Catching up

I've got some catching up to do here! Today is a good day for that....here in the northeast we are in process of a nor'easter! It's been showing since midnight or so and as I write this it is 10:30 AM and we've already gotten 12" of snow! And this storm isn't getting out of here until very late tonight or tomorrow morning! Yikes!! This winter has been a doozie! Around here I believe the total had been around 48 inches for the season before today. We got off easy the past few years with close to nothing and I think many of us have gotten spoiled.

So it's a snow day! A day off from work! Though I have some paperwork I'm looking at inbetween loads of laundry and snow shoveling!

So..

What have I made lately? 

These

http://mywholefoodlife.com/2014/01/17/super-moist-flourless-brownies/

The brownies are flourless, made with black beans, yes, black beans! And they are amazing! I did nothing different from the recipe except add nuts because who doesn't like nuts in their brownies?!

I also made a variation of wonton soup. These wontons are filled with onions fried and doused with paprika. This is something my BFs grandmother would make, "knotted soup", which i did make before...http://barbarababbling.blogspot.com/2012/11/knotted-soupaka-more-pasta.html

So I just borrowed the idea and made it easier with wontons! I made little ground turkey meatballs and tossed some kale in the soup along with th he obligatory carrots and celery and it hit the spot on a cold winter night! Give it a try...there is something about big, pillowy, yum filled sheets of pasta that just make you feel good!

Seed Crackers

Ever make your own crackers? These are incredibly easy as well as incredibly good for you! 

Seeds seeds seeds!  And whatever flavoring you desire! Possibilities are endless!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I'm not one to measure things exactly.. so roughly,  in a bowl add and mix together:

1 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup chia seeds
3 T sesame seeds
2 T pepitas
2 T hemp seeds
1 t salt
1/4 cup water
- the mixture shouldn't be soupy nor dry.  It should be a wet mixture that you could shape.
Oh!  And whatever seasonings you want! 

Like rosemary?  Add rosemary!
Like garlic?  Toss in a hefty couple of tablespoons of garlic powder.
Whatever you desire!  My sister sent me sumac which I had never had,  yet alone heard of,  except for the poison variety!  I added a good 2 T of sumac and these came out delicious! 

The rest of the procedure:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I found it easier to then remove the parchment paper and use that as my guide - put the seed mixture on the parchment and pat it down some.  Cover with a piece of wax paper.  Take a rolling pin and roll it out to the size of the parchment paper,  or as close to the edges add you can.  You want it about 1/8" inch thick.  Remove the wax paper!  Bake for about 15 minutes,  until edges start to brown.  Let cool.  Break into random pieces.  Eat.  Enjoy.

Healthy IS delicious!

I've been making smoothies just about daily, for probably over a year. The smoothies I make usually have spinach, a mix of various fruit, a banana and raw protein and other superfood mix in's such as maca powder, greens, hemp seeds, etc.  I've also been using a 14 year old Hamilton Beech blender, which has been very good to me. I've made too many smoothies to count in it as well as pesto, hummus and other things. For my birthday this past December my BF got me a NutriBullet! I was so excited! I can't quite get myself to put away the blender just yet. I still have room on my counter so the old Hamilton Beech still has a place in my heart and a place on my counter!

I said I was excited over the NutriBullet, didn't I?! Woo hoo!! And not just any NutriBullet, but the Pro 900 series!  My smoothies have never been as smooth as they are now! They are like velvet! After watching the infomercial for years, I'm sure many think it is just a blender, what's the big deal? Well let me tell you it's amazing! I love it! There. I said it. I love my NutriBullet!

The recipes included are really well thought out and have made me a bit more adventurous! Partly due to the temptation to juice, I set out to make what I call a NutriBullet juice. Now this is not a real juice as it does contain all the pulp, which means all the nutritious fiber. Really, it's a smoothie without a banana, and to me, a smoothie has a banana! You know, for smoothness. :)

This was my attempt at a green green smoothie juice thing! The results were delicious and refreshing! Chock full of Vitamin C and all things good for you!

Green green smoothie juice:
   Handful of spinach
   1/2 Granny Smith apple, cut into pieces
   2 kiwis, cut into pieces
   1 lime
   Few slices of ginger
   Water

Add all to your blending device.
Blend. Drink. Enjoy. Like a delicious Lime Aid. And the color? So pretty!

Resolutions continued

Another resolution I made this year was to start using more natural, greener and cruelty free products.  Honestly, I started in December but I made it a resolution for the new year as well!

Now, I was a bit worried about deodorant! I had thoughts of smelly hippies truth be told, but I was out one day at my local health food store and picked a natural, organic one with the promise of a nice scent, almond and vanilla. All day at work I would catch myself sniffing here and there to make sure I wasn't offending anyone and I'm happy to report that I don't believe I have! Nourish Organic, you made a believer out of me!

I've switched toothpaste to Jason Sea Fresh. Very minty, in a good way! No worries there about offending anyone with my breath!

As I make the switch to new greener, natural and cruelty free products, I'll be sure to post about them!

New year....New commitment!

New year...New commitment!...to myself and to getting back to this blog!

2013's resolution was to lose the weight I had put on over the past 5 years...5 years of laziness, 5 years of eating whatever I wanted, 5 years of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin.  I'm happy to report that I stuck with it and as I write this, I am 82 pounds lighter than I was last year at this time. Yea me!

So 2014 rolls around and new resolutions...to continue being the best me I can be! Physically, mentally, spiritually...every "-ally" that I can think of! Right off the bat I upped my running. Last year I started walking and when that got easy I got back into running. I love running. I started running at another previous point in my life when I had lost weight and its something I really missed. October saw new running sneakers and I was able to continuously run 5 miles. Because of my work schedule and this other thing called "life", I can only find the time to run on weekends. On average I ran a little over 5 miles each Saturday and Sunday. I figured January 1 was the perfect time to up it, and New year's day I covered 6 miles, no problem! Yea me! So I'll try to keep that up and then gradually increase slowly so to avoid any injuries!

Next up, to eat even better than I am. I'm pretty happy with my diet; it's mainly fruits and vegetables, good fats, nuts and seeds, and poultry. I've cut out processed foods except for the occasional bottled salad dressing, I buy natural and organic most so I think that's alright.

Speaking of eating, I've made some fun things lately. Here's some of them:

"Larabars" - dates, almonds, protein powder

Chicken parmesan meatloaf- ground chicken breast, parmesan cheese, sauce, seasonings

Almond milk - soaked overnight almonds, rinsed then blended and strained

Simple sauteed kale and brussel sprouts in coconut oil with nuts

Buffalo chicken bites from

 http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/09/buffalo-chicken-bites/

 Really simple, yet tasty healthy food!