Eat, Drink and Be Aware

Valentine's Day Inspiration + "Feel the Love" Scholarship!

2012-02-12T21:58:00.001-06:00

Good Evening and Happy Sunday!

I hope you have all had a good weekend. We have been enjoying another dry weekend in Portland and we spent a lot of time outside. I started the morning off with a fabulous protein rich breakfast topped with beautiful berries, banana, toasted walnuts and chia seeds. Oh so yummy!

Greek Yogurt Bowl

3/4 cup Fage 2% Greek Yogurt

1/2 cup fresh strawberries

handful of blueberries

1 small banana, sliced

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp toasted walnuts

drizzle of honey

Delish!

After breakfast, I snuck out for run. I love running on Sunday mornings. It is such a nice way to start the day and it also allows me to clear my brain and get ready for the week ahead.

I did my favorite run to Mount Tabor Park and then the "stair" workout. Gotta love it!

My husband has been traveling this past week and came back yesterday and the kids and I decided to surprise him with an early Valentine's Day treat. We made individual heart-shaped Apple Tarts.

If you are looking for a fun and easy Valentine's Day Treat then this recipe is the one for you!

Valentine's Day Apple Tarts

Ingredients

1 whole Sheet Puffed Pastry, cut into hearts
3 whole Honeycrisp Apples, Cored, and Sliced,
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

Place puffed pastry hearts onto a baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to apples. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
Arrange apple slices on the pastry hearts overlapping as you go. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Remove from pan immediately and place on a serving platter.Garnish with sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Tip: I bought Aussie Puff Pastry that is free of trans fat. You can find it at Whole Foods in the frozen section.

Heart Shaped Apple Tarts

You could also serve these for breakfast for an "extra" special treat. Or I should say, Emmet had one of these for breakfast after a lot of begging.

You could also topped these cuties with fresh whipped cream or a dollop of vanilla ice-cream.

Steve seemed to enjoy the gesture. I am not sure what I am going to do for the real Valentine's Day treat but have a few things up my sleeve! The sad thing is that I love to bake and my kids would much prefer getting drugstore candy on Valentine's Day.

Speaking of Valentine's Day, I also wanted to share the following offer from Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I am able to offer one friend the following scholarship. If any of you are interested in enrolling in the program to become a Holistic Health Coach now is the time!

Roses are red, violets are blue,
Health Coaches rock, and now, so can you!

Enroll at Integrative Nutrition to launch a new and exciting career,
Learn on the iPad 2, and graduate in just 1 year!

You will transform your life, to a new and healthier you,
And then inspire your loved ones to increase their wellness, too!

Before you know it, you’ll be in high demand,
To heal your family, your community, and your land.

If the feeling is right, then the time is now
Because we’ve created a scholarship that will make you say ‘wow!’

To honor the spirit of love this Valentine’s Day,
We are offering a special scholarship, so act right away!

Enroll at Integrative Nutrition between February 13^th and February 16^th, and we’ll give you a $500 scholarship.

If you pay in full at that time, we’ll take an additional $500 off the cost of the program. Just email Coach Julia and mention that Abby White sent you the “Feel the Love” Scholarship*.

I am off to get the kiddos cleaned up and ready for bed! Check back tomorrow. I have another giveaway.

The Vegan Diner Cookbook Giveaway Winner+ A Funny Story!

2012-02-10T20:58:00.003-06:00

Good Afternoon and TGIF!

So today is the day to announce the winner of Julie Hasson's The Vegan Diner Classic Comfort Food for the Body and Soul. But first I have to tell you that I have eaten at the Native Bowl three times this week as well as made my own version of the Hollywood Bowl that I will share with you shortly. I also have a hilarious story that I have to share because I can't stop giggling about it and it has been hours since "it" happened. Here I go again.... I am a laughing!

Okay, enough laughing, let's go ahead and announce the winner:

Elizabeth@The Bare Midriff

Thank you all for participating and don't worry if you did not win this time because I already have a new giveaway that will start on Monday!

I have to go ahead and tell you my funny story first and keep in mind it is probably one of those stories that you kind of need to be there to think it is funny but if you would indulge me for just a few minutes maybe I can get over it.

