After nearly 7 years, I have decided to shut down this blog and delete the contents at the end of this month (May 2012).
Thank you to all my faithful readers and for so many of you who commented and encouraged me over the years.
Denise
May 28, 2012
March 01, 2012
More Gnocchi, Please
About a year ago, I posted about sweet potato gnocchi with a recipe for a cheesy sauce. It was very good and I've made it several times since.
However, now that I am totally plant-strong (no dairy, especially cheese!) I needed to find a new sauce recipe to go with the sweet potato gnocchi that I enjoy so much!
I read several blogs that are plant-strong based and I often try out some of the recipes I find, so after perusing a few blogs I found a sauce recipe on Angela's blog.
Nutritional yeast is condiment-like powder (or flake) that is a great source of protein and vitamins - a favorite among those who follow a plant-based diet. The recipe that I found on Angela's blog is called Low-Fat Vegan Cheeze Sauce and it was quick & easy to prepare for lunch today with my gnocchi!
First, I gathered all the essential ingredients:
Next, I measured and mixed, heated and whisked...
And the result:
LUNCH!
(Oh, and I added some edamame to the gnocchi and sauce for added protein, plus it adds a pretty green color to the dish!).
The gnocchi was a pre-made brand that I purchased from Whole Foods Market. Drop into boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, and serve with sauce plus edamame or another green veggie. I also had a small salad with romaine, radishes, red pepper, and grape tomatoes.
Just a little side note: I started eating a vegetarian diet over 2 years ago and gradually gave up dairy over the past year, but was still holding onto cheese. It had an addicting force over me and I knew it was holding me back from achieving my health and weight-loss goals. So, at the start of 2012, I decided to stop eating cheese in any form, becoming totally plant-strong! (Since Jan 1st, I've already lost another 15+ pounds!).
It's working for me!
January 15, 2012
Juicing - on a Regular Basis
Most people enjoy a glass of juice. Fresh-squeezed is usually preferred. How about juice made through a juice machine?
(the above juice contains carrots, apple, celery, orange & ginger root)
Last year we bought a Waring Pro juicer. It's not the top-of-the-line juicer, but it works for our needs. We try to juice at least twice a week.
I've been trying some new combinations lately, with more vegetables, to get a better balance of nutrients in my diet. For example, this is the juice combination I made this morning:
I combined one Fuji apple, broccoli stems (save those - they are great for juicing and have a slight sweet taste!), 4 carrots, 1 grapefruit, 1/2 cucumber, and some swiss chard.
This is a great little machine - easy to use and easy to clean up (though it is a bit messy, I won't lie!).
Ed helped while I took photos.
Here's my "green juice" with a little tinge of orange! I like the overload of the vegetables, yet it's a taste you have to get use to. I don't particularly care for a sweet juice, as Ed does. His looked like this:
He combined a Golden Delicious apple, Barlett pear, navel orange, and carrots. He prefers his juice to be heavier on the fruit side.
My juicer cleans up easily and goes back to its home above the refrigerator.
If you're thinking that it's just as easy to grab a bottle of juice at your local grocery store, take a few minutes to read this article on what you actually get in those commercial juices.
And if you really want to learn how juicing can benefit your health, there are many resources out there to help - starting with the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (which can be viewed on Netflix).
Knowledge is power. Consider these things when giving attention to your health.
Love my juice!
January 08, 2012
January 05, 2012
Our Kitchen
It's hard to believe that just a few months ago our house was in a constant state of chaos and shambles, mostly.
We were in the middle of a major remodel project from April of last year through the end of August. It was hard living without the convenience of a fully operational kitchen, but it was all worth it...
See for yourselves:
Our cabinets came from Lowe's, made by Shenadoah: Charleston design. We enjoyed creating more space and implementing more storage area than we had before.
This is what it looked like before:
I like the bold color that the red brings to the room.
The countertop and sinks are Corian - which I like a lot. The color pattern of the countertop is called Maui and we had a good friend make and install it. It was one of the last things to finish up the room. And what a relief to finally have a larger workspace to create meals.
