What I Ate…(Meat Free Monday)

…today. Okay, so today was an unintentional “Meat Free Monday”. I saw what I had planned to eat and noticed that it was all vegetarian food. Even the smoothie shop I went to for dinner caters to the vegan/vegetarian population. Cool. I was actually a vegetarian from the age of six, up until the age of 25. I didn’t eat any red meat, and I rarely ate chicken. I was more of a pescatarian now that I think about it. Something changed when I hit 25 though. I don’t know what it was, but I suddenly wanted to eat burgers. I can’t really explain how it happened and I don’t remember the exact meal that broke my 19 year  long stretch. When people ask I usually say, “I just wanted a Big Mac. I had one, and I fell in love!” I don’t know what they want to hear, but it wasn’t some big to-do. It happened over the course of time.

Anyway…What did I eat today?

Breakfast: Raspberry Cocoa Latte and a string cheese…

Latte Ingredients

I use the same formula for my lattes:

• Almond milk, heated
• Packet of stevia – one in the cup, one in the pan with the milk
• A small swig of vanilla in the almond milk, while it’s heating
• Powdered flavoring – usually 1 to 2 teaspoons
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

So, that’s how I made today’s latte. Powdered flavoring=Cocoa Powder and I substituted the pack of stevia in the almond milk pan for one raspberry honey stick that I got from the farmers market. That’s it! It was good. The raspberry flavor was slight, that’s probably because it was natural and not filled with sugar.

Big breakfast (heh heh). Honestly though, the lattes are really filling!

Lunch: Feta Dip, Veggies and Olives

Okay, this was awesome!!! The dip was so easy too…

Easy peasy…

Only four ingredients: Feta (half of a small container – I’m really precise – Ha!), cream cheese (about 1/3 of a softened brick), olive oil (about a teaspoon) and garlic powder (depends on your taste, I use a lot)…Simple. One of those back pocket recipes.

Beverages: Seltzer with lime or apple cider vinegar

…lime-ish squeezy!

I LOVE seltzer! Seriously, I stock up on whatever brand is on sale so I am never without it. Polar is amazing. LaCroix is great, but sometimes I’m not willing to spend that much. Vintage and store brand will do just fine, thanks! I used to have a SodaStream, but it broke a couple of years ago and I’ve yet to get a new one. I should (re-)invest. It would be worth it!

Dinner: Italian Kale…

***Warning: I turn into a bit of a smartass here, I was highly annoyed. Feel free to read this section in Sarcasm…***

Okay. So I had planned to go to a new restaurant in town to get a salad for dinner. And I went, with my cousin…

“Buddha Bowl” – (unmassaged) Kale, spinach, tomato, sweet potatoes, avocado and a lemon vinaigrette. Intentionally Missing: Corn. Just Plain Missing: black beans

I ordered what was called a “Buddha Bowl” salad. And I got what is seen above. It had everything it said it would, but it was not really a “bowl”, it was more like a plastic carton of produce. I paid $8.00 for a plastic carton of kale that is on sale for .99 a pound at Shop-Rite this week! The kale wasn’t even massaged! I know that sounds like something a snob would say, but massaging kale is a real thing. A real and VERY IMPORTANT thing. It helps break it down so one can chew and digest it easier. Seriously, I took one bite and I nearly choked. I actually need to warn this restaurant – this is a potential hazard. I just was not in the mood to argue tonight, so I just left…

…And, I did what any person who spends $8.00 on a carton of produce does: I took it home to cook it myself!

DIY Restaurant – I believe it’s called grocery shopping! 

Yup. I massaged EACH piece of kale (you could HEAR it breaking down as I kneaded), added the contents to a pan with olive oil and garlic powder and…

Repurposed food…

…Yum! Success! I turned this meal around! I sprinkled some parmesan on top, as you can see.

So, there you have it, a full day of vegetarian eats. Pretty clean eats too…Yay!

Self-Care Sunday…

After my (tiny bit of a) Freak Out Friday, I decided I was in need of a Self-Care Sunday. Not that I’m super stressed today. I mean, after the gym and grocery shopping, I just flopped down and started watching a “That 70’s Show” marathon. BUT STILL, I feel like I need to do something beauty-wise to make me feel refreshed and ready for the work week. Kind of like a “reset” because it’s Sunday.