So it is my friend Kari's Birthday tomorrow and we were meeting at our favorite spot for lunch- Native Bowl.

Happy Birthday Kari!!

We ordered the:

Jasmine rice, garlic tofu, Fire-Breathing Dragon Sauce, house-made furikake, shredded green cabbage, carrots, and scallions.

and the

Jasmine rice, house-made ranch sauce, barbecue soy curls, two kinds of barbecue sauce, fresh crisp slaw, and scallions.

I have now tried every single bowl and honestly love them all!

So Kari and I have been looking forward to trying their Chocolate Cup all week and this is where the story gets funny.

Our famous warm and fudgy chocolate cake, baked in a cup to order and topped with our house-made dark chocolate sauce.

Now, this may look absolutely delicious but it had an unexpected ingredient added to it

that made it rather "interesting."

Kari took a bite and said "well.... it is interesting and it tastes sort of like gingerbread.... has a molasses taste to it." I found it odd that a Chocolate Cup would taste like gingerbread so I dug in to see what it tasted like myself. Ha! It tasted like BBQ sauce on top of chocolate cake. Eeww. This is the part that keeps making me giggle because Kari was trying to put a good face on it and even had another bite to be nice.

The Chocolate Cup actually did have BBQ sauce on it by accident and we finally had the courage to go and tell Jay (the co-owner of Native Bowl) that we thought it had BBQ sauce instead of chocolate sauce on it. Jay promptly remedied the situation and brought us another Chocolate Cup which was absolutely divine.

He brought a few extra goodies as well.

Kari and I were laughing by this time and I still am getting a kick out of it several hours lately. I guess you had to be there but it really is funny!

I promise that I am going to move on to another obsession soon but first I have to share my own version of the Hollywood Bowl!

Jasmine rice, za’atar, house-made lemon tahini sauce, pepperoncinis, garbanzo beans, shredded red cabbage, pita chips, and scallions.

Home-Made Hollywood Bowl

1 15 oz. can of no-salt-added Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup pepperoncinis, chopped

1 cup thinly shredded red cabbage

3 scallions, chopped

2 tbsp Karam's Garlic Tahini Sauce

6-8 Stacy's Multi-Grain Pita Chips

Za'atar Seasoning

Brown Jasmine Rice, cooked according to package directions

In a medium bowl add garbanzo beans, pepperoncinis and scallions. Mix together. Reserve some of the scallions for garnish. Layer 1/4 cup of cooked rice on the bottom of bowl. Top with Garbanzo Bean mixture followed by the cabbage. Drizzle with Karam's Garlic Tahini Sauce. Crush pita chips and top with chips, Za'atar and Scallions.

Dig In!

This rice is absolutely delicious and makes your whole home smell good.

The Garbanzo Bean Mixture

I used Stacy's Multigrain Pita Chips for that yummy crunch!

I cheated and just bought Karam's Tahini Garlic Sauce at Whole Foods but you could definitely make your own lemon-tahini sauce. I happen to love Karam's sauce.

I also did not have Za'atar seasoning and was going to use a mixture of Garlic 'n Herb and Majoram but my foodie friend, Tammy, swung by and dropped off a huge bag of Za'atar. Thank you Tammy!

And there you have it a quick and easy dinner that is so delicious! My husband loved this dish.

Enjoy!

1/2 cup pepperocinis, chopped

The Vegan Diner Cookbook Giveaway + Blackberry Skillet Pie Recipe

2012-02-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Thursday!

I feel like I have been neglecting my blog but actually have been working on another social media project for my newsletter and am almost done. Yah! That has not stopped me from eating at Native Bowl twice and have plans to go back again tomorrow. I know.... I am a bit crazy. I spread the news to all my foodie friends and then they wanted to go and it has just been a week of Native Bowl eating and I am loving it!

I have tried all of the bowls with the exception of the Mississippi which is made with Barbecue Soy Curls. I am not a huge BBQ sauce fan but might have to try that one tomorrow.

I have determined that I am in love with one particular bowl and am currently attempting to make a version at home that I will share with you tomorrow. Gotta keep the suspense going right?

Anyhow, I wanted to remind you that I am giving away Julie Hasson's The Vegan Diner Cookbook and that you still have time to enter!

