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Hot Feet, Cold Brews

Nora — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:31:44 +0000

I know it’s only Thursday, but I am already excited for Sunday. While I was at work yesterday I received a special e-mail from my dad:

“Hot Feet run in the morning, then cold brews in the afternoon.”

YES PLEASE! I was having a crazy day so his message was really appreciated. I spent much of yesterday driving to appointments, running around at work and making phone calls. Did I mention that it all started with an 8am fender bender? It was nothing serious. I was rear-ended at a traffic light and my bumper has a few scratches. I’ve never had to deal with something like this before and spent a good amount of time on the phone with a lady from my insurance company. Despite the craziness, all was not lost. I think I found an apartment with a real kitchen . Is it weird that I already have a list of goodies I want to make? At the end of August my blog will become a LOT more interesting. I can’t wait!

I went for a run this morning to prepare for my Sunday. I am planning to run about 10-miles so preparations are necessary. I fueled with a Super-Charge-Me Cookie and ran a light 3-miles. I have been playing around with a few “pre-run” foods and think I am going to wake up early and have peanut butter and banana toast before my long run. The best fuel for me seems to be some combination of banana and peanut butter.

When I got back I made a Green Monster Smoothie in a Bowl. I love cooling down with a refreshing breakfast. And this one had Dark Chocolate Dreams!

Blender: 1 frozen banana, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 scoop Dark Chocolate Dreams PB, 1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder, 2 handfuls of spinach, cinnamon, ice.

Toppings: Vanilla Granola, Coconut Butter, Handful of Blueberries (at the bottom of my bowl haha).

Lunch today is another “whatever-isn’t-spoiled-in-my-fridge” production.

Salad: Spinach, Cucumber, Tomato, Radish, Olive Oil/Balsamic

Sandwich: Thick slice of 8-grain 3- seed bread, sunflower seed butter, Crofter’s Europe Superfruit Spread.

I actually was really satisfied with lunch yesterday. I had a small snack later in the afternoon but it held me over quite nicely. The 8-grain 3-seed bread is really dense and hearty. A thick slice with nut-butter filled me right up! Amazing and delicious.

Planning a little treat for dinner tonight, can’t wait!!

Weekend Plotting,

Nora

Do you make weekend plans during the week?

Functional Food

Nora — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:31:07 +0000

When the weather is hot I rely on food to keep me functional. This means a cold breakfast and a crisp lunch.Overnight Oats

Overnight: 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk, 1/2 TBS chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract

Morning: 1/3 cup Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt, 1 banana, blueberries, MaraNatha Dark Chocolate Almond

Confession: This is my breakfast from yesterday. I didn’t post this but thought it needed recognition. It was the perfect consistency and FINALLY cold because I was successful with “operation duct the fridge”. The banana/chocolate/creamy/cool combination rocks my world. It takes me back to my days at Girl Scout camp making “banana boats” with banana, chocolate chips and marshmallows in the campfire. Oh to be young again.

Real Breakfast:A rather frothy Green Monster Smoothie In A Bowl topped with Galaxy Granola and extra Coconut Butter (my peanut butter supply was low so I added extra coconut butter to the top today.)

Stay Cool Lunch:

Salad: Spinach, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, 1/3 block of 5-grain tempeh, sugar snap peas, mint. Olive Oil/Balsamic.

Side: Pecan Cinnamon Raisin Bread; Watermelon, Cucumber, Blueberry and Mint Fruit Salad.

Apparently I really like fruits, veggies and topping everything with mint. I’m pretty sure I’ve already exceeded the recommended 5-cups of fruit and veggies…yet again.

Another Confession: I’m already excited for dinner tonight. It’s another little something-something I have been dreaming about.

Day Dreams,

Nora

Parisian Dreams

Nora — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:26:40 +0000

I’m convinced that I belong in France. The land if bread, cheese and wine...I could live off that .
During my personal picnic dinner last night (*ahem* lame) I kept alternating between bites of my caprese baguette and berries. It made my heart sing. For lunch (or dinner….I packed 2 meals and can’t decide what to have when. Will post later.) today I needed to create a sandwich equal to that caliber.

Sandwich: Sourdough Baguette, Fresh Herb Pesto, Fresh Mozzarella and Strawberries.

