Eat, Drink and Be Aware

Steven Smith Teamaker Giveaway Winner + Blossoming Lotus, Steel-Cut Oats and More.....

2012-01-28T11:13:00.000-06:00

Good Morning and Happy Saturday!

I hope everyone is off to a good start today. I am playing catch up this morning and am enjoying a brief moment to myself. The dishwasher is humming, the boys are off to Marquam Park and Zoe and Gumbo (my dog) are still asleep. Ahh... nice to take a breath and enjoy a warm cup of Joe along with a fabulous bowl of Steel-Cut oats. Life is good. I know I say it all the time but it truly is the little things in life that make me happy. I am full of gratitude this morning and am looking forward to spending time with my family and having a productive weekend. I have lots to do this weekend so this 10-20 minute respite is nice:)

Steel Cut Oats topped with Blueberries, Raspberries, Chia Seeds and Almonds

3 cups of water

1 cup of Bob's Red Mill Steel-Cut Oats

1/4 tsp sea salt

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pan. Add oats and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-25 minutes, stirring every so often. I cooked my oats for about 20 minutes because I like them slightly al dente. Once you have achieved your desired consistency, remove from heat and let sit for two minutes. This will make 4 hearty servings of oats.

Top with:

Blueeberries

Raspberries

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

1 tbsp sliced Almonds

1 tsp raw honey

Oh so yummy!

I reserve making Steel-Cut Oats for the weekends because I like them best fresh out of the pot.

Oatmeal makes me oh so happy!

Check out this nutty, chewy bowl of goodness!

I have had a banner week because I even got to go out to lunch with my foodie friend, Tammy, at my all time favorite- The Blossoming Lotus.

Tammy and I had a hard time deciding what to get but defaulted to the:

Live Wrap

tahini-cilantro pate, cucumber, micro greens*, carrot and avocado ranch in a leafy green wrap, with cashew sour cream

Live Falafel Wrap
walnut & brazil nut falafel, tahini-cilantro pate, cucumber, onion and fresh tomato, wrapped in a leafy green, served with cashew sour cream

And you know that I had get my favorite juice:

Thai Greens

apple, lime, ginger, basil, cilantro

I really do love green drinks and this one if my favorite.

Tammy and I are trying to break out and try something new on our lunch adventures but love the Blossoming Lotus so much that we always default back to it. Has anyone been to the Farm Cafe? I just saw them on the Food Network last night and they were making the most delicious looking veggie burger. I am thinking we might have to try that next! Wow. I just went to their site and they are actually sharing their famous Veggie Burger recipe so I might just have to make them. Click here to get the recipe. So cool.

Last night we hit the Whole Foods for dinner and I was craving salad. Note to self- buy dark leafy greens this weekend. I am craving Spinach/Kale and plan on hitting the grocery store today to get all the fixings for a giant salad. Hmm.... it looks like a plan is coming together Farm Cafe Veggie Burgers served with a special Spinach Salad. Anyone care to join us for dinner tonight? So very excited.

Okay-- enough about me let's announce the winner of the Smith Teamaker Giveaway!

First, thank you all for participating and I love their tea so much that I am planning another giveaway soon so if you did not win this time you will have another chance in the very near future!

The winner is........ drumroll......:

Meredith M

Congrats!

Please send me your address and I will ship this out ASAP! My email is abigail.white@eatdrinkandbeaware.com.

Well, that is it for now. Miss Zoe is up and it is time to get cracking. Have a Fabulous Day!

The Oregon Food Bank

2012-01-27T22:07:00.000-06:00

Good Evening and TGIF!

I hope everyone is having a great Friday. I have been super busy the last few days and am really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and chilaxing this weekend:) Yesterday, I had one of those back-to back days that lasted until 8:30pm. As part of the Girl's Scouts Troop the kids and I went to the Oregon Food Bank and volunteered packing food. This was a great experience and I want to go back soon. The kids were fantastic and we helped pack 25,792 lbs of potatoes! Great job everyone.

One of the cool things I like about my kids' school is that Laurelhurst requires that all 6th graders do 6 hours of community service each semester. Emmet tagged along with us last night and is off to Marquam Park tomorrow to do another 3 hours of community service.

Oregon Food Bank believes no one should be hungry. With sufficient public will and the support of the entire community, we believe it is possible to eliminate hunger and its root causes.

Since 1982, Oregon Food Bank has been leading the fight against hunger in Oregon and southwest Washington by collecting and distributing food through a network of four OFB branches and 16 independent regional food banks. The OFB Network helps nearly 1 in 5 households fend off hunger. OFB also leads statewide efforts to increase resources for hungry families and to eliminate the root causes of hunger through advocacy, nutrition education, garden education and by helping communities strengthen local food systems.

Volunteer

You can make a difference.

Give the gift of your time and talent as an OFB volunteer and make a direct impact in the fight against hunger. Volunteering is a great way to make friends, learn something new and have fun while fighting hunger in your community.

Volunteers are vital to the work we do! You repackage food donations, lead nutrition education classes and gardening workshops, lend a hand at food and fundraising events and much more.

We will definitely volunteering at the Oregon Food Bank again.

I have more to report but will check back with you tomorrow.... I will be announcing the Smith Teamaker Giveaway in the A.M!!

My Favorite Day of the Week

2012-01-25T21:43:00.002-06:00

Good Evening and Happy Hump Day!

Wednesdays are officially my favorite day of the week. Number 1- because it is the middle of the week and you can start thinking about your weekend plans and Number 2- because it is Portland Adventure Bootcamp running day at Mount Tabor! As many of you already know, Tabor is my favorite place to run. I just love it there and always come away full of hope and inspiration. And today, was one of those wonderful days where the weather held out and I got to enjoy Mount Tabor in all of its glory at three different times- 5:30am, 7:15am and 9:00am. The running groups were awesome and I am really enjoying getting to know everyone. These are a special group of ladies and I feel lucky to be part of such a great team. They are also "do-ers" and have convinced me to run in the Shamrock Run as part of their team. The Shamrock Run should be fun and I am looking forward to it.

Before heading out this morning, I had a quick bowl of cereal. I admit, I still love my cereal and am a wee bit obsessed with Nature's Path Shredded Heritage Bites at the moment. I am not sure if this a kid thing or not but cereal is very comforting and this one reminds me of Rice Chex but with a bit more oomph to it.

I topped my cereal off with a handful of blueberries + blackberries and a tbsp of sliced almonds, a splash of almond milk and I was good to go!

Cereal is actually great running food because it gave me a quick energy boost without weighing me down. We were also running a quick 4 miles during class and would recommend eating a bit more protein if you are running longer distances.

Yum!

It was actually a great day to run at Mount Tabor because it was a balmy 54 degrees and dry. After work I came home and had a Green Smoothie. Today's version was made with Spinach and Frozen Peaches.

Coconut Spinach Peach Smoothie

1 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

1/2 frozen banana

1 cup frozen peaches

1 scoop Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder

1 tbsp Navitas Naturals Chia Powder

1 cup fresh spinach

Add everything into Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Wow! This hit the spot.

I then headed out to meet one of my old client's for tea at the Tao of Tea. ( It was so great to see Angela and we enjoyed a spot of tea while catching up, laughing and talking FOOD! I so miss our talks about food and have to thank my next meal to Angela. She has been obsessed with Turkey Swiss Sandwiches topped with Sprouts, Pickles and Red Onions. She made it sound so good that I promptly had to go home and fix the following version:

Turkey Cheddar Sandwich topped with Bread and Butter Pickles, Red Onions and Avocado

2 slices Grand Central Market Como Bread

3 slices Applegate Farms Deli Turkey

1 slice Tillamook Cheddar Cheese

6 Bubba's Bread and Butter Pickles

Red Onions, thinly sliced

3 slices avocado

OMG! Angela was right this sandwich is pretty darn amazing and I loved every little bite of it.

I will have to try it with swiss cheese and sprouts next time I just did not have the gumption to go to the store today.

I am officially tired-- I ended up scrimmaging with the kids at soccer so I got an extra extra workout in today. Don't get me wrong, I am happy and need to shed a few lbs but know that I will sleep really well tonight.

Speaking of sleep.....I am off to help the kiddos study for Passport Club and get them ready for bed.

Have a wonderful rest of your day!

A Soup and Salad Kind of Day+ Steven Smith Teamaker Giveaway!

2012-01-24T14:57:00.000-06:00

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday!

It is a beautifully wet and wonderful day here in Portland and the perfect day for a bowl of soup to warm your soul followed by the "best kale salad ever" to get your juices flowing. Can you tell I have been up since 4:30am?? I taught all 3 classes at Portland Adventure Bootcamp this morning and am just decompressing from getting my mojo on during class. I am working on ramping up the energy in class and know that it will all become second nature as I get to know everyone and work out my technical difficulties ( I even wear a headset and look all "cool" and official now-- ha!)

Anyhow, the rain has finally descended upon us here in Portland thus the need for warm nourishing bowls of soup. I have difficulty finding soups that my whole family will eat. The kids can be quite finicky about what goes into their soup and if there are too many vegetables, god forbid, they won't eat it:(

But I am here to tell you that I found the perfect family friendly soup that everyone loved and to share my weekly Kale Salad recipe with you. I honestly, think this one might be my best ever yet.... but I say that about a lot of things don't I?