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-"What is your favorite Diner Food " I love to hear from you.

5. Check out my new business website- Bliss Holistic Health!

All entries will be given a number and that number will be entered into the Random.org generator and drawn by 12:00pm on February 10, 2012.

I made another great recipe out of this cookbook and have got to share it with you!

Easy Blackberry Skillet Pie

adapted from Vegan Diner

Filling:

6 cups frozen blackberries (or other berries)
2/3 cup evaporated cane sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Topping:

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
4 T non-hydrogenated vegan margarine [Earth Balance], melted

Makes 1 pie

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet or glass or ceramic pie.
Filling: In a saucepan, combine berries, sugar and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 5T water until smooth. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the hot berries, and simmer until thick and mixture is clear, stirring continuously.
Remove from heat and scoop the mixture into the prepared pan.
Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon and nutmeg. Add melted margarine, stirring until incorporated. Using your fingertips, work the margarine into the flour mixture, squeezing until nice and crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over filling and bake for about 20 minutes or until topping is nicely browned.

This dessert is right up my alley! I love fruit crumbles and this one is particularly good. I, of course, had to top it off with a scoop of Coconut Bliss Vanilla Island Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert and it was crazy good!

Yum!

I also wanted to thank you for all the nice emails and comments about my new endeavor:

I have a few new clients and am excited to keep building on that foundation. If any of you have questions or are interested in my services please don't hesitate to email me or call me.

You can find my contact info here.

Have a fabulous rest of your day!

www.blissholistichealth.com

Bliss Holistic Health

2012-02-07T16:42:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Tuesday!

I hope everyone is having a great day so far. I am super excited to share with you my new business website and tell you a little about what I have been up to. As I mentioned last week, I have done a bit of soul-searching about my future and figured out that I know what I want to do and that I better "get on with the getting on" because life is short. Thus, welcome to Bliss Holistic Health!

I am finally doing what I have wanted to do for quite some time and that is start my own business here in Portland. As many of you know, I had my own business in Austin, TX, where I did personal training, taught boot camp and yoga as well as conducted grocery store tours and cooking classes. Since moving here, I have become certified as a Wellness Coach and soon to be Holistic Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I have been coaching clients with their health and wellness goals here in Portland as well as clients across the country remotely via email and phone. I have continued to build my toolbox of skills to provide my clients with a more holistic approach. Needless to say, I am excited to finally step out on my own to share what I have learned so far.

My services include:

Personal Training

Partner Training

Personal Yoga Instruction
Wellness Coaching

Nutritional Counseling

Grocery Store Tours

Cooking Classes

I genuinely love to help people with their health and wellness goals and find it so super satisfying to see people change their lives for the better. If you are interested in any of the above service please take a look at my new website- www.blissholitichealth.com. I also want to let you know that I work with people remotely via Skype, email and phone.

I appreciate all the positive response that I have received so far and want to thank you for supporting me in all my endeavors.

Now, I also have yet another Kale Salad recipe to share this week. Have I told you how much I love Kale?? YES.

Hazelnut and Prune Kale Salad

Don't get turned off by the prune aspect of this salad. You can call them Dried Plums if you need too. Hazelnuts and Prunes go so well together.

2 bunches of Lacinto Kale, cut into ribbons

sprinkle of sea salt

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped

1/2 cup prunes, chopped

Put kale in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Sea Salt. Massage kale with your hands so it begins to wilt and darkens. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil and dijon mustard. Toss the kale with dressing. Add prunes and hazelnuts. Toss again and enjoy.

Yum!

I am off to pick up the kids and on to the afternoon activities.

Have a great day and please spread the news about Bliss Holistic Health to anyone that you think may need my services:)

Savory Vegan Cornbread Waffles topped with Chili and Cheez

2012-02-05T20:37:00.000-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Sunday!

Wow. It has been an incredibly beautiful weekend in Portland and we spent much of it outside soaking up the rays. I am actually sitting here watching the Superbowl half-time show and have to tell you that Madonna looks amazing. She is truly an inspiration and can not believe that she is 50+ years old. Her body looks half that age. Kudos to Madonnna.

So some of the highlights of the weekend included:

Spending time with the family.

