pumpkin pie oats.

similar to my pumpkin pie smoothie, i am still very much on my pumpkin kick. i know it is still february, but i am still in the mind set of fall & christmas time, so pumpkin pie oats it is! i have been on a fridge oatmeal kick, which is absolutely delicious, but a warm, gooey bowl of oatmeal sounded mouth watering. so, my pumpkin pie oatmeal came to be. i used quaker oatmeal with added fiber that was maple and brown sugar flavored. 

- 1 packet oatmeal
- 1/2 cup water 
- 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin 
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar free syrup 
- dash cinnamon

combine water, almond milk, pumpkin and oats and microwave for 60-75 seconds. then stir add syrup on top and a dash of cinnamon. now it's your time to enjoy a taste of fall in a delicious, nutritious bowl of pumpkin pie (oatmeal). 

final stats: 

calories: 166

fat: 2 g

carbs: 35 g

protein: 4 g

fiber: 10 g

banana sushi.

i have been seeing this idea on pinterest for quite some time and i thought that i would give it a whirl. there have been a few different ideas on how to make this 'sushi' and i was contemplating a healthier version that i could make as a snack or a meal that people of all ages would love. since everyone likes a banana, that was where i was starting. as the binding agent i decided on peanut butter & chocolate butter combination. this caused some issues. since peanut butter and nutella are delicious & all i want but not so nutritious, i was on the search for something else. i have read about PB2 and researched it quite a bit and thought that that would be the best substitute. of course, the closest place i could buy it is 4 hours away or online. so off to the health food stores i went in search of another option. to my surprise, on the shelf right next to traditional peanut butter was powdered peanut butter and chocolate butter (aka the exact same thing as PB2). i was so excited & raved about my new, local find to my mother. for those of you unfamiliar with PB2, here is a quick statement from bell plantation on their product.

"A lot of the positive feedback we receive comes from our customers who had sworn off peanut butter because of the fat and calories in the traditional product - whether it is all-natural or the regular grocery store offerings.

If you have any doubts about the benefits of PB2 vs. traditional peanut butter, read on. Keep in mind, that PB2 is all natural peanut butter without the fat or the added hydrogenated oil."

Traditional(2 tbsp)

190 calories

Calories from fat: 130

Saturated fat: 3 grams

PB2(2 tbsp)

45 calories

Calories from fat: 13

Saturated fat: 0 grams

 

i was just so excited about this find and even more excited for my sushi!

- 1 small banana
- 1 slice 40 calorie bread (whole wheat) 
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (PB2)
- 1 tbsp chocolate butter (PB2) 
 

cut the crust off the bread and squish. this can be done with hands or a rolling pin. then mix your pb2 and chocolate pb2. i did 1 tbsp of each. spread both mixtures onto the squished bread, lay banana (peeled of course) atop and roll the bread around the banana. cut as you would sushi & serve. i drizzled 1/2 tbsp of sugar free syrup for some added sweetness, but mostly decor. enjoy your healthy sushi treat! 

final stats:

calories: 181

fat: 2 g

carbs: 39 g

protein: 8 g

fiber: 6 g

blood orange.

 this looks like any old orange, right? well yes, from the outside it does. but once you cut open that orange, citrusey flesh, the inside will surprise you with a crimson red vibrancy. that is because this isn't any old orange, it is a blood orange. mason got a bag full of these from his mother and forced me to try one. i have had blood orange flavored drinks or food before but never a ripe, real orange. needless to say, i was quite excited for this because i love trying new things. 

once it was cut open i had to take a second to stare at how pretty it is. blood oranges are smaller than an average orange. this crimson flesh develops its maroon color when the fruit grows with low temperature during the night. first and foremost, shout out to pamella for new, interesting, healthy & delicious options! second, everyone should go try one & share them with your friends. i have now found my new favorite orange.

