Monthly Archives: April 2012

It’s Getting To Be That Time Again…

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Y’all know what time it is??

No. Not Tool Time, thanks.

It’s Foodie Pen Pals reveal day! Hooray!

This month’s box was such a treat and from one of my new favorite people, Esther. Esther is a reader and unfortunately doesn’t maintain her blog anymore. But maybe if you all gave her a little encouragement… :)

Her box was seriously so thoughtful. The only caveat I gave her in prepping my box was that I’m on a serious health kick, but I still wanted some delicious goodies. Oh boy, did she deliver!

I love that Esther included some homemade goodies–pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Her recipe was based on one of our mutual fave blogs, A Foodie Stays Fit (she even sent me a copy of the recipe!). I would be lying if I said I didn’t eat 1 (or 2) of these little morsels immediately upon opening the box :) So good!!

I’ve tried other versions of this oatmeal (which, ironically enough, is made here in Minnesota!), and I’ve heard of this dark chocolate flavor. It is so good! Definitely picking some of this up next time I’m at the grocery!

This Kashi bar is the perfect combination of salty and sweet, and the bar itself is huge! I like to nosh on a Kashi bar for my mid-afternoon snack, before I workout. This bar was perfect!

I am in LOVE with these dry roasted edamame!! Words can’t express. A teensy bit of saltiness, but super crunchy and just salty enough that it satisfies the craving that usually leads to massive bloat. Plus they’re loaded with protein!

I have never tried dates before, but I’ve always wanted to. They’re used in a lot of the sweet vegan recipes I see, so I’ve been meaning to check them out. They’re pretty good! Now I can feel a bit more confident incorporating them into some sweet (literally) recipes as another lower-fat, healthy option.

I’ve seen the Vega protein powders and mixes on a bunch of blogs, and have been meaning to try it when the Whole Foods budget will allow. Leave it to Esther to provide! I wasn’t completely sold on this shake–it had a bit of a metallic, chalky aftertaste. But I could see mixing in some yogurt, or adding the powder to a preexisting smoothie recipe, to make it more palatable.

Esther also included some chocolate covered espresso beans, and I have to say, I’m not the biggest fan of them in general. I almost feel bad mentioning it, since Esther specifically mentioned how much she liked them in her note. And it’s weird since I love both chocolate and coffee, probably more than I should. But they went to good use–I passed them off to my friend Emily and her husband :)

Esther, thank you again for such a fun and healthy pen pals box! I can’t wait to try your lightened up macaroni and cheese recipe!
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You know you want a Foodie Pen Pal, too. To get matched with your new foodie bff, click here to fill out the participation form and read all about it.

You must submit your information by May 4, as pairings will be emailed on May 5! Foodie Pen Pals is a great way to meet other bloggers and readers, and score some goodies you wouldn’t normally try. As always, thanks to Lindsay for organizing!

Cravings

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When I started this blog, I wasn’t quite sure what I would write about on a day-to-day basis: “Dear Blog, today was a bad day. I sat on my butt and ate four cupcakes.” Or, “Dear Blog, today I walked five miles.” I mean, snooze-fest, right? To be honest, I’m still not sure what to write about, or what form this forum should take, but I think it’s an ever-evolving thing. And what’s going to make a successful blog? That I have no clue. But regardless of who does or doesn’t read this thing, it’s helping me be accountable to me. It’s helping me track my successes and setbacks, helping me notice trends and areas for improvement, and it’s pushing me to do better. Be better.

And when I step on the scale or look in the mirror…that’s all that matters :)

Now, I’ve been sharing a lot of recipes on here, and that’s because a) I think cooking and baking are secretly what I was meant to do with my life (good thing I have degrees in English and Philosophy…) and b) developing new and healthy recipes has become so fun for me. I recently was having a rather stressful day, where nothing but chocolate could cure what ails me (ladies, ya feel me?). So I whipped up a batch of my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies–but with a twist: I left out the butter completely (knocking out calories and fat), and added 2 Tbsp. of chocolate PB2 powdered peanut butter (adding tons o’ flavor). Give the recipe a try and tell me it doesn’t just solve all of life’s problems.