Checking out the Cherry Sprout Produce Market

Exploring Portland Neighborhoods

We also made it to the Mississippi Marketplace Food Carts and yes, I did go to the Native Bowl!

I tried the Couch bowl this time! Isn't it beautiful?

Jasmine rice, garlic tofu, sweet and spicy gochujang sauce, bean sprouts, organic spinach, shredded carrots, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds.

Yum!

I still have yet to pick a favorite -- each bowl is so good!

The kids gave the new cart called Miss Kate's Southern Kitchen a try.

They split the Fried Chicken Plate with Greens and Red Beans and Rice.

Miss Kate, Charles’ grandmother, was from Vicksburg, Mississippi and Charles, the owner of the newest cart in Mississippi Marketplace is bringing the tastes of Mississippi to the street.

This was a real treat for the kids and they said the Fried Chicken was "awesome!"

My husband, Steve checked out Big Top Waffles and I am so glad that he did because his meal is the inspiration of our Super Bowl meal!

He ordered the Fire Eater which is a:

Cornbread Waffle topped with Chili, shredded Cheese, Sour Cream and Green Onions.

Oh my gosh.... this is normally not the kind of thing I would like but I had a bite and could not believe how good it was. Who knew? I liked it so much that it inspired me to make a Vegan version today. The recipes actually are adapted from the Vegan Diner Cookbook by Julie Hasson. (Native Bowl co-owner).

Cornmeal Waffles Rock!

Vegan Cornbread Waffles

recipe adapted from Vegan Diner Classic Comfort Food for the Body & Soul by Julie Hasson.

Makes about 8 Belgian-style waffles

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup yellow corn flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk ( or milk of choice, soy, hemp, sunflower)
1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat waffle iron, and mist with nonstick spray, or alternatively, use a pastry brush to lightly coat with oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, corn flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together orange juice, soymilk and canola oil, and add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

Scoop batter with a 1/3 cup measure (or smaller, depending on your waffle iron) onto the iron, and cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Repeat with remaining batter and serve.

I love the texture of the Cornbread Waffles. They have a nice crunch to them and are delicious savory or sweet.

Chili seems to be the perfect Super Bowl food and I decided to try The Vegan Diner's Quick and Hearty Chili recipe. What could be better than a Cornbread Waffle topped with a vegan cheese slice and a Hearty Chili. Wow!

Quick and Hearty Chili
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ bell pepper, any color, finely chopped
2 (15.5 ounces) cans kidney or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15.5 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Bragg's Amino Acids or soy sauce
1 tbsp plus ½ tsp regular chili powder
1 tbsp dark cocoa powder
1 ¼ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ cup Bob's Red Mill TVP granules

Directions 1. In a large saucepan, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are starting to soften and turn golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups water and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the beans, pureed tomato, soy sauce, chilil powder, cocoa, cumin, oregano, salt and paprika, stirring well. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the TVP and reduce the heat to low. Add more water as needed.
3. Let the chili simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve.

I have never used TVP before and was excited to give them a try. This chili recipe is flawless. It is super easy to make and absolutely delicious. I loved the addition of the cocoa powder and the TVP adds a nice meat like texture to the chili. Now I am going to have to figure out some other ways to use TVP.

Cornbread Waffles are also great served straight up with Maple Syrup.

Yum!

I am so glad that I went for a long run this morning because I had a Savory Cornbread Waffle with Chili and Cheez and a couple waffles sticks dipped in Maple Syrup. I adore Maple Syrup:)

We also took a nice two-hour family walk while Emmet had his long-boarding session in Washington Park. It was awesome because everyone was out and about enjoying this fabulous weather.

We have had a really nice weekend and I am sad to see it end. I hope all you had a good weekend and don't forget to enter the Vegan Diner Cookbook Giveaway here.

The Vegan Diner Classic Comfort Food for the Body & Soul Cookbook Giveaway

2012-02-04T10:14:00.000-06:00

Good Morning and Happy Saturday!

I hope everyone is having a great day so far. I was desperately in need of some rest and relaxation last night and am feeling much better today. I am full of optimism and excited for a weekend filled with family time and fun!