So, I decided to do a facial mask! Not one of the many sheet masks that I already have, I’m going to make one, fresh, from scratch. How about a…

…Spirulina-Cucumber Mask – I happen to have a sack of spirulina that I got from Nuts.com. Spirulina is an antioxidant and it’s great for the skin. It is brightening and has antibacterial properties (great for eczema). I could use some brightening. I feel as gray as my gym tee, and it’s still summer.

I froze my cucumber slices for extra cooling…

It’s pretty obvious what’s in it and how it’s made, but…

I blend the water and cucumber and strain the mixture into about a teaspoon of spirulina powder…

Stir it up into a mask-y paste…

I just used my brush handle to mix it…A couple of cucumber slices for my eyes there…

Apply mask to your face and neck with an clean ELF stipping brush (type of brush, optional)…

I put it in the fridge – it feels so nice and cooling…

Let it sit for 15 minutes and rinse off!

I feel brightened and refreshed already! I liked the way it felt on my skin. I might use it on my neck more often than on my face actually – I have melasma on my neck and I am constantly looking for products to make it more smooth and even looking. But, I’m not quite done for this Sunday…

A little aromatherapy would be nice…

I have a crazy collection of Yankee Candle tarts that I need to use up before I buy anymore (I put myself on a Yankee Candle “No-Buy”), so I’ll dip into it today.

I am determined to use this all!!!

I’m feeling like a fresh scent…

These are the types of decisions I enjoy making…

Meadow Showers it is…

I guess I’m attracted to green today…

Lovely…I could use something else though…

Time for a healthy snack. I’m going to have two of my (recent) favorite things:

Fruits and Booch!

Great sale on Kombucha at my local supermarket!

Not eating it right now, saving it for Twin Peaks tonight!

Ready for the week! Oh, and I have to leave on this note (since I was feeling Elphaba a little while ago)…

 

 

Thirsty Thursday – Summertime!

I have made some awesome beverages since the summer started. They hardly get any love on Instagram, even though the photos are gorge and they taste delish (yes, so good I have to use the shortened words)! So here they are, in their beautiful, refreshing glory…

We’ll start with Beet-Ginger Lemonade…

This is not a petri dish…

This screenshot was taken from a short video demonstrating how awesome my frother is (I LOVE MY FROTHER!)!

I make the beet ginger lemonade in 16 oz mason jars. The ingredients below are for one mason jar:

• 1 teaspoon of ginger (I like lots of ginger! You can use less, more…)
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice (a scant 1/4 cup, not over & I’ll show what I use below)
• 1/2 teaspoon of beet powder
• Enough water so the jar is almost full
• Several drops of liquid stevia (to taste, you have to find your perfect dropper amount) AND…the secret ingredient…
• The juice from half an orange!

Just blend this all up until it looks pink and lovely! The orange adds more sweetness and goes so well with the beet flavor. I might have Beet Orangeade coming up soon!

Now, on to the trendy recipe – Mermaid Lemonade!

Okay, don’t let the sea monkey-looking stuff on top scare you. It’s just algae…whoops…

See, remember how I said that I don’t really keep up with food trends? Well, here is another exception to that rule. Spirulina. I actually like it. Not only is it good for detoxing your body (or making it feel detoxed), loaded with vitamins – it makes things pretty. And that’s the most important thing.

Again, 16 oz mason jar servings:

• 1/4 cup of the lemon juice I’ll show you below
• Several drops of liquid stevia
• 1/3 teaspoon of spirulina powder
• Water until jar is almost full

Mix with your frother(!) or you can put the top on and shake for more fun!

Okay, now for something exotic…

Prickly Pear Lemonade

 

You know how you have that sense memory, and if you smell or taste something it just takes you back? That’s what happened when I made this. It reminds me of a brunch I had at Citrus in NYC several years ago. I had Crab Cakes Benedict (eggs, hard poached. Yes, I’m that dweeb) and Prickly Pear Lemonade. It was my first time tasting prickly pear and I was a little nervous. Why? Because I have so many odd allergies, duh (dweeb). But it was delicious! And I wasn’t allergic! So, I had the brunch and then I saw Shel’s Shorts – 14 Short Plays by Shel Silverstein – it was a nice Sunday!

