Fall Come Quicker!

I haven't been able to post regularly lately but things are becoming more settled so-BACK TO NORMAL!
Has anyone else been itchin for fall? I have been eating lots of apples:

And pumpkin in my oats(I found organic-still no regular!):

Summer used to be my favorite season,but this summer I just can't take the heat! It must have something to do with getting old. I'm just dying to go to fall festivals and to be able to walk Mulder without getting heatstroke. I hate wishing time(life) away,so I am trying to enjoy what is left of summer and live in the moment but sometimes it is hard!
Tried this little goody(from Peter's of course!):
Haha check out Mulder all up in our business-love my boy!
This Macrobar was Almond Butter and Carob flavor. The texture was similar to a Larabar-except this sucker was pretty big! Me and Ry split it. The carob flavor was awesome-a roasted grain taste-almost coffee-ish- but if you don't like carob then you probably won't enjoy this. I happen to LOVE carob. The almond taste was there,but I expected a creamy almond butter component somewhere but no dice. Here is a photo of the bar nekkid:

All in all I think this was a pretty good bar-perfect for a meal on the go. A lot of times I am out and about and I'll dig into my purse for my emergency bar-this would work nicely for that because it isn't too sweet. If I am eating it as a meal I want to feel like I am eating real food and not a candy bar.

Hot German Cauliflower

I want to share my new favorite vegetable recipe with you! I call it German Cauliflower because it reminds me a lot of hot german potato salad-without the carbs-and of course-no bacon!
German Cauliflower

• 1/4 of a red onion,chopped
• 2 Tbs. margarine
• one bag frozen cauliflower,thawed in microwave
• liquid smoke
• salt and pepper

Melt margarine over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Add cauliflower and about 1/4 tsp of salt and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add a little liquid smoke-about 5 drops will flavor the entire dish-trust me-and some fresh cracked black pepper. At this point I let it cook to get a little color on it-just don’t stir it up too much or the cauliflower will break up too much-I just shake it around every few minutes. Serve and ENJOY!

I served mine with a huge tossed salad and baked tofu with BBQ sauce for dipping.

Frozen Tapioca Mousse

Protein-style! Honestly, I didn’t take a picture of this because frankly, it is NOT pretty. It is quickly becoming my favorite night time snack though-so here is the recipe!
Frozen Tapioca Mousse-Protein Style!

• one scoop pea protein
• sweetener of choice-to taste
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup COLD water
• 1 Tbs cocoa
• 1-2 Tbs chia seeds

Vigorously whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until mixture starts to thicken. Freeze for an hour or so,stirring every 15 minutes or so. Add a few scoops of nut butter and ENJOY!
The seeds get that jelly texture that is so appealing , not to mention that there is nothing bad in this dessert-it is guilt free! I added my homemade cashew butter to mine, but you can leave that out if you are watching calories.

Yeah, I put it in my empty almond butter jar-What of it?
Cashew Butter

• 1/2 lb raw cashews
• 1 Tbs bland oil-I used regular ole vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Roast cashews in a single layer at 350 degrees until just starting to brown-it takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool to the touch and whir in your processor until it makes a coarse meal. Add oil and continue to process until it is as smooth as you like it. Add salt and go another few seconds. Transfer to container and keep refrigerated.
CAUTION: This stuff is RICH! I can handle really rich foods but this takes it to the limit! Use like you would any other nut butter,but just be aware that the amount you usually use may overwhelm you in this case-it did me!

Breakfast Of Vegan Champs!

I think back to all those years I thought I didn’t have time for oatmeal-mostly because I was out the door before 5 am and didn’t have time to inhale hot oats or time for anything for that matter. I tried for awhile to make it on my break but considering it was only 15 minutes long it was impossible to make anything or eat anything hot without burning my mouth off. Yeah, I ate A LOT of bananas for breakfast then. I wish I knew about overnight oats then or even better:

Raw oats! I love them this way. I just mix 1/2 cup raw rolled oats with 1/2 cup silk yogurt-I usually use jam and PB on it too-it is insanely good. Chewy,nutty and yes,very quick. I always add some fruit to the mix and you seriously have a great breakfast!