I had the courage to do some soul-searching and to speak the truth this week and it was very liberating. I will explain more about that later but feel that I am moving in the right direction again and am excited to get a handle on my health and well-being. Finding your bliss is not as easy as it seems......or is it? I basically stressed myself into a cold and have not been nourishing my body with the appropriate foods (with the exception of Native Bowl) and have not slept well for months now. All of that is going to change and I hope to share my journey back to health and happiness with you.

Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know that the love for Native Bowl has not worn off yet and we even had plans to go there for dinner last night until we realized that they close at 3/4pm. Major Bummer.
We still have all weekend to go and I did in fact spread the news to a bunch of my foodie friends and it looks like I may get to eat there 3 times next week. Is that being a bit indulgent??

I did get some feedback that some of you may, in fact, be interested in winning a copy of Julie Hasson's Vegan Diner

Classic Comfort Food for the Body and Soul and I am happy to oblige!

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-"What is your favorite Diner Food " 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 February 10, 2012.

Okay, I am off the figure out what we are going to do on this beautiful Portland day!

P.S.-- What do you think of my new logo?

Native Bowl, Portland OR

2012-02-02T21:59:00.000-06:00

Good Evening and Happy Thursday.

OMG! I have a new obsession and can't wait to tell you all about it. It is the Native Bowl located at the Mississippi Marketplace Food Carts. I met my friend Kari there for lunch and we had the most amazing lunch and already have plans to go back there next Friday. I honestly don't know if I can wait till next Friday. I think I might have to take my husband there for lunch tomorrow! Yes, I love this place that much. The Native Bowl is a vegan food cart that makes amazing rice bowls with interesting sauces and toppings. Move over Whole Bowl... dare I say I might love Native Bowl even better.

All of the food at Native Bowl is made from scratch with love. Our bowls are always made to order, using only the freshest vegetables and ingredients available. We use locally made tofu and soymilk from Ota Tofu, and Soy Curls from Butler Foods in nearby Grand Ronde, Oregon. We pride ourselves in serving you the freshest, most delicious, healthy, fun bowls in town!

The Native Bowl Story

julie@thenativebowl.com
When Julie isn’t at the cart with Jay, cooking up food at Native Bowl, she keeps herself busy writing cookbooks. She is the author of Vegan Diner, as well as 6 other books from cupcakes to chocolate. Julie has been regularly featured in Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times and VegNews magazines, and can be found cooking on Everyday Dish TV and Good Day Oregon. Julie loves to hang out with her husband and kids, hike in Forest Park and eat and shop her way around Portland.

jay@thenativebowl.com

Jay Hasson is the co-founder of Native Bowl, where he can be found cooking up delicious bowls, delectable sauces and his signature garlic tofu. Jay has worked in the food industry for over twenty years, and besides wearing a chef’s hat, he is also the producer for Everyday Dish TV, a cooking instructor, hobbyist, outdoorsman, proud papa, concerned citizen and doting husband. He is passionate about bold flavors and eating fresh, delicious food.

Jay Hasson was cooking up the bowls today and Kari and I ended up ordering the:

Jasmine rice, garlic tofu, house-made peanut ginger sauce, cilantro, shredded red cabbage, carrots, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds.

Jasmine rice, za’atar, house-made lemon tahini sauce, pepperoncinis,

garbanzo beans, shredded red cabbage, pita chips, and scallions.

These bowls were OUTSTANDING! We ended up sharing both and could not decide which one was better. I actually had a hard time deciding what to order because all of the bowls sound interesting and yummy!

The Hollywood is right up my alley and the crunchy pita chips on top were a nice touch. Oh... I wish I could eat another bowl right now.

The garlic tofu in The Broadway is "melt in your mouth" amazing. My kids love tofu and I think they would also love these bowls.

If you have not made it to the Native Bowl yet, now is the time to go. I can't believe that I have waited this long to try it. Now, I am going to have to spread the word to all my foodie friends.

Check out their menu here.

I did not even try the desserts but have grand plans to get the Chocolate Cup next time. It is Kari's birthday next Friday and we are going to go back to Native Bowl and eat a healthy bowl and top it off with a Chocolate Cup. Ha!

Our famous warm and fudgy chocolate cake, baked in a cup to order and topped with our house-made dark chocolate sauce.