 

 final stats: 

calories: 70 

fat: 1 g 

carbs: 15 g 

protein: 1 g 

fiber: 3 g 

have a wonderful wednesday :D

air popped popcorn.

watching a movie? snuggling on the couch? having a craving for something sweet, salty, or savory?

those are all times that i crave popcorn. but who wants popcorn with a lot of butter, salt, and even more calories? when you are on a road to the healthy you, that is something that should be avoided, until now. air popped popcorn is the healthy alternative. i had heard that, but i didn't own an air popper. that seemed like a huge issue until i found out that all you need is a brown paper bag.

(makes 4 cups: 2 servings)
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
- 1 brown paper bag

simply measure, pour the kernels in the bag, fold the bag 3 times, pop in the microwave & enjoy. do not staple or tape the bag. microwave for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds. remember, some microwaves cook faster than others, so just as you would with any other bagged popcorn, listen to the popping and when it is 3 seconds between pops stop it.

final stats (per 2 cup serving):

calories: 60

fat: 1 g

carbs: 12 g

protein: 2 g

fiber: 2 g 

top with your favorite seasoning & snuggle up :D

egg white omelet.

...cheese-less that is. 

being lactose intolerant means that cheese and dairy products make my stomach do somersaults ending in a very uncomfortable night & usually day after. although cheese hurts me, that doesn't mean i have to stay away from typical "cheese" dishes. an omelet is delicious, nutritious, and absolutely filling. so today, i decided to make a cheese-free omelet. omelet's are wonderful because you can truly add anything you want to them.

 



- 1/6 onion 
- 1/4 red bell pepper
- 1 mushrooms
- 2 campari tomatoes 
- 4 egg whites 
- 1 tbsp homemade hot sauce

first, lightly brown the onions and bell peppers. after they have cooked a bit, add the mushrooms and tomatoes. i another pan, lightly spray with pam and add the 4 egg whites. i am a pepper feign, so i always sprinkle some onto my eggs. on medium heat, cook the eggs. when they are browned on one side, flip and add the veggies onto the omelet. (if you like cheese, add it then) serve & enjoy! 

 

final stats:

calories: 109 

fat: 1 g 

carbs: 10 g 

protein: 22 g 

fiber: 2 g

until next time, have a wonderful day :D

pumpkin pie smoothie.

pumpkin, pumpkin spice, & pumpkin pie: three of my favorite things of fall & christmas time. despite the fact that it is february, and so far from fall, i assumed that a cold, pumpkin pie smoothie was calling my name. i thought about it for awhile and finally decided on a recipe & boy oh boy was it delicious!! 

 

- 1 banana
- 1/3 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin 
- 1 truvia 
- cinnamon to taste

combine all the ingredients in the blender, let it mix up & serve. enjoy your little slice of fall time and drink up. 

 

final stats:

calories: 128 

fat: 2 g

carbs: 29 g 

protein: 2 g 

fiber: 5 g 

 

snuggle up & stay warm :D

Day 5: COMPLETE!

JUICE CLEANSE DONE!

5 days, 5 pounds, and no chewing, i am finally done.

it was hard. day five got really challenging but i made it and it was something that i will be doing again, but not in the near future. also, carrots aren't in my to eat list ANY time soon. :D love you all.

Day Four: Complete.

and that means, only one more day of all liquids till i get to eat again! yay!

thursday was busy, wake up, work, homework, school, home & cooking dinner for mason (my boyfriend). being busy is great for me because i don't focus on snacking, or lack there of, and eating. i am constantly on the go, so i stay healthy. last night was difficult when i was sitting next to mason and he was eating, i had a super mind-over-matter moment & sipped my tea. other than that, it was a great day. hunger levels weren't bad and i was able to do physical activity and not feel like i would if i wasn't eating(aka light headed and dizzy). my energy level stayed pretty high, but trust me, i miss my coffee.

enjoy your friday & smile :D

Day Three: Complete.

hello world, day three of the juice cleanse is complete!

you know what that means? i'm on the home stretch of this thing and i can totally pull through. unfortunately, i am doing it alone for the next two days, but i have the will power to do it. today is another busy day starting with work then going straight to class till 8pm. these days make it easier to withstand temptations, so i am ready for day four to commence. 