Full Fridge!

I have been miserable about grocery shopping lately-just not wanting to go! I actually love it,I have just been lazy about leaving the house lately. Today however we HAD to go and I had a little extra motivation because I had a partner in crime with me-the hubs! We haven’t went shopping together in years but we did today and it made it way more fun! How good it feels to have a full fridge again:
We spent $98 but we had to get A LOT of staples-oil,soy sauce,litter-so much stuff! Blueberries were 2 for $3-major score there! Oh yeah and even though we are on a budget we always have to get something for little man:
Horrible pic I know but as you can see Mulder was on this like white on rice and we had to be quick! This was $6.49 but it was worth it to see this happy face:
Sweet baby.
Totally vegan too. And yes,we both tried some and it tasted just like a healthy gingerbread cookie-lucky dog! Now we are off to spend a rare night off together-enjoy!

Keeping Puppy Cool

Today was 90 degrees and as humid as a sauna. Even our furniture inside was damp-there was no escaping it! It sucks for us of course but I feel bad for our furbabies on days like today-the cats sprawl and look miserable and Mulder pants all day. I saw this contraption for dogs that is a collar that you wet and freeze and it keeps them cool-except that it was $20! I decided to try something out myself and it worked great-I just wet a bandanna,squeezed it out and tied it around my buddys neck. I put a blankie on the floor and parked a fan on him and I could see the change in him immediately. Here are some behind the scenes photos:
Mom! This is too embarrassing! Why is everything pink!
Alright fine-here is your photo op…
Now leave me alone and let me shoot the breeze!
Poor buddy-I really can’t help but think that HE thinks I torture him-he is just too funny though. Also don’t mind my floor-it isn’t dirty,we just didn’t finish it yet. In keeping with the cooling down the puppy theme,we also gave him one of his fave treats-frozen yogurt! I just pop a Silk Yogurt in the freezer and put it in his dish when it is almost frozen.

Cheap Almond Butter!

Find of the day! Went to Peter’s and got this almond butter on the clearance shelf for $3.50! I think normal price on it is $7. It is actually the first almond butter that I really liked. As I said before I love(OBSESSED) with  peanut butter,but almond butter usually doesn’t excite me that much-usually too bitter or overly sweet tasting. This one is perfect-I have been eating it every morning on my oats and it is smooth with a little grittiness and some larger slivers of almonds in there as well. It is just lightly salted and has no added sweeteners. It was a little tough to stir the oil in the first time-get ready to be a little messy-but once it is stirred and refrigerated it stays the perfect consistency.

Sometimes Ya Just Gotta...

Have some chocolate! Especially for women sometimes,there is no option to ignore this craving-that was today for me! So in an effort to keep today relatively diet-friendly, I ate my normal meals all day and splurged on this:
P.rotein M.andm S.lop(Protein Ice Cream)

• 1 scoop pea protein(I use Olympian Labs)
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 Tbs. cocoa
• sweetener to taste
• 1/2 c. almond milk(I freeze mine into cubes when I know I’ll be making this)
• 1/2 c. cold water
• M+M type candy(they have some in the bulk bin at my health food store)

Blend all ingredients together in blender or food processor. Save some candy to garnish!

30 Day Shred Level 3

Although I have been doing “The Shred” since September,I never had the gumption to try level 3. I usually do pretty tough workouts most days,so I did levels 1 and 2 as easy workouts. Well, I think I burned myself out on Burn Fat and Boost Metabolism- I have been doing it almost everyday and was getting really bored of it-so I decided to try level 3.
Two things-super impressed and went by really quick! I really didn’t expect it to be so difficult! I like how a lot of the same moves from BFABM were in there just more intense-I LOVE those planks where you go up and down(what are those called?),but I never thought to switch the arms before-now I will incorporate that into BFABM too. I also love using the weights with the cardio-the lightest weights I have are 5 lbs though, and I think those are a tad too heavy for that.
The workout flew by too! Probably because it is something new-but I thought that was a nice added bonus =)
I definitely give this workout two thumbs up-do you have any modification suggestions for the move in the last circuit with the row and leg lift though-that hurt my hand like a mutha!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake For Muscles!