I pulled out Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave Cookbook and had my kids take a look at which soup sounded good to them. They picked her recipe for

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave Cookbook

2 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces rotisserie chicken, skin removed, cut into small chunks
1 pinch salt -- plus more to taste
1 medium onion -- diced
2 stalks celery -- diced
2 medium carrots -- diced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole wheat orzo
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Remove skin from rotisserie chicken and cut breast meat into chunks. Set aside to add to soup later.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and thyme and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat down to low to keep the soup hot but not boiling.

Warm the remaining 1 cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs. Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while. Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened. Do not let the soup come to a boil. Add the chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes 4 servings, Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

Per serving: Calories 280; Total fat 10g (Sat fat 2g, Mono fat 6g, Poly fat 1g); Protein 26g; Carb 22g; Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 139mg; Sodium 291mg

Wow! This soup completely hits the spot and is also low in calories so you can feel good about eating it as well. The kids devoured this and even asked for a second helping. Now that is a good sign! I served it along with kale salad and a slice of whole wheat rustic bread.

Massaged Kale Salad with Mandarin Oranges, Red Onion and Sunflower Seeds

1 bunch of Lacinto Kale, cut into ribbons

sprinkle of sea salt

juice of one lemon

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 can of mandarin oranges, juice drained

1/2 thinly sliced onion

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

Put kale in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Sea Salt. Massage kale with your hands so it begins to wilt and darkens. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and dijon mustard. Toss the kale with dressing. Add oranges, onions and sunflowers seeds. Toss again and enjoy.

Yum!

Kale always makes me feel amazing and this salad was right up my alley. Sweet oranges really amp up the flavor and are a nice compliment to the red onion and crunch of the sunflower seeds.

I loved this meal so much that I might just have to have it for dinner again tonight!

I also want to remind everyone to enter my Steven Smith Teamaker Giveaway! I have been drinking a ton of tea lately and I honestly feel that my overall health is improving because of it. Today's tea of choice is Smith No. 39- Fez green tea. One lucky winner will get to try this because it happens to be included in the No.1626 Variety Pack. Oh so good.

A refreshing blend of rare green teas and aromatic spearmint, artfully evoking old Morocco. Will definitely rock your casbah.

I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday and I am off to listen to another IIN Webinar. Love it!

Have a great rest of your day and I will check back tomorrow.

Oatmeal Lovin'

2012-01-23T16:31:00.002-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We had a really fun weekend and I was a bit sad to see it end. Saturday ended up being our day to play and I started the morning off with a fabulous run in Laurelhurst Park. It was a sunny morning and I knew I better get out before the rain showers appeared. It felt so great to get out and run and I came home full of love for my family and grateful for everything I have. I also listened to an inspiring Integrative Nutrition module which made me so excited to be in the health and fitness industry and can't wait to share everything that I am learning with my clients or you guys!!

I know I say this all the time but I LOVE the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and it just feels great to know what you want to do and learn how to go about it. I want to be a Holistic Health Coach and I have spent the last five years working on my toolbox of skills to get to this point. Now all I have to do is learn to market myself and that is where I am asking you guys for help. I need to name my business and wanted to see what you guys think about some of the names I have come up with or if you have some suggestions that would be great as well. My maiden name is Bliss which I am rather fond of and thought about naming my business Bliss Holistic Health, Bliss Health, The Bliss Method, Blissful Healing, Find Your Bliss?..... I could also keep Eat, Drink and Be Aware but am not sure that is well-rounded enough. Any thoughts?? I am still brainstorming.

I also am looking for a graphic designer to help me with a logo. If any of you know of someone, please send me an email at abigail.white@eatdrinkandbeaware.com.

Okay... enough with all this business talk let's get to the FOOD!

Saturday ended up being fairly dry for the most part so we decided to go downtown and go to the abbreviated Farmer's Market. I love Farmer's Markets and I was super excited to find out that Tastebud, my all-time favorite vendor at the PSU Farmer's Market is now at the smaller year-round Farmer's Market at Shamansky Park. I can't believe I have been missing out on my all time favorite Tastebud sandwich!

Chickpea Stew + Wheatberry Salad stuffed in a fresh pita topped with Tahini and Red Pepper Sauce.

I love, love, love this sandwich.

So at this point my day I am having a pretty darn good day!

But is gets better because we end up sampling some prunes and hazelnuts that are truly amazing and which inspires me to make the best bowl of oatmeal ever!

My kids also love hazelnuts and we have big plans to make Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies later this week:)

I feel like prunes get a bad wrap being known as "grandma" food or a digestive aid and even though they may well be consumed by grandma's all over the world they are also absolutely delicious and should be eaten by all.

Health Benefits Of Eating Prunes

Prunes are high in vitamin A and beta-carotene (a natural antioxidant). These two vitamins play a key role in maintaining healthy eye-sight and are also used to fight acne, resulting in a smooth radiant skin.
The dietary fiber present in the fruit aids weight loss, as it produces a sense of fullness in the stomach.
The insoluble dietary fiber in prunes contributes to the growth of certain useful bacteria in the intestine. Hence, it is regarded as a natural probiotic.
The soluble dietary fiber of the fruit, on the other hand, promotes the maintenance of a healthy colon and is useful in certain conditions, like hemorrhoids, constipation, diverticular disorders and so on.

Prune and Hazelnut Chia Oats

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 prunes, chopped

6 hazelnuts chopped

drizzle of maple syrup

Combine the oats, water, milk, chia seeds and cinnamon in a small pot over medium heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes and then add in chopped prunes and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and pour oat mixture into your favorite bowl. Drizzle with Maple Syrup and top with chopped hazelnuts.

Enjoy.

Oh my gosh this is so good!

Now to continue with my love of oats, my daughter, Zoe and I ended up making Oatcakes with Flaxseed and Walnuts. Zoe found this recipe in Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day Cookbook and she also happens to have a recipe for Oatmeal topped with Prunes, Hazelnuts, Brown Butter and Yogurt that I am going to have to try that next. Wow.... that sounds pretty amazing.

These Oatcakes are dense and hearty, not too sweet but just right, and have a nice bite from the sea salt as well.

Oatcakes with Flaxseed and Walnuts

recipe adapted from Super Natural Every Day Cookbook by Heidi Swanson

(makes 12 muffins)

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup golden flaxseeds

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup raw honey

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan.

Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, flax meal, and walnuts in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut oil, butter, honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar and slowly melt together. Stir just until the butter melts and sugar has dissolved, but don’t let the mixture get too hot. And if it does, let it cool a bit – you don’t want it to cook the eggs in the next step.

Pour the coconut oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir a bit with a fork, add the eggs, and stir again until everything comes together into a wet dough. Spoon the dough into muffin cups, filling them to the top and slightly packing them into the muffin tin.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges of each oatcake are deeply golden. Remove pan from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes. Then run a knife around the edges of the cakes and tip them out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I absolutely love these and they are particularly good with a smear of preserves. This is basically a portable version of oatmeal in a bowl. Oh so good.

Time flies when you are having fun and I better get ready to pick up the kids and for the day's activities.

Have a great rest of your Monday!

Steven Smith Tea Giveaway + Lunch Date

2012-01-20T19:13:00.001-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

I have had an absolutely fabulous afternoon. After I got home from my work my hubby and I decided we should play hookie and go on a field trip to the Steven Smith Teamaker store. Have I told you that I am obsessed with these teas? Well, I am and I love them so much I thought it might be nice for me to share my newest obsession with one of you. I think it is high time for a giveaway and 1 lucky reader will win the Steven Smith Teamaker No. 1626 Smith Variety Tea Pack.

No 1626 - This lively selection of white, green and black teas and herbal infusions was packed to introduce your palate to the fresh and subtle flavors of Smith. You are sure to find your next favorite tea enclosed.

All you have to do to enter this fantastic giveaway is:

1. Follow Me and add me to your Blogroll (if you are a blogger) - I love Followers!

2. "Like" me on Eat, Drink and Be Aware click here (right hand corner)

3. "Like" me on Facebook- click here and here ( I really need to be "liked")

4. Leave a comment-" sharing your favorite kind of tea" I love to hear from you.

All entries will be given a number and that number will be entered into the Random.org generator and drawn by 12:00pm on January 27th, 2012.

Now let me tell you all about the quaint Smith Teamaker shop. It is tucked away on the SW side of Portland on a shady street in the hip outskirts of the Pearl district. It happens to be right next door to the Olympic Provisions Restaurant which was a bonus since we ended up having a bite there after we enjoyed some tea at the Smith Tea.

We ordered a pot of the No.24 Big Hibiscus

The cabernet of hibiscus teas. Deep red in color, complex and nuanced, this tea almost needs a corkscrew. Caffeine free.

Yum!

We meandered around the store and ended up buying a few things as well.

Steve loves black teas and I love green and herbal teas so we decided to get the Smith Variety so we could try a mix of the teas as well as a bag of No. 24- Big Hibiscus (I love this tea!)

A rich blend of robust, full-bodied and slightly smoky teas. Makes quite a spoonbender, any time of day.

and

Highly aromatic, full bodied tea with hints of fruit and minerals and long lingering aftertaste.

