12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #10 & #11

On the tenth day of Christmas, my dietitian told me…

Stop eating when you’re full!

At holiday meals, people have a tendency to keep eating just because the food is there. This is one of the reasons why people tend to gain weight over the holiday season. When eating dinner, try to enjoy and savor the foods you are eating instead of just shoveling in bite after bite. If you eat slower, your body will be able to better recognize when you are full. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is satisfied. Therefore, after eating dinner wait a while before going back for seconds. Let your body have time to decide if it really is still hungry or if your brain is just telling you to eat because food is available. If after waiting awhile you are still hungry then have another small portion or two of your favorite dishes, or have a slice of your favorite dessert. The holiday food is there for you to enjoy, not to stuff you to the brim.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my dietitian told me…

How to walk away from the buffet!

The first few bites of any food provide you with the most pleasure. Savor those bites to the fullest and don’t go overboard. If you find it hard to know when to stop, here are some good ways to fight the urge to eat more than you should:

· Don’t sit right next to the appetizers, candy dishes, or cookie trays. This will tempt you to reach over for more food than you should be eating. Move around the house and find places where you can socialize.

· During the hors d’oeuvres and dinner, keep your mouth busy by talking with the friends and family you are gathered with.

· Chew on a piece of gum or a mint to prevent you from picking at the foods available. Eat a few hors d’oeuvres and then chew gum between that and dinner. After dinner, chew on another piece of gum before you dive into the desserts.

· The taste of toothpaste dulls the taste buds, so if you want to stop eating, find a way to brush your teeth.

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #9

On the ninth day of Christmas, my dietitian told me…

You can have dessert, but don’t over do it!

What would a holiday party be without the dessert table? However, this table can be a very difficult area for people who are on a diet or trying to maintain a healthy weight. However, don’t let food control you over the holidays. The holiday is time to enjoy and celebrate life, and dessert can definitely be a part of that. When dinner is ending and it comes time for dessert allow yourself to have one or two small portions of the dessert of your choice, but do not make your dessert plate as full as your dinner plate. Choose one piece of the pie you have been eyeing up, or one of your favorite holiday cookies. Dessert is meant to be savored and enjoyed. So choose your favorite and enjoy it, just don’t go back for seconds or thirds, because keep in a mind a single piece of pecan pie can have over 500 calories. Therefore people counting calories may want to choose a lighter dessert option like a slice of pumpkin pie (205 calories) or 2 small sugar cookies (130 calories). Here is a delicious recipe that is slightly less in calories, but no way less in flavor.

Recipe: Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 eggs (Use an egg substitute to cut more fat and cholesterol)

2 cups canned pumpkin

3/4 cup evaporated milk (use fat free milk to eliminate more fat)

1-1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

Directions

In a bowl, combine the sugar and flour. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in the pumpkin, milk, vanilla and cinnamon if desired; mix until well blended. Pour into a greased 9-in. pie plate. Place pie plate in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; add 1/2 in. of hot water to pan. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 piece) equals 211 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 87 mg cholesterol, 49 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein.

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #8

On the eighth day of Christmas, my dietitian told me…

To keep portion sizes on my mind!

When you smell the foods you are cooking and see the spread of delicious Holiday favorites, it is easy to overload your plate with all that goodness. But overloading your plate can often lead to not so good feelings after you eat it all. In order to avoid this, take one piece of the meat that is provided, and one small scoop of the side dishes. This will give you a taste of everything without food overload. You should aim towards filling ¼ of your plate with meat, ¼ of your plate with a starchy side dish such as potatoes, and ½ of your plate with vegetables. Eat your meal slowly, putting your fork down and resting for a minute or two every now and again. Dinner is a time to converse with all of the family you are sharing the Holiday with. By talking to those you are sitting with, you will eat slower. If you decide later that you are still hungry, go back and pick one or two of your favorite items and take a small amount.

