Super Granola

I make regular granola and I make quinoa granola (quinoa, flax, agave, and cinnamon - bake for 10 mins).  This morning I woke up and wondered why I've never combined these two ideas.  So...I present to you: 

Super Granola

116 calories per 1/4 cup serving (or 58 calories for a small 1/8 cup serving); high in fiber, protein, and Omega-3; and very easy to make.  A perfect addition to a breakfast of plain Greek yogurt with a little honey mixed in and blueberries.

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill's GF Oats)
1 cup raw quinoa (I used red, regular would work just fine)
2 Tbsp raw chia seeds
5 Tbsp flax seed meal
1/3 cup agave nectar
Cinnamon, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together and bake on a silicon baking mat for 25-35 mins at 350F.  Stir after 10 mins, 15 mins, 20 mins, and 25 mins, always stirring the outsides inward to prevent burning.  Enjoy!

Outside > Inside

After an excellent week, I thought I'd top the week off with a nice longer training walk!  More than anything, I really wanted to test out my foot to see if it would still hurt on long walks.  Since my foot started bothering me last Thursday, I rested on Friday and Saturday.  I then did Ripped in 30 both Sunday and Monday with no pain.  Then, finally, I was back to the gym to walk!  5 miles Tuesday and 4.75 miles (and a 75 min yoga class) on Thursday.  All in all - I think my foot is definitely getting better!  I had very little pain this week.  I have been thinking that some of the issue was walking on the indoor track, which puts pressure on one foot during your entire walk as you are constantly going in a circle (7 laps to a mile) and the treadmill.  Indoor walks just don't agree with my feet! 

Plus, let's face it, the gym is awful.  It is always so hot and stuffy and there are too many people around!  I love to get out in the fresh air!  So, since this morning was bright, sunny, and fairly warm so I thought I'd go check out the park! 

Beautifully sunny winter day turned cloudy...
(sorry for bad photo quality - I only had my cell with me.)

I was so happy to see that the path around the park was both plowed and salted!  I don't know if I have ever been so excited to see a cleared walkway!  I set out to do 4 or 5 miles but decided to seize the fresh air and sunny weather and do a longer training walk.  I have been stuck inside way too much lately!

So....8.5 miles in 1 hour, 57 minutes!  Much better than my last 8-miler, which was around 1 hour, 56 mins.  While I'm not super concerned about my half marathon time, I would be super happy if I could finish at the pace I walked at today (4.36 mph - about 13 mins, 45s).  I can do faster (one of my miles today was around 12 mins, 30s) but I don't want to worry about burning out early on in the half so I'm attempting to learn pacing.

Tomorrow is cross training!

For the Veggie Lovers

It's that time of year when really, really good and fresh produce is getting harder to find and more expensive.  I had to go to three stores to find kale this week.  It was well worth it to eat this last night.  Drum roll please................................................................

Winter Veggie Heaven

In the giant skillet:  2 big chopped kale leaves, leftover butternut squash (baked with smoked paprika, s, and p), handful of sliced portabella mushrooms, sliced small white onion, 1/2 cup cooked blackeye peas, 1 tsp garlic oil, 1/2 cup water.  Cook for 20 mins or until kale is cooked to your liking.  Enjoy the giant plate of food as this serves one for only 288 calories!

I love meals like this - healthy, full of nutrients, and so colorful and pretty!  Hm...I see this in my future for lunch today!

Short Term 2012 Goals Revisited

Afternoon ya'll!  I woke up to a mess of cat toys everywhere in my apartment.  Literally.  In the bed, on the stairs, in the bathroom.  There was even one in the sink.  I live in a loft and my cat must have dropped it down from upstairs.  I piled a bunch of them up and now she's hanging out in her pile of toys...evidently making sure they are all still there and unharmed.

Since my 5-week "break" between the fall and spring semester comes to an end tomorrow, I thought that this afternoon would be a great time to revist my short term 2012 goals and add some updates on my long term goals as well.

Short Term:

1. Read From Fatigued to Fantastic:  Done!  I finished this a few weeks ago and found this to be a very useful book for those with Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalgia.  Originally my pain management doctor told me to read this and come in with some ideas about treatment methods I'd like to try but after when I did this, he basically shot down every option I asked about.  He only wanted me on hard-core Fibro drugs.  I am not up for that.  I have been attempting to control my fibro sans prescription medications as those drugs are scary!  With incorporating some of the more holistic and natural treatment methods from this book, I am only having one or two bad flair-up days every couple of weeks. 
2. Work out 5-6 days a week:  I did well with this for the most part.  I had given myself a goal to hit 100 miles walking over the 5-weeks (average of 20 miles per week).  I met this easily (had 107.5 miles by this past Thursday) and worked out 5 days a week for the first four weeks.  During my walk on Thursday, I developed pain in the outer metatarsals of my right foot and was forced to rest up yesterday.  I am still undecided if I am going to workout yet today. 
• My lesson:  I need to incorporate cross training into my half marathon training plan.  I was thinking about this early into my workout on Thursday as I want to avoid injuries (obviously) and...well, it was too little too late. 
• Note:  I think (hope) this is an overuse injury.  Between Tuesday at 4pm and Thursday at 8:30am (40.5 hours), I walked 17 very fast miles (+ 3 miles to and from the gym/work at a slower pace because of icy sidewalks).  Stupid, silly mistake that could have easily been avoided!  Rookie mistake not to be repeated.
3. "Work" (i.e. do something productive) 3-5 hours per day:  Heh, yeah.  I tried.  I kept getting distracted.  Some days were great and very productive, others...not so much.
4. Cook good food:  Yes!  Been all over this one.
5. &    6.  Make food planning easier:  I did not finish this and hope to do so this within the next two weeks.  It's turning out to be harder than I thought!

