Healthy Life

Double chocolate chip brownies

2011-10-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Double chocolate chip toasted coconut pecan brownies.

Semi homemade brownies at there finest!

(It's a very grey day here so the lighting is not the best)

I used a box of double chocolate chip brownie mix.

Topped with a delicious frosting! I toasted some un sweetened coconut under the broiler for 2 min., tossed and toasted for another 2 min. Then I toasted some crushed up pecans and mixed both in with some vanilla frosting and spread it on top of the brownies, yum.

The frosting is amazing! Semi homemade is the way to go sometimes. You get all the ease and convenience from the box, but then you can switch up the recipe to make it your own unique creation.

These will be sent off to a friend to enjoy, and boy are they delicious!

Baked nachos

2011-10-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

There's nothing as yummy and comforting as nachos. These nachos are healthy and delicious and super easy to throw together on a Friday night enjoyed with a movie, or served at a party for your friends to enjoy.

Start with a base of refried beans of choice, I used vegetarian refried black beans. Topped with a layer of lime flavored Food should taste good chips, more refried beans, black beans, salsa, grated carrot, Greek yogurt mixed with taco seasoning, more chips, reduced fat cheddar cheese, and diced tomato.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min.

Serve topped with a little more salsa, some more Greek yogurt, and a squeeze of lime.

I promise that these baked nachos will go quickly if served at a party and will be a crowd pleaser for sure!

Devil dog cake

2011-10-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins have always been my favorite. From decorative pumpkins, to actual pumpkins, and pumpkin flavored foods.

This little pumpkin was the inspiration behind the "best ever chocolate cake".

I just learned recently about a snack cake called a devil dog. What is a devil dog you ask? Well it's a chocolate snack cake with a whip cream frosting inside. And of course it's shaped like a hot dog.

When I ran across a recipe for a devil dog cake on the pioneer woman's website I knew it was a sign I must make this. For the man who's favorite #1 treat is a devil dog.

You can find the devil dog recipe here including the frosting.

I decided that a hot dog shaped cake WAS NOT an option. I needed something much cuter then that. So after baking the sheet cake I cut it in half. Frosted one half, topped it with the other half, and then free hand cut out a shape of a pumpkin. Once it was cut out I ditched the scrapes for snacking later and wallah. I had a pumpkin shaped devil dog cake. Please don't judge my pumpkin shape. I swear it's better in person, and I guess it has some character, right?

I got so excited about the end product and getting it ready for shipping that I forgot a final picture. I shipped this cake that I was so proud of across the country to New York city. For it to be enjoyed by someone special! And enjoyed it was!

Fall soup

2011-10-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

I love cool crisp fall days with a hint of drizzly rain, its perfect for soup.

And when it's made in the crockpot it makes everything that much better.

Broccoli potato soup

3 cups organic non fat milk

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 package Applegate farms turkey hot dogs (sliced into pieces)

1 package shredded hash brown potatoes

1 package frozen broccoli

1 small diced baby onion

1 diced red bell pepper

seasonings: 1 tsp. each of basil, oregano, garlic powder, chili flakes, sea salt, and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours. Add one cup of reduced fat cheddar cheese to the crockpot and simmer for one more hour.

This soup get's even better the next day.

Marrionberry cobbler

2011-09-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

When it's the end of summer and you have an abundance of blackberries sitting in your fridge, what else should you make but cobbler.

I haven't had cobbler in such a long time, years. I tend to be more inclined to make a crisp over a cobbler. I mean a crisp has a crunchy oat topping, yum and is so easy to make. And a cobbler is much more complicated.

That was until I made this cobbler. It was so easy and very delicious, as well as not too sweet.

I made this mixed fruit cobbler recipe from cooking light. I used spelt flour for the filling and the topping instead of the whole wheat and white flour. I also cut the sugar in the filling down from 1 and 1/4 cups sugar to just 1/4 cup of sugar. Even with a 1/4 cup of sugar it was slightly too sweet. Thank goodness I didn't use 1 and 1/4 cups sugar, oh my! I also used all marionberries for the fruit filling.

This cobbler was amazing and perfect for summer, and so easy to make. Move over crisp you have some competition from the cobbler.

Shredded chicken

2011-09-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor day weekend

If you are looking for something to make for this Labor day weekend then this is the meal to make. It's quick, easy, and can feed a bunch of people without requiring a lot of time in the kitchen.

Shredded BBQ chicken

2 chicken breasts

1 can tomato paste

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1 sliced onion

spices: 1 tsp. each cumin, smoked paprika, basil, oregano, garlic powder, chili flakes

dash salt and pepper

Combine everything in a crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours.

Once done shred chicken and serve

You can't have BBQ chicken without a nice crunchy slaw. This one is perfect with a seasonal summer twist with the addition of nectarines.

Summer nectarine slaw

1 bag shredded cabbage cole slaw mix

1 sliced red bell pepper

2 diced nectarines

Dressing

1.5 tsp. garlic gold oil

1.5 tsp. sesame oil

1 TB. rice vinegar

1 TB. soy sauce

1 TB. raw honey

juice of 1 lime

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Mix dressing, cabbage, red pepper, and nectarines together. Let marinate for 1 hour or longer. If you would like a crunchy cole slaw I would suggest marinating for an hour. If you would like a soft more traditional cole slaw marinate for 2-3 hours.

Toss and serve.

Served with a side of creamy millet grits. This was an amazing summer dinner. The best part, it was so simple to create and would be perfect for a picnic or BBQ.

So many yummy things you can create with a bowl of shredded BBQ chicken.

Hmm what shall I create.

Life changing thoughts

2011-08-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Journey part 3

Life is a constant journey. Filled with changes, tough times, growth, and learning opportunities. I have definitely had my fair share of them this past year. Lately I have been working more on my inner health as well as my outer health. Focusing on how my thoughts translate into actions in my life, both positive and negative. I've always believed that in order to be truly happy you have to have all parts of yourself focused on improving and developing.

I've always believed that the attitude you have affects those around you as well as your own life. Positive people usually surround themselves with other positive people. People that look at the world and see all the amazing things in it and work to achieve those things. Those with a negative outlook usually are stuck in that outlook and surround themselves with people who feed into that perspective. Often feeling that the world has been unfair to them.

I also believe that the thoughts and actions you project into the world are reflected back into your life. Recently I have begun to learn so much more on how this is so true. It's amazing how every thought you have can determine your day as well as your future. It's incredible what can happen when you create a mind set of looking on the brighter side of things, staying positive, and re enforcing within yourself what you want and deserve in your life.

I've found some good resources that I'm using to dig deeper into this subject and I'm learning a lot of life changing information. I always had a positive half full kind of attitude but this information takes it to a new level. Re affirming what I already believed in as well as developing the theory of "what you think is what is reflected back into your life".

As I learn and develop more on this subject I will share some of my key learning's with you. I have started by creating a list made up of the characteristics of what I would like in life and what I'm looking for in a partner to share in that life. It is a constant involving and changing list, as I grow and develop and fine tune what those things are that I desire in life. As part of directing my inner thoughts I look at the list daily as well as think about those things that I desire and channel those thoughts into the universe. Even in just a few weeks I can see a difference in how I feel inside and my outlook on life, it's been pretty amazing.

Summer berry bars

2011-08-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

I love summer. Everything is so colorful and warm and all my favorite foods are in season, nothing better!

I have a ton of berries and I've been eating them in everything. From my oatmeal, pancakes, salads, and anything else. Today I made some delicious oatmeal bars and gave them a summer twist by adding in some giant blackberries.

Summer blackberry oatmeal bars

(Original recipe found here)

They are so delicious. I wish I would have added a few more blackberries or added some raspberries also. I was afraid the berries would cook down and release there juices making the bars too wet. But actually the berries stayed whole and the bars turned out perfect. I just want the delicious flavor of more berries. So next time I will add a cup of berries instead of half a cup.

Best summer

2011-07-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

This summer has been the best summer of my life, literally! It's amazing how last year at this time I was having the worst time of my life. In one year things have completely changed for the better and in every way.

This summer has included LOTS of running and biking. I just went to Bend this last weekend, where I biked 17 miles the first day and 20 miles the second day, it was AWESOME! I'm becoming quite the cyclist, who knew, but I love it.

It's been a VERY rainy cool summer here. Which has made me loose a lot of my motivation and enjoyment for cooking. With all the fruits and veggies running low and behind in the growing season it has really killed my creativity. It's also been raining so much that I haven't been to the farmers markets nearly as much as I usually do.

But I do have some great recipes on the horizon and I'm ready to get back in the kitchen and put my skills and love for recipe creating back to work. So stay tuned as I present some very delicious recipes.

Festive dessert

2011-07-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I made a trip to the farmers market. I've been hitting the farmers markets twice a week picking up whatever is in season. Today I grabbed some organic cherries and raspberries. The raspberries are a little small since it's the start of the season. But they are still very tasty.

I picked up the berries for one purpose and that was to make a delicious, healthy, and festive summertime dessert to serve at a 4th of July BBQ.

Almond short cakes

Mix together in a bowl the dry ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/4 cup evaporated cane juice

1 TB. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

dash salt and cinnamon

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients:

3/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup almond milk

2 TB. melted Earth balance butter

1 TB. vanilla or even better 1 vanilla bean

Combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. On a non stick coated baking sheet make giant drops of dough. Sprinkle over the top raw sliced almonds and a sprinkle of raw sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 min.

Served with a heaping scoop of berries.

You could make it even better and serve a scoop of vanilla bean frozen yogurt or ice cream on top.