for yesterday: 

candied carrot: was delicious and sweet, great addition to the recipes.
lean 'n' green: loved the lemon in this, the tart gives it a nice kick!
pearfect:  much better than day one and had a similar taste and color to lean'n'green. 

mood & hunger: my hunger level never really was high. i stayed at a content tummy fullness all day. that was good since i didn't get home till ten. after i got home, i got into bed with a cup of green tea, decaf of course. the lack of caffeine hasn't been hard at all for me, i just miss the taste of coffee. yesterday, i would get random spurts of energy, possibly some due to the juice, but some at times not associated with juice consumption. until later, have a great day & yay only 2 more days of this and i'll be back to chewing. :D

Day Two: Complete.

woo hoo, done with day one & day two of this juice cleanse! 

yesterday was difficult, the lack of coffee was hard. that is more so because i love coffee, and i mean i LOVE coffee. i don't get affected by caffeine much, so my energy levels were good throughout the day. today, however, is my longest day of the week. i am on campus from 8 am until 9 pm. needless to say, this may be my most difficult day. i took all six of my juices with me & i am prepared for this long day with my brita waterbottle so i stay hydrated, my green tea for when i need warmth & some other flavor, & my juicy juices. 

drinks yesterday:

rainbow sherbet: was so yummy. it was a tad tart at first, but the lemon and pineapple was delish together. i am excited for friday when i get that again!

green machine: good good again, it was one of my favorite from monday, so glad i still enjoy it.

for the love of kale: i was a tad bit nervous about this one since it looked just like pearfect from monday which was the death of me. butttt, i was pleasantly surprised when i drank it. 

mood & hunger: i stayed pretty good throughout the day. i enjoyed the day, work went well & both the mindy project & new girl were on last night, so those and green tea kept me busy and happy :D i wasn't very hungry throughout the day, however i do miss the taste of coffee, the taste of veggies (not juiced), and chewing food!

Day One: Complete.

day one is done! yahoo! 

now i am halfway done with day two and let me tell you, it isn't getting easier. i am trying to keep busy and stay motivated but it is difficult. drinking lots of water and an extra glass of green tea helps but the mental dilemma is difficult with not chewing anything. 

drinks yesterday: 

rise & shine: i loved it, it was tart and sweet. i kept my second one for a "dessert" after dinner
pearfect:was horrible, disgusting, too too much ginger. that one needs some tweeking. 
green machine: was good, light, crisp. almost reminded me of bananas, which was weird.

mood & hunger: i was doing well almost all day. i was a tad tired, but i also had school at 8 am and classes all day, so not much more tired than the usual monday. my hunger level stayed low and i consistently drank my drink every 2-3 hours depending on when i was hungry, or thirsty. i am excited for this to play out try all of the flavors. :D

let the juicing begin.

today is the last day before juicing begins. that means: last day to eat, last day to chew, and for me, last day to cook, for five whole days. karissa & i (my friend who's doing it with me) have been talking this cleanse up so that we get more excited about it every day we get a bit closer. this definitely is an experience & something that we are excited to do, as well as try out new recipes & report back to you lovely followers. 

we purchased inexpensive 12 ounce bottles at the grocery store to use for our juices. we chose tejava since the bottles are glass, they can be ran through the dish washer, and we like black tea. i emptied them out, took off the labels & ran them through the dishwasher so that we're prepared for the juicing extraordinaire. 

yesterday was our shopping day. that sentence sounds easy & unoriginal, right? well not when you go to the grocery store with the shopping list we had. 200+ carrots & 100+ apples is just the beginning of how silly we looked. we got through it & about 45 minutes later we had a car full of carrots, apples & massive amounts of kale.  today, being the last day of food for five days, is also the day we need to prepare for tomorrow's juicetacular drink supply. since tomorrow's scheduled juices are rise & shine (2), green machine (2) & pearfect (2), we grabbed kale, cucumbers, oranges, apples, ginger, romaine, pears, & spinach to begin this. check out my little 'juice corner' in my kitchen for the next five days.

once we started juicing, we began to get more excited & before we knew it, we had 12 juice filled bottles ready for monday funday. tomorrow, we'll catalog our mood, hunger levels, overall life, flavor & anything else that is interesting or just needs to be shared. 

until then have a lovely sunday :D

almond butter & banana cake.