Anyway…I was at my local fruit stand and I saw a tiny basket of these magenta fruits and I had to buy one and try to make that lemonade I had all those years ago (well, only like 9 years ago, but whatever)…

First, break down the pear:

• 1 prickly pear
• 16 oz water

Blend in your blender (Nutribullet, Ninja, Vitamix, whatever) until smoothish. Use a fine mesh strainer to add the mix to:

• 1/4 cup of lemon juice (it’s coming, I swear!)
• Several drops of liquid stevia
• Water to fill the jar

Put on the lid and shake, or mix with your frother!

I can’t really describe the flavor. Okay, maybe like a deeper watermelon. Like a watermelon with depth. You know what I mean. Heartier! Yes! A heartier watermelon. Phew!

So, now that I’ve finished up the lemonade section I can finally show the juice I use…

The “secret” lemon juice…

Ta-da! That’s it! Santa Cruz Organic Pure Lemon Juice! I’m sure you have some already, I was just being dramatic. I use this in everything! I’ll buy bottles of unsweetened tea, add this and stevia and bam! It tastes like something I’d actually want to drink!

Speaking of iced tea…

Here’s some Goji Berry Green Tea for ya!

Goji Green Tea! That’s all I got…

So, to me, goji berries taste similar to craisins (that was easy), and they have some great health benefits, such as antioxidants, which make it known as a superfood. I added it to another superfood, green tea, and it tastes great! I am a fan of this one…

For 3, 16 oz mason jar servings:

• 3 mason jarfuls of water
• 9 green tea bags (they don’t have to be special, unless you want them to be…)
• The juice of three limes
• 3 heaping tablespoons of goji berries
• Liquid stevia drops, to taste

I like to put a heaping tablespoon of the goji berries in each of the jars first. Then juice each of the limes in each jar. While the juice and the berries sit in the jar, I bring water to near boil in a saucepan (I’m fancy) and add the tea bags. Let them steep, but not for too long because green tea gets bitter quickly. I remove the tea bags and pour the green tea over the goji-lime mix. After all of that I add the stevia drops…

Then, into the fridge and a few hours later…beautiful, tasty tea!

Speaking of beautiful tea…I’ll end this post with my favorite tea and favorite beverage picture…

Grapefruit Green Tea

This is my favorite! I love grapefruit! I am a fan of tartness and this is just so perfectly tart and sweet! Yum!

For 3, 16 oz mason jar servings:

• 3 mason jarfuls of water
• 9 green tea bags (whatever brand…)
• The juice of three ruby red grapefruits
• Liquid stevia drops, to taste

It’s so simple, too. I mean, just juice and strain the grapefruits right into each jar and make the tea, like I painstakingly explained in the last recipe, and combine! Add your stevia in the end and, yay! Delicious…

Actually, with all of these recipes, you might think you added enough stevia but once you taste them a day or two later, you will want to add a few more drops. That’s just what I’ve found.

Yay! So, make these drinks before summer ends! I can’t believe it’s August already! Next week, where I in the Hudson Valley, it’s supposed to be rainy and in the mid-70s! Wow! Actually, if it wasn’t raining I’d be really happy about the temperature drop (I hate the heat)…

 

ACV Shots ~ Post-Birthday Detox!

I don’t always go crazy with the food on the weekend. I try to keep the healthy eating going throughout the course of the week, with minimal “cheat meals”. Yesterday though, it was my birthday. I didn’t go too crazy, but I did make a slightly “bad” breakfast, I indulged in a coupla slices of pesto pizza from my favorite pizzeria and I had a celebratory red velvet cupcake (okay, two) from my favorite bakery.  Not too bad, considering the damage I have done in birthdays past (have you ever nearly passed out from eating too many tamales? I have!). But still, since I haven’t had those complex carbs (wheat crust pizza?) in a while, I woke up with an acidy tummy feeling. That’s my very grown up way of saying I had acid reflux this morning. Even though I didn’t eat that much, my body is not used to the carb-sugar overload anymore. Carbs and sugar (over a normal limit), for me = acid reflux. I’ve tried to deny this for years, but those two things are the common denominator.