This would be the perfect dessert for a BBQ. It would be easy to make and serve for a small or even a large group.

Start of summer

2011-06-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to enjoy the nice summer day's that we've had here and there. It's been nice to get in some additional running, biking , and gardening.

Today was the first day of the farmers market where it hasn't been pouring down rain. So I biked on over to pickup some strawberries. The market was packed! I guess the whole neighborhood was excited that it was sunny out. I also found some local organic cherries. I can't wait to enjoy all these delicious berries for breakfast tomorrow.

I also picked, by yours truly some raspberries today, also organic and delicious. They really need another week or two to hit there peak but they were still tasty.

Happy father's day

2011-06-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Every dad needs a plate of cookie's for Father's Day. Nothing say's I love you like doing a little baking.

Especially when they are blondies! I did take a little help from a box mix, I'm not gonna lie. So I don't have a recipe to share with everyone. But they were organic and I did add my own special twist using applesauce for some of the butter and also added some giant milk chocolate chips to the mix.

You can't have blondies without some chocolate chips in it. I was shocked that the mix didn't have them included. So I took it upon myself to add some in. And boy was it a good idea, yum.

Thank you to my dad who always fixes my car, house, and life. He's definitely clocked in some time on all three in the last year. Thank you for everything you do and I know you will continue to do. Oh and your current list of home repairs is still waiting for you. :)

Love your daughter.

Summer salad

2011-06-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

If your hosting a summer dinner, attending a BBQ, or heading to a picnic this is a great salad to serve.

I've been growing my own lettuce and boy is it growing fast. I harvested some and chopped it up for the base of this summer salad. The greens were a mix of spinach, romaine, mixed greens, and red leaf lettuce. Topped with sliced strawberries and some lemon thyme. The thyme is from my herb garden and one of my favorite herbs. The hint of lemon is delicious.

Topped with some balsamic vinaigrette, given it a toss, and served up.

There's so many summer variations to this recipe:

* feta

* fresh grated white cheddar

* sliced almonds

* pistachio's (something unexpected)

* raspberries instead of strawberries, or maybe both!!

* sliced peaches or nectarine

* other herbs such as dill or basil

Since it's summertime just make sure it's fresh, local, and in season fruit for that special over the top flavor.

Way to a man's heart

2011-06-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

They say the way to a man's heart is with food. Well I hope so cause I'm taking that one all the way. I made dinner the other night for my date.

For an appetizer I made some fresh homemade guacamole. I've never made guacamole before but I figured it would be simple enough. But out of desperation and since I was already stressing about making the perfect dinner. I decided to take a little help from my favorite friend, Trader Joe's. I picked up a kit that included avocados, lime, tomato, shallot, garlic, and jalapeno.

This was soooo easy to make. You literally dice 2 ripe avocados, 1 tomato, 1 jalapeno, 1 shallot and 1 garlic (it came with 2 shallots and 2 garlic cloves, but I thought that was a little much), with 1 lime and then you add your own salt and pepper.

Once assembled in a bowl you just mash and serve with Trader Joe's organic corn tortilla chips. I would declare these chips the BEST ones.

Well the guacamole was a hit and my date declared it the BEST guacamole he has EVER had. Coming from this foodie guy that was the VERY BEST compliment I could have ever received on my cooking. He does enjoy food which makes me want to keep on cooking.

Like the cookies I have in the works for this weekend. He's fixing my bike so it's the least I can do. Well that and I know he has a major weakness for cookies. So I'm going to use it to score some major points! Foods always the way to a man's heart, remember that!

Full agenda

2011-06-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Dating sure seems to take up a lot of my time. But it's so much fun!!!!

Indoor bouldering was so much fun last weekend. It was also really hard, but I actually did really well. I was just sore for a few days after. This weekend's plan's include some biking, hiking, and a trip to the zoo.

My meals have been kinda thrown together lately. Although random and not so pretty they have met all my nutritional needs.

But I did make a quick and easy Mexican casserole with cornbread on top the other night.

The base is vegetarian refried beans, salsa, and black beans. Topped with Bob's red mill cornbread mix and some reduced fat cheddar cheese. Served up with some lettuce for a veggie and some Greek yogurt for a good source of added protein.

I also made some granola bars for a good go to snack or easy breakfast.

Mix together:

1 cup spelt flour (my new favorite flour for baking)

1.5 cups oats

3 TB. sliced almonds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

dash salt and cinnamon

In a separate bowl mix together:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup almond milk (our milk of choice)

1/4 cup applesauce

2 TB. coconut oil

Mix together dry and wet ingredients. Bake in a non stick pan at 350 degrees for 15 min.

Fitness dates

2011-05-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

I know I've been gone for the last few weeks. So I'm offering up a plate of homemade cookies to say I'm sorry. I haven't been sharing all the fun and exciting things I've been doing in my time away. But first up let's talk about these cookies. These are the kind of cookies you don't have to feel guilty about eating.

Healthy sour cherry dark chocolate chip cookies

Mix together dry ingredients

2 cups spelt flour

1 cup oats

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried sour cherries

1/4 cup sweetened coconut

dash salt and cinnamon

1/2 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder

1 TB. evaporated cane juice

Mix together wet ingredients

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup raw honey

1 TB. coconut oil

Mix together wet and dry ingredients. Form into small balls and bake on a non stick baking sheet for 7 min. at 350 degrees.

I've never made cookies with spelt flour before. But they were light, soft, and had a much milder flavor then whole wheat flour. These cookies are soooo good.

Okay back to what I've been up to lately. I've been doing a lot of biking around town and even in the downtown Portland area. I've become a regular biker and I'm getting pretty good at it. I'm definitely not as scared of the traffic as I was a few weeks ago.

The reason I've been biking so much lately is because I've been going on these "fitness" dates. Which is my kinda dating. It involves a really attractive fitness minded guy and a lot of biking, talking, and lunching. I love these "fitness" dates. It's much easier to have a good time, get to know each other, do things that both people are interested in, and the bonus is you get a workout in. But not too much of a workout, we don't want to get gross and sweaty on these dates.

This weekend I'm doing indoor bouldering. It's basically indoor rock climbing but without all the ropes and gear. You use your own muscles to pull your self around on fake rock boulders. And the bonus is my dates done this before so he's going to help "instruct" me, if you know what I mean.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and give a recap. I'm really excited, this is on my list of things that I've really wanted to do.

Biking around town

2011-05-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

This morning I biked to the gym!!!!! This was the first time I have ever done this before. I've never lived close enough to my gym to bike there, but I do now. Due to all the rain I hadn't tested out the gym route yet. But today it was dry and I felt like it was the perfect day to give it a go.

I biked the two miles there, did a full body workout, and then biked towards home.

But not before biking a few extra miles to the local coffee shop Ugly mug for a very small soy latte. I hung out reading two of the local newspapers and checking up on all the local entertainment happenings. I then biked home pretty quickly because it looked like it was going to start raining .

It's opening day of the neighborhood farmers market today. I had planned on walking there with my mom and then having dinner afterwards together. But it's raining really hard, so we will probably skip this weeks market and I'll catch it next week.

A new fitness adventure

2011-05-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

The other day I laced up my shoes and tried out a new fitness activity.

I tried out barre 3 which is a combo of ballet, yoga, and pilates, with a LOT of stretching thrown in. I wanted to try it because I have been really missing my Wednesday dancers workout class. The instructor has been on maternity leave and there is no other class at my gym similar to that class. Basically Danielle was the only one who taught it. My legs and abs have REALLY been missing the intense deep muscle conditioning. I thought barre 3 would be along the same lines as dancers workout and worth trying.

It was way too slow paced for me with too much stretching throughout the class and not enough time working the muscles. I have a new member 3 time trial membership. So I have two more times to try it out. But I did enjoy trying something new.

Mom's day

2011-05-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's day to my mom. Thank you for always being there for me when life is challenging. Thank you for giving constant support and encouragement and always being unconditionally understanding.

For long time readers you know that I have had a VERY challenging year, even more then you know. But all you need in life to get through it is a good mom and best friend.

So happy mother's day to both of my favorite mom's. Happy mother's day to my mom and to my best friend Michelle (it's her first year officially as a mom).

Thank you for everything, I love you.

Spring showers bring May flowers

2011-05-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

The flowers are in full bloom around here and the sun was shining bright this morning.

I went on a great long run this morning. I passed lots of other runners, walkers, and bicyclers. Lot's of people were out walking to all the local coffee shops. But I was on a different mission. Today is the only sunny and dry day this week. So I wanted to get in a good long hard run, and boy was it. It was so hard but I was so glad I did it. The rest of the week will be indoor gym workouts, so it was nice to get outside.

Dinner tonight was my first meal AL fresco meal since moving to this house. I've been here for about 5 months now, but it's been raining non stop. I picked up this cute set of patio furniture at the local hardware store last weekend. I was walking by on my way to the grocery store when I spotted these chairs. They had all kinds of colors. I was torn between a bright green and this pale yellow. I settled on the yellow because I thought I might hate the green down the road. The whole set is made out of recycled material and it's very durable and comfy.

While relaxing I enjoyed an ice cold glass of lime sparkling water with an extra squeeze of lime.

Dinner was as bright and cheery as the furniture.

I stopped at Trader Joe's and the produce stand today. While shopping I had the idea for dinner to be something bright and summer inspired, with lots of fruits and veggies.