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #7

On the seventh day of Christmas, my dietitian told me…

Not to forget about those important veggies!

Before you eat dinner, scan the appetizers for a vegetable tray. Choosing vegetables will provide you with nutrients that are needed every day such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, antioxidants, and fiber. If you are in charge of cooking the Holiday meal, you should provide your guests with vegetables that are cooked in a way that keeps their nutrient value. The best way to do this is to steam or roast your vegetables. Steaming and roasting are easy and don’t require a lot of cooking steps. If a vegetable recipe calls for cream, try using light cream instead of heavy cream. If a vegetable recipe calls for butter, try using half of the amount that is suggested on the recipe. And lastly, don’t overload vegetables with salt. Put in a little for seasoning, and allow everyone to season their food with more salt if they really want to. Here are a few vegetable recipes that you will enjoy!

Green bean casserole:

Serves 10 Prep Time: 15 minutes, Bake Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 2 bags of frozen green beans, thawed
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 small onion, sautéed in olive oil
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

• Slice the onion into thin slices. Place into the heated pan with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sautee the onion until golden brown.
• In a bowl, combine soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper. Gently stir in beans. Spoon half of the mixture into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the onions. Spoon remaining bean mixture over the top.
• Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes longer. Yield: 10 servings.

Rosemary Mashed Potatoes and Yams

Serves 10 Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 cloves of roasted garlic (the jar will give instructions as to how many teaspoons is equivalent to 1 clove)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 pounds yams, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking dish.

2. Boil potatoes and yams in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup liquid.

3. Place potatoes and yams in a large bowl with milk, butter, rosemary, garlic, and reserved olive oil. Mash to desired consistency, adding any extra liquid as needed. Mix in 1/4 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

4. Bake until heated through and golden on top, about 45 minutes.

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #6

On the sixth day of Christmas, my dietitian said to me…

What sides are you going to eat?

When it comes to the holidays everyone wants to indulge in his or her favorite comfort food. Usually this comes in the form of a side dish such as macaroni and cheese or scalloped potatoes. While these foods may provide comfort, they also provide a lot of calories and fat. Even though it’s ok to indulge every once and a while, there are easy ways to make your favorite dish more healthy. Here are some suggestions of substitutions you can use in your recipes this holiday season:

Recipe calls for:	Substitution:
1 whole egg	2 egg whites
Sour cream	Low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream
Milk	Skim or 1%
Heavy cream (not for whipping)	2 tablespoons flour whisked into 2 cups non fat milk
Cheese	Low-fat cheese (non-fat cheese does not melt well if use in cooking or baking)

Here is a healthy version of Macaroni and Cheese:

Recipe: Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower

12 ounces multigrain elbow macaroni

1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped

4 slices multigrain bread, torn

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups grated low fat extra-sharp Cheddar (6 ounces)

1 1/2 cups non fat yogurt or sour cream

1/2 cup skim milk or 1%

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain.

Meanwhile, pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the parsley, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; pulse to combine.

Return the pasta pot to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

Mix in the pasta and cauliflower and the cheese, yogurt, milk, and mustard.

Transfer to a shallow 3-quart baking dish, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #5

On the fifth day of Christmas, my dietitian said to me…

Don’t eat the skin on the Turkey.

American holiday dinners almost always involve some form of meat. Two of the most popular meats for holidays are ham and turkey. Out of these two choices turkey is probably the better choice. Not only is turkey an excellent source of protein, but also compared to other meats it has the least amount of fat per serving, if you eat it without the skin. For example, four ounces of turkey breast without skin is only 152 calories and had little to no fat. A drumstick with skin on the other hand has about 236 calories with close to 12 grams of fat. If you are going to have ham at your holiday dinner just try to limit your portion to about fours ounces, which is about as big as a deck of cards. Ham has more sodium and fat than turkey, but as long as you stick to the proper serving size you’ll be fine. Here is a healthy recipe to try on your holiday meat:

Recipe: Brown Rice and Apple Stuffed Turkey Breast

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Progresso ® Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth

1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 cup uncooked long grain brown rice

1/3 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped green apple

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 turkey (10 to 12 pounds)

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the broth, 1/3 cup apple juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and raisins. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes or until rice is tender.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, cook celery and onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add apple; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine the rice mixture, apple mixture, poultry seasoning, pepper and remaining apple juice and salt.