I originally became obsessed with Smith Tea when I picked up one of their bottled No. 6 Black Cap Tea. This is a black teas steeped in water that has been infused with blackberries- a process they call "fruitsmithing"

Me oh my that tea is good!

So I think I have enough tea to hold me over for a while and can't wait for one of you to give this tea a try as well. So please enter this giveaway-- I promise it is a good one!

Steve and I then snuck next door for a bite to eat at the Olympic Provisions.

Olympic Provisions is home to Oregon’s first USDA-approved salumeria, established in 2009. With two locations in beautiful Portland, Oregon, both Olympic Provisions operate as European-style restaurants, bustling neighborhood delis, and onsite meat-curing facilities.

Olympic Provisions Northwest kitchen is led by Chef Erin Williams, who creates beautiful rustic Italian food in a neighborhood cafe setting with a antique French rotisserie.

I admit that I am not much of a salami eater but if I was, this is the place to come. This restaurant was right up my husband's alley and I really enjoyed it as well. It was fun to go out to lunch, just the two of us and I think we need to do this more often!

We started with an order of Olives and Hazelnuts.

I was debating between the

Deli salad,

Black eyed peas and rice, roasted vegetables, parsley, scallions,

feta

or the

Sandwich

Radicchio pesto, roasted delicata squash, chickpea-preserved lemon spread, braised greens, hazelnuts, chèvre.

I did not realize that this sandwich was going to be grilled and was slightly greasy for my taste but the filling was amazing and a real treat for me!

Steve ordered the:

House cured meats, provolone, radicchio-bell pepper slaw, shaved red onion, calabrian chili and olive mayonnaise

He declared that this was "out of his mind good!" Steve and I have a few places that have memorable sandwiches and on that list is:

Molinari's Delicatessen in San Francisco

and

Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica

Our lunch date was a great way to start the weekend and I am now off to go to the Laurelhurst school play with the kids. A bunch of the kids' friends are in the play and it should be a really fun way to end our Friday evening.

Plans for the weekend include:

Exercise

Go to Hot Yoga Class- my body desperately needs it

Study for Institute for Integrative Nutrition Exam

Explore new names for business website and brand logo

Cook some Healthy Meals

and most importantly

Spend time with the kids and hubby!

Have a happy and healthy weekend.

Snow Day in PDX

2012-01-18T22:32:00.002-06:00

Good Evening and Happy Hump Day!

I woke up to a beautiful blanket of white snow outside. Yep, it snowed in Portland last night but was already melting away by the time I went to work (5:15am) so it was a brief and wonderful way to start the day. Unfortunately, the kids were thoroughly disappointed that they had to go to school today. No snow day for them.

Anyhow, this did put a bit of a damper on our venture to Mount Tabor for running day at Portland Adventure Bootcamp. We ended up going to the gym for a kick-a__ workout. I even got to teach today which was super fun. I am still in training mode at work but am hoping to be up and running in no time!

So after yesterday's post about Semi-Healthy Oatmeal Creme Pies (which the kids loved!!) I thought I better start the day off with a Green Smoothie!

Green Maca Smoothie

1 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

1 frozen banana

1 scoop of Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder
1 tbsp Maca Powder

1 tbsp Vitamineral Green

1 cup fresh spinach

Place all ingredients in Vitamix 5200 and blend until smooth!

Lunch was an awesome :

Mexican Bean and Avocado Wrap

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla

1/4 cup fat-free refried beans

1 egg, fried

1 oz. Tillamook Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese

3 slices avocado

Salsa

Cook the egg in a non-stick skillet to your liking. Spread Whole Wheat Tortilla with refried beans and then top with egg, cheese and avocado. Wrap the tortilla up and place in non-stick skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and serve with salsa.

Delish!

This has been my favorite lunch this week. It is warm, creamy and delicious.

I hope all of you had a great day and I will check back mañana . I have to go to the dentist tomorrow and am not particularly looking forward to it. I do always enjoy how my teeth feel squeaky clean afterwards:)

Semi-Healthy Oatmeal Cream Pies

2012-01-17T15:56:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Tuesday!

Okay, I know that this is supposed to be blog about healthy food but every once in a while a gal needs to bake and today's baking extravaganza came about by my kids asking "why" I won't buy them Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies. Now, my kids do know better but that does not mean that they don't ask me for junk anyhow. I am not a nazi about junk food because I think it just makes my kids want it even more but do try to limit their consumption of processed foods and do have a variety of fruits and veggies in the house at all times. Here it comes.......it is all about balance and with that being said I thought it would be fun to make a semi-healthy version of Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies.

I must warn you that these are "dangerously" good and that should be enjoyed in moderation. I made my favorite Chewy Oatmeal Cookie recipe and then filled them with a delightful Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting. OMG! The cookie itself does not have a lot of butter because I wanted to save room for the buttercream filling. There is just no way around making a buttercream filling without butter.... or if there is I would love for someone to share it with me!

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies filled with Cinnamon Buttercream

1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup of natural cane juice sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
2 tbsp wheat germ

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In medium bowl beat the butter and sugar . Beat in the brown sugar and then the egg. Add applesauce, followed by the vanilla. Gently stir in the flour mixture, the oats and wheatgerm.

Drop by tablespoons on 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten the cookies with the back of a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until they are still moist and soft. Do not over bake. Cool.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, scraping bowl. Beat on high until light and fluffy.

Take cooled oatmeal cookie and spread it with a thin layer of Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting. Top with another Oatmeal Cookie to create a sandwich.

Enjoy!

Now I wil have to let you know what my kids think about these Homemade Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies! My husband declared that these were "WAY" better than the packaged kind. I tend to agree since I know all the ingredients that went into them:) Let's just say that these cookies are "Freaking" amazing. OMG good! "Hide these from me Good."

It is a good thing that I took one of the Portland Adventure Bootcamp classes this morning because these cookies are worth every calorie.

I promise to post a healthy recipe tomorrow but I am off to study for my first Institute for Integrative Nutrition exam.

Have a great rest of your day!

Steven Smith Teamaker, Chobani Apple Cinnamon Greek Yogurt + Lentil and Rice Salad

2012-01-16T17:47:00.000-06:00

On my quest for health, I have discovered that tea not only taste delicious and makes me feel great but that it is actually really good for me.Good Afternoon and Happy MLK Day!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We had a very nice weekend despite the Saint's losing the football game. We spent some time downtown as well as outside in the winter wonderland. It briefly snowed in Portland yesterday but did not stick. The kids thought it was great and are hoping for real snow so they can have a snow day. I don't think that is going to happen but they can dream!

I am making a few tweaks to my diet and one of them is lowering my coffee intake and switching to tea. I am lucky because little did I know it, Portland is home to one of the most distinctive tea scenes in the country. Local tea businesses include Tazo Tea, Stash Tea, Tao of Tea, Townshend Tea House and now Steven Smith Teamaker. Steven Smith is the founder of Stash and Tazo Tea which he has since sold and now opened Smith Tea House that crafts small batches of unique teas.

On my quest for health, I have discovered that tea not only taste delicious and makes me feel great but that it is actually really good for me.

The Top 10 Reasons to Drink Tea

1. Tea contains antioxidants

2. Tea has less caffeine than coffee.

3. Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

4. Tea protects your bones. .

5. Tea gives you a sweet smile.

6. Tea bolsters your immune defenses.

7. Tea protects against cancer.

8. Tea helps keep you hydrated. one time.

9. Tea is calorie-free.

10. Tea increases your metabolism.

I have been having fun checking out different teas and have to say that the above teas are my current favorite. These really are special and I bought one caffeinated tea and one decaffeinated tea.

Golden chamomile freshly bundled with a full bouquet of flowers. Deliciously relaxing and stimulating at the same time. Caffeine free.

and

This fragrant and creamy introduction to white tea is naturally high in antioxidants, with a slightly sweet bloom of flavor.

All of this talk of tea has made me go fix another cup to enjoy on this cold and blustery day. I am planning a little field trip to Smith Tea House in the next couple of days and have a list of other tea houses that I want to try. Anyone care to join me??

This is not my first tea exploration, I had given up coffee for 8 months once before but have decided that this time around I can include both coffee and tea in my diet but just need to cut down my consumption of coffee to 1 cup a day. I am laughing because the more I am learning at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition the more I am becoming less stringent and more open to including everything in my diet. Weird, huh. Check back next week and I may have something completely different to say! The one thing I can say for sure is that no-one diet works for everyone and that it is an ever evolving process of listening to your body.

I have been trying to up my protein intake which can be challenging if you are not much of a meat-eater. One of the things I do like is Greek Yogurt and I usually just buy plain 2% greek yogurt and sweeten it myself with honey but was lured over to the Chobani flavored yogurt section because they had a few new flavors out. You know that I am a sucker for marketing!

Crisp, juicy apples baked with cinnamon and topped with our delectable 0% Plain yogurt — who needs apple pie?

Anyhow, the new Chobani Apple Cinnamon Yogurt is delish! I had that along with a sliced apple, topped with cinnamon and a side of Barney Butter. This was a nice little meal and really filled me up.

