm

    AW! I totally rocked the bangs/glasses/braces/awkwardness during middle school!!

  • Mel @ She Runs Brooklyn August 6, 2009, 12:08 pm

    I wish I hit puberty that early. I'm still not sure if I have. haha

    Were you a natural blonde??

  • Jessica August 6, 2009, 12:19 pm

    That's a great idea about bringing home the leftover broth and veggies! I've never thought about that before.

    You gotta love middle school photos. I think we'd all like to keep most of those photos hidden away!

  • Rebeca @All Vegged Out August 6, 2009, 12:23 pm

    Middle school was the worst… but I'd totally be neck and neck with you on that record… I went from a 11 yr old girl to 17 year old (looking) boobs+hips+everything else over summer break and changed schools from a middle school to a MS/HS and had to navigate around the seniors… a joy let me tell you, pure joy (not)

    At least I still look 17 and get carded all the time though, so I won't complain

  • heyitstay August 6, 2009, 12:32 pm

    Haha you are too funny. I went through a 1-year cross country phase as well as a freshman in high school. And I DREADED those 3 mile race runs. I always came in last. Ehh! Oh well! Middle school years WERE awful. Oh man. I didn't exactly have an "awkward" growth phase, but I did have bad friend experiences! All the cattiness! Yikes!!

  • Anne P August 6, 2009, 12:39 pm

    hahahh oh my god… love the eyebrows. i think that's about what i looked like, lol.

  • Kicking couture August 6, 2009, 12:48 pm

    yes middle school sucked!!

    I dyed my hair an auburny colour,it went purple then orange!! and i went around with it for ages. Oh braces too

    So bad!!

  • Mrs. LC August 6, 2009, 12:52 pm

    I just had a great laugh at those pics! I love you and love how you have "no shame" and will plaster pubescent-Caitlin pics all over the internet. 🙂

    Middle school was the pits. It's such a superficial time. I actually lost weight before my eighth grade year (albeit unhealthily) but the huge jump in popularity and attention I had coming back to school that fall was nuts.

  • Joelle (The Pancake Girl) August 6, 2009, 12:57 pm

    Oh girl I had the worst eyebrows ever! I often ask my mom how she allowed me out of the house without attacking me with a tweezer!

  • Barbecued Peaches August 6, 2009, 1:14 pm

    You want awkward? I think I was 9 or 10 and my mom had the salon put in a body wave….in just my bangs.

  • teacherwoman August 6, 2009, 1:42 pm

    love the pics. You would be scared to see my photo when I hit puberty… and I had just as much eyebrows as you! – and the braces and I was one scary chica! LOL

  • Katie August 6, 2009, 1:45 pm

    haha oh eyebrows, mine looked similar to that. I was awkward from 10 to 16…

  • *Andrea* August 6, 2009, 2:18 pm

    omg you were adorable!!! i love looking and old photos. and ps my eyebrows were 10x bigger, when i see my school yearbook photos pre-6th grade when i starting getting brow waxes i die from uncontrollable laughter

  • Nina August 6, 2009, 2:25 pm

    aww you're so cute!

  • Andee (Runtolive) August 6, 2009, 2:26 pm

    Yeah I never want to think about middle school again, such a weird time in my life! love the tip on using leftover broth!

  • emily August 6, 2009, 2:37 pm

    Oh my gosh, you look so different! I feel like when I look at pictures of myself from middle school I look exactly the same (except with boobs!).

  • roseyrebecca August 6, 2009, 2:57 pm

    I hated middle school and I HATED running the mile in High School even more. Your pictures are adorable!

  • Rika August 6, 2009, 3:08 pm

    love your creative veggie meals!

  • Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now August 6, 2009, 3:11 pm

    Those pictures really aren't that bad! Mine would be so much worse…

  • Susan August 6, 2009, 3:41 pm

    Haha, oohh, I'll have to dig up some of my middle school photos. I was super awkward (with huge eyebrows) then too. I physically hit puberty a little late, which is just as bad!

  • Christina Mindful living August 6, 2009, 4:05 pm

    awww cute cute! i hit puberty early than others too- and boy did i have thick eyebrows, too! (well i still do but they are groomed haha) but my mom always said i was "too young" to get them waxed or plucked so i had to go around with caterpillar eyebrows and a girl who made fun of me for them hahaha now i love my thick brows

  • L. Simone August 6, 2009, 4:09 pm

    omg you were blonde! Do you dye your hair brown now or was that another part of your puberty?…haha

  • Oh She Glows August 6, 2009, 4:10 pm

    hahaha oh my gosh I LOVE the puberty pictures!!!! I will have to get my dad to send me some. He brought them out at the wedding and I was SO embarassed!

  • lookingforserenity August 6, 2009, 4:16 pm

    your pictures aren't that bad! mine were (and sometimes still are) embarrassing! I had the same experience with cross country in middle school! I only lasted ONE practice! hahah

  • allisonisactive August 6, 2009, 4:43 pm

    The middle school pics are hilarious! You are certainly not alone in your pre-teen awkwardness. I think we ALL look back and laugh at our middle school selves!

  • HangryPants August 6, 2009, 4:44 pm

    Hilarious! Really not that bad at all. Super cute actually. Really funny how your hair changed color. Mine has gotten darker over time, but not as much as yours.

  • Jenna August 6, 2009, 5:39 pm

    haha i love looking at old pictures, it always brightens up my day!
    jenna
    http://jennaelise.blogspot.com/

  • luckytastebuds August 6, 2009, 6:16 pm

    omg what an adorable teenage picture!!! 🙂 I would never be able to show mine online, so I give you props for showing that one…especially one that your daddy labeled so…awkwardly. hahah

    I LOVE that you re-made your rice into a new dish. I've done that with white rice too, but never brown rice and panang sauce! I'm SURE that's delicious! Thank you for sharing!!

  • NYgirl@heart August 7, 2009, 6:57 am

    Caitlin!!!! You're so cute!
    Middle school were the worst years of my life. The.Worst.Years.Ever.
    Ugh and the people I hung out with..I went through this grunge stage where I only wore t-shirts, jeans and flannels, and I had to hang out with the rebels that were already drinking and smoking pot (even though I wouldn't do it, I just wanted to be around them) I remember once my mom refused to have me around her in public because my outfit was so horrendous. I didn't match and I just looked so stupid. I was so pissed at her for not "accepting" me. Accepting what? hahaha so glad those years are over.

  • Kath August 9, 2009, 1:41 pm

    LOL!!

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