So, how do I counter this? I’m fighting acid with acid!

Yes! Using natural acid found in lemon juice and apple cider vinegar (ACV) and mixing it with water, neutralizes stomach acid. It helps to drink this acid-water mixture first thing in the morning because it also helps kick start the digestive system. That’s the plan for today – make a couple of ACV shots, in various flavors, for the week.

I decided to make them all in different flavors, all with different health benefits. Apple Pie, Lemon Ginger, Turmeric Lime and Mermaid (hee hee – food trends). Here they are, spices in first…

1/2 teaspoon each – l to r: Cinnamon, Ginger, Turmeric and Spirulina

• Cinnamon: Helps lower blood pressure
• Ginger: To soothe/settle the stomach
• Turmeric: Anti-inflammation
• Spirulina: Detox and vitamins

I then added a tablespoon of ACV, and about half a teaspoon of my other liquid flavorings.

Acid Additions…

Here they are with just the ACV and lemon-limeness…

Yeah, not gonna drink this straight!

Some people like to add still water to their ACV shots, but I like seltzer…

Sparkly goodness!

I would normally wait until the day I drink these to add the seltzer, but I’m stuntin’ for the camera today!

Today, I am having the Apple Pie…

Yay! The acid-tummy feeling has subsided and I actually feel more awake (probably because of the acid flavor jolt)…

Try it! Enjoy!

 

Birthday Breakfast!

Today is my Solar Return day! Yay! To celebrate I decided to make a cheat-y breakfast. Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes! Peanut butter is my most favorite sweet thing in the world so I had to get it in somewhere today. These aren’t that bad for me either – not a real “fall-off-the-lifestyle-change-wagon” treat. Once you see the ingredients, you’ll know that it only looks and tastes unhealthy…

I feel pretty good about this!

See? Not bad, not bad at all…

Nom…

Okay, maybe the Justin’s Peanut Butter Cup. I only used one though!

I made the Kodiak Cakes batter according to the directions and added about two tablespoons of the Crazy Richard’s Pure PB Plus.

Once I got the mix in the pan I topped it with some of the chopped peanut butter cup…

I added more than this!

I only made two pancakes…and I forgot to take a picture until I was 2/3 done!

#SorryNotSorry

It was worth every carb and calorie! Happy Birthday to me!

Zucchini Roses!

I saw something like this on “Tasty” or one of those random food videos on Facebook. The other recipe had carrots (blech), which made for a more colorful garden, but I think that yellow and green squash worked just fine. It also had a crust, but I am low-carbin’ it so no crust for me!

I started by making ribbons of the squash using my veggie peeler…

The vegetable peeler makes great ribbons…

This time making ribbons wasn’t so bad. When I made Zucchini Lasagna in the crock pot it took forever to make the ribbons I needed to fill the pan, even only 1/4 of the way full! I used tiny squashes today, because I was just using my small Corningware dish.

Then I made the base of the “garden”…

All the cheeses!

I mixed ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and Italian seasoning right in the dish. No need to measure, just mix in however much you want! I also added mozzarella on top of the mixture…

More cheese!

The cheese will help keep the “roses” together in the dish.

Then I started rolling and planting…

Zucchini rose garden…

This part was a little bit more annoying than I though it would be. That’s only because I was hungry and I had no patience. Maybe I was even a little hangry. Just a bit…

I topped off my freshly planted roses with olive oil, more parmesan, salt and pepper…

All cheesed up

I popped the dish in the toaster oven for about 30-35 minutes and…

Yay! Something new to add to the low-carb repertoire!

You’ll notice, I like to use the toaster oven a lot. This is especially the case in the summer. If I don’t have to turn on the oven, I don’t.

Try it, it’s easy! Enjoy!

Fresh Fruit Friday!

