Things i'm loving right now...

We're heading down to Savannah tomorrow night for a weekend of Debutante Parties, wedding planning, a bridal shower, and hopefully some time in the sun. We're both so excited about the trip and the mini 4 day break from work but that also means squeezing a TON of work into three days since a lot of people are taking next week off due to the holiday. I just walked in the door a few minutes ago and dinner just consisted of a banana, some leftover vegetables we prepared asian style last night, and a bit of Artisana Coconut Butter.

1) ARTISANA COCONUT BUTTER is the first thing i'm loving right now! HOLY YUM!! My awesome nutritionist gave me a few of these samples and i'm in love. I've mixed this one into morning oats, enjoyed on a banana like I did tonight, and even eaten plain. The best thing is the portion control. I've enjoyed this lil jar six or seven times so far and the ENTIRE jar is only 93 calories and 9 grams of fat according to the label. I would love more of these sample jars so I may review the whole line in case anyone from Artisana is reading this! :)

2) Road Runner Sports and Nike

After wearing my ultra light Aasics out while training for two half marathons I knew it was time for some new shoes. While many people don't love Nike for distance training I love them because they are soft, light, and super cushiony. I'm willing to buy new shoes every 250 miles versus 400 if it means enjoying every step. I also am not going to lie- I love the pink! I found these shoes, adorable shorts, and top on sale at Road Runner Sports this week and even enjoyed free shipping! Maybe these will incent me to run outside in the crazy weather this weekend down in Savannah and then back up here in NYC versus the dreadmill!

 

3. Jay Robb

I can't review the products yet as I should probably receive them when we're down South but I'm so stinking excited I can't contain it! I'm not a huge fan of the current protein powder we purchased- a 2lb container to boot- since it was on sale on Amazon. It is very blah. We bought Research Proven Designer Whey in Vanilla hoping it'd be a yummy french vanilla but really it just tastes like odd water and is not thick at all! Maybe i'll hide Jay Robb at work and not even let Bo know we received it so he'll finish the 2lb container. Or, this is when I could get over my frugality issues and let us throw it away since we don't like it and just enjoy the amazing JAY ROBB COUPON that they have allowed me to share with readers! The code is BLOGJ9HHB and is redeemable on orders of all Jay Robb products purchased directly from Jay Robb Enterprises (via phone or at www.JayRobb.com). The code coupon is attached and is valid though July 7, 2009.

Okay kids. I'm out like a light since tomorrow is MY LAST DAY DRIVING TO HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA FROM NEW YORK CITY FOR WORK! I am SO TIRED OF THE SEVEN HOUR DRIVE DAYS!

An expensive addiction...

I still can't believe it. My fiance has a new addiction and it's 100% healthy and something i've been trying to introduce to him for over a year. His $1.99 a day addiction is Fage 0% Plain. Since cutting back on caffeine, artificial foods, and processed foods over the last week he realized he wanted something delicious and protein rich for a mid morning snack or afternoon treat. He has one of these bad boys each day mixed with 1 packet of stevia and some fresh berries. I can't believe this guy is my fiance! His favorite things about Fage are its' dense, rich, and creamy texture. He didn't believe that it was healthy or low fat until he looked at the label because it tasted more like cream. Furthermore, it makes a great afternoon or morning snack due to its high protein content. I've started enjoying this for a breakfast alternative with ground flax seeds, berries, and stevia.

This weekend we decided to try Fage in some other ways such as a mayonaise alternative in tuna and chicken salads or as sour cream in Mexican dishes. Sunday we decided to test it with a healthier version of tuna salad.

ENJOY!

Healthier Tuna Salad 

Makes 4 servings

A low-fat/high protein tuna salad using non-fat yogurt.

Ingredients

10	oz. solid white albacore tuna
2	oz (1/4 cup) Fage 0% Greek Plain Yogurt
1	tbsp mayonnaise (Hellmann's)
1/2	cup chopped celery
1/4	cup chopped green onions
1/2	tsp seasoned salt
1/2	tsp garlic powder
1	tbsp chopped dill
1	tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix all ingredients together. Season with pepper to taste.