I didn’t take a picture because it was very unphotogenic,but don’t hold it against this lovely treat!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake For Muscles

• 1/2 c. Silk Live Yogurt-Plain
• 5 oz. fresh pineapple chunks
• 1 heaping tsp. vanilla protein powder(I used Nutribiotic Rice Protein)

Mix together thoroughly and enjoy! I highly suggest FRESH pineapple-I don’t think canned would be nearly as great. If you are not super worried about calories(I unfortunately am right now),a little brown sugar or a few crumbles of granola would make it even better!

Greek Isles Quinoa Toss

I have been trying to think outside the box for dinner-rather than doing a straight up protein like beans,tofu,tempeh or veggie burger type things. I decided quinoa dishes would be perfect- I have been serving it up all ways-like pasta with tomato sauce(I feel much better about eating that than a straight up carb fest!)-and I’ve also been making little “tosses” with them. This one in particular was really yummy and you can also serve it cold on these steamy summer nights:
Greek Isles Quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa -rinsed
• handful of olives(whatever you have would be fine-kalamata for authenticity lol)-chopped
• large tomato-seeded and chopped
• summer squash-diced

Stir together quinoa and 2 cups of water in saucepan and bring to boil. Lower to a simmer and cover-cook until water is absorbed(usually takes about 20 minutes). You will be able to tell when it is close because you will start to see little pits forming on the surface of the quinoa. While that is working is a great time to chop your veggies:

and make your dressing-you will need:

• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 heaping tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together thouroughly.
Stir veggies into hot quinoa:
and stir in dressing. It may seem like a lot but once it cools it will soak it all up. Remember to fluff the quinoa with a fork and not stir it around too much or it could get gummy.
I served it cold with some steamed spinach and a salad. It would also be nice with some white beans stirred in. OPAH!

Monster Garlic!

Sorry for lack of posting-I have been working on getting my etsy shop up and running! Excuses only satisfy those who make them-so I will move on....

One thing that I always used to do is but one of those HUGE jars of minced garlic-I can't really remember how I got into that habit but I just never thought about it-I just did it. Well in a quest to save money,when my last jar ran out I started buying heads of fresh garlic again. It must be in season because they have the HUGEST cloves I have ever seen on them! One example:

 It was so big! I would say at least 3 times the size of normal cloves.Anyways, I used about half to make my roasted veggies(that is oil and balsamic in the bowl-YUMMY!) and threw the rest on the sheet pan to roast. I will not deny that I ate it all by itself-it was delicious too, like candy. And yes I could still taste in my mouth the next morning :o.
Speaking of those veggies:

 There is nothing better. Except for super hot pink toes for summer:

 That is Sinful Colors 24/7 that you can get at Walgreens. The only weird thing is that it comes out kind of matte,so I put a sparkly topcoat over it.

P.uppy M.isreable S.yndrome Part Deux

And so another week of bloaty,cranky fun begins! I'm treating myself to kicking up my heels and watching some tv when stupidly I turned it on the Cooking Channel-even worse I turned it to the Cooking Channel where they feature Justins Nut Butter. It was all twirling around in the hopper and I was mesmerized :). When he was talking about eating so much PB that he felt it in his neck, I was like "dude-I've totally done that too!". Now I don't feel so bad. And the new packaging is so cute it makes my emotional self almost cry!

Vegan Rice Krispie Treats!

So I'll bet that if you are vegan you get a craving for these succulent babies from time to time. Rice Krispie Treats were one of my favorite desserts ever-I even remember making them in Home Ec class in middle school to sell during lunch-we were in different teams in class and had to come up with little businesses to run-ours was insanely popular! I mean what's not to like? Crispy cereal, vanilla-ey gooey goodness-YUM.