Just before baking, loosely stuff turkey. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2-3/4 to 3 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180° for the turkey and 165° for the stuffing. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.)

Cover turkey and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove stuffing and carve turkey, discarding skin. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy.

Yield: 6 servings with leftovers. 



Editor's Note: Stuffing may be prepared as directed and baked separately in a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and bake a 325° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through.

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #4

On the fourth day of Christmas, my dietitian said to me…

Drinks are not as harmless as you think.

Drinks may seem like a way to limit your caloric intake because you are not eating, but that is not the case. Alcohol contains calories and those calories can add up fairly quickly after a couple of drinks. If you are really trying to watch your caloric intake it would be best to stick to non-alcoholic drinks. However if you are going to partake in drinking alcoholic beverages, it would be beneficial to switch to lighter alcoholic beverages like light beers or wine spritzers. It’s also a good idea to drink a glass of water in between your drinks. This helps keep your caloric intake down, since water has no calories, and it helps keep you hydrated so you avoid a hangover the next morning. A popular drink around the holidays is eggnog, but a mere 4 ounces is about 150 calories. Therefore, here is a recipe to help keep the calories down while still enjoying a holiday favorite:

Recipe: ‘Skinny’ Eggnog

1-cup skim milk

1/4 tsp. rum extract

Dash of ground cinnamon

Dash of ground nutmeg

Sugar substitute to taste

Pour ice-cold milk into a lidded container and shake vigorously. Add rum extract and sugar substitute and shake again. Pour into a tall glass, sprinkle with spices and add low-fat whipped topping, if desired.

One 8-oz. serving, 86 calories

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #3

On the third day of Christmas, my dietitian said to me…

Choose your appetizers wisely.

Appetizers are there to hold you over until dinner. Therefore, appetizers should not contain enough calories to be a whole meal themselves. Before you decided what appetizers to fill your plate with, observe the buffet to see what is offered. Decided on two or three appetizer options you absolutely have to try because they look delicious, and then fill the rest of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Therefore, you are getting to taste the foods you want but you are still getting nutrient dense foods as well. Another option to help avoid calorie-laden appetizers is to bring one of your own to the party. This way you know there will be at least one option there for you to enjoy guilt free. Plus other people are bound to enjoy it too. Here is a recipe that would be great to take along to that holiday office party or family gathering:

Recipe: Low-Fat Mock Deviled Eggs

6 hard-boiled eggs

1 tsp. sugar

1 T. white vinegar

1 can (16-oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained

2 T. nonfat mayonnaise

2 T. yellow mustard

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

2 T. minced green onion

1/4 tsp. ground paprika

Remove shells from eggs. Halve eggs lengthwise; remove and discard the yolks. In a small bowl, dissolve sugar in vinegar. Rinse the chickpeas and drain thoroughly. In a food processor or blender, combine chickpeas, sugar mixture, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, pepper, and onions and blend until smooth. Spoon mixture into egg whites or fill using a fluted pastry bag. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This recipe removes 3 grams of fat and adds 6 grams of protein and 7 grams of dietary fiber compared to “real” deviled eggs.

Nutritional information: Serving: 1/2 egg (or one deviled egg). Yield: 12 servings. Calories 151, Total fat 2 grams, Saturated fat: trace, Cholesterol: trace, Sodium: 70 mg, Carbohydrate: 24 grams, Protein: 9 grams, Dietary fiber: 7 grams.

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #2

On the second day of Christmas, my dietitian told me…

Don't to forget about exercise!