Salad: Romaine, Blueberries, Cucumber, Celery, Almonds, Sprouts, 1/4 avocado, balsamic/olive oil.

Side: Apple

I can already tell that it will be delicious .

Breakfast was the only thing I could handle–A Green Monster Smoothie In A Bowl.Extra soupy today because it warmed up so quickly. (Last night my ice cream started melting before I started eating. NO FUN!)

In the Mix: 1 frozen banana, handful of ice cubes, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, cinnamon, 1 TBS crunchy natural peanut butter, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 2 handfuls of baby spinach.

Toppings: ~3-4 TBS Galaxy Granola, Coconut Butter

Cool Factor,

Nora

What unique ways do you use fresh summer berries?

The GRATEFUL Green Monster

Nora — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:47:48 +0000

Happy Smoothie Friday!!

I thought a Green Monster would be an appropriate way to end my week of breakfast tributes. Many food blogs have inspired me to try this and the variations are endless. That is what I love about the food blog community; the wealth of health and food knowledge and the variety. With all of the food inspiration out there, it is impossible to be bored.

To give credit where credit was do, I believe it was Angela’s blog Oh She Glows, where I first stumbled upon this green goodness. Although intimidated by the color at first, I eventually gave it a try and have been hooked ever since. It reminded me that you should never judge a book by its cover. Maybe it’s just me but I find something so refreshing and uplifting about adding greens into my smoothie. My energy levels soar.

It has been a trial and error process to find the smoothie that has worked for me. I take my inspiration from Jenna, and add a big ‘ole glob of crunchy natural peanut butter right into the mix, and from Kath by eating it SIAB style (smoothie in a bowl) with a spoon and topping it off with granola and a coconut butter “magic shell”. (Love finding coconut ‘candy’ surprises in my smoothie!). I often will add my own twist with copious amounts of cinnamon or even canned pumpkin to give it a hearty feel.

In my mix today: 1 frozen banana, handful of ice cubes, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein (prefer chocolate but I’m out), 1 big TBS crunchy peanut butter, cinnamon and lots of baby spinach.

Toppings: Coconut Butter, Nature’s Path Vanilla Almond Granola, Galaxy Granola (post photo handful)

Everyone in the food blog community is different, however; our commitment is the same–healthy living, healthy attitudes and lots of fun along the way.

Cheers,

Nora

Friday Bonus!

Nora — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:18:47 +0000

Good morning and happy smoothie FRIDAY!!!

For breakfast this morning I had my favorite SIAB (smoothie in a bowl): chocolate, peanut butter and banana….with spinach, and topped with vanilla almond granola. I know it looks gross but it’s oh so good, I promise!

In my blender: 1 large frozen banana, ice cubes, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (last of it..boo ), 1 TBS natural crunchy peanut butter, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, cinnamon and lots of baby spinach.

Topped with: ~1/4 cup (plus a few bites from the bag) Nature’s Path Vanilla Almond Flax Granola

Blenders are fairly simple devices but I’ve never really been…let’s just say “successful” when it comes to their use. I always end up shaking the vessel and have to pause multiple times to stir. It is a time intensive process for me to achieve a fully blended state, and even then I often find hunks of ice and/or food (depending on what I’m making) in the finished product.

Failure Exhibit A:

Making Soup and the BOTTOM fell off!

Today’s “Friday bonus” was finally learning the secret behind my blender!

Old Dog, New Trick: Starting my blender on low and gradually increasing the speed is a no fuss method to give me a perfectly blended beverage! This discovery was the highlight of my life. I even did a little cheer for my success….cool Nora, cool.

My goal in life is to own a Vita-mix. I cant wait until the day when I can afford to upgrade.

Making Things Work,

Nora

Do you have a kitchen appliance and/or piece of cookware that you struggle with?

Like a Rock

Nora — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:30:01 +0000

Good morning! Well, I think I proved my theory about exercise, eating and the way I function: I slept like a rock last night. I got my 8 hours in and then some. I actually hit the snooze button twice and had to drag myself out of bed—VERY unlike me. I guess this just reiterates the importance of LISTENING to what your body needs.

And for breakfast, my lethargic self needed a smoothie in a bowl (SIAB). There’s nothing like a good dose of greens first thing in the morning to stimulate the mind and body .