The base is brown rice topped with black beans, roasted sweet potato (seasoned with sea salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, and garlic), shredded carrot, red bell pepper, mango chunks, avocado, Greek yogurt, Tj's chipotle lime salsa, Tj's spicy black bean dip, and a squeeze of lime.

This dish just kept growing as I added each ingredient. It was a massive pile of veggies, but it was one of the BEST dinner's that I have had in a long time. You just can't go wrong with lots of fresh produce. I love summer, I can't wait for even more fabulous fresh meals like this.

Spring is in the air

2011-05-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

What I love about spring are morning runs in the bright warm sun. Biking and walking around town to run errands. And wearing a lot less layers of clothes.

But what I really love are all the fresh fruits and veggies coming into the markets.

Asparagus is in season and a veggie that I love when it's fresh and at the peak of it's season.

I also love getting out and gardening once again. This year I planted some pots of spinach, several varieties of mixed greens, romaine, lemon cucumber, regular cucumber, basil, lemon thyme, cilantro,and dill.

I saw Kath's asparagus frittata last night and knew I had to make it really soon. So after I got home from the gym and showered I walked up to the store to get the freshest asparagus.

Asparagus frittata for one:

1 egg

3 egg whites

1 tsp. nutritional yeast

dash garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

Topped off with some cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Served with two little slices of Great Harvest nine grain bread topped with a very small smidge of Earth balance butter and some Crofter's raspberry all fruit spread.

My frittata was good, but not great. For whatever reason this season I just haven't found my niche with the asparagus. Last year I loved it and couldn't get enough of it. Oh well there's plenty of other produce coming into season.

Earthy roots

2011-04-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

I've officially embraced my hippy side today. I went to a local co op called People's for the first time today. It's interesting how a co op works. It's owned by the customers, everything is super earthy, and you can even work there (not for pay, just for a discount).

They had a lot of bulk stuff. Anything from herbs, grains, soap, laundry detergent, herbal remedies, and lots of raw products.

I also got some dark chocolate chips, only because I needed to restock my supply and they carried the kind from Italy that I get. I was also a sucker for these raw dark chocolate coconut haystacks. It's just unsweetened coconut, maple syrup, and dark chocolate, OH MY!!!

I also found a great deal on coconut oil, crofter's all fruit spread in raspberry and apricot, and garlic gold. I was so excited to see garlic gold products. It's all the rage on all the blogs and I've been wanting to try it. It's olive oil and roasted garlic pieces. I hear it makes a great homemade salad dressing.

And to top off my hippy times I stopped at Laughing plant cafe for lunch. It's got a hippy vibe and everything is vegetarian and then you can add free range chicken, tofu, or tempeh to any dish.

I got the Cuban bowl: brown rice, black beans, sweet potatoes, plantains, and salsa. I added some free range chicken and a whole wheat tortilla on the side for making my own little burrito pieces. I got it to go so when I got home I added some lettuce on top for a dose of healthy leafy greens. I ate half of the bowl and half of the tortilla. I'm saving the other half for dinner.

Ready to go snacks

2011-04-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

Snacky balls!!!! I know, not the best description. But they are tasty and perfect to have around for a quick pick me up.

Oats and any and everything else balls:

Base:

1.5 cups oats

1/4 cup raw honey warmed up for a few seconds

1 cup natural nut butter of choice ( I used a mix of pb and almond butter)

1/4 cup non fat powdered milk

dash salt and cinnamon

Then after that you can add anything you'd like.

I added:

1/4 cup raisins

2 TB. ground flax meal

2 TB. ground almond meal

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips The best part!!!!

Mix together and roll into balls. For best results resist temptation and let them sit in the fridge overnight before enjoying.

I like enjoying mine straight from the fridge so that they are nice and firm.

Welcome to spring

2011-04-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

We've finally had two day's in a row of nice sunny weather. Perfect for getting outside and reuniting with nature.

I picked up some herbs to be planted in a patio pot today. Some basil, cilantro, lemon thyme (one of my favorites), and dill. I'm also planning on planting some veggies too. But I'm waiting until it warms up just slightly. We've had a couple really cold nights lately.

This evening I went on a bike ride and then came home to enjoy a bowl of Julie's organic chocolate frozen yogurt. Topped with fresh organic strawberries, it was perfect.

Tonight's bike ride was my first since moving to my new neighborhood and my first ride in about 3 months. Man my legs were feeling it, but it was so fun. I forgot how much I liked my bike. I'm definitely going to be doing more biking in the upcoming months.

Giving back to Mother earth

2011-04-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth day!!!

Some way's that I help the environment and reduce my foot print on the world are:

Using re usable bags for everyday shopping as well as groceries.

Biking, walking, and running!!!! It's one of the reason's I picked the neighborhood I live in.

Buying local

Planting flowers and tree's.

Recycling.

Using reusable travel cups and dishes.

Using Pyrex storage container's for leftover's or for transporting my lunch to work. Instead of little baggies or foil.

As well as so many other things.

Bob's refill

2011-04-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today I made a trip to the Bob's red mill flagship store. I feel so lucky to have Bob's only a few minutes from my house. They have a HUGE bulk area that I love. As you can see I have a lot of grains, and this is only one of two cabinets.

I stocked up on:

raisins

dried cherries and dried cranberries

pastry whole wheat flour

apple cinnamon hot cereal and spice n nice hot cereal

organic dark chocolate chips

shredded coconut

muesli

buckwheat groats

millet

Along with some millet grits. I've never cooked millet before and I thought grits sounded delicious.

I made it per Bob's instructions, as seen here. Plus a tsp. of Earth balance butter stirred in at the end. Topped with some Tj's brushetta mix.

And paired with a few leftover sweet potato crisps and some BBQ turkey meat loaf.

I made some extra millet grits for another recipe that I'm thinking about.

BBQ turkey meatloaf: (serving for two)

1/4 pound dark meat ground turkey

1/4 pound white meat ground turkey

2 TB. oats

2 TB. BBQ sauce

half of a grated zucchini (squeeze any excess liquid out)

spices: salt, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic, and smoked paprika

few dashes Parmesan cheese

Mix together and top with ketchup. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Remove and bake uncovered for the last 5 min.

From Earth to table

2011-04-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

I spent my Saturday morning helping out at a local nature area. It's Earth Month and Earth day this coming week. So I joined a group of co workers and we helped out SOLV with some trash removal.

The rest of the day was spent working on the home remodeling along with getting groceries and running errands, you know all the fun stuff!

I made a stop at the produce stand and stocked up. For dinner I created one of my favorite and most simple meals. I VERY thinly sliced up an organic sweet potato and roasted it at 400 degrees for 30 min.

It makes the most crispy and crunchy sweet potato chips, watch out they are VERY addicting. Seasoned simply with pink sea salt, pepper, garlic, and basil.

On a separate pan I also roasted some red pepper, shallot, little baby crimini mushrooms, asparagus, and Tj's turkey polish sausage.

I know it looks like a feast, but it's actually a salad plate and it's just a sampling of each veggie and some of the turkey sausage.

Served with a dollop of Tj's jalapeno and cilantro hummus, my favorite. The best part of the meal was the crispy chips. Unfortunately the worst part was the asparagus, blah. It was over cooked and wasn't the freshest in the beginning either.

Mini pizza

2011-04-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

There's a thousand ways to make pizza. You can use your traditional handmade or store bought pizza dough. As well as french bread, naan bread, or English muffins.

English muffins make for cute little mini pizza's and are so easy to make.

I always tend to go too heavy with the pizza toppings. I just can't help myself. This mini pizza included a base of tomato sauce, topped with hot chicken sausage, zucchini, mushrooms, and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Muffin breakfast bake

2011-04-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to making these breakfast bakes lately, like Ashley and Kath. Especially the buckwheat variety.

I knew this was something that I wanted to try and the ingredient list looked very simple to make. When I pulled out my little ramekin from the oven it smelled just like banana bread, yum.

I'm not a big fan of buckwheat flour, I find it too dense. So I tried mine with some spelt flour and a little bit of muesli added for some texture.

Unfortunately mine came out a little too dense in texture. It needs a little tweaking before coming up with the winning recipe. I would like to try using oat flour or maybe even adding some almond flour next time.

My little bake had half of a banana mixed into the dough and surprise in the middle of blueberries. Topped off with almond flax nut butter, coconut, and a few dark chocolate chips for a Sunday treat.

In the moment

2011-04-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

Yes I still eat oatmeal almost everyday.

Yes I still workout about 5 days a week.

Yes I'm still on my Journey figuring out life and everything as I go.

Just checking in with everyone.

Right now I'm in the beginning stages of starting some home remodeling. I'm looking forward to everything being pretty and just my style.

I'm also taking up some new fitness challenges in the next month or so. I will be sure to report back to you. There may be some indoor rock climbing in my future, scary.

Sunday

2011-04-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

My Sunday morning started with a nice sunny morning run in the neighborhood. It was such a peaceful morning and a great way to start the day.

I then met up with my mom to have lunch and do some antiquing. My new neighborhood is famous for it's antique stores, there's lots of them. I picked up these old fashioned blocks that spell my name, how cute.

With all my running around today I took a little help with dinner from this box of rice. I love Seeds of Change products. Their grains are amazing, but also pricey unless on sale.

I added a can of black beans for more flavor and protein to the rice. Along with some sliced organic chicken breast.

I then created a little fiesta tasting plate of regular tortilla chips, baked blue corn chips, salsa, cheese, and lettuce.

Tea of choice

2011-03-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have an obsession with tea. I prefer tea over coffee anytime. It's refreshing, full of antioxidants, and always how I start my day. Usually my day includes 2 or 3 cups of green or white tea and ends with a cup or two of herbal tea.