In all of the hustle and bustle associated with Christmas Eve and Christmas day, it is easy to forget about the need to have physical activity. Because gyms and activity centers may be closed, activity will have to be done at home. It is a great idea to get physical activity done early in the day. The exercise will give you an energy boost and it has been shown to be a stress reducer, both of which will be beneficial for your entire day. Shoot for half an hour to an hour of physical activity each day. Here are some great activities that you can do right at home:

• Shovel the sidewalk for your guests
• Shovel the sidewalk for any of the elderly or disabled on your block as a gift from you
• Build a snowman with your children or your friends
• Take a brisk walk and enjoy the beautiful winter scenery that comes with the Holidays
• Have a snowball fight, chasing all of your opponents around the yard
• Sign up for a local 5k Christmas run or run your own 5K around the neighborhood
• Go ice skating at a local rink
• Go Snowboarding or Skiing with friends or family
• Go sled riding or tubing

There are so many fun forms of activity associated with the winter that you should be able to keep your work out interesting and intriguing. So next time you are feeling the stress of the holidays and need to relax take 30 min to exercise to get your endorphins pumping.

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12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #1

On the first day of Christmas, my dietitian told me…

To start my day off with a healthy breakfast!

Just because you know you will be indulging in a lot of great food on Christmas Eve and Christmas day doesn’t mean you should skip breakfast. By eating a healthy breakfast, your body will get the energy it needs to start the day. You will need all the energy you can get in order to wrap all those gifts, get your kids ready, cook for the dinner at your house or anything you offered to bring to someone else’s gathering, and shovel the snow that is essential to a White Christmas. Try starting your day off with a hot bowl of oatmeal, and get the whole family to share this breakfast together. Oatmeal is a great food that will keep you feeling full throughout the morning. Try adding new ingredients to your oatmeal to create new flavors and make breakfast more exciting. Some examples of ingredients you could add include:

• · Dried cranberries, raisins, dried mango, dried cherries, coconut etc
• · Sliced apples, banana, pear, blueberries, raspberries, etc.
• Slivered almonds, chopped pecans, walnuts, coca roasted almond, peanut butter, etc
• Pumpkin
• Granola, or other cereal topping for a crunch

R Really the ideas are endless so be creative and enjoy!

* The 12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating was created by another student and myself as part of our Community Nutrition Dietetic Internship rotation at Maternal and Family Health Services.

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A little quote...

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The countdown to Thanksgiving break has begun. (8 days!)

Hopefully I'll more free time in the near future.

Until I do, I hope you all are out conquering your lives too :)

Favorite Fall Foods

It's that time of the year where the weather is starting to get chilly, and the leaves are changing to reds and yellows. This change in temperature tends to make our bodies crave warm comforting foods. However, some of these foods can be laden with fats. So today I'm going to list some of my favorite foods that I find comforting and delicous during this time of the year.

1) Pumpkin:

Why it's good for you: great source of vitamin A, which is good for your eyes.

Pumpkin is very versatile and can be mixed in with lots of different foods, or even eaten plain. I like to mix pumpkin into oatmeal, yogurt, and pancakes, but it can also be added to soups, chillis, or breads.

2) Spaghetti Squash:

Why it's good for you: great source of beta carotene and vitamin A, which may aid in prevention of certain types of cancer and macular degeneration.

Spaghetti squash is another versatile vegetable. It can be eaten just sprinkled with cinammon and a touch of butter or serve as a substitute for pasta topped with tomato sauce and parmasen.

3) Oatmeal
Why it's good for you: it contains fiber which can help lower your cholesterol.

Oatmeal is probably one of my favorite foods ever. It helps me get out of my warm bed knowing a warm bowl of oatmeal will help keep me warm. Again oatmeal is versatile and can be fixed to suit anyones taste. It can be mixed with fresh/dried fruits, nut butter, nuts, granola, yogurt, pumpkin and the list goes on. Plus oatmeal can be added to breads or homeade veggie burgers.