Now when I like something, I really like it and had to purchase Julie Hasson's Vegan Diner Cookbook.

"Vegan Diner" by Julie Hasson

There are so many great recipes in this cookbook and thought it would be a perfect weekend to try some, being that it is SuperBowl Sunday, and all.

I might even have to do a Vegan Diner Cookbook giveaway..... anyone have any interest??

I have a strong feeling that I am going to be back at the Native Bowl in the next couple of days. Does anyone want to join me?

Okay... I am off to dream about Native Bowl bowls.... have a great rest of your evening and guess what? It is almost Friday!

My Favorite Meal + The Best Cocoa Brownies

2012-01-31T19:29:00.001-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Tuesday!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous day. I have been a busy little bee and had an appointment with my own Holistic Health Coach today. As part of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition program you get to have a year long relationship with your very own Holistic Health Coach and mine is awesome! Her name is Ali, and she is extremely supportive and knowledgeable and gave me some great advice today. Thank you Ali!

I also wanted to share that if any of you are interested in enrolling in the program, I just found out that I can offer 1 friend a L.O.V.E scholarship that would entitle you to $1,000 dollars off your tuition. This is huge and I would love to share this with someone. The offer is good from February 1st -February 3rd ( a short window, I know). I obviously love the program and am happy to answer any questions that you may have about the program. Just shoot me an email and I will get back to you asap!

Anyhow, besides meeting with my Holistic Health Coach, I also learned about the Ayurvedic and Macrobiotic diets. I am familiar with both but really enjoyed a more in-depth look into both philosophies. I learned about the Ayurvedic diet when I went through my Yoga Teacher Training program a few year back.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda, meaning “the science of life”, originated in India as a holistic approach to create balance within the mind and the body by aligning oneself with nature. The idea is to cleanse the body of substances that cause illness through proper diet and lifestyle. The belief is that disease results from an imbalance of the doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. Doshas are life energies made up of the five elements of nature (ether, fire, air, water, and earth) and pertain to an individual’s physical characteristics and personality traits. Most people exhibit a combination of doshas, but there is always one that is more dominant.

Characteristics of each dosha:

Vata: (controls muscle and joint movement, breathing, heartbeat, and the nervous system)

Ether and air
Dry or rough skin
Intolerance to cold
Fatigue
Anxious and restless
Underweight, thin

Pitta: (controls digestion, metabolism, intelligence, and skin color)

Fire and water
Competitive, controlling
Visual problems
Excessive body heat
Irritable
Stomach aches, and inflammatory skin conditions

Kapha: (controls immune system and physical structure of the body)

Earth and water
Oily skin
Slow digestion
Allergies, asthma
Tendency toward depression
Short attention span
Needy

Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of nutrition in maintaining good health and preventing and treating disease. Ayurvedic treatment usually includes a combination of yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, mantras, cleanses, and rubbing the skin with herbal oil. Based on an individual’s dosha type, herbal remedies are also available to help supplement nutritional needs. They should be taken under the guidance of a health care practitioner

source- IIN.

I plan on doing a little more research about this diet because it makes a lot of sense to me. I also would love to teach yoga again. I miss that part of my life and have made a conscious decision to make that happen this year.

But as of now, I am still on the 80/20 diet, which means eating healthy 80% of the time and allowing for a treat 20% of the time. Today is a classic example of this diet in action!

My favorite meal of all time is a fully loaded Chopped Spinach Salad served with a baked Sweet Potato.

This meal is super satisfying and super filling!

Fully Loaded Spinach Salad

2 cups fresh spinach

1 cup broccoli slaw

1/2 cup mushrooms

1/4 cup yellow bell pepper

1/4 cup carrots

1/4 cup artichoke hearts

1/2 cup cucumbers

3 slices avocado

Place in a medium sized bowl and use the Toss and Chop to chop all the ingredients into bite-size pieces. Dress with 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, whisked together.

Toss and serve.

Delish.

The salad was so filling that I only ate half of the sweet potato. I am a huge fan of sweet potatoes and love the fact that I don't need to add anything to the potato. I just bake it in a 350 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes and then it is ready to eat in all of its glorious orange beauty.