You may have noticed that I do not have an automatic dishwasher. That's by choice - I prefer washing/drying my dishes by hand and it's a chore I really don't mind doing. Here's how it looked about an hour ago:
Since I like a neat, clean kitchen - I usually don't leave dirty dishes sitting on the countertop. I especially don't like to go to bed at night with dirty dishes sitting around, as I prefer waking up to this:
You may also notice in the photo above that we have under-cabinet lighting installed. The other lighting in the kitchen is recessed and we installed a dimmer, which is really nice to have.
We didn't replace any applicances (which saved us some significant dollars) because our stove and fridge were both only a couple years old and are holding up well.
The pretty towels were embrodiered by Ed's cousin's wife and are a perfect match to the walls. The pretty red teapot was a surprise from Santa this year!
This space is one of my favorites. Moving the refrigerator to the other side of the room not only allowed us to create more counter workspace and cupboard space in the area vacated by the fridge, but gave us a chance to design a full size pantry cupboard, which I love.
The cabinet over the fridge holds all my small appliances: juicer, crockpot, breadmaker, and food processor. The blender is kept in a cupboard at the end of the counter (below) beside the toaster since we use these appliances almost daily. And, of course, my beloved RED Kitchen Aid sits in its designated spot in the baking corner.
Lastly, I wanted to mention our kitchen table which we had made in Shipshewana IN by the Amish.
It seats four comfortably like this, but as you can see it has wings on both sides that can extend the table to seat up to eight people. However, to make that happen in our still small kitchen would make the space very crowded. We normally have no more than six dine at the table at one time. I love the wood - it's brown maple, which we chose to match the cabinets, although the stain is a bit darker than the cabinets. It doesn't look too far off in real life.
The flooring is ceramic tile and the layout was designed by my husband. We had a great guy that we met in the beginning of our remodeling who did some fantastic work for us (I highly recommend him) - he laid the tile, mounted all the cabinetry, and did all our drywall work, which included building a beam across the ceiling to support the load bearing wall when we tore out part of the wall separating the kitchen and living room.
I made the curtain valances over each of the windows. I knew I didn't want full curtains because I didn't want to hide the light (like the curtains I had before did). I found this fabric at Joann's and it matched perfectly with the paint we picked out. I found the brick red oval braided rug that sits in front of the sink online.
The space we've created makes it easier to entertain, create meals, and enjoy togetherness. I hope you enjoyed this little tour of our newly remodeled kitchen.
August 30, 2011
A Little Color
Just a little color often adds the perfect touch to a room.
These flowers were "leftover" from a bouquet that I got at the farmer's market last weekend - pretty little wild flower arrangement that I cut down and placed in a votive candle holder.
When I first started thinking about color for my new kitchen, I knew I wanted something a bit bold, as I've lived with country blue and ivory for the past 17 years and it was getting tiring to look at. Our house had been given a little "facelift" before we bought it with fresh paint, wall paper, and carpet, but we didn't really do a lot to it in all these years until recently when we embarked on our renovation project.
I received a new KitchenAid stand mixer for Christmas back in 2009 and I love using it. I had requested a RED one and that's what I was given! So, it made sense (at least to me!) to make it a focal point of my new kitchen.
It has a little place of honor in the baking corner of the kitchen counter!
Ed was very leary of a bold statement in the kitchen when I suggested red walls. In fact, he nixed the idea right off the bat! He's one who likes the subtle, neutral colors and most of the time I'm okay with that - but this time we had to reach a compromise (which we did several times in the course of our remodeling project!). Along with the help of some of my dear girlfriends, I was able to convince him that a little splash of color (for at least 2 walls in the kitchen) would be a good thing and would be relatively painless for him.
He's coming around.
(plus, he loves that mixer - it makes great chocolate brownies, which are his favorite!).
August 26, 2011
In The Beginning - It's Simple!
We had been talking about remodeling/updating our kitchen for several years, but for the longest time it didn't happen for one reason or another.
You've heard me say before that we have a small home - it's 3-bedroom with one bathroom, ranch-style. But, I really like the size and especially so now that it's just Ed & I living here. Just the right amount of space. We sort of had that in mind when we bought the place, as we knew we didn't want something too big that it would be difficult to manage day to day. I'm not a big fan of house cleaning and it's everything I can do to stay ahead of the clutter that can creep in, so this house is perfect for the two of us.