That same stressful day, I was also craving pasta. I settled for whole wheat linguine with simple marinara and mushrooms, but I wish I had the resources to make this bowl of colorful deliciousness:

This, friends, is my Italian whole wheat pasta salad with vegetables. Super simple, super flavorful, perfect for pot-lucks, summer lunches, or squirreling away to eat by yourself when life just requires large amounts of pasta and cheese. Feel free to use whatever similar veg you like, and play around with the quantities as well.

Italian Vegetable Pasta Salad
Yields: a lot

Ingredients:
2 boxes whole wheat pasta (I used rotini and tri-color rotini)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped to 1/2 pieces
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped to 1/2 pieces
1 C broccoli, chopped
1 C cauliflower, chopped
1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped
2 C mushrooms sliced
10-15 mini-mozzarella balls, halved
1/4 C reduced fat parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 C low-fat bacon bits (you can also now find turkey bacon bits!)
3/4-1 bottle fat-free Italian dressing (I use Kraft)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  • In large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta to al dente (8-12 minutes). Drain and cool.
  • While pasta cools, prep all vegetables and cheese and place in large bowl. Add cooled pasta.
  • Toss with dressing to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste and chill for 1-2 hours before serving.
  • This salad will last for days. If it starts to become dry, add more dressing and toss to combine.


P.S. Don’t forget to check out my progress on my 21 Day Challenge! It’s going pretty good, guys!

Cookie Monster

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I don’t know where my cookie obsession comes from. I mean, my dad is a huge cookie monster–it’s a long-running family joke. But it seems that, especially lately, whenever I’m feeling stressed or particularly out of control in any aspect of my life, I lock myself in the kitchen, chug some coffee, crank up some tuneage, and get to healthy cookie makin’. I unleash my own cookie monster, rather than turning into a real monster and screaming at friends and family. But I guess it’s better than my old stress reliever: booze. And cake. Ah, I miss those days…just kidding. Sort of.Ignoring my amateurish-as-always photos (guys, this blog is never going to have photos better than what Instagram can provide–it’s not my goal here), how good do these apple cinnamon chip cookies look, right? My dad, who is my newest recipe taster, certainly enjoyed them :)

The best part of these cookies? Only 6 simple ingredients separate you from them. And they’re butterless. Paula Deen would be so ashamed.

Apple Cinnamon Chip Cookies
Inspired by Little Bitty Bakes
Yields 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 box of spice cake mix
1 C oats
1/4 C egg substitute (or 1 egg)
1 6-ounce container apple cinnamon greek yogurt (as always, I prefer Chobani)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C cinnamon chips (optional)

Directions:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350° and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.
  • In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix and oats. Add the egg substitute, yogurt and vanilla and mix until just combined.
  • Stir in cinnamon chips.
  • Drop the dough by rounded tablespoon onto the cookie sheets.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Allow to cool 2-3 minutes before placing cookies on wire cooling racks to cool completely.

At less than 100 calories and 1.5 grams per cookie, these cannot be beat! They also make a great little breakfast, if you’re so inclined :)

How do you relieve stress? Got any recipe ideas for me to try out next time I get stressed?


Words of Wisdom Wednesday

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I was recently given this advice: “don’t think, just do.” I’ve been saying this to myself over and over the past few weeks, letting go of all the negativity and weight holding me back, holding me down. The results have been amazing, leaving me feeling confident, worthy, and strong.

So let go. Just do it, whatever it is. Be free. I guarantee you will experience something beautiful.

Follow Your Intuition

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Intuitive eating is a movement that, lately, really speaks to me. Through intuitive eating, you learn how to create a long-term healthy relationship with your food, mind, and body. You learn how to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings. You listen and respond to what your body is telling you. You make peace with food, learning that your health and your worth do not change because you made a “bad” food choice (source).

You are born with the knowledge to eat intuitively, but then society happens and we all get brainwashed by diets, body image, and food myths and misinformation. Getting back to listening to and trusting our bodies will bring us freedom from all the crap piled on us by Vogue magazine.

That’s what I’m focused on now. I no longer eat for the sake of eating, or eat because I’m bored. I try to be as mindful as possible while eating, paying attention to when I’m starting to feel full or mindlessly munching on tortilla chips while watching any of the Real Housewives.