4) Apples

Why it's good for you: also contains fiber; its soluble fiber may help lower blood cholesterol levels and its insoluble fiber helps waste move through your intestinal tract faster.

Apples again a very versatile food. They can be eaten by themselves, added to salads or sandwhiches, warmed up and topped with cinnamon for a sweet treat, or made into delicious apple cider. Anyway you eat them, they are a fruit that screams fall.

5) Beans

Why they're good for you: loaded with protein, fiber, iron and other vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients.
Once again beans can be added to just about anything, chili, soups, casseroles, or eaten alone. A great food to have on hand in your pantry.

These are some of my favorite foods because not only are they all good for you, but all of them are versatile and can be used in a variety of cooking methods. I hope this helps to get some ideas running through your head for creating that perfect fall recipe!

Later I'll post some of my favorite recipes using these ingriedients, in the mean time does anyone else have a favorite fall recipe they'd like to share??

Happy Wednesday :)

Project Food Blog

I just discovered the food blog world in the spring. I never knew that anything like this existed, and once I found it, I was hooked. I wanted to keep reading about other people's recipes so that I could find new recipes to try. However, then I realized that I could do this too. I could be a food blogger.

I'm currently going to school to get my Master's in nutrition and completing my internship to be a Registered Dietitian. I love going to school for what I love, learning about different aspects of food and how food affects people and our society. I think in a way food blogging provides that same information to people, it teaches people about food and it shows you people's perspectives regarding food. I love that there is this vast amount of information right at your finger tips.

I hope that through my food blog people can learn to make new recipes, learn a little bit about healthy eating, and learn that food should be fun.

I know there are lots of other food bloggers out there who have more experience or more time to commit to there blog, but I'm just beginning my journey. I am just starting out on my own experience with food. My schedule may not allow for daily posts, but I post when I can because blogging is the perfect hobby. It's an outlet to a world where I don't have to turn in weekly assignments, I don't have to write in a specific format, it's a place where I can just be me. I hope that you will follow my journey and I promise I will give you recipes to try and hopefully inspire you to create some of your own. Like I said before, food is fun. That's why blogging about it is so entertaining, and that's hopefully what will keep you reading.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! I know that I am :)

1, 2, 3....Breathe

It's that time of the year where everyone is getting back into a routine and trying to juggle a million things. I know that I am definitely trying to adjust to life as a graduate student and intern. I saw a good post the other day about how to the faster pace that kicks in about this time. Therefore, I'm going to share my top 5 pointers on how to stay on top of your game without stressing too much:



1) Buy a planner or organizer. Seriously if you do not write something down you are likely to forget it later. This helps me keep track of homework assignments, meetings, classes, work, etc. This way I also know what is on the agenda for the day and I don't have to try to remember if I'm supposed to be somewhere or doing something else.



2) Take a time out. Plan a break for yourself everyday to do something that you want to do and enjoy. It could be a short walk or even messing around on Facebook. Do whatever you want for like 10 min. and then refocus on whatever you were working on.



3) Plan your meals for the week. This helps because you don't have to waste time trying to figure out what you are going to pack for lunch or eat at dinner. Plus you only have to run to the grocery store once instead of stopping at fast food restaurants.



4) Communicate. We all have days where we are so busy we feel like we don't have time to spend on people. However, just one short conversation with a friend, sibling, or boyfriend/girlfriend can boost your mood. It will allow you to talk about your day and get whatever you need to off your chest, plus I'm sure it will brighten your mood and the person's mood you call. Work is always going to be there, but people aren't. So take the 5 min to just say hi.



5) Sleep. This is one thing that people tend to sacrifice when they are busy, but sleep is super important for you. If you don't get enough sleep you are likely to be tired, crabby, and get even more behind on your work because you don't have the energy to do it. So try to aim for about 7-8 hours a night, your body will thank you.