 

...rice cake that is. this is seriously one of my favorite parts of a breakfast, lunch, or snack around. i love bananas, i love almonds, and i love almond butter. this recipe is an easy slap together meal that is easy to eat and delicious the entire time. i made it because i am trying to use all of my foods that will get sort of gross during the next five days. 

- 1 unsalted, plain rice cake 
- 1/2 banana 
- 1 tbsp almond butter






 

i use the fresh ground almond butter at the store so that there is no additives or preservatives & i am able to get as much as i need (helps to keep overindulging at a low). assemblage is easy and quick. put the almond butter on the rice cake, cut your banana half into slices, then top your cake. eat & enjoy. 

final stats: 

calories: 179

fat: 9 g

carbs: 23 g

protein: 4 g

fiber: 3 g

snack away the day the right way :D

bbq'in done right.

yesterday was such a beautiful day that i was convinced it couldn't be february. but as soon as i questioned the weather, winter came back to haunt us in northern california. the cold, dreary weather on the brink of rain called for a renewal in peppiness, and what better way to do that than to host a bbq? doesn't everyone love shish-ka-bobs made of delicious veggies and chicken? well, at least i do. since i am starting the juice cleanse on monday, i raided my fridge and found what veggies i had left that had to be eaten by tomorrow night.

(recipes makes 4 servings):

- 2 lemons

- 2 oranges

- 10 garlic cloves

- 2 stalks of brocolli

- 1 portabella mushroom 

- 2 bell peppers

- 2 tsp ginger 

- 1/3 onion 

- 1.5 zucchini 

- 12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast

shish-ka-bobs and grilling are one of the simplest, most delicious ways to eat veggies and chicken. begin by chopping all the veggies and chicken. i enlisted the help of my two dinner guests to put them together on the skewers. while they did that, i cut the chicken and oranges for the meat kabobs. i sprinkled basil on top of the chicken along with pepper, salt, and garlic powder for seasoning. i then juiced one orange and two lemons, mixed with 2 tsp of fresh ground ginger. after the veggies kabobs were assembled, i drizzled the sauce over the shish-kabobies and added salt and pepper to taste. now that it was ready, i fired up the grill and let it heat up. depending on the temp, the grilling time will vary. both the chicken and vegetables took about 20-25 minutes to cook on medium heat.

final stats (per serving): 

calories: 197

fat: 3.25 g

carbs: 23.75 g

protein: 24.5 g

fiber: 7.5 g

sweet saturdays & great grillin' :D

juice prepping.

first off, happy valentine's day to everyone out there. share the love with family, friends, and everyone else you see today, and remember a smile can save someone's day. :D 

back on to my post, i am really starting to get excited about this juice cleanse. yesterday, karissa (my friend who's doing it with me) and i chose 7 recipes that we were going to use for our five day cleanse. some of the recipes needing a little bit of tweeking, so we decided to change them.  we then compiled a shopping list for the week and oh my goodness, it is a lot of fruits and veggies. not necessarily a ton of everything, just a lot of carrots and apples, but we will do it and show you every step of the way. last night we bought 6 12-ounce bottles each that we will be using daily. we most likely are not going to fill them, but its better to have them larger than too small. once the labels are off and they are cleaned, i will post a picture.

last night i watched the documentary fat, sick & nearly dead, and it was totally awesome! it is spotlighting 2 men who are rebooting their systems through a juice fast and trying to help their bodies slow down on medications that they require. i believe that you can watch it on hulu for free, so you should definitely check it out & tell me what you think. 30 day & 60 day fast are a bit extreme, but the movie recommends 10-day fasts for those healthy people.