I’ve also started to notice the natural cravings my body has. I’ve noticed myself craving things like protein or fruit. If I craved these things in the past, which I would think I did, I certainly didn’t notice it. I no longer really crave sweets or alcohol (two of my biggest weaknesses). I am satisfied with an apple for a snack, veggies and hummus taste delicious and fill me up, water tastes better than soda or wine. If I feel tired during the day when I normally shouldn’t, I acknowledge that my blood sugar is probably low and I need a little nosh (not chocolate–like I used to) or even just a few gulps of water to pep me back up. It’s weird. But I love it. And it all seems to be working in my favor :)

This whole process is a matter of permanently changing my mindset and my actions. Noticing and responding to these natural cues from my body makes me feel in control and strong. Like I am finally started to get ahead of this lifelong struggle I’ve faced. It feels unlike anything I’ve ever experienced…which, I’m starting to see, is the key to permanent success.

Whirlwind Weekend

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As I sit here late Sunday night,riveted to the Real Housewives of Atlanta three-part reunion, I’m shocked by how fast this weekend went.

Yesterday was spent sipping several Americano’s as I caught up with a friend and did a bit of window shopping.

We stopped in J. Crew, which I used to love when it fit and now admire from a far, and I was kinda excited to try on a few things and see how close I was to fitting in (literally). I was so excited when both of the dresses I tried on fit! As in, if they didn’t hit above the knee I could have purchased them. There’s definitely nothing more motivating than progress! This is one of them:
The day was rainy and cold, so I hit up the gym for sixty minutes of intervals and near-death on the elliptical (be sure to check out my progress on the 21 Day Challenge!). I felt great–so strong. And then, the migraine of all migraines hit and I was knocked out for the rest of the day. I think the problem was that I didn’t eat enough throughout the day before the gym. Lesson learned!

Today I was freakin’ sore from a week of pushing it physically, so I laid low and did some cleaning and cooking. Tonight’s dinner, which, stupid me, I didn’t take any pictures of, was phenomenal: Mushroom, prosciutto, ricotta, and goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts. Unbelievably yummy and basically guilt free–a little cheese is okay every now and then, right? You gotta switch it up :)

I may not have snapped any pictures, but I do have the recipe:

Mushroom, Prosciutto, and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices prosciutto
1/2 C mushrooms, chopped and sauteed
1/3 C fat-free ricotta cheese (you can use part-skim or full-fat, if you’re so inclined)
4 oz. goat cheese
Mrs. Dash seasoning

  • Placing the chicken breasts between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap on a cutting board and pound them to approx. 1/4-1/2 inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap and place two slices of prosciutto on each piece of chicken
  • Chop mushrooms and saute over medium heat until cooked down.
  • In small bowl, mix the mushrooms with the ricotta and goat cheese until the mixture is well blended.
  • Spread 1/2 of the mixture on each chicken breast, leaving a small border without mixture all the way around.
  • Roll the chicken lengthwise and secure the end with toothpicks, creating a jellyroll shape.
  • Place rolled chicken in baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle on Mrs. Dash and place in 375° oven for 30-35 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Checking In

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Good morning, friends! It’s a beautiful and sunny, if a tiny bit chilly, morning here in Minny. And it’s Friday!

Just a quick check-in to let you know that I have so much to share with you all–a bunch of new recipes, updates on the 21 Day Challenge (going on now, don’t miss it!), new workouts, and even more Words of Wisdom Wednesday (click or scroll down for the first entry in this new feature). But between (loving) my new job, working out, and trying to find time to eat dinner, prep for the next day and get some sleep…my schedule’s been a bit packed :)

The plan for the weekend is to spend a little time with some of my besties, do a ton of spring cleaning, test a few new recipes, and then hunker down with my laptop to get a bunch of posts ready for you guys. I love weekends like this, so I’m totally excited for this Friday (and the 5 miler I’ve got planned for this evening) to be over. I can’t wait to share some of the stuff I’ve been working on –very exciting!

What are your plans for the weekend? Tell me about ‘em!

Spring Cleaning

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Hi friends! A quick note to let you know that I’ve started my 21 day challenge again (for the last time!!) and you can/should view my progress here. I’ll be updating every day, so be sure to stop by and watch me quick some fitness butt :)

Also, take a look at the side bar over there on the right. Notice anything new? Oh yeah, I hit 10% yesterday! I’ve lost about 40 pounds now, and I barely lifted a finger. So, if I kick it up a notch and get to work, I should be able to stay on track!