These are just some of the things that help keep me sane during the week when I'm running from here to there and wondering how I'm going to kept everything accomplished. However, we have to remember we are only human. There is only so much we can accomplish each day. So don't be too hard on yourself, because there is always tomorrow.



Does anybody else have any tips that help them stay on top of their game?



Have a great Tuesday!

Pumpkin Yogurt

I love yogurt and I love pumpkin. So today I made a happy marriage and combined the two. Delicous! I just finished eating my yogurt and it was the perfect ending to my lunch. Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Yogurt
1/2 c. plain nonfat yogut
1/3 c. pumpkin
Pumpkin Pie Spice (sprinkle to your liking of spice)
Pinch of Vanilla Extract (basically just let a drop or two fall into the mix)
Squirt of agave necter (again add to your liking of sweetness, I prob added a tsp.)
Mix all ingredients together to make a nice orange yogurt. I don't have any pictures but next time I make it I'll be sure to share one.

I ate mine with some little graham cookies that tasted like ginger snaps and they definitely were the perfect mix-in. Granola or some crushed nuts would also compliment the yogurt nicely. This is definitely the perfect fall snack :)

Now time to digest before hitting up the gym and class. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday!
Smile, it will make your day a little brighter :)

Fall

Today feels like fall, and fall is my FAVORITE time of the year. Here are some of my favorite things about fall:

1) Pumpkins

2) Apple Cider

3) Warm Chi Tea

4) Hot cereals

5) Fall sports

6) Cooler but not cold weather

7) Cute Scarves

8) Boots

9) Leaves change pretty colors

10) Back to school shopping :)

And back to school shopping leads to back to school, which is why my posts have been MIA. School is now controlling my life, but I will try to post new recipes when find them. Right now my diet has been consisting of things like peanut butter and jelly. I need to get into my school groove and then hopefully things will start moving a little more smoothing.

Hope everyone has a great weekend :)

Here I am.

So I've noticed that time likes to go by very quickly. I can't believe that my last post was on the 8th and today is already the 24th. Seriously, where does the time go?? Well I should soon be back to a regular schedule with classes starting next week. So hopefully my posts will be back on a schedule. I've been extra busy these past couple of weeks trying to fit in the last hurrah of summer activities.

Anyways, yesterday's lunch was a quick one because after a 3 hour drive I was starving and just wanted food. Therefore, peanut butter and banana bagel thins it was.

Plus 2 clementines. Then the afternoon was spent unpacking and organizing my life, which got some what accomplished. Later I went to aerobics at the gym and then off to the farmer's market. At the farmer's market I found apricot/mango peaches? They sounded intriguing so I bought some. I'll have to let you know how they taste. I also got a huge zucchini and a white eggplant. The zucchini was the star of dinner. I made Zucchini pizza, and I am telling you it was delicious!!! Seriously make this. I found the recipe here and only made slight alterations. I got some whole wheat dough at the supermarket and let it rise for 45 min. Then I flattened it out on a backing sheet that I had sprinkle with cornmeal. Then I mixed together 1 c. of part-skim ricotta with 2 cloves garlic, and a mix of basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. I just added the seasonings to my liking. Then I spread this mixture over the dough. Next I grated 1 large zucchini and then drained out some of the water. You can do this by pressing down on it with a paper towel or squeezing it with your hands over the sink. Then with the zucchini mix in 1 or 2 c. mozzarella (I only used 1c. and then added ~1/4 c. parmesan). Spread the zucchini mixture over the ricotta. Then I baked it for about 15 min at 450 F. It turned out awesome!

I am definitely going to make this recipe again.

Then this morning for breakfast I'm back to my regular oats.

This one included 1/2c. oats, 1 tbsp. ground flax, 2 tbsp raisins, sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, ~1c. almond mix and a drizzle of lf maple syrup.