Okay – here’s where I get a little dweeby. I am admiring my past photos of fruit salad, from my Instagram, and sharing them here. Fruit is just so photogenic. Fruit and sushi are very photogenic, actually (random thoughts). So, here is my latest salad…

Usually with the kombucha…

I made this one on Independence Day…

Patriotic…

I must’ve been really thirsty when I made this one…

So refreshing…

So, I guess I was low on fruit here…

Not the best combination – I really felt like the pineapple was eating me back…

I needed some healthy fats to round out my salad here:

It helps to eat fruit salad with chopsticks…

I must’ve had a nighttime fruit craving…

 

So dark~bad lighting

And finally, this beauty below. It was so pretty, I had to take it outside to eat it (made for a nice photo)…

 

I will always try to live up to this one…

I’ll make sure to post regular fruit salad updates…

Charcoal Latte…

I’d like to think that I’m not susceptible to food trends. Rainbow bagels? They look stupid. Unicorn Sundae? Eww – there is too much going on there. But, sometimes something sneaks in. This is especially the case when it’s a healthy food trend. When I scroll down my Instagram feed and I see mac & cheese chips, collagen smoothies and kale-here–there-and-everywhere I realize that I too can get caught up in food fads. Take this morning for instance. I woke up and decided to make myself a Charcoal Latte.

Yup, I actually have the activated charcoal capsules already…

I bought them because, well, I’d heard so much about them on the interwebs. You can make a facial mask with them, they are good for hangovers, they can whiten your teeth – they must be amazing. Of course, I have not tried them for anything other than something food/beverage related. I recently made a delicious Black Lemonade for the wonderful detoxing qualities, and I’d like to think it worked. Well, I need something that works like that today. I am feeling quite waterlogged and my face looks puffy, and I have no idea why (like with most things that have started happening to my body for no reason after I turned 35). As it says on the bottle, activated charcoal provides “digestive support”, so de-bloating and detoxing. Let’s see if this latte helps…

All in the mug…

I start by putting my (opened) charcoal capsule, a packet of stevia and a teaspoon of coconut oil in my latte mug. I also put a mugful of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, two packets of stevia and a nice pour of vanilla extract into a pan on the stove. I’ll just let that heat up and come to a near boil. You’ll want to make sure you really add flavor to the milk because the charcoal is flavorless. I am thinking next time I’ll add coconut or almond extract…

Cookies and Cream?

 

I added about 3/4 of the the heated milk mixture to the mug contents and 1/4 to my frothing cup. It looks pretty cool already – like cookies and cream ice cream! <wishful thinking break>…

I begin to froth in my mug to get all of the ingredients incorporated…

Yay! Frother!

I also froth up my milk in the frothing cup.

Again, the frother is the best kitchen tool ever. I’ll never stir with a spoon again!

Will I get a real shape this time?

So there I go, attempting to do latte art…

I have no idea…

So, this is a mustache? Something? I don’t know. I still have not gotten any better at the latte art! I will keep trying!

So here we are – a lovely grey latte on a summer day! It’s so vanilla-y and yummy! Here’s hoping my face will return to normal before I have to go out into the public today!

Cheers!

 

Yogurt Sticks!

 

Yeah, I know how exciting the title sounds. I’m not even going to cheerfully type “But they are exciting!”. They may not be the most exciting things, but they are very useful. Think about the good bacteria! I guess, maybe they can be made to be exciting – I actually got several ideas once I started taking pictures of the process…

Anyway…

Yogurt Sticks. For me they are essential for a good smoothie. They add thickness, almost like adding ice cream or store brought frozen yogurt. That’s what this is like, “breakfast frozen yogurt”. Instead of buying a carton of frozen yogurt and putting scoop after scoop into a once nutritious smoothie, you get to add your own clean, healthy ingredients and control the amount of sugar added.

I usually start the “yogurt stick process” with a huge tub of plain Greek or regular yogurt. Not today. Why? Because yesterday at the grocery store I stumbled upon one of those “Buy these now because the expiration date is coming up soon” deals. It was for Chobani Yogurt and it was 87 cents!