My current obsession is The Republic of Tea. Its a little expensive but you get 50 tea bags. So in the end it's actually very reasonable.

Some of my favorite herbal tea's include Celestial seasonings. I love the variety pack because you can sample several different ones.

I've also been enjoying Tazo's Organic apple red, it tastes like caramel apple!!!!!

On Sunday morning's I love getting fancy and using my tea pot for some loose leaf tea's. Teavana is definitely my favorite.

The world's best hot cereal

2011-03-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to share the most delicious hot cereal combination that I stumbled upon.

In the mix:

1/4 cup Bob's spice n nice hot cereal

2 TB. Bob's muesli

water and splash almond milk

2 TB. unsweetened applesauce

dash cinnamon and sea salt

mix together and cook on low stirring often.

It creates the most creamy texture combination. And the stirred in unsweetened applesauce brings a nice natural sweetness to the whole thing.

Topped simply with Tj's almond flax nut butter and Bob's super finely shredded unsweetened coconut.

I may have eaten this combo for breakfast everyday for the last week. It is so addicting between the texture and the natural sweetness. I just can't get enough.

Diner dinner

2011-03-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a throw together meal can turn out to be a fabulous one.

I hadn't made turkey meatloaf in a very long time. I took a cue from an old recipe in Cooking light and kinda made up this recipe as I went.

I mixed together 1/2 pound ground dark turkey and a 1/2 pound white ground turkey. Along with 1/4 cup oats, 1/2 of a grated zucchini (ring out any moisture from the grated zucchini), 3 TB. BBQ sauce, 3 TB. Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Mixed together and baked in a non stick loaf pan. Make sure you top the meatloaf with ketchup, a classic meatloaf topping. Covered with foil and baked at 350 degree's for about 45 min.

Served with sweet potatoes, my favorite. You could also serve it with some classic mashed potatoes or even roasted potatoes.

A little ball of heaven

2011-03-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Healthy no bake dough balls, and oh so yummy.

Crunchy peanut butter dough balls to be exact.

In a bowl mix:

1 cup nut butter of choice (I used Tj's all natural crunchy salted peanut butter)

1/2 cup non fat powdered milk

1/4 cup raw local honey

3 TB. raisins

3 TB. dark chocolate chips

Mix together, roll into balls and let sit on some parchment paper for 1 hour to let the balls firm up. I like my dough balls straight from the fridge, the texture is just like a peanut butter cup.

You can also take these to the next level and finish them by rolling am in coconut, drizzling with melted chocolate, or going all out and dipping the whole thing in melted chocolate, my personal favorite.

Big bowl of veggies

2011-03-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

My idea of a perfect meal always includes a big salad.

What I love about salads is that they are super filling and nutritious. My salads are always packed with delicious flavors, like this one.

My favorite lettuce choice is mixed greens or romaine lettuce. And choked full of veggies like carrots, mushrooms, thinly sliced red onion, asparagus, celery, bell peppers, and broccoli.

Finished with the perfect cheese such as Parmesan, grated Swiss, cheddar, or feta. And topped off with some seasonings and the perfect dressing.

It's a scramble

2011-03-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love eggs. They are packed with protein and are a quick and easy meal anytime.

This scramble had a Mediterranean twist to it. In the scramble is some egg whites along with half a yoke for some flavor. Combined with turkey breakfast sausage. Once the eggs and sausage were cooked I added some sun dried tomato, chopped spinach, and feta. I saved the spinach for the end so that it wouldn't get soggy.

Enjoyed with a seasonal treat, a blood orange. If you've never had one before you should definitely try one.

A delicious meal for breakfast or a quick and easy dinner.

A classic

2011-03-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love cheesy and crispy chicken parmesan, it's a classic. But it's not the healthiest. I believe that almost everything can be made into a healthier version of it's original self. I've created a baked version that is equally delicious.

Let's begin!!!

Start with two chicken breasts sliced horizontally through the middle, making 4 thin slices of chicken breast. In a bowl combine Parmesan, Italian seasoning, basil, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Coat each chicken breast on both sides with the cheese mix and lay in a baking dish coated with non stick spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min.

Topped with marinara sauce and served with a side of whole wheat elbow pasta. A delicious and healthy classic Italian dinner.

Creamy soup

2011-03-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

I have a serious love for soup. It's comforting, filling, and my soup is always packing a big nutritional bang. What I love about this soup is how quick it is to throw together. And also how warm and comforting this bowl of soup is.

In a big pot combine:

1 TB. olive oil

1 diced onion and shallot

1 package frozen broccoli

1 package frozen hash browns

1 quart organic non fat milk

spices: Italian seasoning, garlic, red chili flakes, sea salt, pepper, and basil

2 diced Tj's sun dried tomato chicken sausage

1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

*Bring to a slow boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer on low-medium for 30 min.

This is a great soup to freeze and save for a mid week last minute dinner. I would also suggest serving this with a nice crusty soup type bread. A perfect soup for dipping.

Date night

2011-03-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

What's the best thing about weekends, it's date nights. And what's the best thing to do on a date night, when you want to just stay home and relax. Cook together and make pizza makes for a nice evening if I do say so myself . So that's what my Saturday night plans were.

Me and my date made homemade pizza. It was delicious and easy to make.

I was in charge of making the dough while my date was chopping away on the veggies. I used a recipe from Jenna. The dough was simple to make and came out soft and delicious, you can find the recipe HERE. Topped off with homemade pizza sauce (a can of tomato sauce, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic). The veggies included red bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, and red onion, along with some local mozzarella cheese.

This was the best pizza ever and a great meal for two on a rainy night. Great when you just want to stay in and watch a movie.

Apple cinnamon mini stack

2011-03-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

An apple a day keeps the doctor way, and makes for a tasty breakfast.

For me apples are sometimes that forgotten fruit that can be enjoyed many ways for breakfast. Such as mixed in creamy oatmeal, on top of waffles, mixed with yogurt, or made into a topping for pancakes.

This little mini stack includes layers of mini Kodiak pancakes with sauteed apples. The apples were peeled, diced, and mixed with cinnamon, pure maple syrup, and a dash of water for some moisture.

Layered and stacked up with a drizzle of almond butter and a sprinkle of Yogi walnut spice granola.

This will help change up my usual morning banana slump and help me make it to the summer growing season.

New direction

2011-03-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

I feel like a computer nerd lately. Spending hours trying to figure out what is the issue with my computer. Why are things so challenging sometimes. But some good things have come out of this down time. I have spent some time thinking about some things and making a few decisions.

I have decided that as my life goes in a new direction I'm also ready for my blog to go in a new direction. I have decided to focus more on testing and creating healthy recipes and sharing those recipes with everyone. So what this new direction means is that I will not be posting twice a day or even everyday. And I will not be focusing on a day in the life of me.

Instead I will be posting about every other day. And when I do I will be sharing a delicious and healthy recipe. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, or dessert inspired. And don't you worry, I will still be whipping up a lot of recipes using oats.

Test test, hello

2011-03-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

Well it sounds like I don't need a new computer. Just some up grades, more memory for my computer, and a different way of organizing my pictures and publishing my posts. Please hang with me. I'm getting things worked out and you know I will be back better then ever very soon.

A start to a great meal

2011-02-28T17:56:00.000-08:00

I think it's time for a new computer, my sanity is worth the price. It just seems like endless problems with this laptop. I think the problem is it's not made for full time blogging and part time recipe searching. So I guess this weekend I will look and maybe purchase a new computer, it must be done. I'm NOT looking forward to shelling out the money. But I'm done going crazy and there's far better things I could be doing with my time. Liking making more things with oats and chocolate chips.

Dinner

All good meals start with a nice salad in my opinion. I love filling up on a good salad filled with lots of different flavors. It's a good nutritional bang for your buck and is also very satisfying. You can never eat too much leafy greens.

Tonight's included mixed greens, dried cherries, crumbled Parmesan, sliced almonds, hummus, and Annie's red pepper vinaigrette. Along with a few flax seed tortilla chips.

And when you combine it with a nice warm bowl of leftover hummus soup topped with feta, you just can't go wrong in my opinion. I added a little extra fresh squezed lemon juice, pepper, and some sun dried tomatoes which really helped bump the flavor up.

This was a perfect meal on the windiest and rainiest day I have seen in a while. It was cold and nasty today. That's why my evening's going to be spent curled up with Thomas (the cat), a blanket, and hot cup of herbal tea.

Have a great evening.

Comfort food

2011-02-27T17:20:00.000-08:00

I didn't accomplish much today. But I did make a trip to the store for some groceries and to pickup the makings for a delicious and comforting meal.

Tonight's dinner was inspired by a recipe I once had that was amazing. I had it at my friend Michelle's and I want to re create it for another friend soon. So I wanted to give it a test run beforehand. I also knew it would be fairly easy to make once I chopped everything up. Then all I would have to do is throw it in a pot and let it simmer for an hour.

The original recipe is by Lidia Italy: Traditional chicken and rice.
My take on it was slightly different.

Creamy chicken and brown rice risotto:

* In a pot I sauteed 1 diced onion, 1 shallot, and 2 cloves in 1 TB. olive oil
* I then added 1 diced carrot
* 2 diced chicken breasts
*Seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, and chicken seasoning
* Simmer until chicken is browned
* Add 2 cups short grain brown rice
* Add 5 cups chicken stock
* Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 50 min.
* Remove from burner and let rest 10 min.