Today I spent most of my time on campus helping out for an event so lunch was just a slice of pizza and a cookie that was provided. I'm not complaining getting to have pizza two days in a row, plus I feel like the zucchini pizza leftovers will be making a reappearance tomorrow :) Now its time for more organizing before heading over to campus again this evening.

Hope everyone is enjoying this fall-like day :)

How did people do it?

How did people live without internet I mean. I was away on vacation for a week in a world without internet. While it was nice to just enjoy my time with my friends and hanging out on the beach in the back of my mind I was itching to get to a computer just to check my e-mail, or even just for the sake of being on-line. I felt so disconnected. I think I need to limit myself from the internet so that when I am away from it I don't miss it. The internet is a HUGE part of our lives in today's world, and yes it is a good thing, however it should not control our lives. Anyways, I'm now back in the internet world so here are my eats from today.

This morning I started with some oats in a jar. A nutella jar that is :) I was definitely in the mood for some chocolate this morning. So I combined 1/2 c. oats, ~1/2 c. milk, dash of vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp of chia seeds. I then microwaved this for 1 min 30 sec. Then I added a spoonful of plain Dannon yogurt, some dried cherries, and coconut.

Delish. Then it was time for me to get my clean on, and I now have an almost spotless kitchen and bathroom along with a re-arrange living room. Very productive if I do say so myself. For lunch I made myself a grilled turkey hummus sandwich. I used two pieces of Arnold's bread, topped with Atheno's artichoke hummus, 1 slice ff american cheese, and some baby spinach. Then I put this in my sandwich griller and it got all warm and toasty.

I'm never tried hummus on a grilled sandwich before and I'll have to say it was pretty good. I will definitely be trying this again. I also had some un-pictured carrot sticks with my sandwich. The rest of the afternoon consisted of some more productivity and errands. Then for dinner I made this spinach pasta bake. I pretty much followed the recipe expect for a few changes, I halved it, I used all ff cheeses, and I used a different pasta sauce just because it was the only one I had.

I'll have to say it came out pretty good but it was a little too hot of a dish for this warm weather. I was almost sweating while eating it. I'll have to save those kind of dishes for cooler days. I also had a small sad salad with my pasta made from a bag iceberg lettuce mix with some tomatoes and a little light ranch.

Now the rest of the night is going to be spent relaxing and then hopefully early to bed so I can get up early tomorrow to finish up a presentation for my class.

Have a good night!

Chocolate Squash Muffins

I had a yellow squash that I needed to use up, and I wanted to find a new recipe to use it in. I found this recipe on the Taste of Home website. It looked like an easy recipe, and I had all of the ingredients on hand so I decided to go for it. However, as I was mixing the ingredients I decided I wanted chocolate muffins. So I added about 2 tbsp of dark chocolate cocoa and a handful of chocolate chips. Then into the oven they went. When they came out I had these.

They smelled so good, and of course I had to try one right away. The verdict, good. They are not overly sweet and very moist due to the squash. The only thing I would change would be to add more chocolate chips, one handful was just not enough for my liking. I will definitely make these muffins again.

Another new recipe I made was a banana scramble sandwich. I found the recipe here and followed it exactly. Here is how it turned out.

It was an interesting combo, but I think I would like to eat the banana scramble as a pancake instead of as a sandwich filling. So next time I make them instead of putting them on an english muffin I'm going to put them on a plate and top with some maple syrup. I'll let you know how they turn out like that.

Other than that my meals haven't been too exciting. I'm been trying to eat up the food I have in my fridge since I am going to the beach soon. So I have been eating simple things like oatmeal, scramble eggs, and frozen veggies. All good, but not too exciting to photograph or talk about.

Anyways, hope everyone is enjoying their day before the day before the weekend!