I found this book - Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider - not too long ago, that has really helped me see the importance of simplicity in my home - staying organized and reducing clutter. In the coming days I'll be sharing about our remodeling experience and showing some before and after photos (which many have been anxious to see!). Being intentional about keeping things simple helps so much in bringing balance and peacefulness to my life.
I still have some work to do in this area (my craft studio still needs an overhaul!), but I'm moving in the right direction and feel so much more freedom when things are organized and simple.
Can't wait to share more with you!
July 10, 2011
April 21, 2011
Take a Good Look!
Tomorrow all of this will disappear!
The cabinets and sink will be removed tomorrow. We've already ordered our new custom cabinetry, but they won't arrive until May 27th or so. We're going to have to be creative if we need to use the kitchen, which I don't anticipate doing much. The gas stove will still be hooked up, but who wants to mess with cooking when nothing is within reach.
All of the carpet in the kitchen, living room, and hallway was removed last weekend and
we are in the process of removing all the wallpaper in the kitchen - such a time consuming job - and messy, too! There are two rows of border (one at the ceiling and one at the chair rail), plus the bottom third of the entire wall in the kitchen had a country blue paper. This was all in the house when we moved in 17 years ago. It had been newly decorated by the previous owners back then and I was satisfied with it and decorated around it. In all these years I have not changed much in the way of decor. My kitchen had lots of things hanging on the walls, little things to catch dust, and much "eye clutter" - everywhere you'd look there was something else.
That will all change.
Here's what we did to open things up in the house about a week and a half ago when we had the wall between the kitchen and living room partially removed:
Things are a mess here - we have a card table and chairs in the kitchen (easy to remove when needed), things not needed daily have been moved to the garage to store, things used daily (food, dishes, microwave, coffee pot for Ed, water cooler) have been moved to the back bedrooms, the washer and dryer have been moved to the garage and I'm going to the laundromat once a week.
We have a lot of wall prep to get done before the cabinets arrive: stripping of wall paper, patching holes, priming/painting walls, ceilings, and trim. The laundry room is completely gutted and Ed had to tear down two walls - one to install our new furnace
and another to do some rewiring of the electricals in the house. The furnace "room" has been painted since this photo was taken. The green/blue color you see in the top right of the photo above is the painted wall that was behind the cupboards we removed in the laundry room! What were they thinking using that color!?
This weekend will be a busy one - besides all the remodeling work here at the house, I will be participating with the musical team at our church for four services over the weekend (two on Saturday evening and two on Sunday morning). We plan to have Easter dinner at Emilee's apartment on Sunday, as it will be too messy/challenging to try to put together a meal here.
Have a blessed Easter weekend as you celebrate our Lord's resurrection!
April 16, 2011
Indianapolis Race for the Cure
This morning, right before dawn, Emilee and I headed downtown to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The weather was a bit dismal - cloudy, cold, and drizzly, but we persevered and made it a fun time!
This is my 7th year as a breast cancer survivor - and my 25th year of surviving cancer the first time around (diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease when I was in my 9th month of pregnancy for Emilee!). I have so much to be thankful for and feel so blessed for each day that the Lord gives me. I try not to take LIFE for granted and know that I'm here on this earth for a purpose.
There were over 40,000 participants at the Race today - lots of pink! We saw many humorous t-shirts, lots of families walking, many young men out supporting the women they love, and even some pets...
(a little donkey all decked out in a pink blanket and hat!)
The Race for the Cure has brought a lot of attention to breast cancer awareness over the years and continues to promote self exams, early mammos, etc. I would love to see more attention brought to prevention - there are many things that we can do to prevent breast cancer or lessen it's attack on the lives of women across our country. Prevention in the areas of better nutrition, healthier habits (non smoking and drinking), regular exercise, low stress, good sleep management, and giving of ourselves to help others. I have discovered many of these things over the last few years and they've made a significant impact on my health and well being. Some are just common sense; some take discipline.