Add about 1/4 cup grated Parmesano reggiano cheese. Make sure you use a high quality freshly grated strong hard cheese. Along with 1 TB. butter, yes butter!


I would make a few small changes to this recipe next time. Since I've been sick so I omitted the 1 cup white wine. I would add that in. I think it adds a lot of flavor. I would also add some diced celery and mushrooms to the recipe. Along with a tad bit more cheese and some fresh parsley and chive at the end. But overall it was really good.

Back to life

2011-02-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was so not feeling good. I had a serious case of the flu. But today I'm feeling much better. After not eating much yesterday I was finally feeling ready to eat this morning.

Breakfast always makes me feel better. Most people eat soup when there sick, not me. I want waffles, toast, and pancakes. This morning I made up a batch of Kodiak pancakes mixed with some chia seeds and frozen blueberries.

Topped with simple Justin's honey peanut butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and pure maple syrup.

With a side of a mini egg white omelet with a tiny bit of reduced fat cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of dill for seasoning.

I'm planning on taking it easy today, drinking lots of tea, and maybe going for a short walk or a little yoga. Just something to get a little movement. I'm feeling kinda stiff this morning, my muscles are in need of some stretching. But will see how the day goes.

*** I have a new email address if you would like to get in contact with me. It's basically the same email but through hotmail instead of gmail.

staceyhealthylife@hotmail.com

The last piece

2011-02-26T04:18:00.000-08:00

This morning was the last of the delicious banana chocolate chip oatmeal bake. I topped it off with a little raspberry all fruit spread and a drizzle of almond butter.

Side note: Red bowls make everything dark and yucky when it's super early in the morning.

This recipe was soooo good. I think you could experiment using the same base ingredients, but different flavors. Like apples, pears, dried cranberries, raisins, cocoa, berries, so many possibilities.

Enjoy your Saturday!!!

Hummus soup

2011-02-25T17:25:00.000-08:00

My computer problems came back last night and after hours of trying to work it out I was so frustrated I gave up. And this morning I couldn't even bear the thought of giving it a try. But I found my problem so now that I know the problem I can prevent the problem. On to greatness.

Soup and salad.

I saw this original recipe on Angela's website and then again on Kath's as seen here. When they referred to this soup as hummus in a soup version I was sold.

Unfortunately it just didn't live up to my expectations, sorry ladies. I loved the texture but the flavor needs a little tweaking.

I paired it with a nice salad of mixed greens, dried cranberries, and Annie's red pepper vinaigrette. With some whole wheat naan bread wedges for soup dipping.

Breakfast creation

2011-02-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

Woot woot. Not sure what I did but all the computer issues are once again worked out. So lets move on to this spectacular creation.

Banana chocolate chip oatmeal bake.

I was craving something baked and with lots of oats for breakfast this morning. So with a little recipe searching I came across the perfect one. I adapted this recipe from one of Angela's creations. This is a cross between banana bread and oatmeal, need I say more.

Adapted from Oh She Glow's rustic banana chocolate chip oat cake

Banana chocolate chip oatmeal bake:

2 cups regular oats
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium peeled and mashed banana's
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup organic non fat milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl.
In another bowl mix together wet ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients and add chocolate chips.
Bake in a non stick baking dish at 350 degrees for 36 min.
Let rest for 10 min. before serving.

Serve and enjoy!!!!!

Breakfast bake

2011-02-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

I seem to be having some technical problems with downloading pictures today. I shall have it figured out soon. But I had to give you a sneak peak into what I made for breakfast this morning. Banana chocolate chip oatmeal bake, AMAZING is all I can say. This one's going in the recipe archive.

Gourmet all the way

2011-02-23T17:55:00.000-08:00

Workout
I went to the gym yet again today. The cold rainy weather has kinda made my workouts this week a little boring. Today I focused on my abs and legs and finished with 30 min. of cardio on the stairs.
Dinner

Nothing like a toasty gourmet open faced sandwich. This sandwich started with a base of whole wheat naan bread. Topped with some basil and white bean hummus, roasted red pepper and artichoke tapanade, and smoked turkey.

Toasted under the broiler for just a few minutes.

Finished with a bed of mixed greens, fresh shaved Parmesano reggiano, sea salt, and pepper.

Along with a little bowl of red pepper chickpea minestrone soup.

Kid toppings

2011-02-23T03:51:00.000-08:00

Peanut butter and jelly pancake.

I made another batch of my famous whole grain protein pancakes.

In the batter: Oat bran, oats, Bob's spice n nice hot cereal, egg whites, organic non fat milk, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.

On one side of the pancake I added unsweetened coconut. I thought it would get all toasty but it kinda just disappeared.

Topped with: all natural pb, raspberry all fruit spread, warmed up applesauce, cinnamon, and raisins.

This topping combo would be perfect for kids. It has all there favorite flavors. It's like a pbj pancake.

Baked toppings

2011-02-22T18:39:00.001-08:00

Workout
I hit up the gym today for an upper body workout and 30 min. on the stairs. It was a quick and sweaty workout.
Dinner

Nothing like a nice salad with roasted sweet potatoes for dinner.

The main ingredients for this salad were mixed greens topped with roasted and seasoned sweet potatoes. Along with wedges of a Tj's chili lime chicken burger. Also in the mix a little reduced fat cheddar cheese, basil white bean dip, and lots of salsa.

Paired with some crispy and crunchy baked blue corn chips.

Perfect oats

2011-02-22T03:52:00.000-08:00

World class oats!!!!

How do you make the perfect bowl of oatmeal? It takes just a couple important steps.
1: Use a pot and cook them on the stove.
2: Use really good oatmeal. I use Bob's red mill.
3: Have a ratio of milk (any type) and hot water.
4: Stir and stir some more.

And that's how you get fluffy perfect oatmeal every time.

Today's mix: 1/4 cup oats, 2 TB. Bob's apple cinnamon hot cereal, organic non fat milk, hot water, 2 TB. pumpkin puree, cinnamon, sea salt, and 1/4 tsp. chia seeds.

Topped with: pure maple syrup, almond butter, and unsweetened coconut.

Lots of veggies

2011-02-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

Workout
After work today I came home for one of my bootcamp workouts. I did it in three rounds starting with 15 min. on the spinning bike. Followed by chest, back, abs, and legs. Another 10 min. back on the bike and then more abs, legs, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. I finished up with 15 min. back on the bike.

It's a good workout to keep your body guessing and a great way to keep some variety in your workouts.
Dinner

For dinner I was craving a BIG AMAZING salad, and that's what I got. This salad was better then any restaurant salad that I've had lately. It included romaine lettuce, mixed greens, mushrooms, carrots, cucumber, dried cranberries, feta, and two different types of hummus.

Delicious!!!!

I baked in the oven a lasagna from Trader Joe's. This one was their multi grain veggie lasagna.

Put together to make a yummy and easy dinner chocked full of veggies.

And then there's this guy, he's such a bum. He is not allowed on the furniture and for whatever reason I found him in this chair tonight getting cozy with a blanket and pillow. And he looks so comfortable.

Sunday morning

2011-02-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite pancakes. It's SUPER SOFT and so delicious. But it's a little hard to make. There's two varieties, one with an egg white and one without. The one with egg is easier to flip and holds together better. But the one without is so soft and delicious.

You have to either have a really big pancake flipper or you have to use the, slide to a plate and flip into the pan method to cook both sides.

Today's was made without an egg and I had to have a plate for assistance with the flipping. But it was well worth it.

In the batter: 1/4 cup oats, 1TB. oat bran, 1TB. Bob's apple cinnamon hot cereal, dash salt/cinnamon/ and baking soda, along with 3 TB. pumpkin puree, and a few raisins.

Topped with: all natural pb, unsweetened coconut, pure maple syrup, and a few dark chocolate chips.

It was soft and a delightful Sunday breakfast.

It's so nice here today with a clear blue sky and the sun shining bright. I think I'm going to walk and get some coffee this morning, spend the day working in the yard, and then bike across town later to the store for a few things. I have yet to bike in my very bike friendly neighborhood. For whatever reason I seem to have a fear of venturing out for the first time on bike.

So sunny I had to wear shades

2011-02-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

It was so sunny here today. Such a nice unexpected change in the weather from the usual rain. So I definitely had to get outside. I went for a run cruising through all the neighborhoods and taking in all the views of the beautiful older homes.

It was so sunny I had to break out the shades. Now I just can't wait until it's a little warmer also.

Saturday

2011-02-19T04:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday morning.
I hope everyone got to sleep in today. Unfortunately I'm up and heading to work. But not before enjoying a hot bowl of oats.

In the mix: Oat bran , Bob's spice n nice hot cereal, water, and almond milk.

Topped with: Strawberries, coconut, and a smidge of almond butter.

I will see you later today. Please do something fun for me. I'm heading to the gym after work and then I have a get together with a friend later tonight.

Breakfast or dinner???

2011-02-18T17:04:00.000-08:00

No it's not breakfast time, it's dinner time. Breakfast is my #1 favorite meal, so sometimes it's the perfect thing for dinner also.

I made a trip to Trader Joe's and Limbo's (a produce store) to pick up some supplies.

For dinner I whipped up an egg white omelet stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, and laughing cow herb cheese (adds a nice creaminess) and topped with a sprinkle of cheddar.

On the side a few strawberries and a little itty bitty bowl of cereal with a smidge of organic non fat milk. I don't like my cereal swimming in milk, yuck.

Whole grain pancake

2011-02-18T03:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have had one of my high protein whole grain pancakes. They are so simple to whip up and so good for you.