White Eggplant Parmesan

So the other day when I was at the local farmer's market I came across this...

a white eggplant! I have never seen one of these before but I was curious how it would taste. I asked the farmer and she said she thought it tasted better than a purple eggplant. Therefore I knew I had to buy it. That night I came home and made White Eggplant Parmesan. I followed the recipe here, expect white eggplants don't need to sweat as long. In fact the farmer told me they didn't need to sweat at all, but I still salted mine and let them set on a plate for about 20 min. A little bit of water was removed but not as much as with a purple eggplant. The final product was delicious!

I will definitely make this again!

Today for breakfast I tried a new twist on my oatmeal. S'More oatmeal.

The mix contained: 1/2 c. oats, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp marshmellow fluff, 2 tbsp vanilla yogurt, 2 tbsp chocolate chips, and 1 crumbled graham cracker. It was good, but it didn't really remind me of campfire s'mores like I thought it would.

Now it's time to hopefully be productive! TGIF :)

So is it the weekend yet?

Today was one of the longest days ever.

Long because it went by soooo slow.

Probably because I didn't have a whole lot on the agenda today besides some little assignments and was too lazy to really attempt to do anything besides working out. Oh well I guess I can't really complain about that huh? The day started off on a good note though, overnight oats. These were the same as yesterdays so I won't bore you with the details. The rest of the morning was spent doing some light cleaning and hw. For lunch I made a Toasted Pesto and Cheese Sandwich. These are one of my favorites, even though they are definitely not the healthiest for you. I just used a rosemary roll from Wegmans' and then topped it with pesto and Monterey Jack cheese. Then I toasted in the toaster oven for like 4 min.

Mmm warm and toasty. With the carb-fest I also had a salad with mixed greens, carrots, cucumbers, and spinach artichoke hummus.

The rest of the afternoon I was a slug. However, I did take the dog I'm watching for a walk and then I did some workouts on the Fit channel. Has anyone else every done those? They were good for today because it was too hot and humid out to run outside. Then around 5 I made dinner. Just leftover whole wheat organic pasta from last night topped with vodka sauce, some veggies, and turkey meatballs. On the side I had a breadstick.

Now I'm enjoying the weather outside because it rained so the humidity has died down a lot so its nice and comfortable outside. I love blogging from the patio :)

But now I'm just waiting around for the highlight of my Monday, the Bachelorette! Is anyone else as obsessed as I am? Maybe I'm just crazy but oh well. Anyways have a good night y'all :)

Sunny Sunday

Today was a beautiful day.

Hot, yes, but there was a slight breeze that allowed me to relax in the sun for quite a while this afternoon. Oh it was another joyous lazy day.

The day started off with some overnight oats. The concoction contained 1/2 c. rolled oats, 1/2 c. light and fit yogurt, dash of cinnamon. Then this morning I topped it with blackberries and some warm blackberry jam that I heated up in the microwave. The jam was a nice finishing touch. I find I like to put a warm topping on my cold oats.

The morning was spent outside being lazy and getting some stuff done around the house. Why does laundry never end? Around 10:30 my stomach was growling for some reason so had a snack. And since I am obsessed with banana softserve I had that topped with the few strawberries I had left.

Today I added peanut butter in with the bananas and it really tasted like peanut butter ice cream! Oh I love recreating food to a more healthy version :) A while later it was time for lunch. I'd been wanting to try the Front Burner's Black Bean burger recipe so I made one for lunch today. I pretty much followed the recipe and baked them in the oven for about 40 min at 300F. I topped it with a slice of american cheese, ketchup, and spicy mustard. It was pretty good.

Along with my burger I had a small salad with greens, carrots, cucumbers, dried cranberries, feta, pepitas, and balsalmic vinaigrette.

Then it was time to do a little shopping. I am always in the mood to shop :) After being out and about for a couple hours I worked up an appetite for dinner. Dinner was just some whole wheat pasta topped with some vodka sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Simple, yet satisfying. Now the only plans on my agenda for the rest of the night are to relax, and probably eat another piece of birthday cake, because honestly who can resist funfetti cake that is sitting on your counter??

Night!