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes may be one of nature's unsurpassed sources of beta-carotene. Several recent studies have shown the superior ability of sweet potatoes to raise our blood levels of vitamin A.

Okay, so the above portion of this blog is the 80% healthy part now we are going to move into the 20% not so healthy part:)

I have decided that some desserts just need to be made with full-on sugar and butter and are meant to be eaten in moderation. I know that sometimes when I make "light" desserts I tend to eat a bit more because they are in fact a bit healthier or lighter. But when I make something that is not healthy and deem it as such, I eat much less of it and in turn eat better the rest of the day due to the fact that I did enjoy that scrumptious treat. Does that make sense?

The Best Cocoa Brownies

recipe adapted from Alton Brown

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

4 large eggs
1 cup evaporated cane sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter

11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh raspberries.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.
Pour the batter into an 8-inch square pan that has been fitted with parchment paper and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick insert.

If you are going to indulge in a brownie this would be the one to do it with. Wow. I did have to have a very teeny, tiny sliver of these brownies and they are AMAZING. Super dense and fudge and extremely chocolately. It would be remiss of me to send these out in the world without trying them first..... right? Me oh my.

That is my two cents for the day. Have a great rest of your evening~

Sunday Comfort Food- Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

2012-01-29T21:26:00.001-06:00

Good Afternoon and Happy Sunday!

We have had a very productive weekend and I am happy to report that I have successfully passed my first Institute for Integrative Nutrition exam. Woo hoo! I am so excited. I passed with flying colors and am excited to start with the next set of Modules this week. I LOVE this program and studying for it is fun and interesting.

So before taking the exam this morning, I thought it would be a great idea to clear my mind and get some fresh air by taking a nice run in Laurelhurst Park. It was a slightly rainy day but I suited up and took Gumbo (my dog) on a 7 mile run. I need to start adding a few extra miles to my run to train for the Shamrock Run. I will have to add in a 9 mile run this week.

Anyhow, we spent the afternoon working on a school project with Emmet. Don't you just love it when you find out your child has a BIG project that is due tomorrow and he/she just started at 2:00pm? We were not happy campers about this but we got it done and will be more on the ball next time:)

In between working on the project it was the perfect day to make the ultimate comfort food- Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs. We all needed a comforting bowl of spaghetti and meatballs to get over the mind-boggling math project we had all worked on!

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger

Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped or grated (my kids like their sauce smooth so I grate the onion)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt added tomato sauce
1 teaspoon cracked red pepper
dash of soy sauce
2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs:

Cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 pack of turkey sausage, meat extracted from casings
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves,
salt and pepper- to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten

1 pgk- Barilla Multi-Grain Pasta- we used Angel Hair, cooked according to package

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil for pasta.

Make Sauce:

In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. While sauce is cooking, make meatballs.

Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. Form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place in a baking dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.

Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the spaghetti according to package directions.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs, toss and heat through over medium heat. Divide evenly among 4 pasta bowls and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.

Yum!

There is something so classic about spaghetti and meatballs and every once in a while you just gotta have some!

I served the Spaghetti and Meatballs with a fabulous spinach salad loaded with goodies.

Loaded Spinach Salad

3 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1 cup broccoli slaw

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup red bell peppers

handful of cherry tomatoes

Dressed with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

In my attempt to eat more fruit-based desserts, I served fresh strawberries with a dollop of whipped cream.

This was perfect.

The whipped cream added just the right amount of decadence to make this into a "real" dessert without adding a ton of calories. I bought the Whole Foods Light Whipped Cream in a can and it says that 2 tbsp are only 15 calories.

The kids loved this and asked if we could have strawberries and cream tomorrow night as well. It is amazing what a little whipped cream can do for you.

Have any of you watched the HBO series called Treme? My husband and I are a bit obsessed with it since we lived in New Orleans. Treme is set in post-Katrina New Orleans. It chronicles the struggles of a diverse set of residents as they rebuild their lives and their city. Treme is the name of one of the oldest neighborhood, an historically important source of African- American music and culture. The show is addictive and we watched two shows from season 2 last night and plan to watch 1 or 2 more tonight.

So I am off to watch Treme but hope all of you had a great weekend!

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.