Not too shabby…

I usually don’t buy flavored yogurt. Mainly because the sugar is out of control and for a little carton, it’s not worth it. This yogurt though, it has less sugar and more protein (yay!). Yes, I see there are 14 grams of sugar in one carton. I only use half of the carton in my smoothies though (so there)…

I start by scooping the contents of each container into two separate cups. Then the magic happens (seriously, it takes very little to make me excited)…

Flavorings…Necessary…

Then, I add different flavorings to each cup (woo hoo)! The yogurt is already vanilla flavored, but why not boost it by adding your own ingredients? Since I usually buy plain yogurt, this step is a must.

In the one on the left, I have cocoa powder and vanilla extract. The one on the right has cinnamon and ginger. These will go well with the the two flavors of protein powder I am using right now. So…stir them up…

Stirred!

After they are stirred and smoothed out, I add them to plastic “baggies”. I used basic, fold over baggies and not freezer baggies only because I know I am going to use these in 2 to 3 days. If I was saving them longer, I’d use a sturdier baggie.

Get excited!

The good thing about these (cheaper) fold over baggies is that they can be stretched out to have a flat base on your surface, so it’s not such a mess putting the yogurt in them.

As you can see, I divided the mixtures into two so I have four baggies of yogurt. Less sugar, but you still get the good bacteria that yogurt adds to a smoothie. Yay, probiotics! Yay gut health!

I freeze these bad boys, usually overnight, and this is how they look:

Frozen yogurt stick!

I add the stick to my blender cup and then add all of my smoothie supplements. With this frozen stick, I don’t have to use as much ice either. Which is great because I usually forget to make ice…

Here’s what I’m talking about, with the corresponding flavors…

Natural Whey is THE BOMB! Yes, I just said that…

I use the cinnamon-ginger yogurt stick with the snickerdoodle protein powder and the cocoa with the decadent chocolate.

So, try this. It’s very easy and YAY for more flavor! Doing this just gave me a ton of other ideas…I’ll have to make and share!

Enjoy!

Quickest Meal Prep Ever…

So, it’s Monday. Luckily I am working from home (as I do 60% to 80% of the week) so I can throw together a quick meal prep for when I do have to leave the house this week. I follow a low carb-high(ish) fat meal plan.

I had heard about all of the low carb and no carb variations for years but I was skeptical. I thought “Is this really going to work for me?”. I was so stuck on the “fat makes you fat” rule we were all programmed to follow for weight management. Low fat had worked for me for years BUT I believe that is what put me on an up and down weight roller coaster. I’d do the low fat/low cal thing and then, because it is a deprivation diet, I’d binge when I lost all the weight I wanted, only to gain it back again. I feel like I eat so much now that I am shocked when I look at myself, look at the scale and put on clothes. I am losing weight! I thought I’d gain weight because I have been eating things that were considered “bad”.

This meal prep is not all I eat all day. I have a couple of protein smoothies during the day, a salad of some sort and usually some cheese or lunch meat and “fat bombs” here and there along with this. There aren’t any recipes today, but at least the pictures are colorful and appealing…

It all starts with mason jars and Pyrex…

Mise en place…that applies to storage containers too…

Thanks to Pinterest for putting me on to glass jars all those years ago! I was always a Pyrex fan – because I hate stained, old plastic storage containers. Now, mason jars have taken me to the next level (of perfectionism)…

Nice nectarines, nice…

The nectarines looked good and they were fairly cheap – a great combination. I love random pictures of fruit…with shadows, because it’s pouring outside this morning…

Gorgeous fruit…In jars…

Oh, what’s this? Nectarines AND strawberries? Really great produce sales this week, what can I say? Plus they look so nice in the jars (my precious jars)…

So, on to the main course. Dinner is pretty easy as well…

Turkey Meatballs and Broccoli-Cauliflower Mash

These are turkey meatballs that I got from the frozen section. I haven’t found a recipe that I like enough for meal prepping. I’ll have to try and report back here. I just cook these frozen ones in marinara, put some mozzarella on top, pop them in the toaster oven to melt the cheese and I’m done.

I really, really enjoy mashing cruciferous vegetables. Nope, not just cauliflower, but broccoli and even Brussels sprouts (Yes, I know there are more cruciferous veggies. I didn’t want to list them all, but yeah, I’ll mash those too!)…

Here is the completed prep! So small, it fits on my cutting board…

Added some olives, too…