I also bought the Chobani Blood Orange flavor and will have to report back as to how it tastes?

The combination of our thick, creamy non-fat yogurt and this uniquely tart fruit will have you quickly asking, “Orange you going to grab me another?!”

I have a new favorite dish that I must share with you. If you like Indian food then you will love this healthy Lentil and Brown Basmati Rice Salad.

Lentil and Brown Rice Salad

recipe adapted from Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 large carrots, diced

1 tsp garam masala

1-2 squirts of Sriracha Hot Sauce (optional)

1 tsp sea salt

2 cups frozen chopped spinach

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

¾ cup green lentils

½ cup brown basmati rice

4 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In an oven-proof pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add chopped red onion and crushed garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the diced carrots, dried thyme, garam masala, sriracha and sea salt: stir to coat with olive oil. Saute for a few minutes more then add the chopped spinach and stir.
Wait until the spinach has thawed and the mixture is sizzling again, then add the red wine vinegar and stir to remove any browned bits. Quickly add the lentils, brown rice, and water, mix well.
Place into a covered pot in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

The best part about this Lentil and Rice Salad is that is tastes good either warm or cold. It is also super filling and high in protein:)

I am off to enjoy a little time with the kids on MLK Day! I hope everyone has a great rest of the evening.

Vegan Indian-Style Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

2012-01-13T19:02:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and TGIF:

Wow! This week has just whizzed by and I am so glad that it is the weekend! I survived my first week at my new job and am loving it. I miss my clients but I am hoping that few may come and check out Portland Adventure Bootcamp. It really is a special place and I am already so inspired by all the women who go there. They work really hard and really support each other. Another benefit of the new job is that I do not have to work weekends and that is really important to me and my family.

The best part is that we do not have a whole lot of plans and I mean that in a good way. My husband would like to watch the Saints versus the San Francisco 49er's football game. Now, this is a big deal because my husband does not really like football and he is a fan of both teams but will root for the Saints since he "knows what it means to miss New Orleans." He has requested that I make him a King Cake for the occasion. King Cake is not exactly in my diet but hey.... I do not need partake:)

One thing that I did partake of was an Indian Style Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito that I absolutely loved. I pretty much love anything I post on here so excuse my effusiveness. Not everything makes the cut and I have had two dishes that I made that didn't make the cut this week. One was an Ethiopian dish that just didn't turn out quite right and the other was just a ho-hum, nothing special dish. In other words, not worth sharing with you all.

Indian-Style Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

recipe adapted from Color Me Vegan Cookbook

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 bell peppers (red, yellow, green or orange) cut into strips

1 large onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (I love ginger so used 2 teaspoons)

1 sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1-2 teaspoons garam masala (2 tsps will give it a little kick)

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

sea salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup cooked brown basmati rice

Whole Wheat or Corn Tortillas

Garnish with:

Chutney or Salsa

Avocado (optional)

Heat the coconut oil in a large sauté pan. Saute the feel peppers, onion, garlic and ginger over medium heat or 7-10 minutes, until the peppers and onion are soft.

Add the sweet potato and gram masala and mix well. Add the stock, and cover. Cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the potato is tender.

At the end of the cooking time, add the beans and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes longer and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the vegetable and bean mixture, rice, chutney or salsa and avocado evenly down the center of tortilla and then roll it up. Serve immediately.

Yum!

This can be served for lunch or dinner and is a nice alternative to the traditional burrito.

It looks like we are off to enjoy some Thai food on this lovely Friday evening. So I am off for now but I hope all of you enjoy the rest of your Friday and weekend!

On an Egg Roll

2012-01-12T16:26:00.003-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Thursday!

I just realized that I have been on a bit of an egg tear these last few days. I go through this phase every so often where I just can't seem to get enough eggs and suspect it must mean that I need more protein in my diet. I am not a huge meat eater and rarely eat red meat and find eggs a super lean form of protein that is easy to incorporate into my diet. So I am dedicating this post to the Incredible Edible Egg.

I was hesitant to put this first picture up because Egg Salad sort of grosses me out except if I make it and I assume that others may feel the same way as well. I detest mayo (I know.... harsh) so egg salad is not a staple in our household. But once in a blue moon I crave it and make it with greek yogurt and dijon mustard. I admit, this was soo delicious!

Creamy No-Mayo Egg Salad

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped= 140 calories

1 tbsp 2% plain greek yogurt= 10 calories

1 tbsp dijon mustard= 5 calories

2 slices Dave's Killer Bread- Light Good Seed Bread= 150 calories

Total = 305 calories, 13 grams of fat, 6 grams of fiber, 21 grams of protein

In a small bowl add chopped eggs, greek yogurt and mustard. Stir until combined. Spread egg salad on one slice of bread and top with remaining piece of bread.

Enjoy!

I am not usually a calorie counter but have been pretty diligent about logging my food into the MyPlate program on the Livestrong website. I need to shed a few lbs and thought this may help me get back on track. I totally believe in keeping a food journal but don't always include calories and such. The My Plate program is easy to use and gives you a full picture of what you are eating and how many calories you are burning. I am hoping to tweak my diet just a bit and am experimenting with the program.

Egg and Avocado Quesadilla

2 corn tortillas= 190 calories

1 egg, fried= 70 calories

3 slices avocado= 50 calories

1 oz Tillamook Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese= 80 calories

1 tbsp Salsa= 10 calories

Total = 390 calories, 17 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber and 24 grams of protein

Cook the egg in a non-stick skillet. I prefer fried with most the yoke cooked through but you could scramble it, make it sunny side up or however you prefer to eat your eggs. Remove egg and put one tortilla in the skillet. Top with cooked egg, cheese and avocado. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, flipping halfway through. When cheese is melted and tortillas are golden brown remove from oven and top with salsa.

Delish!

Avocado, Egg and Cheddar Sandwich

2 slices Dave's Killer Light Good Seed Bread. toasted= 150 calories

1 egg, fried= 70

1 oz. Tillmook Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese= 80

3 slices avocado= 50

Total= 350 Calories, 19.5 grams of fat, 9 grams of fiber, 22 grams of protein

Cook one egg to your desired preference. I fried mine in non-stick skillet. Place egg, cheese and avocado on toasted bread and enjoy!

Yum!

I had this for lunch today and it was delicious. I am in search for good lunch ideas so if you have any please send them my way.

Can you believe how quick this week has gone by?? I am looking forward to the weekend and am excited because I am going to be meeting up with all the local Institute for Integrative Nutrition students. There is a great support system here and I am just loving this program. My first exam is coming up and I have already learned so much. I also wanted to let you know that I am still offering Free Health Histories to anyone who is interested. Shoot me an email at abigail.white@eatdrinkandbeaware.com and we can set something up.

It is time for me to pick up the kiddos and then off to gymnastics we go.

Have a great rest of your day.

Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Feta Cheese Frittata

2012-01-11T16:41:00.001-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Hump Day!

I have been busy acclimating to my new job at Portland Bootcamp and love it! The above picture is the beautiful sunrise I saw at Mount Tabor with the running group from Portland Bootcamp. On Wednesday, the group meets at Mount Tabor (my favorite running spot:) and does a running workout. I did the 5:30am, 7:15am and 9:00am class and loved every minute of it. The first class was pitch dark and cold, the sun started peaking out at the 7:15am class and by 9:00am we were flooded with sunlight. Did I mention how much I loved class today?? I love to be outside and surprise myself by how important it is to get outside and smell the fresh air. I always come away full of gratitude.

Now on the food front, I am trying to clear out my fridge and pantry and ended up making a lovely Frittata last night with a potato crust and filled it with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. Yum!

Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Feta Cheese Frittata

1 tbsp olive oil

2 potatoes, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 whole eggs

2 egg whites

2 cups spinach

2 tbsp julienne sun-dried tomatoes

2 tbsp feta cheese

sea salt + pepper. to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a oven-ready skillet, add potatoes and garlic and sauté for 5-8 minutes or until potatoes are tender and almost cooked through. In another bowl crack eggs and whisk until combined. Top sautéed potatoes spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. Pour eggs over veggies and place on oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are cooked and top is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let set for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Potato Crust

Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

Frittatas are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and they are so simple to make. You can serve this with a nice salad and you have got a complete meal.

So with all that running today, I knew I would need a few power-snacks to get me through and grabbed a bag of:

Navitas Naturals Citrus Chia Superfood Power Snacks.

If you like Larabars you are going to LOVE these little nuggets of joy.

Bite-Sized Goodness

Grab a bite of energy and celebrate, because while your taste buds are singing, your body’s feeling even healthier. These delicious snacks are made from the most nutrient-dense plants found in nature, packed with functional food stars like cacao, maca, chia, and camu-camu. At Navitas, our tradition is to globally source the most nutritious, wholesome, and sustainably-cultivated ingredients we can find. Now, we’ve combined these premium organic superfoods into flavorful grab-and-go snacks, making it easier than ever to enjoy their vibrant benefits.

These little guys are good and I popped a couple in between the 7:15am and 9:00am classes and it was the perfect "pick-me-up."