the 7 recipes that we decided on are: 

rainbow sherbet (1 serving)
2     apples
1/2  lemon
1/4  pineapple
1/4  cucumber

rise & shine (2 servings)
1     grapefruit
2     apples
2     other apples
2     cups seedless grapes

pearfect (3 servings)
10    carrots
2     apples
1     cucumber 
1     pear
2     cups romaine
1"   ginger

green machine (1 serving)
1     apple
5     carrots 
5     stalks of kale
1     cups of spinach
1/2  cucumber
1     celery stalk

candied carrot (1 serving)
5     carrots 
2     apples
1     orange

lean 'n' green (3 servings)
1     head of romaine
8     stalks of kale
2     apples
1     cucumber 
8     carrots 
1     lemon

for the love of kale (1 serving)
5     carrots 
2     apples 
6     stalks of kale

our schedule for the 5 days is: 

monday 

rise & shine (2)

green machine (2)

pearfect (2)

tuesday

rainbow sherbet (2)

green machine (2)

for the love of kale (2)

wednesday

candied carrot (2)

lean 'n' green (2)

pearfect (2)

thursday 

green machine (3) 

candied carrot (3)

friday

rainbow sherbet (2)

for the love of kale (2)

pearfect (2)

juice tacular.

            Juicing, juice cleansing, or juice fasting is all over blogs and pinterest. Similar to many “crash diets”, it is recommended by some and insanely not recommended by others. Since my best friend got a juicer a year ago, we have done “juice days” or one meal a day for a week, to try it out and utilize this machine she bought. Since I am getting back in the groove of healthy eating and I am giving up alcohol for the next 40 days, I want to cleanse my body and leave it refreshed. Once I turned 21, I sort of threw out my healthy eating lifestyle and traded it in for Vegas, thanksgiving, Christmas, and new years overindulging. But now is the time, to not only get on track with my eating, but to cleanse my body of those impurities. There are all sorts of cleanses out there, but juicing is what I have landed on.

            I used http://juicerecipes.com/ for both recipes and a jumping off point for my juicing, finding its benefits, it’s disadvantages, and its long-term potentiation. “There's plenty of stories out there about people who started juicing to lose weight, but what they've found was that it also helped out an existing health condition of theirs.”(juicrecipes.com) This site doesn’t give much information on juicing as a whole, or offer much information on it in general. It is great if you are looking for particular recipes, because it has a massive amount of them, but I was off to researching some more.

            Along with any other fad diet, or cleanse, it is not meant to be a sustainable diet, or meal plan. A juice fast should be a temporary diet that consists of juice from fruits and vegetables. By consuming only the juice, along with similar liquid cleanses, the body will cleanse itself of impurities, fat and toxins, occasionally resulting in weight loss and creating a clean slate for your healthy eating to occur. As a meal plan, juicing lacks protein, healthy fats, and fiber to be a proper diet for everyday life. The purpose of doing a cleanse is to help clean your body of toxins, reboot your system, and help develop mindfulness, not sustain a healthy meal plan using only juices.

            Through investigating about juicing, I have set myself on a 5-day cleanse of juice made form fresh fruits and vegetables. My best friend is planning on joining me on this adventure, and I will log our struggles, our successes, and our thoughts on this entire process and what we are going through in those 5 days. We are starting on Monday of next week and will do it through Friday. Sunday we are going to go grocery shopping, and begin preparing our juices for Monday. Once we have decided on a few recipes, I will post them, as well as day-by-day check-ins and recipe posts.

            Tonight I will be watching the documentary, Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead, a documentary done about the benefits of juicing. This is the synopsis found on the website, “100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health. With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle. While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well. What emerges is nothing short of amazing – an inspiring tale of healing and human connection. Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves.” I am so excited to watch this documentary, because I have heard great reviews on it and how it is good to watch prior to partaking on a juice cleanse.

:D