I tried the boxed Glenny's Organic Marshmallow Treats over and over again-trying to make myself like them-but I never really did. They are expensive,small and not gooey enough for me. I also didn't want to spend $6 on a bag of vegan marshmallows every time I had a craving. So after much research I found this recipe and went for it!
Classic Rice Crispy Treats(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    1 cup light corn syrup
    1/2 cup sugar(I used Wholesome Sweeteners Raw Cane)
    2 tablespoon soy margarine
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    6 cups puffed rice cereal

Directions:

In addition to the above ingredients you'll need a heat resistant spatula, a small pot, a very large bowl and a 9x13" pan to press the treats into.

Begin by heating the syrup in the pot over medium heat then add the sugar to the pot. Stir continuously for a few minutes, you might start to notice it bubbling at the bottom, if it starts to become frothy turn down the temperature some. When it starts to look like its boiling add the margarine (I used earth balance) stir till evenly mixed, then add the vanilla, still stirring. If you notice that the syrup/sugar mixture does not boil you can turn up the heat, or just add the margarine and the rest of the ingredients after a few minutes it will still work fine, just make sure to spend a few minutes stirring the syrup and sugar before adding the other ingredients).

As the syrup and sugar are on the stove in the very large bowl measure out about 5 cups of the cereal.
Pour the heated mixture over the syrup and began stirring with the spatula making sure to evenly combine the ingredients. You might want to add another cup or more of the cereal, depending on the amount of saturation your looking for (I find about 6 cups of cereal allows all the cereal to be covered in syrup but not too gooey:  still crispy.)
I greased a large pan with more margarine and pressed it into that-press down hard so it sticks together.

I found that the treats stick together better when covered and refrigerated.

I cut mine into 16 squares and estimated them to be around 150 calories apiece.

Preparation time: 15 prep, 1 hour to cool

I think they turned out delicious. Ryan said they taste just like the Glenny's, but I believe the fresh margarine and very crispy cereal made them taste WAY better. Not to mention that the price for a whole pan is negligible. I think a batch of these in a cute pan and tied with a ribbon would make a really cute gift too.

Next time I make them I think i am going to whip the syrup and sugar mixture up in my Kitchenaid and see if i can make them gooeyer.

My Favorite Sandwich-TLT!

I am about to share one of our favorite foods in our house-one that we don't eat that often because we usually don't have bread around. It is simple,definitely not revolutionary,but one of the best concoctions ever. The textures and flavors sing! Presenting:

The TLT! Tofu made just so(recipe to follow) with crispy iceberg lettuce,ripe tomatoes and of course vegan manna(Veganaise).

Make the tofu as such:

Gather your ingredients:

• one brick of extra firm tofu drained


• 2 Tbs ketchup


• 3 Tbs soy sauce


• 1/4 cup beer(I used Magic Hat #9 but I have also used juice here apple or cranberry work best)


• 1 Tbs of maple syrup(skip if you are using juice)


• 2 cloves of minced garlic


• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke( I usually use a little bit more-but I LOVE the flavor-add to your taste)

Whisk last 6 ingredients together in a shallow bowl or plate. Slice tofu into 16 strips- I usually do it in half,then cut each piece in half and so on until I get as many slices as I want. Poke slices with a fork and dip each slice in mixture-do both sides! Place on an oiled sheet pan and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on each slice. Flip and do other side. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes on each side. Let cool briefly.

To assemble sandwich:

Toast your bread if that is your thing-I like mine soft and squishy,Ryan likes his toasted(we used Heidelberg pumpernickel). Spread Veganaise on both sides of bread. Use one big leaf of iceberg lettuce,followed by two sliced and blotted dry pieces of tomato. Add 4 slices of tofu and eat! I have also used mashed and seasoned avocado instead of mayo and it is equally delicious.

We each ate a sandwich and a half! That is a lot but it was far too hot and I was way too lazy to think beyond this into side dishes.