Wow, the day has just whizzed by. I ran a few errands which included buying some new gym pants. I don't like things that are super tight especially around my problem area (butt and thighs) but decided to embrace my body (warts and all) and got some running capris. I also thought these rather form-fitting pants would be a good motivator for me to stay out of the cookie jar:) Maybe I should just wear them around all day and before putting something in my mouth I should go and take a look in the mirror to make sure I really am "hungry! I will try all tactics:)

With that I am off to get the kids and then we are headed to Math Club and Indoor Soccer.

I hope everyone has a glorious rest of their day.

The Navitas Naturals Smoothment Giveaway Winner

2012-01-09T16:32:00.002-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Monday!

Today is the last day of Navitas Naturals Smoothment and I have thoroughly enjoyed all the Smoothie videos by Julie Morris. I have a bunch of new smoothie recipes that I want to try as well as some new Navitas Naturals products. I am so bummed because the Twister Superfruit Blend is sold out and am hoping it comes back in stock soon. The Twister Superfruit Blend is made up of Goji Powder, Pomegranate Powder, Acai Powder all rolled up into one blend. Yum!

So before announcing the winner of the Navitas Naturals Smoothment Giveaway I thought I would share two awesome smoothies that I have made in the past few days.

Smoothie # 1= Blueberry Maqui Kale Smoothie

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup 2 % greek yogurt

1 scoop Sunwarrior Raw Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder

1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries

1/2 frozen banana

1 tsp Navitas Naturals Maqui Powder

1 tbsp Navitas Naturals Chia Powder

1 cup chopped kale

Add the above ingredients into Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour into your favorite glass, garnish with a few blueberries.

Enjoy!

Oh my this was a good one. Super tasty and really filling. I will definitely be making this again.

Smoothie # 2= Mango Kale Pudding Smoothie

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup 2 % greek yogurt

1 scoop Sunwarrior Raw Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1 tbsp Navitas Naturals Chia Powder

1 cup chopped kale

Add the above ingredients into Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Spoon into your favorite glass.

Enjoy!

I am calling this smoothie pudding because it was so rich and creamy and I felt like I was eating the most delicious green pudding (in a good way). Mangos are awesome in smoothies and this one was particularly good. I am doubling up on protein this week so the addition of the greek yogurt + the protein powder is also making these smoothies power packed.

I started my new job today and spent the day "shadowing" the instructor or in other words I did three boot camp classes in a row today. I absolutely loved it but am sure that I will be a wee bit sore tomorrow:) Tomorrow we are going to be doing an AB Circuit so I am super excited to see how that goes. Wednesday is Mount Tabor Running day and you know that I can't wait for that.

Okay enough about me -- let's go ahead and announce the winner of the Navitas Natural Smoothment Giveaway!

The winner is:

Katherine

Congrats!

Thank you all for participating in the giveaway and I will be doing another one very soon!

I hope everyone has a great rest of there day.

Sunday Scottish Oats+ Couscous Sheperd's Pie

2012-01-08T11:39:00.000-06:00

Good Morning and Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. We have been having a great weekend so far and am looking forward to today. Yesterday, we split up and Steve and Emmet spent the day in Salem at the Longboarding Slide Jam and Zoe and I got our nails done, cooked and cleaned. Wow. That sort of sounds so old school but we did all of it by choice!

Zoe loves to get her nails done and about every other month we go and get pedicures and have a "girly"day. I tried a new color that I love! It is OPI Not Like the Movies and it is a fantastic iridescent mix of shimmering silver, pink, green and purple. Zoe went all out and got bright green on her toes and bright orange on her fingers:)

After we got our nails done we went to Whole Foods for lunch and to shop for supplies to make a Vegetarian Sheperd's Pie. I found this recipe in the new issue of Vegetarian Times and it is super simple to make as well as super healthy. I love the use of couscous for the topping. It turns golden brown and adds a nice crunch to the dish.

Couscous Sheperd's Pie

recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times Jan/Feb 2012 issue

4 tbsp coconut oil, divided

1 small onion, thinly sliced

3-4 tbsp ras el hanout spice- I used Frontier Tagine Seasoning

ras el hanout is a spice mix used to season stews and tanginess in Morocco

2 15 oz cans crushed tomatoes

4 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 turnip, cut into 1 inch chunks

2 zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks

2 yellow squash, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, divided

1 1/2 cups couscous

1 tsp sea salt

1. Heat 2 tbs. coconut oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tagine spice and sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and3 cups water, season with salt and pepper-to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add carrots and turnip, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and squash and 3/4 cup chickpeas, and cook 5 more minutes.

2. Puree remaining 3/4 cup chickpeas in food processor until smooth. Stir pureed chickpeas into vegetable mixture, season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour vegetable mixture into 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine couscous and salt in large heat-proof bowl. Cover with 3 cups boiling water, cover bowl and let stand for 5 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Fluff with fork, and stir in remaining 2 tbs melted coconut oil. Spread couscous over vegetable mixture in baking dish. Bake

30 minutes, or until couscous begins to brown on top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This dish is delicious and very filling. It has a nice kick to it as well.

Now this morning, I slept in until 7:30am and started off the day refreshed and excited to make a warm bowl of Scottish Oats. Scottish Oats take a bit longer to make than old-fashioned oats so I reserve making them on the weekends. This morning's bowl was a particularly good batch:

Scottish Oats topped with Dried Peaches, Dried Apricots, Chia Seeds and Pistachios

1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Scottish Oats

3/4 cup water

Bring water to a boil in a small pot. Add Scottish Oats, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes give oats a good stir and pour into your favorite bowl.

Top with:

1 Dried Peach, chopped

2 Dried Apricots, chopped

1 tsp Chia Seeds

1 tbsp pistachios

drizzle of raw honey

Yum!

Emmet and I spent the day at Washington Park. Emmet participated in the Longboarding Switchback Race and I got a quick run in before the race began. It was an absolutely gorgeous day here, sunny and 50 degrees. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon and now we are off to friends house for dinner.

Have a great rest of you weekend!

Jump Start - Day 1

2012-01-06T20:18:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

Phew! It has been one busy week and a bit emotional as well. My last day at 24 Hour Fitness was yesterday and it was bittersweet because I have met so many wonderful people and will miss my clients dearly.

On the flip side, I went to Portland Boot Camp this morning and attended a fantastic class and met another bunch of wonderful people and can't wait to start work on Monday. We actually did a timed mile this bright and brisk morning and I ran a mile in 6 minutes 54 seconds before heading back to the studio for a killer 15 minute circuit that included ropes, pull-ups, bear crawls, squat push-ups and box jumps. It felt great to be challenged and to have a benchmark to work from. I think I could of shaved off a few more seconds if I had really pushed myself! I generally run for pure pleasure and don't necessarily time myself but think this is a great method to work from and can't wait to do it again in 4 weeks.

The morning began with a delicious Coconut Kale Maqui Smoothie:

Coconut Kale Maqui Smoothie

1 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

1 frozen banana

1 tbsp Navitas Naturals Chia Powder

1 tsp Maqui Powder

1 scoop Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder

1 cup Lacinato Kale

Garnish with Hemp

Place above ingredients in Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into your favorite glass and garnish with Hemp Seeds

Yum!

This may not be the prettiest color but it was absolutely delicious.

Don't forget to enter the Navitas Naturals Smoothment and enter my giveaway:

click here

My hubby and I took the dog for a nice walk this morning and I have spent the rest of the afternoon running errands and studying. I am purging my kitchen and have been in need of a new set of pots and pans for quite some time and found a great deal on a 10 piece set today! Out with the old and in with the new. It has inspired me to do a little cooking this weekend. Soup seems to be on my mind and I am going to spend some time tonight looking at healthy soup recipes.

Now back to my Jump Start.....lunch was:

Ezekiel English Muffin with Sunbutter + Cinnamon Apples

As part of my Jump Start, I have been switching from coffee to tea in the mornings. I am having a spot of Scottish Breakfast Black Tea with a dash of milk and honey. So far so good. I admit it does not give me the same jolt that coffee does but seems to give me enough caffeine to get up and going!

A snack is order right about now and I am going to have:

a handful of snow peas and red bell pepper with 2 tbsp hummus

Dinner is going to be leftover salads from yesterday:

Kale Salad

Cold Soba Noodle with Edamame Pesto

I can't tell you how much I love this soba noodle salad! It is soo good.

I am going to try really, really hard not to have a sweet treat but if I do I am going to limit it to a 2 oz square of Dark Chocolate!

I am off to help Emmet with a school project but hope that all of you have a fabulous Friday!

Kale Salad of the Week + Cold Soba Salad with Edamame Pesto

2012-01-04T22:25:00.000-06:00

Good Evening and Happy Hump Day!

Even though we are halfway through the week I am just getting around to making my weekly Kale Salad. I would say that I am mildly obsessed with kale right now and have been making some version of kale salad each week. I have been experimenting with all the different varieties of kale and have to say that my favorite is the Lacinato Kale also know as Dino Kale.

Lacinato Kale is intensely GREEN and is more tender than some of the other varieties.

Massaged Kale Salad

1 bunch of Lacinto Kale, cut into ribbons

1 tbsp olive oil

sprinkle of sea salt

juice of one lemon

1 Honeycrisp Apple, diced

1 cup cucumber, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Put kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Massage kale with your hands so it is coated with the olive oil and it begins to wilt and darkens. Add the lemon juice, apples, carrots, and toasted walnuts, and toss.