In the batter: 1/4 cup Bob's apple cinnamon hot cereal, 1/4 cup oat bran, 1/4 of a mashed banana, 3 egg whites, dash organic non fat milk, dash cinnamon and baking soda, and a few dark chocolate chips.

Topped with: drippy almond butter, raspberry all fruit spread, and unsweetened coconut crumbles.

Oat cookies

2011-02-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

Workout
I was planning on taking a rest day today. But when life becomes stressful the best thing to do is work it out. So after work I did a bootcamp workout targeting every muscle. Once I was done I felt so much better.

Healthy cookies

Sometimes I just start making something and make it up as I go. That's what I did with these cookies. I had originally planned on making some no bake dough ball cookies.

I started mixing the ingredients including finely chopped dates and coconut. I added some regular oats, quick cook oats, evaporated cane juice, salt, cinnamon, applesauce, dark chocolate chips, and olive oil.

Once it started coming together I realized that based on the consistency they would be better baked.

They need a little tweaking, but overall they were pretty tasty. Once I get them just right I will share the recipe. But I'm on the right track.

Baked donuts

2011-02-17T05:03:00.000-08:00

One of the other kitchen purchases I made the other day was a pan to make baked donuts. I had seen these on other blogs before and really wanted to try them.

Besides donuts not being healthy at all, I feel like all you taste is that gross oil.

I followed the recipe on the back of the pan substituting half of the
flour for whole wheat pastry flour and adding 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree.

For my first try they weren't too bad. I think I need to try out a few other recipes.

These would be really good for a brunch or maybe a party. I wonder if they make minis?

Kitchen projects

2011-02-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

I picked up a "mini" Cuisinart chopper the other day. I put it to use today making some projects I have been thinking about.

First I made some crumble toppings for oatmeal, pancakes, and waffles. I had originally been attempting to make peanut butter and coconut butter. But I think that I need a bigger chopper with a different blade. I pulsed it for a long time and even added some liquid but it still wouldn't come together into a paste.

Oh well the crumbles look delicious also.

I finally made it to the local library today . I picked up a library card and checked out a few books. The library was kinda a let down. Not a lot of books and they were all very out dated. I picked up a book on eating "real food", a farm to table cookbook, and another cookbook about eating what's in season.

Thomas was also very interested in checking these books out.

UPDATE: After reviewing some other blogs on making your own nut butter, it sounds like I didn't let it blend long enough. They say it takes about 7-10min. I know I didn't do it more than 5 min. Round two coming up soon with some almonds.

Minis

2011-02-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Who loves mini pancakes, I DO!!!!!

Especially when made into mini pancake sandwich's, with all different fillings and toppings.

All of the minis were made from my favorite pancake mix, Kodiak cakes.

*One was filled with fig all fruit spread and topped with almond butter.
*Another was filled with pear sauce and also topped with almond butter.
*The third mini was filled with fig all fruit spread and topped with more fig jam and a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut.

All three got a little bitty drizzle of pure maple syrup. Enjoyed with a side of fruit including some blueberries and kiwi slices.

Workout
This morning I'm planning on jumping on the spinning bike for 45 min. followed by some pilates/yoga. You might remember that I used to take dancers workout and kickboxing on Wednesday's. It was by far my favorite workout. Unfortunately for me the instructor is on maternity leave right now until May. They replaced one of the classes with Bodypump and the other is still kickboxing. I would have gone to the bodypump but I did a really intense resistance workout yesterday. But with kickboxing and other instructors I always feel disappointed with the workout because it's just not as intense as it is with my regular instructor. So to keep myself from feeling frustrated I just haven't been going. But variety is a good thing so there's lot's of other stuff I can do instead.

Amazing leftovers

2011-02-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

Workout
I had decided last night that I would sleep a little bit later this morning and go to the gym after work. Of course after work I was not motivated to work out. After lots of mental debate I put the peddle to the metal and drove towards the gym. I did a full body super intense muscle burning workout, which took an hour and then I called it a day. I knew the battle was just getting myself to the gym. Once I was started working out I felt great.
Dinner

I've been thinking about these leftovers all day. Seriously, I had such a craving for these leftover shredded chicken enchiladas that I made last night for Valentine's dinner.

Enchiladas are a good way to impress a man, aren't they?

I made a filling of shredded chicken breast mixed with some enchilada sauce, sauteed green chile's, onions, and red bell pepper. Rolled up in some Tj's flour and corn tortillas. With a layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan and then finished off with a generous amount on top. Topped off with some reduced fat cheddar cheese and baked at 350 degrees for 35 min.

To complete the meal I had a little side taco salad with refried black beans, reduced fat cheddar cheese, and salsa. Along with some baked blue corn chips.

Yum, it was all so good.

The day after

2011-02-15T05:22:00.000-08:00

The day after a holiday usually all you have to show for it is presents and leftover food. I think the best part is the leftovers, it makes the next day tasty and easy.

In the mix: Bob's apple cinnamon hot cereal, oat bran, water, and almond milk.

Topped with: warmed up pear sauce, all natural pb, Tj's low fat vanilla almond granola, and leftover strawberries.

Sweet end

2011-02-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

A perfect way to end Valentine's day, mini cupcakes and dark chocolate dipped strawberries, shared with a friend.

The perfect breakfast

2011-02-14T04:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

While at New Seasons grocery store the other day they were demoing these heart shaped pancakes. They were so cute and the fact that you could make mini pancakes and egg's sold me. So I bought the mold and used it for Valentines morning.

I made mini heart shaped Kodiak cakes. It's really hard to use the mold and it's also hard to get the cooking time right. But they do look really cute.

And just to test it out I made a heart shaped egg. The egg was actually easier then the pancakes.

Have a great day and enjoy some chocolate.

Sunday dinner

2011-02-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

The other day I had one of the best chili's I've ever had at Laughing plant cafe. It wasn't your typical vegetarian chili. No this chili was full of veggies and for an extra kick it had bulger in it. The chili was awesome and I ate it very quickly. But not before trying to figure out what was in it so I could re create it at home in the crock pot.

I mixed in my canned ingredients along with 3/4 cup of bulger and 2 cups water. For some seasoning I added chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper.

I also added some diced onion and red pepper. The zucchini I saved and added one hour before the chili was finished. Along with diced carrots and mushrooms. This chili's other secret ingredient besides the bulger is all the veggies.

The chili cooked in the crock pot for 7 hours and then I added the zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms. I would suggest adding the carrots 2-3 hrs before the chili is done.

Topped with a little cheese and then enjoyed. This was one of the best chili's I ever made. I made a huge batch to freeze for some go to meals.

Special breakfast for someone special

2011-02-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

My valentine this year is this little guy.
But for that special person in your life you might want to whip up a very special breakfast,
like today's.

Valentine's day is all about one thing, chocolate. This waffle features chocolate in two ways, dark chocolate chips and unsweetened cocoa.

I mixed up some Hodgson mills whole wheat waffles adding one egg white, almond milk, cinnamon, and unsweetened cocoa, and dark chocolate chips. I think I actually prefer the waffles with non fat milk instead of the almond milk. It makes for a fluffier waffle.

Topped off with pure maple syrup, almond butter, blueberries, and coconut. These would also be amazing with sliced strawberries and chocolate sauce, maybe even whip cream. Depends how wild you wanna get.

And if your still looking for something even more special for your Valentine's breakfast check back tomorrow, it's going to be epic.

Raspberry bars for a loved one

2011-02-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

Last week I made some raspberry fig mini oatmeal bars. These would be perfect for Valentines day and a great way to show someone you care.

For the base I used Hodgson Mills Insta whole wheat baking mix. I made the recipe on the back of the box for oatmeal cookies and used that for my base. Once finished making the mix press it into the bottom of a baking dish and bake it for about 12 min. at 350 degrees.

Nothing better then a cookie crust.

On top of the cookie base whip up equal parts raspberry all fruit spread and fig all fruit spread. Spread the jam out and top it all off with a little oat and maple syrup crumble. Finished with another 10 min. in the oven.

Cut into mini squares and ready to enjoy. As you probably have already figured out I'm obsessed with mini baked goodies. It's the prefect way to enjoy things and it looks oh so cute.

V-day weekend

2011-02-12T04:25:00.000-08:00

In this morning's mix: Oat bran, Bob's spice n nice hot cereal, and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Topped with: Warm pear sauce, unsweetened coconut, all natural pb, dried cranberries, and Quaker squares.

Tomorrow I have a really special V-day breakfast planned, so make sure you check it out.

But for now I'm off to work and then heading to the gym afterwords. I was super sore yesterday and I also had dinner plans. So I ended up taking yesterday as a rest day.

Pumpkin's back

2011-02-11T04:09:00.000-08:00

After the holiday's I almost forgot all about pumpkin, or maybe I just needed a break. Either way I'm ready to enjoy it in all kinds of ways once again.

I'm out of egg's so I made overnight oats so that I could get some protein from the yogurt and milk. I followed Kath's recipe for pumpkin overnight oats, she is the queen of overnight oats.

I topped it with pure maple syrup, dark chocolate chips, all natural pb, and low fat vanilla almond granola. Unfortunately this is the second time I have tried overnight oats and I'm just not a big fan. I think it's a texture thing, but I have given up trying to like it.

Someone special

2011-02-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

I've begun my Valentines day preparations. I do think that Valentines day is a marketing holiday. Geared to sell flowers, cards, balloons, and candy. But it's also a good reminder to do something special for those you care about.