Amazing Grass but not so amazing oatmeal

Get ready folks for a super catch up of posts! I have 5 or 6 ready to deploy over the next day or two. First, I want to give a shoutout to the amazing people at Amazing Grass! They sent me their sampler pack to try and review on the blog. It included a few bars, a few Amazing Meals, Organic Wheat Grass packets, and then the flavored packets. I was super excited to try these as I'd previously felt amazing rushes of energy when i've enjoyed wheat grass in smoothies. Bo and I have decided to challenge ourselves to give up all caffeine except green tea for five days. So far we've been enjoying lots of decaf teas, lemon and lime water, and mint water. While we've been doing well I have definitely felt a decrease in my normal energy levels especially since i've started enjoying a morning cup of coffee at work each day. Our office has one of those individual pod coffee makers and they also stock the cabinets with Green Mountain Coffee in hazelnut, vanilla, and more!

This morning before heading out for a day's worth of adventures, I thought the perfect breakfast would be my own version of green oats to help boost my energy and give me the extra nutrients i'm always craving. BOY was I mistaken! I can stomach a lot of things but after three spoon fulls I had to give up and make my regular old oats. The flavor was too "grassy" and it almost tasted like I was chewing a vitamin. I combined the following in this morning oats:
1 packet Organic Wheat Grass
1/2 c oats
1/2 c water
1/2 c light almond breeze
1 pack stevia

I was a bit worried with how green the oats turned out and would love feedback from folks on how to make them tastier. I was a bit disappointed because I was hoping this could become a healthy morning burst of energy each day.

But, luckily, later today I gave Amazing Grass another try and thoroughly enjoyed their chocolate flavor packet with some almond breeze for a midmorning snack. It was absolutely delcious and my energy levels skyrocketed. I would definitely order more of their flavored options in the future as I think they could also be great mix-ins with protein shakes, chobani, and oatmeal!

Updated: Not the weekend we planned but amazing in the end

So, if you had asked me on Thursday what I was doing this weekend I would have said laying out, seeing a Broadway matinee, and meeting up with fab UGA folks at the NYC BBQ festival in the city. Well, now Monday has once again graced us with it's presence and we did NONE of those things. But we had a great weekend full of firsts:


1. We didn't eat out one time! We decided to relax and enjoy our time together by cooking together. We enjoyed grilled fish fillets and veggies with a great new Riesling Friday, turkey burgers and sauteed mushrooms and onions Saturday, and healthier pad thai and our Japanese mushroom soup we invented last night.

2. We made our first trip to Staten Island, NY in hopes of actually finding the perfect rug which we were hunting down at Pier 1. Driving around that place was a bit crazy as the traffic was unbelievable and the signage is horrible! My girlfriend Lindsey had the rug in her adorable house last week when I was in Philadelphia and I knew it was perfect! When she told me that it was from Pier1 I was in shock! The rug was $100 less than any other rug we'd seen at Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, etc and is perfect! I highly recommend checking out their rug selection!

3. We FINALLY decided on a dining room/kitchen table. My friend Meg has decorated her amazing Atlanta condo from floor to ceiling and is always the best person for boutique and furniture recommendations. After exhausting our standard options (Ikea, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, etc) we were ready to look at a smaller chain and outside of NYC. Sure enough she sent me two great links Ballard Designs and Grandin Road.

The table is round, has classic curves, great chairs, and comes in a pretty deep maple color (we didn't go with this BLACK color in the picture) which should blend perfectly with the rug above and the rest of our decor. Unfortunately it is backordered until June 29th but we can be patient. I highly suggest hopping over to their website today as it's the last day of their FULL WEBSITE 15% off sale!

4. Meditated daily! While I have enjoyed and practiced yoga on and off for years, i've never tried meditation before this week. But, as part of the Bikini Bootcamp book I won in a giveaway, it challenged readers to invest in their mind and soul for 10-15 minutes each day. I didn't think i'd be able to reach a state of piece but their suggestions really worked! The purpose of meditation is to calm the mind and develop inner peace. The first step is to find a quiet space whether it's your car while it's parked in the driveway after a long day at work, your cubicle when no one else is around, your home, or local park. Next find a comfortable position that works for you. Sometimes it's cross legged but for me laying flat on my back with my hands gently lying on my stomach was the most calming and peaceful position I could find. After a few minutes with my eyes closed I began to focus on trying to push thoughts out of my mind. It is like a cleanse for your brain. It is hard and almost seems meaningless the first time but after 8 days I'm addicted!

I'll be back later today to give you our awesome Japanese Mushroom Soup recipe, talk about the importance of eating healthy during meetings/class/work, and the power of positive "health" models.


Have a great Tuesday!

MARS REAL CHOCOLATE RELIEF ACT

Okay, I know this isn't "healthy" or all natural, but every so often a gal or guy loves his piece of chocolate! If you want a coupon for a free MARS item then click here and follow your favorite round friends, Mr M&M, to the website!