In my blender: ½ packet Chocolate Vega Protein Powder, a generous shake of cinnamon, 1 large frozen banana, 6 ice cubes, 1 cup vanilla soy milk and a ton of baby spinach.

Toppings: Nature’s Path Vanilla Almond Flax Granola and Coconut Butter.

Glacier.

I decided to try a little Kath experiment today, and topped my smoothie with a candy coating coconut butter. When it hit the cold surface it became as hard as a rock! I loved the addition of a coconut glacier; it was like finding a fun candy bar surprise! I will be doing this again.

This breakfast was exactly what the doctor ordered! It was filling and refreshing. I think I even had a bit more bounce in my step as I exited my apartment, despite the fact that it was raining cats and dogs. I love breakfast (if you can’t tell), three cheers to my favorite meal of the day .

Pep in my Step,

Nora

What is your favorite meal of the day?

Humdrum

livelifeeatright — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:02:31 +0000

It’s official. I am in a breakfast rut. My oat comeback yesterday must have been a fake out because this morning I was craving a green monster and granola. I wasn’t planning on having ANOTHER smoothie this morning, but when cravings call I answer. This is possibly the most uninteresting breakfast to photograph, and I realize how repulsive the green looks but I promise you it really hits the spot. I find that my breakfast cravings tend to reflect the way I am feeling. I had a late night with friends yesterday, which left me dragging when I woke up this morning. Green smoothies are the perfect remedy when I am feeling lethargic upon waking. They are light, yet pack tons of essential nutrition and have an “energizing” effect. In to my blender: 1 large frozen banana, 1/4 cup frozen raspberries, 3 ice cubes, 1 scoop Chocolate Whey Protein, 1 scoop Amazing Grass Green Superfood, 1 cup vanilla soy milk, ~2-3 cups of spinach. I topped my bowl with some Galaxy Granola and raw almonds. I’m glad I have a few deep soup bowls because this smoothie yields over 3 cups!

To add to my lameness, I had another Jonagold and coffee before heading to class. I’m starting to feel like a lame food blogger. I’m in need of some creativity!

Dinner last night was a quick throw together with my roommate. I love cooking, but sometimes it is nice to dig into the depths of your fridge and make a 3 minute plate of food. I ended up having a “Semi-Greek Salad” which consisted of HUGE plate of spinach (I was having a major spinach craving after a green free day haha!) topped with a toasted Boca burger, lots of Cedar’s Garlic Lovers Hummus, pita chips, cucumber, red bell pepper, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and sprouts. After dinner I broke into….EASTER CANDY!! Remember my second bunny?

Last seen.

Well, it no longer has a back pack to carry all of its yummy carrots in. I also made a dent in my peanut M&Ms. What remains:

Hopefully my eats will progressively become more interesting through out the day! Tonight I am going to an “etiquette” dinner with my roommate. Our friends who cooked us dinner a few days ago are in a fraternity, and one of their projects is to host a nice dinner and learn table manners! Somewhat random but naturally, I love this concept. I’m not positive who my “date” will be, but it will be interesting to be educated the traditional ways of fine dining. When it comes to etiquette, I think that stopping to take photos is probably a no-no (whoops!) but I’ll see what I can do with my sneaky iphone photo taking skills!

Happy Friday,

Nora

What do you do when you are in a food rut? Do you go with it or try new and creative things?

There's Something About The GREEN Ones

livelifeeatright — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:20:10 +0000

I had every intention on making a big beautiful bowl of oatmeal this morning but I was craving a green monster. When I woke up I felt extremely tired and my head was slightly pounding. I needed something that required minimal effort and that was cool and energizing to get me going. I decided to mix up my ingredients a bit and I’m so glad I did. This bowl was thicker and more flavorful! I loved it.

Into the blender:

1 large frozen banana

3 frozen strawberries

3 ice cubes

1/3 can pumpkin

1 scoop GREEN Amazing Grass Superfood

1/2 scoop Chocolate Whey Protein

~3/4 TBS Peanut Butter

Cinnamon (SO KEY!)