I made chocolate dipped apricots with a few dipped in coconut for a little tropical flavor.
Just beautiful isn't it. I made these beauties for my employees. Everyone I work with is very healthy minded and some also have special nutritional needs, such as gluten free. So I thought these would make a nice treat. It's a far cry from your typical high calorie office treats.

For those other special people in my life I made a batch of mini cookies following one of
Jenna's recipes, as seen here. I added raisins to mine and omitted the nuts and cranberries. I made mine mini because I love mini things, perfectly portioned and oh so cute.

Packaged up, ready to give out, and a great way to say to someone you think they are special.

In with the new

2011-02-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

It's finally here, the new fridge. Now I can get my cooking on. I think I'm going to have to bust out the crockpot and make a big batch of lentil soup or vegetarian chili and freeze some. Now that I have a freezer it would be nice to have some go to meals ready.

I also have been enjoying this new jar of drippy all natural almond butter. This stuff is usually pretty pricey at the store averaging $6-$8 for a small jar. I picked up this extra big jar at Costco for $5.00, and it will last me for a very long time.

It may look like a hefty breakfast but both the pancakes and eggs were on the mini side. So they complimented each other very well in providing the right nutritional mix.
Today's breakfast was amazing. I made a batch of VERY thin but delicious Kodiak pancakes with some mashed up banana, cinnamon, and just a few chocolate chips added to the batter. Topped with that yummy almond butter. Paired with a side of egg whites for a boost of protein and to satisfy my hunger through my workout. I'm heading to the gym soon and then tackling my to-do list.

To-do list:
Trader Joe's
For fridge and freezer restocking
Limbo's
A great produce, herbs, and tea market.
Library
The library is within walking distance so I really wanna get a library card and check out some books.
Bakery
I found a healthy all natural yummy bakery, also within walking distance that I wanna checkout.

Crisp day

2011-02-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

When the sun shows it's face you know what that means, a change of plans. Instead of heading to the gym on such a beautiful day I came home and went for a run.

I'm still exploring my new neighborhood. Since moving I haven't been able to find enjoyment in my workouts. I think a lot of it has to do with conflicting priorities going on and all the things happening around the new house. I have still kept up with my workout's, but I just haven't had that feeling inside. As I get more settled and things become more routine I'm sure that I will find that enjoyment once again.

Today I had such a great run and really enjoyed my time in the neighborhood. I was like Forest Gump, I ran and ran and ran, I just couldn't stop, and the feeling was right.

I'm not sure how many miles I traveled but I know it was a lot. At the end I ran back home, got my reusable Tj's bag along with some money and ran to the store for some dinner items. On the return trip home I did walk, I had fragile eggs on board.

For dinner I had to break out the big plates. I needed lots of room for a big heaping pile of organic green leaf lettuce.

I topped the lettuce with some warmed up refried beans, reduced fat cheddar cheese, salsa, and jalapeno Food for life chips.

Along with some roasted VERY thinly sliced sweet potatoes that I baked for 30 min. at 400 degrees. I seasoned the sweet potatoes with sea salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, and taco seasoning. Topped with some cilantro and jalapeno hummus.

The chips were spicy and delicious, especially with a smear of hummus.

A classic morning

2011-02-09T03:52:00.000-08:00

It was a classic mid week morning, sleepy and I didn't want to get up. But once up I prepared a classic breakfast of oat bran with organic non fat milk and hot water.

Topped with 1/4 of a sliced banana, all natural pb, raisins, and a dash of cinnamon.

My day's going to be pretty full with work, the gym, grocery shopping, and the delivery of my new fridge tonight. Can't wait for that. I have been living out of a cooler and then a mini fridge for the last 3 weeks. And it really sucks when your a girl who like to cook and eat. Along with all the condiments I love to have on hand. The space has been very limited.

Longer days

2011-02-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

The day's are definitely getting longer and better weather is also coming. It was the perfect evening for a walk or a little ride on the bike. But unfortunately by the time I got home I needed to get dinner started.

Dinner started with some quinoa. I think I prefer the red quinoa over the regular white variety. I've been told there really isn't a difference between the two. But in my mind there is, I feel like the red has a different texture.

It may not look like the most spectacular picture perfect dinner. But sometimes that's just how it is. Doesn't mean it's not tasty and nutritious none the less. I topped the quinoa with last nights leftover Tj's garlic marinara sauce and some basil chicken sausage. Finished with a sprinkling of feta.

And enjoyed with a side of delicious grapes. I'm almost out of the these grapes. I'm for sure picking up some more on my next Tj's trip.

Banana bread pancakes

2011-02-08T03:52:00.000-08:00

Mmmm, banana's smashed into the pancake mix makes all the difference. And with a little cinnamon and maybe some walnuts if you'd like, it creates that banana bread flavor.

Banana bread pancake
In the batter:
1/4 cup oat bran
2 TB. Bob's apple cinnamon hot cereal
1/4 tsp. baking powder
egg whites
1/4 mashed banana
dash cinnamon and salt

Topped off with a dusting of cinnamon and unsweetened cocoa, a sprinkling of unsweetened coconut, and some almond butter. Served with a side of blueberries.

You could step this up by adding some chocolate chips or nuts to the mix. Or maybe the mix and on top if you wanna get crazy.

I have another long day today so I'm up early to do a bootcamp workout. I really didn't wanna get my but out of bed, but I knew it must be done.

Pizza makes it better

2011-02-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

Workout
Today was a rest day from working out. I knew I was going to have a very busy and long day, so I planned ahead and went to the gym yesterday.

Dinner
Dinner tonight was mini pizza's, the dinner originally intended for last nights super bowl.

I roasted up some sliced red bell pepper, zucchini, shallot, and some unseen Tj's basil chicken sausage. I seasoned everything with sea salt, pepper, garlic, and basil. Everything was roasted at 300 degrees for 30 min.

On another tray I toasted in the oven for about 10 min some whole wheat naan bread and topped it with Tj's garlic marinara sauce. The marinara sauce was perfect for the pizza's. It was garlicky and chunky, delicious. I then topped the pizza's with all the roasted veggies and sausage. Finished off with feta and crushed pineapple.

Roasted again in the oven for another 10 min. and then it was ready to serve.

Maybe Monday's are made for pizza night instead of Friday's and Saturday's? It sure made my Monday better.

Back to normal

2011-02-07T04:54:00.000-08:00

Everything seems to be all back to normal including oats for breakfast.

In the mix:
1/4 cup oat bran
2 TB. Bob's spice n nice hot cereal
splash organic non fat milk (I don't really like milk, but I'm trying to use it up)
hot water

Topped with blueberries, all natural pb, pure maple syrup, Quaker squares, and Bear Naked vanilla almond granola. The blueberries and maple syrup give the oats a nice blueberry pancake taste, yum.

Now if I could just get my email worked out then things would be perfect.

Super bowl time

2011-02-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

Workout
After a lazy morning I headed to the gym to workout. I wasn't very motivated and I wouldn't call it my favorite workout, but I got it done.
Afternoon

In the afternoon I did a little baking, recipe to come soon.

I walked to the store today and picked up some pre game snacks along with a few things for dinner. I love being able to walk to so many things in my neighborhood. It was an hour before the game started so it was super busy at the store. Pre game snacks were some Food should taste good jalapeno chips and some tequila lime salsa. Both were tasty and I ate way too much salsa. My salsa to chip ratio was definitely very heavy on the salsa.

As you can see this little guy wanted some too.
Dinner

I had planned on making mini pizza's for dinner in celebration of the super bowl. But when the time came I was feeling lazy and I had eaten too much chips and salsa. I kept it simple with an egg white, reduced fat cheddar cheese, and spinach omelet. Topped with some more of that yummy salsa. Paired with some Tj's grapes, which are awesome, nice and crisp. Along with a little bowl of Quaker squares. But I was too full to eat the cereal.

Love the super bowl half time, the best one I've seen in years and with two of my favorite performers.

A waffle weekend

2011-02-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

So let's back up this weekend and catch up on some important things, WAFFLES.

I just picked up a waffle maker last week and was waiting for this weekend to test it out. Saturday morning I used this whole wheat mix to make a waffle. I used the mix and added 1 egg white, organic non fat milk, cinnamon, and banana.

Topped with some drippy almond butter, more banana, raspberry all fruit spread, pure maple syrup, and unsweetened coconut.

On the side the best ever turkey breakfast sausage from the local health food store.

Today's waffles featured some Kodiak cake mix. I love Kodiak pancakes so I wanted to test it out as waffles. I added some blueberries to the mix.

Topped off with some warmed up pear sauce, almond butter, Bear Naked almond vanilla granola, more blueberries, raspberry all fruit spread, and unsweetened coconut. Along with leftover turkey breakfast sausage.

I actually like the first waffle mix better then the Kodiak. I think I'll save the Kodiak mix for pancakes and use the first one for waffles.

We have success

2011-02-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

I think we have had a very successful morning figuring out this problem. After doing some laptop updates the connection seems to be much faster and acting like it used to. Yeah this mess might all be over with. If not I have my Google friend who will help me figure it out.

Now I'm off to make a delicious waffle breakfast.

Here's some cupcakes for your viewing delight.

Problem solving

2011-02-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

We think we may have figured out our computer network issue. Please stand by, we will know by the end of the day. The goal is for today's pictures to not disappear.

Oh the insanity

2011-02-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

I still seem to be having computer problems. After an hour on the phone with Comcast I have now been re routed to a higher power in the internet department. So hopefully this will get resolved soon, at least before I have a mental break down.