Puppy Sundaes

Luckily,today was the last day of the heatwave. It is supposed to storm tonight and be a little cooler tomorrow. I did work out today but I did yoga and weights-I just couldn't muster the cardio! Oh well, I'm back on it tomorrow.

Someone has been having a particularly hard time with the heat:

He has been hiding in the bathroom-the coolest room in the house. Poor bubby. There was some relief when we brought this home for him:

How sweet is that-the diner down the street from us does puppy sundaes! The crazy part is that they do them for free-I felt kind of bad because we obviously don't eat ice cream so we didn't buy anything,so I made sure to leave a big tip.

Crofter's Morello Cherry Premium Spread

Oooohhhh...was I excited when I spotted a bountiful array of Crofter's Jams on the shelf at my favorite store! I have heard lots of wonderful things bout these products and after checking out their website, I may like them even more! They have lots of recipes and explain the difference between a jam ,jelly and preserve. They are all organic products which is cool too.

I purchased the Morello Cherry flavor and paid $3.99. The price was a little steep- I usually but Polaner for about $2.79,but like I said, I REALLY wanted to try this after hearing such good things. The first taste I had was just the spread on a spoon-the flavor is pure cherry-not black cherry but like a pure fresh and sweet summer cherry. Not too sweet though-just right. The texture is chunky but has plenty of body and spreadability. The next day I tried it on an almost traditional PB+J. I used Teddy's PB,Heidelberg pumpernickel and the jam-about equal portions of each. It made a really nice sandwich-the flavor didn't get lost in the shuffle and I also really liked it cold-the first time I tried it it was still room temperature. The cooler temp made it almost refreshing-a palate cleanser in the midst of a heavy PB sandwich. Sometimes sweeter spreads can make it too much-but this was a really nice contrast. lastly I used it for what I usually use jams for-in my yogurt. I always buy a big tub of Silk Plain Yogurt and add fruits or jams-the presweetened stuff is too sticky sweet for me. So I simply measured out 1/2 a cup of yogurt and 1 Tbs. of the cherry spread,mixed and ate. Perfection.

PROS:

Delicious pure fruit flavor.Organic.Unique flavors.Not too sweet.

CONS:

The price is a little high.

VERDICT:

I think this would make a nice addition to your jam collection. If you go through a ton it could get a little pricey, I would probably use it more where the flavor could really shine. I really enjoyed it though and will probably try other flavors. I think it would also make a nice little gift for someone-a jar of this,a good jar of natural PB and some hearty artisan bread. Or is that just a gift that I would enjoy?

Alf's Red Wheat Cereal Review

I know I have been doing lots of reviews lately-I guess I have been feeling adventurous in trying new things? Hey, I have my staples-Teddy's PB(although now it tastes super salty after getting the plain old ground kind-I may have to convert),Crystal Hot Sauce,Drew's Lemon Goddess Dressing, etc.-but I am a sucker for a new product and I like reading reviews-so why not throw my opinion into the mix?

As you can see from the pic, I already opened the bag-OOOPS. So here it is: Alf's Red Wheat Cereal. It is unfortunately exclusive to Walmart but if you are forced to go in there like lots of us are from time to time, it is worth picking up. I paid 99 cents for it which contains eleven 1 cup servings. I usually only eat 1/2 cup at a time in a yogurt parfait, so I get 22 servings-quite the deal! It is not vitamin fortified, but it is 100% all natural,good tasting and contains a little fiber and protein too. It has a good nutty crunch and would be great topped with some fruit or maple syrup in your breakfast bowl. Seriously, in an age where even "healthy" cereals have tons of sugars and cost $4-$5 a box, this stuff is a godsend. I honestly don't think it is a great idea to overload out bodies on added vitamins anyway-if you take a multi and eat a balanced diet,you don't need to eat them all over again in your cereal. It just doesn't make sense. It is usually located on the bottom shelf by the Malt-O Meal bagged cereals,so it could be easy to miss.

PROS:

Awesome price.Simple and natural. Not a lot of packaging. Tastes good. Can be fully customized to your liking.

CONS:

Only available at Wally World.

