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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

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 :)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

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 :)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

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!

Monday, September 13, 2010

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 :)

Friday, September 10, 2010

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 :)