Yum!

I also made the most amazing Cold Soba Salad with Edamame Pesto. I absolutely love this salad. It is packed with flavor, extremely filling and has a nice crunch to it with the addition of red cabbage. I found this recipe in the January/February issue of Health Magazine hidden in the back of the magazine and am so glad that I did. You have gotta give this one a try..... Love it!

Cold Soba Salad with Edamame Pesto

recipe adapted from Health Magazine January/February 2012

8 ounces soba noodles
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup pepitas
1-2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup shelled frozen edamame, defrosted
1 tsp red pepper flakes ( I like it spicy!)
dash of sea salt
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Transfer noodles to a colander and run under cold water to cool. Drain well.

To make pesto: Place cilantro, parsley, pepitas, garlic, edamame, pepper flakes and sea salt in food processor and pulse until incorporated. With motor running, drizzle in lime juice, oil and water and process until smooth.

Transfer pesto to a large bowl and add noodles and cabbage. Toss until well coated. Divide noodle salad among 4 plates and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Delish!

I have had good day of eats today and am getting back on track slowly but surely!

Join the Smoothment- Navitas Naturals Giveaway + Healthier Version of 7-Layer Dip!

2012-01-03T19:07:00.000-06:00

By Good Afternoon and Happy Tuesday!

Today is the official kick off of the Smoothment - from Navitas Naturals. Therefore, I had to officially kick off my day with:

Banana Coconut Kale Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 frozen banana

1 scoop of Sunwarrior Protein Powder

1 tbsp Navitas Naturals Chia Powder

2 Lacinto Kale Leaves

Place all the ingredient in Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Delish!

smoothies: a powerful daily habit

The New Year is the perfect time to start a fresh commitment to health, and it doesn’t have to be hard. That’s why Navitas Naturals created the Smoothment: a motivating initiative to help people get a healthy and energized start to the New Year via the blender. This week-long program features easy and delicious 60-Second Smoothie Video recipes and exclusive tips for making smoothies full of health-giving function. Whether enjoyed in place of breakfast, lunch or snack, smoothies are a simple, ideal tool for nutritional change. Upgrade the nutrition of just one meal per day and experience a revitalizing jumpstart towards long-lasting health and vitality.

Navitas Naturals has been kind enough to offer one of my lucky readers 1 bag of superfood for participating in the Smoothment.

One reader will win a Navitas Naturals Superfood Giveaway from my site but you will also have a chance to win one from Navitas Naturals Smoothment Campaign. And as if that is not enough, they are offering 30% off all Smoothment ingredients for the full duration of the Smoothment (ends 1-9-2012). Sign up and take 30% off any 4oz, 8oz or 16oz bag of Maqui Powder, Goji Powder, Cashews, Goji Berries, Antioxidant Blend, Lucuma Powder, Wheatgrass Powder, Hemp Seeds, Chia Seeds, Cacao Powder, Hemp Powder, Maca Powder, Palm Sugar, Cacao Nibs, Acai Powder, Camu Powder or Mulberries!

All you have to do to enter the Navitas Naturals Superfood Giveaway is:

To enter:
1. Follow Me and add me to your Blogroll (if you are a blogger) -I love Followers!!
2. Join the Navitas Naturals "Smoothment" here.
3. "Like" me on Eat, Drink and Be Aware click here (right hand corner)

4. "Like" me on Facebook- click here and here

(I really need to be "Liked"!)
3. Leave a comment - "sharing your favorite smoothie recipe" I love to hear from you!

All entries will be given a number and that number will be entered into the Random.org generator and drawn by 12:00pm on January 9th, 2012.

I also needed to kick off my day with a smoothie because yesterday I ate a healthy serving of 7 Layer Bean Dip along with a handful of chips while watching the Oregon Ducks versus Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl. Okay, I have to admit that I did not even know that the Oregon Ducks were in the Rose Bowl until going to work yesterday..... I know lame. But I stepped up to the plate and whipped up a batch of 7 Layer Dip! I am game for a celebration at anytime and the game was actually pretty exciting.

Healthier Version of 7-Layer Dip

I healthified this dip by replacing the cream cheese layer with greek yogurt and by reducing the cheese from 2 cups to 1 cup. Believe me this dip tasted awesome and you will not miss the fat, I promise.

Guacamole:
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, fresh
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons salsa
- Salt to taste (optional)
- black pepper to taste
Dip:
- 1/2 cup Fage 2% Greek Yogurt
- 15-ounce can fat-free or vegetarian refried beans
- 1 cup diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
- 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese blend
- 2 1/4-ounce can sliced black olives (optional)

Preparation:
1. Make guacamole and set aside.
2. Spread the refried beans in the bottom of a deep-dish pie plate
4. Top the beans with the greek yogurt, then top that with the guacamole.
5. Spread the tomatoes on top, then sprinkle the green onions over the top, followed by the shredded cheese and black olives if desired.
6. Serve with reduced-fat tortilla chips.

This dip is absolutely delicious! It is an oldie but a goodie and I associate this dip with Football for some reason.

By the way, the Oregon Ducks won the Rose Bowl just in case you had not heard:)

I have got a busy week ahead and am finishing my last week of work at 24 Hour Fitness and getting ready to embark on my next adventure at Portland Bootcamp.

I have not talked a whole lot about my New Year's resolutions yet but will tell you that I need to get back on track with my health and fitness goals. The holiday season is over I am ready to get lean and green in 2012!

One of my clients and I are going to do a 7-Day Jumpstart program that I got from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD. Dawn is the author of The Flexitarian Diet that I recommend to all of my clients. Anyhow, she has come out with a 7-Day Jumpstart Program and I could not resist buying it. Everyone needs a good jumpstart from time to time and feel that the time is NOW. So stay tuned and let me know if any of you want to join us.....

I am off for now, but I hope everyone has a great rest of the day!

New Year's Good Luck Soup

2012-01-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

Good Evening and Happy 2012!

I wish each and everyone of you a Happy and Healthy New Year. Today is a fresh new start for many and I am looking forward to all the changes that lay ahead. To start the year out right we made a New Year's Good Luck Soup. Our Good Luck Soup is made with Black-Eyed Peas, Greens, Brown Basmati Rice and a broth that was made with a Ham Bone to cover all bases.

What to Eat to Bring Good Luck

Black-eyed peas and lentils eaten on New Year’s Day are said to bring riches and safety to the coming year.
Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year's in different countries for a simple reason — their green leaves look like folded money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune.
Eating pork on New Year’s Day is lucky because pigs eat moving forward. Therefore, those who eat pork will move forward in the coming year.

New Year's Good Luck Soup

recipe from Steve White

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks celery, chopped

6-8 cups water

1 ham-bone

1 bag frozen black-eyed peas

1 bag frozen mixed greens- collard, mustard and kale

3/4 cup brown basmati rice

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add water, ham-bone and black-eyed peas. Simmer for 1 hour. Then add in rice and greens and cook for an additional 45 minutes or until rice is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Super Simple and Super Tasty!

I added a side of Kale Salad for extra good luck!

Avocado, Apple, Pecan Kale Salad

*1 bunch of kale, thick stems removed and coarsely chopped
*sea salt and freshly ground pepper
*1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
*1 tablespoons olive oil
* juice of one lemon
*1 ripe avocado, diced
*1 honeycrisp apple, diced
*1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
*1 large handful of toasted pecans

Preparation:

1. Place kale in a large bowl. Add salt, garlic, olive oil and lemon. Mix very well, “massaging” the greens for about 3 minutes.

2. Add apple, avocado and cabbage into the kale mixture. Top with toasted pecans.

Yum!

I actually started 2012 off by going to work this morning and training all my favorite clients:) All my clients are my favorite clients!

After work we went on a family hike in Forest Park to start 2012 off on a healthy note. It was a beautiful day and a balmy 50 degrees.

I now have to sit down and actually write down all my goals for 2012. I have a lot of things I want to accomplish this year and I find that if I actually write them down they just might come to fruition.

But before I head out I will post a few of the highlights of the past few days:

A Happy Girl.

All geared up and ready to go!

Emmet and I at Timberline.

Mr. Emmet!

2012 Family Hike

Ms. Zoe on the slopes.

Ms. Zoe

Last run of 2011 at Mount Tabor.

Happy New Year's Everyone!

Join the Smoothment- Navitas Naturals Superfood Giveaway

2011-12-30T16:11:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

I hope everyone is having a good day and is gearing up for the New Year. I am so excited because I received a really fun package in the mail the other day from one of my favorite brands- Navitas Naturals!

Superfoods - Pure and Simple

Our food philosophy is simple: Nutrient rich whole foods are best produced using organic agricultural methods with minimal processing. Focusing on both food safety and nutrition, we handle our premium superfoods with care. This includes third party testing for all our products. Our facility is Organic, Kosher and GMP/HACCP Certified. In addition, we utilize methods such as freeze-drying and low temperature processing to ensure maximum nutrition and safety.

I squeeled with delight when I opened the package to see all these awesome Navitas Naturals Power Snacks along with some Chia Powder and Raw Cacao Powder. Wow! What a great way to kick off the New Year.