Ok, on to the meat of this post. Last night I started a little spring purge. The perfectionist side of my personality has been all buddy-buddy with my neurotic list making self lately, so I’m trying to heed some advice I was recently given and control what I can, when I can. It’s no secret that the act of purging, whether it’s the old books collecting dust on a shelf or the negative baggage I’m lugging around day in and day out, is purifying and carries some serious positive energy with it. I’m lightening my load, in more ways than one.

So along with going through my ever-expanding list of household spring cleaning projects (which includes getting rid of clothes that are now too big for me and will never, ever fit me again), I’m also doing a little spirit cleaning. Completely by accident, I recently stumbled upon a post by another weight-loss blogger, The Token Fat Girl, that moved me to tears.

In this post, she talks about being so consumed with other people’s perceptions of how you’re living (or not living) your life, that you end up living a life that is less-than average. You become too afraid of the perceived negative consequences that come from living your life out loud, at full volume, cranked up to 10. She writes:

“I’m so consumed with what I assume others with think if I wear red lipstick, or paint my nails with glitter polish, or sit in the rain, or jog down the street, or eat a beautiful meal, or set a nice place setting, that I just don’t do it. And it’s me. No one else, just me. As if, my happiness is insignificant. Or that I don’t deserve to laugh and a good time or enjoy myself in this short life…Because the truth is, when it’s all said and done and I’m taking my last breath, no one will stand over me and thank me for not living my best life.”

A few years ago, I was at a concert with a really good friend and had somewhat successfully shoved and squeezed my large self into the seriously small arena chair. Like I do whenever I go to any sort of public event with assigned seating, I tried to make myself as small as possible and hoped against hope that no one would sit next to me, allowing me to be a bit more comfortable.

Yeah, that didn’t happen. Some dumb girl and her under-18 boyfriend parked it next to us and I felt like I was totally encroaching on their space. I made some comment about how uncomfortable I was to my friend, how in-the-way I felt, and my friend interrupted me mid-sentence and said this: “Why are you uncomfortable? Because you’re just trying to live your life?”

That girl is wise beyond her years.

I do deserve to be happy and live my big, loud, sometimes obnoxious life. I am worthy of it. Absolutely. I can’t worry about what I look like when I jiggle/run my way down the road or what someone may (or, most likely, may not) be thinking of me when I simply walk through a Target store or go to happy hour with friends. I am no less than any other.

So, as part of my spring spirit cleaning, I’m attempting to purge any negative or less-than-worthy thoughts from my head.  No more “what will people think?” or “why bother?” or “I can’t.” No more excuses at all. I’m going to sweep them outta my head, my mindset, and my life, once and for all. Like they’re a pair of nasty, last season jeggings. And I encourage you to do the same.

What could you stand to spring clean out of your life?

Momentous

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Guys. I’m pretty proud of myself. The other day, before my little moment of weakness, I had a kind of lax work day. So when I woke up, I slipped on my super fab pink running shoes and went out for a run on what was a gorgeous spring morning (yep, I’m still doing C25K–we’ll get there eventually, people!). I felt so good on the run, which was surprising since I hadn’t run in a week or so. I even did a few hills :)

After I finished up at work, I headed off to spin class. Yep. Two-a-days, baby! That alone is reason to be proud, but it gets better.

Why? Because this happened:
Ignoring the makeup-less, slicked back hair look I’m rocking post-workout, focus instead on the arms. Oh yeah. I wore a tank top to spin class :) I don’t wear dresses cut above the knee, I don’t like wearing swimsuits or t-shirts, and I especially hate wearing tank tops.  If anyone ever wanted to exact revenge on me for heinous crimes committed, they’d be wise to stick me in any sort of bathing suit or a tank dress cut above the knee. I mean, that is my water boarding, that is my Guantanamo Bay–my purest form of torture.

I, of course, was a wee bit self-conscious walking around the gym (already not exactly the easiest place for me to hide out), but it was a pretty big deal for me to even doing it in the first place, so…yay me!

I’m ready to get back on track on today, and try doing my 21 day challenge again–if only because I want these dang shoes!
I am shooting for two-a-days for the next three weeks, but I’ll take what I can get. Enough will be enough. Doing any kind of exercise consistently for three weeks, to build the habit, is the goal here. And there’s pretty new shoes at the end :)

PS–I made this over the weekend. Little daily reminder for myself. Loving it and it’s message :)