At least the weather has been good this week. Cold but dry and with a nice blue sky.
Dinner looks good but unfortunately was not all that fabulous.

I made a herb pasta with basil chicken sausage and sauteed zucchini. It was kinda blah.

It's been a frustrating evening with this internet thing, but nothing some Kodiak whole wheat brownies can't fix. These are seriously the best brownies ever.

Oh and I had a really good workout today at the gym. It was a full body resistance training kinda day, followed by 30 min. on the stairs. I was spent by the end of it all.

Another year

2011-02-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful day and it's also MY BIRTHDAY!!!

Since it's my special day I needed a special breakfast.

I made a bread casserole with a sweet twist.
I used up 5 slices of Great Harvest cranberry nine grain bread diced up and mixed with 2 whole eggs and 4 egg whites, 1 cup organic non fat milk, dash cinnamon, and a dash salt. To sweeten it up and add that special treat to it I added 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, 1/4 cup coconut, and 1/4 cup raisins.

Baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 min.

Drizzled with a little pure maple syrup and served with some fresh fruit and enjoyed with a new birthday tea from my best friend Michelle.

I have to go to the dentist this morning, I know on my birthday, yuck. It was the only appointment I could get. After that I'm spending the day with Michelle and little Henry. Were painting our own pottery at a local place.

Dinner date for three

2011-02-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

Workout
The sun was out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. But there was a very brisk breeze and it was pretty cold out. But I seized the opportunity and went for a run in my new neighborhood. I ran about 5 miles cruising through the the prestigious Reed college, which is an arts liberal school and past the golf course and swanky older homes. It was a good run overall, but I was freezing when I got home and since I haven't ran in a few months due to the weather I could really feel it in my legs afterwords. After taking a hot shower and enjoying a mug of herbal tea I was much better.
Dinner

I had a dinner date with a very special guy.
(I'm also really in need of a haircut and some highlighting)

I joined these two for dinner at a restaurant in my new neighborhood. My best friend Michelle and her son Henry are down from Seattle Washington visiting for the week and helping me celebrate my birthday week. Unfortunately the restaurant was very dark so no pictures were taken. But we had a great Mexican meal at Cha cha cha, a restaurant that has come highly recommended by locals. The food was cheap, tasty, and fresh.

We had originally planned on walking to the restaurant but it was just too cold out and it was getting dark. I can't wait until summer to walk to all the neighborhood restaurants, pubs, frozen yogurt, and gelato places, yum. I was telling Michelle tonight with all the places I want to go to and try, I'm going to have to moderate myself and walk to the places to balance out all the good eats.

Home workout

2011-01-31T18:53:00.000-08:00

I was too sleepy this morning to get up super early and workout. So I slept in a little later and planned my workout for after work.

I worked out at home in my workout room. I love the workout room in my new house because of the nice hardwood floors. It's kinda like the aerobic class room at the gym.

I also choose this room for working out because of the french doors and all the natural light. It's very bright and airy in this room, perfect for working out.

Dinner was simple and delicious. I re heated some turkey chili from Saturday's family get together. I paired it with a fantastic salad and baked blue corn chips, along with some lime Food should taste good chips.

In the salad mix was mixed greens, spinach, dried cranberries, hummus, and Organic valley reduced fat white cheddar cheese.

Journey part 2

2011-01-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in life's journey's there are bad times and good times. When those bad times comes they are supposed to make you stronger and help you to grow from them. That’s easier said then done sometimes. When in those situations it's hard to look past that and find something good. It takes a lot of internal strength to move forward in life. When I found myself at that point in my life I often wondered how I could move past it. I had to dig deep within myself, as well as look for support from those around me. As my best friends kept telling me, things can only go up, there's no other direction to go, and that time would change everything.

After some time I did make it to that other side and life is once again amazing. I'm stronger then ever and I know exactly what I want from life. I have learned where I went wrong and how to change those behaviors and patterns. I am so happy where things have taken me and for those people in my life. I'm looking forward to the future and everything that it may bring.

One Lesson learned in my journey is people are right, things can only get better and time changes everything.

Need help from my readers

2011-01-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned earlier this week and as you have probably seen, I have been having trouble with my pics. I believe it might be linked to my new network connection. Last night I installed a new modem and router. I think the problem is fixed because I see the pics on my site that I posted today. If you do not see the pics or even if you do could you help me out and leave a comment. I am trying to solve this problem asap so we can get back to having fun, and so I can stop sitting on my computer for endless hours trying to fix this.

Thank You for all your help, it would be greatly appreciated.

Friday pancakes

2011-01-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

I know I have said this before but I just love pancakes. I love all the different ways to make them and all the delicious toppings.

In the batter:
1/4 cup Bob's apple cinnamon hot cereal
1 TB. oat bran
3 egg whites
2 TB. pear sauce
1/4 tsp. baking soda
dash salt

Topped with
1/4 pear slices, all natural pb, Natures path pumpkin flax granola, cinnamon, and raw white honey.

Workout
I have plans to stop in at the gym for some full body resistance training. Then I'll come home shower and hit the sidewalk to explore the neighborhood. There's a lot of shops, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, and antique stores within a few blocks. So I'm planning on checking out what's around this afternoon.

Help

2011-01-27T07:50:00.000-08:00

I seem to be having technical difficulties with posting pictures. My firewall or network is not liking my pictures. I hope to have this resolved as soon as possible. Please stand by. Gotta love moving and setting up electronics.

I'm back

2011-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome home.
I'm so happy to be all moved in and setup. I just love my new house, I can't wait to enjoy it and the wonderful neighborhood.

I found the perfect spot to display my vintage Pyrex dishes. I love these dishes and this is one of my favorite pieces in the house. It's an older home with lots of character so my collection fits perfectly.

This mornings breakfast featured this vegan coconut macaroon that I picked up at the health food store yesterday.

I of course had to have some celebratory pancakes this morning. Oat bran cakes topped with dark chocolate chips, almond butter, sliced banana, and a little piece of the coconut macaroon. It was delicious and a perfect way to start my new life.

It's time to get on the move

2011-01-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

It's moving day.

I have snacks packed for the crazy day ahead. I like options so I brought three kinds and then I have some to share with others.

I also started the day out right with a bowl of oats and some unseen scrambled cheezy egg whites. I'm running on limited supplies due to the fact that I stayed at the old house last night, but most of the food is at the new house. But I think I made it work really well.

I don't know when I'll be back, but I will give you all the details of the house and the amazing healthy living/fitness friendly neighborhood.

A Great day

2011-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Mmmm Great Harvest pancakes with mixed berries and dark chocolate chips. Topped with almond flax butter, raspberry all fruit spread, sauteed pear, and coconut. I've decided that Kodiak pancakes are actually better then Great Harvest's. Enjoyed with several cups of tropical green tea.

I'm heading to the gym for a nice workout including a super butt kicking leg and ab session. I love working out in the am and especially when I'm not on any time restrictions, yipee.

Crunch time

2011-01-20T17:58:00.000-08:00

We are in prime moving preparedness. I did make it to the gym today, and it was so nice to feel those endorphins and burn off some stress and anxiety. With all the things I need to do in the next 24hrs the last thing I wanted to do was worry about dinner. So I picked up a salad and some chicken white bean Chile soup. It was no Whole Foods soup and salad, which was what I really wanted, but it was still good.

Balancing life

2011-01-20T03:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was such a crazy and long day. I wasn't able to make it to the gym which was disappointing because for one I love working and two it's a great stress relief. This week things are so crazy with buying a house that I could have really used that workout. But I have plans to workout today after work, can't wait.

I brought back a classic breakfast this morning with whipped banana chia oats.
In the pot:
a little less then 1/4 oat bran
2 TB. whole wheat farina hot cereal
hot water
soymilk
1/4 banana diced
1/4 tsp. chia seeds

Topped with
raspberry all fruit spread
Kashi 7 grain nuggets (yes I love these guys)

The next few days are going to be crazy and super busy. I hopefully get my keys for my new house tomorrow and then I'm moving the next three days. Wish me luck. A tip that I always stick with during these stressful times is eating healthy, getting 8 hrs. of sleep, and working out. Those three things create the perfect balance in life, at least for me.

Crunchy topping

2011-01-19T03:50:00.000-08:00

I created a yummy crunchy topping for this morning's pancake. It was simple but so yummy.
In the batter:
1/4 cup oat bran
2 TB. whole wheat farina hot cereal
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 of a smashed banana

Topped with
almond flax nut butter
Kashi 7 grain nuggets sprinkled onto the almond butter so it would stick
raspberry all fruit spread

I saw a recipe for a cinnamon crumble on top of a pancake the other day. That's my next pancake creation I want to make. Maybe that can be what I make my first morning in my new house. Which is just day's away.

The best end to the day

2011-01-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

I had my super packing smoothie this afternoon. I had it well over an hour before going to the gym. And although it was very tasty, it was hard to drink because it was so cold out and it left me super full and bloated feeling. It actually hindered my workout. So I don't think I will be doing that again. Maybe I'll have my smoothies on the weekend on my rest days. They pack a lot of good nutrition into a cup, so I'd like to have them regularly.

Dinner was nothing fancy, right down to the paper towel as a plate. That's what happens when the kitchens mostly all packed up and the day has been so busy. But I'm sure glad I thought ahead and made a big batch of soup to have ready to go.

For dessert I had one of these little cookies. Dang Whole Foods for passing out samples. They are so tasty but pretty expensive, so I always have to wait for them to go on sale. Watch out they are really addicting, but a great way to end the day.