 

This cool rainy weather calls for soup and DID I REALLY WIN or is it a hoax?

Last week I was lucky enough to win the book, Bikini Bootcamp, which has been featured quite a bit lately over on Danica's Daily. The book is a 14 day program straight from the amazing spa in Mexico. So far, my favorite part has been the amazing recipes! Bo and I have enjoyed homemade soup for the last two nights and I wanted to share the recipes with you!

Mushroom Spinach Soup (This one is very veggie so if you're not a huge fan of green monsters or other veggie soups this may not be for you)
Makes 4 servings 

3 c low sodium chicken or veggie broth
½ c chopped cauliflower
½ c chopped broccoli florets
½ onion, diced
1 tsp peeled and minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Splashes of Annie’s Vegan Worchestshire Sauce
10 white mushrooms, chopped into pieces
3 big handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large soup pan and add the cauliflower, broccoli, onion, ginger and 1 clove of garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the oil. Add the other clove of garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and worchestshire and sauté for about 2 minutes or until they are soft. Turn off the heat and add the spinach.

Remove the chicken broth mix from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Puree this mix and return it to the pan. Stir in the mushrooms/spinach mixture, season with salt and pepper, top with pumpkin seeds and enjoy. 

Tortilla-Less Tortilla Soup (Bo stated that this is the best soup he's ever had and has requested I make a huge batch for him this weekend since i'll be away on business Monday-Thursday next week.)
Makes 4 servings

6 large tomatoes, chopped (I used 1 can of diced tomatoes w/no salt added since I forgot to buy tomatoes)
½ large onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cumin
Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste
½ cup jicama, peeled and diced
½ avocado, cubed

Heat a large dry soup pot over medium heat. Working in batches, char the tomatoes, onion, celery and carrot for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break open a bit and the onion looks a little charred. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt and pepper.

Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes have broken down, 20-25 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool 10 minutes. Transfer soup to the blender or food processor and puree on low for 15 seconds. Return the blended soup to the soup pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Season with additional sea salt and pepper if needed.

Top each serving with jicama and avocado. Serve immediately.

Also, in other news, Tuesday's Vital Juice was all about laser hair removal. This is something that has always interested me especially since my brown hair now seems to grow faster than ever. I can shave in the morning and by the afternoon i'm embarrassed to wear a tank top. I've never considered the procedure because I believe it's pretty expensive and honestly i'm scared of it. But, on a whim, I pushed the button that entered me in Laser Cosmetica's contest. They were giving away a $2000 gift certificate and a few smaller ones. Yesterday, I received an email from Laser Cosmetica telling me i'd won a $500 gift certificate. I haven't had time to call their 800 number to inquire but i'm curious about y'alls thoughts. Have you ever had laser hair removal? Did it hurt?

The perfect refrigerator staple...

Good afternoon!

For the next few weeks, while i'm dealing with the craziness of transition between my current and new roles, I will most likely need to mimic Danica's approach and do shorter installments throughout the day during breaks, commutes, etc.

A few weeks back the wonderful people at Chobani sent me a cooler of their amazing yogurt! While i'd often seen Chobani products on the shelves at the grocery store I never bought it because it was always at least $0.50 more than Dannon Light n Fit. Well, after sampling a few of the flavors, i've realized why it costs more. This yogurt is no ordinary yogurt. In fac

t, it it thick, creamy, substantive, rich, and their flavored products have incredible sweetness! After a few tastes I realized this product would be the perfect component of an afternoon snack. I normally eat breakfast at 8, lunch at 12:30-1ish, and then dinner has been later and later since i've moved in with Bo. We normally eat dinner around 8:30. This means going 7-8 hours between lunch and dinner! On Friday I decided to bring a small piece of fruit for an initial snack at 2:30 and then Chobani Fat Free Strawberry and a fiber crisp for my 5:30 snack. Th

e yogurt, due to the amazing 14 grams of protein it packs, satiated all hunger pangs. In addition, it also quenched my sweet tooth as it does contain 19 grams of sugar. This seemed like a great deal of sugar at first but when you consider the afternoon snack alternatives that I would have had if my sweet tooth remained it is actually a great mix of sweet, substantive, and yummy. The strawberry flavor had chunks of real strawberries mixed in while also not tasting artificial. I will definitely continue enjoying this as an afternoon snack at least a couple times a week. If you hop over to their website you can find all the product information, recipes, and coupons!

Thanks Morgan!!