The best part is that Navitas Naturals has offered to give one of my reader's a bag if Navitas Naturals organic super foods as well. Yah!

Navitas Naturals is kicking off a Smoothment Campaign for the New Year encouraging people to make a habit of making one nutritious smoothie a day. Now I have to admit that it took me awhile to get on the smoothie bandwagon because I like to "eat" my food but turned a corner a while back when I started making "green monster" smoothies loaded with super foods and felt completely energized after drinking them. I can't seem to get enough of smoothies now and I am creating quite a repertoire of smoothie recipes.

smoothies: a powerful daily habit

The New Year is the perfect time to start a fresh commitment to health, and it doesn’t have to be hard. That’s why Navitas Naturals created the Smoothment: a motivating initiative to help people get a healthy and energized start to the New Year via the blender. This week-long program features easy and delicious 60-Second Smoothie Video recipes and exclusive tips for making smoothies full of health-giving function. Whether enjoyed in place of breakfast, lunch or snack, smoothies are a simple, ideal tool for nutritional change. Upgrade the nutrition of just one meal per day and experience a revitalizing jumpstart towards long-lasting health and vitality.

Today's smoothie was a Coconut Cherry Chia Smoothie and it was absolute delicious.

Coconut Cherry Chia Smoothie

1 cup coconut water

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen cherries

1 tbsp Navitas Naturals Sprouted Chia Powder

1 scoop protein powder of choice (I used Sunwarrior Vaniila Protein Powder)

1 cup fresh spinach

Garnish with Hemp Seeds

Combine above ingredients in Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Garnish with Hemp Seed.

Enjoy!

Navitas Natural Chia Powder

Long used by the Aztecs as a staple food along with corn and beans, chia seeds are enjoying a tremendous resurgence in the health food community due to their impressive nutritional profile. Navitas Naturals offers an exciting new way to enjoy chia seeds: in a sprouted, finely milled powder. Inherently full of healthy omega fats, protein, antioxidants and dietary fiber, the small chia seed’s nutrition is even more enhanced by the process of sprouting. This germination of the seeds increases the nutritional profile and enzyme content, and allows the food becomes more easily digested and assimilated within the body. Simply mix a spoonful of this nutritious mildly nutty powder in with oatmeal or yogurt, or enjoy as a gluten-free flour substitute. Any way you use it, a little chia has a lot to offer.

As many of you already know, I am a huge fan of Chia Seeds and pretty much eat them daily either in my oats or smoothies so was super excited to try this Sprouted Chia Powder.

All you have to do to enter the Navitas Naturals Superfood Giveaway is:

4. "Like" me on Facebook- click here and here

I am definitely going to be ordering a few supplies during this time. Might I recommend Maqui Powder, Maca Powder Cacao Powder and Cocao Nibs. A few of my faves.

Okay-- I am off to workout. I love my TRX and am going to do the Metabolic Blast workout today.

Have a great rest of your Friday!

www.eatdrinkandbeaware.blogspot.com

Shrimp and Turkey Sausage Cioppino

2011-12-28T16:38:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Wednesday!

I hope everyone is enjoying this lovely day. That is a joke for all of my local Portlanders.... we are experiencing a gloomy rainy day after being spoiled with a bunch of sunny days. Such it life.

Anyhow, it has been the perfect day for warm comfort food and I have a great recipe for Shrimp and Turkey Sausage Cioppino that I want to share with you but first you must endure yet another picture of my bowl of oats!

This was such a good batch that I feel the need to share:)

Organic Apple Raisin Oatmeal topped with Nature's Abundance

1/2 cup Farm to Table Organic Apple Raisin Oatmeal

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tbsp Salba (white chia seeds)

dash of cinnamon

Combine the above ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium heat for 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and top with:

1 oz. Sunfood Nature's Abundance Snack Mix

(cashews, jungle peanuts, incan berries, goji berries, hunza raisin)

1 tsp raw honey

I absolutely love this snack mix-- it is so delicious and it was an amazing way to start the day. A warm and cozy bowl of oats.

So one of my goals for 2012 is to find more healthy kid-friendly meals. My kids love seafood and I am trying to incorporate more sustainable seafood into our diets.

This recipe for Cioppino was a complete winner. Now of course, serving it in a big bread bowl may not be considered healthy but it did get the kids to try it and they actually did not eat much of the bread because they loved the soup so much.

Cioppino is a fish stew originating in San Francisco. It is considered an Italian-American dish, and is related to various regional fish soups and stews of Italian cuisine.^[1] Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day.

We ended up using shrimp and cod as the seafood components and the addition of turkey sausage gave it a nice rich flavor.

Shrimp and Turkey Sausage Cioppino

recipe adapted from Giada DeLaurentiss

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
2 cups water ( it is traditional to use white wine)
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound fresh cod, chopped into bite size pieces
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Serving suggestion: crusty sourdough bread bowls

Directions

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, garlic, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Add the water or wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Uncover the pan and add the shrimp, cod, beans, basil, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ladle the cioppino into soup bowls or bread bowls.

Yum!

We are off to Timberline Lodge to go snowboarding/skiing tomorrow. I have never tried to snowboard before but my son REALLY wants to try it so wish me luck. Zoe is going to attend an all-day beginner snow clinic and Dad is going to snow-shoeing. He is so relieved that he doesn't have to ski. Let's just say, it is not his bag.

I am off to gather all our gear. I hope everyone has a great rest of their day.

Sunfood Goji Berries + Jungle Peanuts Giveaway Winner

2011-12-27T19:34:00.000-06:00

Good Evening and Happy Tuesday!

I hope everyone is having a good week. I have two big announcements. The first one is that the winner of the Sunfood Goji Berries and Jungle Peanuts is.....

Rande McDaniel

Rande won:

1 bag of Sunfoods Goji Berries and 1 bag of Sunfoods Jungle Peanuts! Check these out:

Rande- Please send me your mailing address to abigail.white@eatdrinkandbeaware.com and I will ship these out to you!

The second big announcement is that I have accepted a position at Portland Bootcamp! I am super excited about the opportunity and am looking forward to starting in a few short weeks.

Portland Boot Camp for Women
Changes Your Body as Fast as Science Allows

Lose Weight — Up to 12 lbs in 4 weeks
Transform Flab Into Feminine Muscles
Enjoy a Supportive, Friendly, Non-Judgmental Environment With Women Just Like You
All Shapes, Ages & Fitness Levels
Expert Instruction and Personal Motivation
Discover How to Eat — Food Guidance Included
5-Star Member Satisfaction Ratings on Google Reviews (Click here to see)

It looks like 2012 is going to be filled with all sorts of new growth opportunities and I can't wait to embark on this new adventure.

So my TRX Suspension Training Package just showed up at the door so I must run and go and use it Pronto! I am so excited!!

I hope everyone has a great evening and I will have to let you know how SORE I am tomorrow:))

A Fresh New Start- Sunfood Maqui Berry

2011-12-26T15:45:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Monday!

I don't know about all of you guys but I am ready for a nice cleanse right about now. I thoroughly enjoyed the holiday season complete with Sticky Toffee Pudding and other delightful goodies but am now in the mood to clean out the system and get healthy in 2012.

I started my morning out with a fabulous smoothie complete with a tsp of Maqui Berry in the mix. What pray tell is Maqui Berry??

Maqui has a deep rich purple color which is a tell tale sign of anthocyanins, a powerful group of antioxidants. The anthocyanins in maqui not only give it its color but also give it its many documented health advantages such as fighting fatigue, inflammation and stomach disorders.Maqui is also said to help slow the aging process, a reoccurring theme in antioxidant rich foods. Maqui comes in at an impressive 616 on the ORAC antioxidant scale. For comparison, blueberries score a 35 on the ORAC scale

The nice folks at Sunfood sent me package of this Organic Maqui Berry to try and I was beyond thrilled.

I love the anti-aging benefits as well as the ORAC scale of 616!

Coconut Maqui Berry Smoothie

1 cup coconut water

1 frozen banana

1 tsp Sunfood Organic Maqui Berry powder

1 scoop Sunwarrior Vanilla Raw Protein Powder

1 cup spinach

Garnish with Goji Berries

Blend in Vitamix or blender of choice until smooth and creamy.

Yum!

This smoothie was super energizing and it felt great to start the day out with something healthy for my body. The Maqui Berry is quite tasty and I love the rich color that it imparts in my smoothie.

If you are interested in purchasing Maqui Berry Powder-- you can click on the Sunfood link on the right hand side of my blog.

I hope all of you had a great Christmas and got everything that you wanted. I was very fortunate because Santa put a few of my favorite things in my stocking.....

I love Goji Berries and have wanted to try the Mulberry Berries for quite some time. Thank you Santa!

I took a little bag of Goji Berries, Mulberry Berries and Cashews to work with me this morning for my mid-morning snack and they were Delish!

Following are a few highlights from our Christmas:

5:00am-- Emmet and Zoe decked out in their new Holiday jammies and new helmets.

Emmet and Zoe on Christmas Eve.

Emmet with his new longboard- the Rocky Bomber, POC Helmet and Red Cannibel Wheels! What could be better than that??

We have a tradition of getting new jammies and slippers each year.