We need to educate ourselves, our daughters and granddaughters to eradicate cancer in our future.
I pray my daughter never has to deal with this disease in a personal way (it's enough to go through it with someone you love). I believe PREVENTION is the key!
It was a good day, spent with my sweet daughter who I love dearly, for a cause that is very near to my heart.
I am blessed and grateful for those who stood by me seven years ago as I went through my journey with breast cancer - for my husband Ed, who never waivered from the vows of "in sickness and in health" and loves me so strongly; for my son, Stephen, whose silent strength and support gave me a will to fight; for my daughter, Emilee, whose tenacious spirit drove me to work hard to get healthy and stay that way; and for all my other family and friends who prayed, loved, and gave of themselves so generously. Cancer is a dreadful disease, but I must say that I am a stronger, wiser, more caring person because others showed me their strength, their wisdom, and their giving attitude throughout my journey and continue to bless my life today - I did not allow cancer to steal my joy. God has been faithful in my life and I give Him the glory for all that He has done to lift me up and make me stronger. {Phil 4:13}
One thing cancer has made me realize: learn what is important, prioritize, and
don't sweat the small stuff!
April 14, 2011
Home Renovation
There is a lot going on at our house these days! We're starting a huge renovation project that involves:
- Completely new kitchen --> new tile floor, freshly painted walls/ceiling, new cabinets, new counter tops, new sink/faucet, updated plumbing, newly designed kitchen table, new window treatments (that might just involve RED!)
- Open concept between the living room and kitchen --> we are taking down part of the wall that separates these two rooms to bring a more open feeling to the space
- Living room updated --> freshly painted walls/ceiling, new carpet, new furniture (sofa sectional), new window treatments
- Other --> updated furnace and air conditioner, freshly painted laundry room w/ new cabinets, updated electrical wiring throughout the house, new patio in the backyard
Lots to do and lots of decisions to make! I'm so fortunate that I have a very organized and thorough husband who researches/budgets/bargains/and is very handy himself - he definitely keeps us on track with everything from the financial end of things to the sequencing of what has to be done when.
We live in a relatively small house (built in 1959), but really prefer it that way for several reasons - the number one reason right now is that we're empty nesters and this house is the perfect size for just the two of us! Also, it's affordable. And since it's smaller, it's much easier to keep clean...or should be!
(before -kitchen with original cabinetry and counter tops...notice how little space there is to work!)
Cleaning is not my strong suit and I have found lately that the things I own and collect have really become more cumbersome than enjoyable. This year during the Lenten season I decided that I would start purging items that I no longer needed/enjoyed/wanted so that life would become more organized and simpler. Anyone who knows me well knows that this is a sacrifice for me (much more than I'd like to admit) because I like to hold onto "things" more than I really should and they clutter up my life so much.
I will share a few pictures of the renovations going on now and then, but I really want to save the before/after photos for when the project is completely done. Our goal is 6-8 weeks to completion, as we are doing many of the updates ourselves (with help from Ed's cousin, Clayton, and our daughter, Emilee and a few others we've contracted to help).
(Ed and Emilee ready to knock out the wall in the laundry room to remove the furnace!)
You are welcome to stop by to see how we're doing, but you might be handed a scraper or a paint brush and asked to help out!
When we moved into this house 17 years ago, it had been recently updated with new carpet, paint, and wallpaper. Our children were young and we were a busy family with not much time and money to do any other updates (except a necessary bathroom remodel project and a couple bedrooms painted). This home renovation project has been on the back burner for several years and we decided that it is now time!
I'm looking forward to the process, but even more so to the finished product! So far we've had the wall partially removed between the living room and kitchen, torn out all the old carpet, emptied all the cabinets (my craft room is now my kitchen pantry!), selected and ordered new kitchen cabinets, decided on paint colors, carpet, floor tile, countertop, faucet, started stripping the old wallpaper in the kitchen, new furnace has been installed, removed cabinets from the laundry room, relocated the washer/dryer to the garage (where I won't be able to use it during this renovation, so it's off to the laundromat once a week for me! -don't be jealous!), and we've moved items to new places in our home that are not the norm - microwave in Ed's office, freezer in the living room (it will eventually go to the garage), using a card table in the kitchen (something easy to fold up and move when needed), all the food/dishes from my cabinets are now in my craft room - and I'm continually looking for something I can't find!