VERDICT:

I say give it a go. For the price it is worth seeing if you dig it. If you have kiddos make a little breakfast buffet with all sorts of toppings and I bet they will be on board too!

Heatwave 2010!

We are having our first official heatwave in my area since 2002! Today is the fourth day in a row of above 90 degrees and it has been a rough go. Working out has been miserable,and my appetite is killed until nighttime of course,and then I turn into a stark raving mad binging lunatic! Not to mention that it is a million degrees in the upstairs bedroom so we are sleeping in the living room and it has turned into a flop house!

Okay, I am pulling myself together. Even though the heatwave is still going strong I am putting my foot down and getting back to normalcy.

Mulder is going to be sad though-we put the air mattress in the living room and he thought it was the best thing going-I think he thought it was an awesome new dog bed and that we had the audacity to be sleeping on it.

Stay cool.

ZICO Coconut Water Review

After hearing so much about the stuff,I finally decided to try ZICO Coconut Water today-it is 100 degrees here after all! We took our weekly trip to Peter's and we were SWELTERING. We usually grab some sort of fun drink there,but usually paying  $2.69 for a beverage is enough to make me yak. The heat must have been cooking my brain because I talked Ryan into splitting one with me and we shelled out the money for our very first coconut water. I went with the plain flavor so we could get an accurate feeling on how the stuff is supposed to taste.

So we get outside and I open the top and the seal-I really like that actually-in my mind it makes it fresher somehow. We take the first sips. It is weird. It tastes salty and milky and smells of tanning oil. I have to remind myself that it isn't dairy and that is just coconut water. I take another sip. It is kind of thick-maybe its not cold enough? But it is growing on me. Ryan says he could get used to it and has to try another before he can give an honest review. By the end of the bottle I decided I liked it and wish I didn't have to share it.

You really have to like coconut and have an open mind with this stuff. I mean it really does taste just like coconut water-that's what it is after all-and it is a very distinctive taste.  It is wonderfully healthful-rehydrates your body quicker than water,all natural ingredients and is packed with potassium and electrolytes. I probably wont be buying it often-that price tag is a killer-but I like it well enough, and can see why people rave about it. If I were to get it again I would probably buy the big container of it to keep in the fridge and use for smoothies or add a shot to my workout water.

If anyone has tried any of the flavors like the Pomberry or Lime-how were they?

Mmmmmmacaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is one of my FAVORITE foods to eat. Not pasta salad with italian dressing  and all the frills but MACARONI salad with mayo. The sad thing is is this delicious dish has pretty much eluded me since going vegan almost 3 years ago. I mean I tried and tried to make it but I couldn't get that perfect dish. I like it old school style-mayonnaise,some chopped veggies and salt and pepper. I don't really know what I did differently yesterday but I will stick with this method like glue because it turned out PERFECT!!!!

Mmmmmmmacaroni Salad:

• 1/2 lb. whole wheat elbows


• 4 Tbs. Veganaise


• 2 ribs celery,minced


• 1 large carrot,minced


• 1/4 sweet onion,minced


• 1 sour pickle(I used Heinz),minced


• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder


• salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta to your liking. I think one of the things I like about traditional mac salad is the-dare I say-mushiness of the pasta. Maybe not mushy but cooked pretty soft. But do it the way you like it. Drain and rinse thoroughly-until cool. Let your pasta dry in the colander pretty well while you chop the veggies and the pickle. Normally, I would use green olives,but I was out, so I used a sour pickle. These taste a little bit different than dill-they are pretty salty, but I generally use them for cooking because I like their intense flavor. Mix veggies into pasta and Veganaise. Add salt,pepper and garlic. Don't go crazy on the salt because after the salad mellows and sits it will develop more flavor. I used 15 grinds on my first seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Before serving taste again for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

I know those instructions seem a little specific,but that is the way to make macaroni salad exactly the way I like it. Please feel free to adjust the recipe to your liking! And I should also mention that that tub of salad did get polished off-mostly by me-EEEEK!

Happy Birthday America!