Now I am secretly happy that Christmas is over and that it is now time to move into the New Year. I have lots of things happening right now and will talk about it more in the near future but it is all very exciting!

I am off to take the kids shopping.... gotta spend that Christmas $$.

Have a great day!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T21:53:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We have had a wonderful Christmas Eve day. I started the day off with a brisk run followed by a family walk and then came home to bake and cook for Christmas Eve dinner. This is my favorite kind of day!

Emmet and Zoe

Christmas 2011

My baking started off by making Angela Liddon's Sinless Sticky Toffee Pecan Pudding at Oh She Glows.

I must take a minute to say OMG-- this is amazing. If you do not have a dessert planned for tomorrow I suggest you make this super simple dessert. It is "out of this world" good and it is Vegan to boot.

I followed Angela's recipe to a tee and it turned out perfect.

The recipe calls for a cup and a half of chopped dates. Dates are a classic example of Nature's Candy.

So yummy!

Sticky Toffee Pudding is basically a Date Cake that is poked with holes so that the Toffee Sauce can seep into the crevices of the cake, making this cake ooey, gooey and delicious.

This was pretty much the highlight of my day!

Now, I actually did serve a real Christmas Eve meal as well. My kids love seafood and we had a little seafood fest before heading out to the Christmas Eve service at church. This is what I served:

Steamed Crab

Shrimp Cocktail

Wow! I roasted the crab in a little olive oil, garlic, fresh thyme and lemon juice for about 5 minutes in a hot oven and then served it along with a Kale Salad and Crusty Bread.

Ciabatta Bread

Kids Salad

The kids are super excited for Santa's arrival and we had to make a special treat just for him.

Sour Cream Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

recipe adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups light sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

We are leaving this slice of coffee cake along with a mug of milk for Santa Claus.

I am very thankful on this Christmas Eve and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Holiday Giveaway- Sunfoods Goji Berries + Jungle Peanuts

2011-12-23T20:10:00.001-06:00

Good Evening and Happy Friday!

I wanted to kick off the Holiday weekend with a Giveaway. I am a huge fan of Goji Berries and just discovered Jungle Peanuts and wanted to share these healthy superfoods with 1 lucky reader this holiday season. I wish I could give all of you a bag of these but I am afraid it is not in my budget right now. I do want to send all of you a big thank you for your continued support of my blog and to wish you all a fabulous Holiday.

The lucky winner will win:

1 bag of Sunfoods Goji Berries and 1 bag of Sunfoods Jungle Peanuts! Check these out:

Sunfood Goji Berries are a delicious superfood you can enjoy any number of ways. Often called Wolfberries and considered the number one food-herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, goji berries are one of the most nutritionally-rich fruits, providing you with a healthy boost of vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants and anti-aging benefits. Whether you enjoy them as is or combine into your favorite trail mix, youre sure to feel the health benefits of Sunfood Goji Berries as they are considered a complete source of protein and regarded as a top longevity and strength-building food.

With 40% beautifying oleic acid, Sunfood Organic Amazonian Jungle Peanuts are truly a heart healthy food. They are also rich in anti-oxidants. Outpacing hemp and flax seed protein levels, our creamy nuts are rich in all eight essential amino acids, providing a good source of calcium and iron, and giving you the opportunity to enjoy the powerful benefits packed in every golden-brown nut. Peanuts are also an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Peanuts have also been shown to be high in vitamin E, niacin, folate, and manganese.

All you have to do to enter this Holiday Giveaway is:

To enter:
1. Follow Me and add me to your Blogroll (if you are a blogger) -I love Followers!!
2. Link this entry on your blog
3. "Like" me on Eat, Drink and Be Aware click here (right hand corner)

4. "Like" me on Facebook- click here and here
(I really need to be "Liked"!)
3. Leave a comment " What is your favorite superfood?" I love to hear from you!

All entries will be given a number and that number will be entered into the Random.org generator and drawn by 12:00pm on Monday, December, 26th, 2011.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

TRX Training

2011-12-22T15:43:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Thursday.

The count day is on..... 3 days until Christmas! I think I am officially done with all my Christmas shopping but every time I say that I seem to have forgotten someone. At some point you just need to say "uncle" and just be done.

I am done working for the week and am excited to spend some quality time with my family. Yesterday, I spent the day learning TRX Training otherwise known as suspension training and I am a huge fan of it!

Suspension Training^®

Born in the Navy SEALs, Suspension Training bodyweight exercise develops strength, balance, flexibility and core stability simultaneously. It requires the use of the TRX^® Suspension Trainer^™, a highly portable performance training tool that leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to enable hundreds of exercises for every fitness goal.

Get a fast, effective total body workout

Benefits people of ALL fitness levels (pro athletes to seniors)

Can be set-up anywhere (gym, home, road, outside)

Now I must tell you that I am WAY sore today because you work your muscles in a very different way and it is all about the CORE. The best part of the training is that we got to spend the day actually doing the workouts and perfecting our form and learning all sorts of modifications for all fitness levels. There are so many cool workouts that you can do with the Suspension Trainer and it is an effective and efficient workout. So today, I used my clients as guinea pigs and put my training to use. I have been looking for a way to shake up my own workouts as well and this is going to be the ticket. I ordered a TRX Suspension Trainer for my home because I want to use it but also think that my husband would like this form of training as well. It would be great for his golf game!

I have been trying to eat clean the last few days because I know we have some celebratory meals coming up and I want to enjoy them guilt free. I am trying a few new dishes this year and can't wait to share them with you.

I am also starting to write down my New Year's resolutions. I love "turning new leaves" and actually writing down my goals really helps me solidify what is important and gives me that gentle nudge that I sometimes need to get started.

So this morning I started my day off with a glass of lemon water and 2 Chlorella tablets and 2 Spirulina Tablets and then a bowl of:

Raspberry Hemp Chia Oats

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup water

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

dash of cinnamon

Combine the above ingredients in a small pot and cook for 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into favorite breakfast bowl. Top with:

1 tbsp Hemp Seeds

1 tsp raw honey

handful of fresh raspberries

Yum!

One of the most nutritious and easily digested foods on the earth is the hemp seed. Hemp seeds contain all of the following: protein, essential amino acids, and essential fatty acids. Hemp is truly a food that can sustain all of man's dietary needs. Hemp seed has many health benefits, which can be easily obtained by adding hemp seed to the diet.

Read more: Hemp Seed Health Benefits | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5397760_hemp-seed-health-benefits.html#ixzz1hIlDb5Wd

For lunch I went with a Chopped Spinach Salad loaded with goodies!

Chopped Spinach Salad

2 cups baby spinach, chopped

1 cup red cabbage, finely sliced

handful of grape tomatoes

1/2 cup cucumber slices

3 slices of avocado, diced

1 tbsp feta cheese

1 tbsp toasted pecans

Dressed with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil whisked together.

This was delicious and really filled me up!

I have lots of things that I should be doing right now but it is so gorgeous outside that I am going to head outside and enjoy this brisk but sunny day. I can always shop tomorrow......

I hope you all have a wonderful day and check back in tomorrow because I am announcing a fun Holiday Giveaway!

Eat, Drink and Be Aware

Steven Smith Teamaker Giveaway Winner + Blossoming Lotus, Steel-Cut Oats and More.....

The Oregon Food Bank

Volunteer

My Favorite Day of the Week

A Soup and Salad Kind of Day+ Steven Smith Teamaker Giveaway!

Oatmeal Lovin'

Steven Smith Tea Giveaway + Lunch Date

Snow Day in PDX

Semi-Healthy Oatmeal Cream Pies

Steven Smith Teamaker, Chobani Apple Cinnamon Greek Yogurt + Lentil and Rice Salad

Vegan Indian-Style Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

On an Egg Roll

Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Feta Cheese Frittata

Bite-Sized Goodness

The Navitas Naturals Smoothment Giveaway Winner

Sunday Scottish Oats+ Couscous Sheperd's Pie

Jump Start - Day 1

Kale Salad of the Week + Cold Soba Salad with Edamame Pesto

Join the Smoothment- Navitas Naturals Giveaway + Healthier Version of 7-Layer Dip!

smoothies: a powerful daily habit

All you have to do to enter the Navitas Naturals Superfood Giveaway is:

New Year's Good Luck Soup

What to Eat to Bring Good Luck

Join the Smoothment- Navitas Naturals Superfood Giveaway

Superfoods - Pure and Simple

smoothies: a powerful daily habit

All you have to do to enter the Navitas Naturals Superfood Giveaway is:

Shrimp and Turkey Sausage Cioppino

Good Afternoon and Happy Wednesday!

Shrimp and Turkey Sausage Cioppino

Ingredients

Directions

Sunfood Goji Berries + Jungle Peanuts Giveaway Winner

Portland Boot Camp for WomenChanges Your Body as Fast as Science Allows

A Fresh New Start- Sunfood Maqui Berry

Merry Christmas!

Ingredients

For the streusel:

For the glaze:

Directions

Holiday Giveaway- Sunfoods Goji Berries + Jungle Peanuts

TRX Training

Suspension Training®

Portland Boot Camp for Women
Changes Your Body as Fast as Science Allows

Suspension Training^®