Lots to do but the result will be good!
April 04, 2011
Fresh is Best
Most days I try to eat a salad full of fresh veggies and leafy greens. To do this I have to keep a variety of fresh ingredients on hand.
Tonight I was craving a salad, but also something warm. So I sliced up a large sweet potato, tossed it in a bit of olive oil and roasted it in the oven while I prepared my salad.
Into my salad spinner went a couple handfuls of baby spinach and spring mix - both organic. After a good rinse and a spin...
...I loaded up 2/3rds of my dinner plate with the greens and topped them with sliced cucumber, green pepper, broccoli slaw, cherry tomatoes, a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, a tablespoon of feta cheese and added a drizzle of Annie's Natural organic salad dressing: Papaya Poppy Seed.
The other 1/3 of my plate held the perfectly roasted sweet potato chunks (25 minutes in a 375deg oven).
Yum! Tasty and fresh!
April 03, 2011
Time for Tea
Yes, I've been on a blogging break - though somewhat unintentional.
My days are so full, with work (I'm away from home at least 11 hours a day) and exercise (I try to hit the gym several evenings a week for either special classes offered or track time) and family (date nights with my husband, helping our kids with different things or just spending time with them, or out of town to visit extended family). Sometimes I have to figure out what is the important parts and leave the not-so-important parts behind for the time being. Like blogging.
Life is going to get a lot more chaotic in our house over the next couple months as Ed & I embark on a much needed remodel project. I just need to take a deep breath and go for it! More on that later.
A little thing that keeps me balanced each day is my tea time. Every morning I prepare a travel mug of tea (like some people prepare coffee) to drink on the way to work and it is a comfort beverage for me.
I really like different flavored teas, especially green tea and chai tea. I've found some wonderful leaves to blend:
Remember my Teavana infuser cup? This makes a perfect cup of tea every time with loose leaf tea. I found this Masala Chai to be very strong (chai flavor), so I "tone it down" a bit by putting 1/2 of the chai leaves and 1/2 of the Kyoto Garden green tea (1 tsp of each) into my infuser cup. Add hot water (not boiling) and steep for 3 minutes.
(Here's the leaves added to the cup before adding water).
Since I love the taste of Chai/Green tea latte, but need to be careful of the extra calories (I never add sweetener to my tea), I usually heat a small portion (about 1/3 cup) of vanilla flavored almond milk and stir it into my tea when it is finished steeping.
A full cup (8oz) of almond milk is 90 calories, so I only add 30 calories to my morning tea latte by adding this. So much better (and healthier) than those options from Starb*cks. And cheaper, too! Give it a try - I'm sure you'll enjoy it even more, knowing you're saving money and choosing something healthier!
February 15, 2011
Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers
Food is never boring since I started eating a mostly plant based diet more than a year ago. I can honestly say that I've discovered some wonderfully interesting foods that have definitely enlightened my taste buds!
Recent recipe discovery: Ancient Grain Stuffed Red Bell Peppers.
Some foods that I eat these days I had never even heard of, or at least wasn't familiar with a year ago. I found this recipe in the sale flyer from Whole Foods (Jan/Feb 2011) and it sounded so impressive, yet very simple. It also gave me the opportunity to try something I've never eaten before: a sea plant.
Arame is a mild sea vegetable, very similar to kelp. Arame is high in calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, and Vitamin A. It does take some getting use to, but if you're a fan of sushi or other seafood, you'll probably like it.
Stuffed Peppers
1/2 c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/4 c. uncooked amaranth
1 c. frozen edamame, thawed
1 c. arame seaweed, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, drain well
6 green onions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, grated
1/2 c. roughly chopped fresh cilantro, dill, or parsley
2 T. brown rice vinegar
4 red bell peppers, tops removed and reserved, cored and seeded
Preheat oven to 350deg. Put grains and 1-1/2 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low; cover and simmer until liquid is gone and grains are tender, about 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
Toss edamame, arame, onions, carrots, cilantro, and vinegar.