Here's to freedom! We are currently trying to get out the door to go to a BBQ-swimming,food and family. I hope everybody has a happy and safe day filled with macaroni s

Dinner Buffet

Is it weird that I serve a buffet every night for just two people?

Steamed veggies,salad,tofu and rice. Oh yes and of course a bevy of fine condiments:

I always make too much food! Really though,I plan leftovers to keep in the fridge for lunches and snacks-I just make it all,we take what we want and save the rest. It always gets eaten up.

In other exciting news, I finally found a way to wear my hair for working out that stays in place and doesn't fly everywhere!

I fold a bandana in half and tie around my head like a kerchief. Then I put it all up in a ponytail-bandana ends and all. It is such a simple solution. Before I would put on a headband and stick a million bobby pins in it-I have long bangs and layers so I kinda had to. I figured I needed to try something new when I almost poked out my eye rearranging a bobby pin while still jumping around-DUMB I know! So this is it for now-at least until I get a Bondi Band for my birthday(I hope)!

Olive Green and Holiday

We went ahead and ordered color samples from Glidden for our dining room. We have it primed but we have been hemming and hawing for months over the color. We always knew we wanted green-but what shade we didn't know. Everything was too yellow,too blue, blah blah blah. So here are the FINAL two greens we are deciding upon:

I know it looks like a baby had an unfortunate accident on our wall :) The chair is a color reference for the funiture we have in the room. We are also redoing the floor a dark wood color. I am leaning towards the darker color on the left. What do you think?

Just for fun, a picture of my cat Holiday-Holly for short:

Look mommy! No paws! We also like to say she looks like a turkey perfect for roasting in this pose.

A little about Holly(since I don't mention the cats much): I rescued her from the shelter eleven years ago-she has a lot of toes that she is hiding in this picture and when I went to go look for a cat her paw and all its million toe glory was hanging out of her cage giving me the "thumbs up". She is super bratty and is always the princess. She is OBSESSED with water and I often find her in the sinks farting around. Her and Mulder are secret friends but her and her kitty brother Chico have never liked each other for some reason. She is quite petite and is actually really funny and VERY squirrely. Her birthday is November 19th.

So there is a little bit about my girl Holly-if I ever get a good picture of my big boy tom cat Chico(he weighs about 20 lbs.!) I will let him tell you a little bit about himself too!

More Bodybuilding Eats!

One of the best things about eating clean is how OFTEN you get to! Every three hours I get to pick a protein, a carb and a fruit or veggie. Pretty simple huh? Sometimes you eat something delicious and pretty normal like today's lunch:

Silk yogurt,strawberries and puffed wheat-delectable.

And SOMETIMES you end up with something equally delicious but kinda strange:

Baked beans,Mary's crackers and buffalo spinach with margarine and hot sauce.Weird combination but it was so satisfying and fun to eat-a scoop of this and a scoop of that! That is one of my favorite "diet" tricks-make anything buffalo-it feels like you are eating something bad but if you use spray margarine and hot sauce or even Ken's Buffalo Marinade- it barely adds any calories. Try it and see what you think :)

Her Garden Grows...

Remember my lame little garden that I started? Well it is starting to pull its weight around here-check it out:

Holy smokes on this sucker! The Black Prince tomatoes are outta control-no tomatoes yet but a few blossoms. The vine on this guy is crazy-much better than when I tried growing tomatoes in a pot last year.

Jalapenos-this plant is the star of the garden so far! We already tried one-not too spicy but delicious. I was always nervous to try and grow peppers-I thought they needed a super hot climate but it seems to be doing okay.

The zucchini just started blossoming. I am really excited because zucchini is my favorite veggie-these are doing great in the bag. The cucumbers I planted in the same way are pretty lame-o-I don't know if anything will come of those-BOO!

In an unexpected turn of events-we found these grow all over our property! Blackberries,raspberries and even some wild strawberries. Some of the blackberries were ripe and they are sweet and GOOD! I can't wait to harvest them all-there are a ton!