1/2 cup Almond Milk

1/2 Cup Water

2 handfuls of spinach

I really need a better blender. I find myself constantly shaking the blender and pushing everything down through the process. It takes me way longer to blend the ingredients than it should. I topped it with some Galaxy Vanilla Almond and had a big Jonagold on the side. I’m not sure if I actually wanted that apple but I wanted more crunch after I finished the bowl! The one downside about making smoothies for breakfast is that I always want something solid to go along with it, where as oatmeal fulfills all of my meal texture/flavor requirements. Hopefully I’ll get back to the world’s greatest breakfast tomorrow!

My roommate and I are having a special dinner tonight and I can not wait. Hopefully I’ll be able to sneak a few photos!!

Green Machine,

Nora

Do you like certain foods when you aren’t feeling up to par (headache/illness/lethargic etc)?

Inspiration

livelifeeatright — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:49:51 +0000

Today was a day filled with inspiration. At yoga, the instructor’s mother recently passed away and she spent the class reflecting on the way she reacts to difficult situations. She recognized that during tough times she has certain habits that she falls into, and she is able to recognize them and let them be. She noted a moment when she visited Uganda a few years back. She planned the trip, arrived there but didn’t really experience the trip until the group she was with visited a local orphanage. That moment rocked her world, and as her partners were getting ready to go to the next agenda item she knew she had to stay behind. She did all of the things that made her feel grounded: called home to talked with loved ones, ordered room service and a glass of wine, and ordered more room service for chocolate ice cream. She joked that she tends to turn to chocolate, and realized this as she was on her 8th chocolate chip cookie yesterday. She stressed that we all go to different places when our worlds are altered but the important thing is that we recognize our reactions and let it be. Towards the end of class she played a song that a family friend recorded for her to, “Alleluia” after hearing of her mom’s passing. It was the most beautiful rendition I have ever heard, I started to tear up. It took me to such an emotional place. Her words and attitude were so motivating, it was what I needed to hear.

After yoga I went to the grocery store. I saw some of my co-workers and purchased a few items. When I walked by the golden beets yesterday at work, I knew I had to make a roasted beet salad. I happened to have a loaf of Twisted Root Bread (dark German malted barley) find it’s way into my cart when I dropped by the bakery. We seriously have the best bakers and the most amazing bread where I work. This bread is made from scratch every day and has the most wonderful malt flavor. It is one of my favorite breads that we carry. Because it is made from scratch everyday, it always looks a bit different depending on who makes it. It looked absolutely perfect today and I knew I had to get it to accompany my salad.

I was pretty hungry on my way home and snacked on a big Jonagold Apple. When I got home I was craving a smoothie in a bowl for lunch. This bowl has: 1 large frozen banana, 5 frozen strawberries, 1 heaping scoop of chocolate whey protein, 1 cup vanilla almond milk, 2 handfuls of spinach and topped with Galaxy Vanilla Almond Granola and extra Almonds. I needed some study snacks so I heated Medjool Dates with Peanut Butter and Almond Butter. Why have I never tried this? I almost died and went to heaven! The almond butter was my favorite and I may have gone back for more . I have a snacking problem when I have lots of work to do. I acknowledge this, but it helps me focus. I had another plate of strawberries, frozen bananas and frozen cherries with almond butter. There were definitely more snacks in there but nothing picture worthy.

When dinner time crept up (seriously where did my day go?), I decided to start on my creation: Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Chevre Goat Cheese, Toasted Hazelnuts and Twisted Root Bread with a Lemon-Basil vinaigrette. I used 1 medium beet and 1 medium golden beet. ~ 1 TBS chopped toasted hazelnuts, ~1 oz Chevre Goat Cheese, and dressed the salad and bread with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and ciffonade of basil leaves. Magical things happened when I added the homemade dressing. It was light but made the beets even more buttery and the toasted bread the perfect texture. I had a tiny glass of paper writing inspiration Spanish Quarter Cabernet Sauvignon with my meal. DELICIOUS. Reason number 1 why I am not a typical college student: I dream of/eat things like this and cherish a good glass of wine to match my food. But hey I AM TOTALLY fine with that!!

Dessert: ACTTACK OF CHOCOLATE EATER BUNNY NUMBER 2 (finished Mr. Chocolate Almond Bunny)

Before

After

I’m cruel, what can I say? I still have to finish my paper but it is shaping up! I just grabbed a few more of those dates to help me get through it . For once in my life I am excited for Monday to come. New week….bring it on!

New Beginnings,

Nora

What is your favorite “simple but elegant” meal?