Stuff peppers with mixture and arrange in a baking dish, pour 1/4 cup water into dish. Place tops on peppers, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until tender, 20-30 minutes more. Serves 4.
**I only used 2 bell peppers cut in half, so I had extra "stuffing" leftover. This might be good in a wrap or pita for a portable lunch. I also left out the cilantro because I didn't have any, but added black pepper and a couple dashes of curry powder for some extra flavor.
I shared this meal the first time with Emilee. Tonight I had a leftover pepper and topped it with some crumbled goat cheese - even better!
This meal was loaded with protein (about 20g per serving) and so colorful!
It's great to try new foods - new flavors!
February 04, 2011
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pear Feta Sauce
Before I get to this awesome dish I wanted to share something disturbing I heard tonight at the gym - a conversation between two teenage girls in the dressing room.
When I went in to retrieve my bag from the locker after my walk I overheard two young ladies discussing "diets" and weight. One of them was lamenting that she was too fat and that her mom told her she wasn't. She said she's trying everything to lose weight, including only consuming 900 calories a day, like another friend had suggested to her. The other girl asked her what she ate to only get 900 calories a day and her reply is what shocked me. She said that she bought the "100 calorie" snack packs and counted out 9 packs a day and ate only those along with water! I wanted to say something to her, but didn't want to intrude on their conversation. Besides, would they really listen to an old gray-haired lady over their friends?
Overhearing this conversation and realizing the impact of an impending eating disorder can have on these girls' future bothered me greatly. How do we get the message out about healthy eating, balanced exercise, and nutritional knowledge? So sad... I wish I had more influence in this area.
I bought some sweet potato gnocchi at Whole Foods the last time I went and have been excited to try it. I've eaten regular gnocchi, which is similar to a dumpling most often made with potatoes. It can also be made with squash, cheese, polenta, or even sweet potatoes!
I found this brand in the area where the special cheeses are sold.
This package contains two servings and I shared it with Stephen, as he stopped by on his way home for a short visit.
For sweet potato gnocchi, I knew that this dish needed a special sauce - more fruity or sweet than savory. In browsing the internet and searching through blogs I found the following recipe a few months ago (but didn't record where it came from - I'm horrible about that :(
Sauce ingredients. Now, the soy milk and spelt flour can be substituted if those are not to your liking.
Pear Feta Sauce
1 T. Olive oil
1 medium Bartlett pear, cored & diced
1 c. plain soymilk
2 tsp spelt flour
2 T. butter
8 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pear and cook stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until pear begins to carmelize.
This was one of my favorite parts - the aroma of the pear and olive oil as it cooked!
Remove from heat; set aside.
In same pan, heat milk and flour over medium heat, whisking together until well mixed. Add butter and stir until melted. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until liquid starts to bubble and reduce.
Add cheese and pear - cook, stirring occasionally until heated through.
Serve over gnocchi.
The sauce recipe made more than two servings (and it's also a little higher in calories than a basic marinara sauce would be).
This would also be good served over a butternut squash ravioli dish, too!
Let me know if you try this and what you think!
February 02, 2011
Motivated to Exercise
I think I've mentioned that last year I really focused more on changing the way I ate - incorporating a more nutritionally balanced diet that, for me, means eating mainly plant-based foods.
This year, along with continuing my healthy eating, I wanted to be more intentional about exercising. I know that regular exercise is what I need to continue my weight loss journey as well as gain strength. It's taken me awhile to really grasp the importance of this in my life. After my diagnosis with breast cancer and the surgeries that followed more than six years ago, it took me a long time to regain a mind-set that exercise was good for me and important in maintaining good health. I struggled with a weak body and mostly used that as an excuse to not bother too much with exercise. I lost so much upper body strength after my surgeries and kinda "milked" that to my advantage of not trying very hard to gain it back.
Well, this year is going to be different!