Growing food is such an amazing experience-I started small this year just to get my feet wet-but I really love it. Everyday when I go down to check the mail and let out Mulder I stop and check on all my plants.

Who's that puppy helping his mom check on the abundant harvest?

July Goals

I decided  I am going to give myself little resolutions every month to keep motivated,try new things and see what happens!

For July:

• I am not going to drink alcohol this month! I read a great post on The Front Burner blog and I could totally relate. I by no means have a problem-I have a few drinks a few times a month-but the whole next day is shot for me. I like the pure clean feeling my body has when it is free of alcohol-the flavor of a beer or the warmness of wine is short lived but has lasting effects!


• I am continuing my workout schedule-I have actually been enjoying it and found it works for me pretty well. I choose my rest day by how I am feeling-when I need it I take it. The plan is really well rounded as far as cross training so I don't miss anything when I take the day off. I don't make up the day I take off-I just do the regularly scheduled workout the next day.

Sunday:Cardio and Total Body

Monday:Cardio and Yoga

Tuesday:Cardio and Shred

Wednesday: Cardio and Shred

Thursday: Cardio and Lower Body

Friday: Cardio and UpperBody

Saturday:Cardio and Yoga

• Record my meals on Fitday and try to get my ratios of macro nutrients into the "zone".

Those are my health and fitness goals for July. I also have one personal goal that I am working on,but I probably won't reveal it until it comes to fruition-it is something that means a lot to me though and I have been working toward it everyday!

I Went There-Pasta Edition

I haven't done this in about seven years:

Plain spaghetti,plain bottled sauce and white hamburger bun garlic bread-no veggies,no fiber,no protein! A nutritional nightmare for sure-but completely necessary today! After a little too much wine last night(oops!),I wanted carbtastical meals all day today! So I did. That is how you know when you are getting old-3 glasses of wine put you under for a full 24 hours and you are truly and deeply ashamed that you didn't eat any veggies at dinner!

In unrelated news I just watched a stand up comedian on Comedy Central On Demand-Iliza Shlesinger-so funny! I am actually a huge comedy fan-not smart comedy either-dumb,raunchy and stupid is what I like. It is a guilty pleasure of mine-kinda like my pasta dinner-some days are like that!

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"On The Go" Drinks

"On the go" drinks seem to be getting very popular these days. They are a good idea-less paper cups and plastic bottles for one thing! Let's take a look at two different ones I tried this week:

Starbucks Vias are little packets of instant coffee that you just add water to. I was SUPER excited about these because everyone knows I am a coffee freak :). I know instant coffee gets a bad rap-I mean that stuff hasn't had any new advances since Folger's Crystals in the seventies right? I figured that Starbucks would pull through and make some amazing product that actually tastes like the real thing. Unfortunately I was wrong! I tried the Italian Roast flavor and it was a muddy murky and bitter mess. Super sad too-I really thought I was going to be able to get my Starbucks fix any time I pleased. Boo. Well it might be okay if you are camping and need to get caffeinated quickly-but I think you would be better bringing tea bags and going that route. It didn't dissolve all the way either-there were little coffee dust specks all over my mug.

Next up-Crystal Light Pure Fitness Water-grape flavor.

Usually during my workout I would drink a liter of plain water and a liter of Powerade Zero. I LOVE the Powerade but it was getting a little expensive having one everyday! Plus I needed some type of fitness drink-I usually work out at least 90 minutes so I feel like it gives me some boost. Well I have just finished my first box of this-10 in all-and I really love it. I tastes wonderful-is somewhat more naturally sweetened-and it is much cheaper to buy a box of this for about $2 than a $1 Powerade everyday. It dissolved completely and wasn't sticky or sugary tasting at all. I recommend it-it is exactly what it claims to be. I plan on trying more flavors!

All in all,I think "on the go" drinks are a great idea-environmentally they make sense,you don't have to lug cases of anything in the house when you get home from the store(one of my little pet peeves) and it is much cheaper. A lot of times you are paying for plain water with some other stuff added. Make it yourself and save some money!