Last August, Ed & I joined the fitness center that's affiliated with our church and I've enjoyed the benefits of that so much over the last several months. 2011 rolled around and this past month (January) I started exploring different exercise options and what fit best in my schedule. Also, I looked at stretching myself beyond what I thought I was capable of and have looked into trying some new things. But, I'm still taking it at a moderate level, knowing that I can continue to add or change things up as I get stronger.
One of the things that has helped me stay motivated to exercise is creating a schedule - a plan - that is reasonable for me; that fits our daily lives. After experimenting with some classes at the fitness center and setting some goals (short term and long term) throughout January, I sat down with a calendar and wrote out a tentative exercise plan for the month of February:
This is probably hard to read, but it's really just for my benefit - if you're wanting to try something like this, you should create your own plan with your strengths and goals in mind.
I hope to add some new things in March - possibly Zumba (or latin dance) class and even a cycling class (our fitness center offers both!).
Since I started working on some strength training in January, I've already noticed that I've graduated to heavier weights when I do my upper body workouts. This is progress, my friends! My chest muscles were unbelievably weak after the surgeries I had and I really want to improve especially in that area!
Another thing to make exercise and gym time fun:
A fabulous new gym bag, which holds a lot inside (including a special pocket for my shoes that's separate from everything else!) and a carrier at the bottom for my yoga mat, which I take to my Strength train/Cardio class on Monday nights. I used some of my Christmas money to purchase this. Thinking that it was going to be pricey (I had my eye on a Gaiam bag at Target), I was surprised when I found this on sale at Target for $13.27 (marked down from $25) and it's PINK! - matches my mat! I also bought a resistance band and a pedometer (which, sadly, I'll have to return as it doesn't not work at all!). I'm anxious to work with the resistance band at home, along with my stability ball. There are lots of great exercises to do with just these two simple pieces of equipment.
Walking is another form of exercise that I do purposefully. I want to do a 5k walk this Spring, and possibly a 10k. Setting goals helps me to stay focused and move forward toward getting stronger.
What are some of your fitness goals this year?
February 01, 2011
Spicy Salad!
Today would be a perfect day for a bowl of piping hot soup since I'm hunkered down at home admist an ice storm in central Indiana!
But, I decided a salad was a good choice - for one reason only...
Emilee's homemade Smokey Chipotle Zucchini Hummus! You must go to her blog, follow the link and create this wonderful condiment yourself!
I started with an assortment of mixed greens:
Baby spinach, red kale, romaine, and leafy lettuce - rinsing and spinning to make them clean and crisp!
Then I rooted around in my fridge, digging out a menagerie of vegetables: mini sweet peppers, broccoli, broccoli slaw, mini plum tomatoes, cauliflower, sugar peas, and 1/2 of a small avocado. I also tossed on some raw sunflower seeds. And then the crowning glory that made this decision a really good one:
The hummus, thinned with a bit of water so I could drizzle it over the top. The chipotles in this hummus give it such a great kick! I think this might be a regular salad addition!
There's leftovers (I always over-prep my veggies when making a salad so it doesn't take as long the next day...):
The spicy Hummus/Salad dressing sure warmed me up on this icy cold day!
I think the homemade veggie soup will still be perfect for dinner tonight!
Stay warm!
Trying New Foods
Emilee and I walked into Whole Foods Market last Saturday morning and saw something "new" (to us) on their citrus display!
We saw pummelos advertised on sale, and since we've never tried this fruit before, decided that we needed to take one home for a taste test.
Pummelos have a green outer skin and a very thick rind. Here it is in comparison to a normal sized navel orange. It's huge!
The guy at Whole Foods who helped bag my groceries was commenting on it, telling me what I might expect when I cut into it.
As you can see, because of the thickness of the rind, the fruit inside is nearly the same as a regular sized grapefruit. The pummelo is considered an exotic citrus fruit and, as with most citrus, it is high in vitamin C. Our bodies crave citrus during winter months and if we eat lots of it we can keep colds and infections to a minimum. Citrus = Superfoods!
The taste is very much like a grapefruit, but just a bit sweeter, in my opinion. I really liked it! Even though the fruit seemed slight after cutting away all the outer skin, I feel like this big ol' pummelo yielded about 2-3 servings of fruit.
What new or different foods have you tried lately?
January 31, 2011
A Healthy Breakfast - Plan Ahead!
You may have heard a rumor about my love for oatmeal :)
Oatmeal, in any form, is a favorite breakfast food of mine. I especially enjoy steel cut oats because of their least processed form and their mega health benefits (fiber, lowers cholesterol, immune system booster, contains phytochemicals that fight cancer, and vit/min: iron, zinc, selenium and Vit E).
About a year ago I wrote a post about overnight oats and soaking the oats (rolled oats, in this case) in a combination with other healthy ingredients to create an awesome breakfast meal the following morning.
Over the past several months, I've been using muesli (a dry combination of oats, dried fruit, nuts, seeds) as a substitute once in awhile for my oats. I like to use the muesli in my overnight oats soakings and it turns out quite well. I enjoyed this combo on Saturday morning and posted about it on my Facebook status, which prompted some interesting comments. I'm sure there are people who view the way I eat as "strange" or different, but for me, it works just fine and in line with my healthy agenda!
For muesli overnight goodness, start with this line up:
1/3 cup dry muesli
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 T. chia seeds
1/2 cup kefir (I used coconut kefir)
1/3 cup almond milk
sprinkling of dried cranberries and cacao nibs (opt.)
Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, heat for one minute in microwave (or can be eaten cold, but I prefer hot!). Add toppings and enjoy. (makes one serving)
Here's what it looks like after the overnight soak. The liquid melds wonderfully with the chia seeds, which swell, and makes a thick cereal base.
I love adding a tablespoon of nut butter (almond butter shown) and stir it in with a bit of almond milk to top it off. This is such a hearty breakfast and keeps me full for several hours. So much better than cold cereal. You can substitute the pumpkin for mashed banana or chopped apple or pear. If you're not a fan of kefir, but prefer yogurt, you can substitute that. And of course, use regular milk if that is your preference also. The above recipe is the vegan version, which I like to follow now and then.
Invest in the chia seeds, though - they are marvelous additions to many foods (baked goods, smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, etc). I've posted about these several times and continually sing their praises as a healthy boost to my diet!
Instead of grabbing a pastry with your morning beverage or rushing through a bowl of cold cereal, give this hearty, healthy meal a try and see if it doesn't change your mind about one of the best ways to start your day!
January 30, 2011
Restful Sunday
We slept in this morning (I got 10 hours of restful, glorious sleep!) and relaxed the morning away. We went to church last night again and I really enjoyed Pastor Chris' message conclusion on Philippians - which he has preached from the past four weeks. The 4th chapter of Philippians is my favorite chapter in the Bible, as it contains my life verse (Phil 4:8). God used the sermon last night to speak to me on several things I'm struggling with in my life right now and I know God is really coaching me on my faith-walk these days. Lots of opportunities coming my way to stretch my faith and trust fully on Him!
Breakfast this morning was an amazing green smoothie made with frozen banana, 2 handfuls of raw baby spinach, frozen mango, kefir, chia seeds, and almond milk. Served with an oatmeal breakfast cookie topped with almond butter. Good flavors loaded with protein, healthy fats, veggies & fruits, and even whole grains! See - this breakfast has it all!
Emilee came over this afternoon to have lunch with us and, as she usually does, made something delicious! Homemade vegetable soup - with a lot of the great veggies we picked up at Whole Foods Market yesterday during our grocery shopping outing!
She came bearing edible gifts, too! Homemade corn muffins - the recipe from her vegan cookbook that we gave her for Christmas. Em loves to bake and has been doing a lot of experimenting in the kitchen lately. So much so that she has resurrected her blog and has begun posting about all her great creations! Check her out here. (She's actually putting me to shame with all of her posts lately...I need to get busy and start blogging more!).
The homemade vegetable soup is loaded with some great vegetables like carrots, onions, cabbage, zucchini, celery, mushrooms, red pepper, broccoli slaw, and some fabulous aduki beans! This was tasty today - it will be even better tomorrow when I have it for leftovers! I enjoyed the corn muffin with a couple squirts of honey. The muffins were dense and flavorful, just the way I like them! Perfect with a bowl of soup!
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