A few notes on my 2012 Long Term Goals:

Trying a new recipe every week:  This has been going well.  We are three weeks in and I've tried several new recipes:  Tomato Bisque, Black Bean Soup, Frozen Yogurts, Blackeye Pea Stir Fry.  Ha - the funny thing is that I created three of these so I don't know if they technically count but I'm counting them since they are brand new.  I'm currently searching for a crock pot chicken recipe to try tomorrow.

Half Marathon:  I have chosen a half marathon and plan to sign up as soon as my foot is good to go again!  I don't want to sign up too soon and find that my foot issue is more serious than I think it is.  I have been working on creating my own training plan since my current fitness level would start me about 1/2 way through most walking training plans.  I'll post this when I get it done.  Lots of cross training and rest days will be built in!  I'm very excited about this and plan to complete the training and actual race by myself as I want to prove to myself that I can motivate and push myself to this level of fitness.

Here's something funny for your entertainment:  I've actually had people laugh at me when I mention that I plan to walk a half marathon (including a doctor).  Not because they don't think I can do it, because they think it's super easy.  Some of these people I have cheered on in the past when they wanted to run a race or accomplish other goals. 

Here's the deal: 

1. I cannot run on a regular basis.  When I do, I cannot walk for days.  My hips and knees just can't handle it (likely because I've been overweight for so long).  Funny enough, this pain is worse now than it was 78 pounds ago!
2. If these people think it's so easy, I'd like to see them try to train and then walk 13.1 miles at a good pace.  Not strolling.  I'm in this to meet my own goals and potential.  I do not plan on walking at a leisurely 3.5 mph pace.  Of course, my first goal is to just finish the race, but I would also like to do my best.
3. If I weren't so afraid of hurting other people's feelings, I likely would have told them to back off.  I don't care if you are the fittest person on planet earth.  We each have our own goals and no matter what they are, they are valid and should be supported by others who care about us.
4. I have had a lot of support from my family and friends and to them, I am so grateful!

Stay warm out there!  I'm glad I'm not shoveling the 6-7" of snow we got yesterday!

Recipe-palooza

Happy snow day folks!  It's a cold one out there!  Photos through my windows because A) I'm not going outside unless it's an emergency and B) my doors and windows are currently frozen shut:

 
I've been promising people recipes but have been pretty busy this week getting settled back into my apartment (was out of town for four weeks), getting ready for the semester, and getting my butt to the gym.  So, here we go - recipe-palooza.

Black Bean Soup
What a better way to warm up on a snowy day than a hot and spicy bowl of black bean soup!  I was super happy to have one last bowl of this soup left in my fridge for lunch today!

Serves 5; 130 calories per serving
Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium or 2 small carrots, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp vinegar (I used rice vinegar because it was all I had on hand)
3 cups water
Juice of one lime
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
(note - you can likely substitute chili powder if you don't have chipotle chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika)

In a large soup pot, sweat out onion, carrot, and bell pepper until soft, about 7-10 minutes.  Add in the wine and allow the liquid to evaporate out.  Add the beans, water, vinegar, spices, and salt and pepper.  Allow to simmer 10 minutes to combine the flavors.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup - I leave it a little chunky.  You can also use a regular blender but be sure to let the soup cool first and only fill the blender 1/2 way to avoid having to clean soup off your ceiling.  Place the blended soup back on the stove and simmer for 5 more minutes.  Stir in the lime juice and enjoy!


Blackeye Pea Stir Fry
Sorry - no pictures here (I was super hungry and ate it before taking any!).  This recipe was inspired by Amy's bowls.  So good!

Serves one
Ingredients
1/2 cup frozen black eye peas, prepared according to package directions (usually boil for 40 mins)
1 tsp oil
1 small carrot, cut into julian strips
1/2 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup green beans, chopped
Any other veggies you like - chopped or sliced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated -OR- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, depending on your needs
1/2 tsp garlic powder

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil and add in the veggies, cooking until desired tenderness is reached.  Add in the ginger, soy sauce, black eye peas, and garlic.  Stir and cook another few minutes.  Serve over brown rice.

Chocolate Greek Frozen Yogurt
One word - yum!  I highly recommend storing homemade frozen yogurt in single serve containers as it will freeze rock hard in the freezer and can be hard to break apart.  Also - it will keep you from eating it all at once!

Makes 8 half cup servings, 118 calories per serving
Ingredients
4 cups fat free plain Greek yogurt
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
5 tsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Add to your ice cream maker according to your manufacturer's instructions. 

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
I've saved the best for last!  After the success of the chocolate frozen yogurt, I thought I'd try something with fruit.  I do not like big chunks of frozen fruit in my ice cream or froyo, so this is more strawberry flavored than chunky.  By all means, make it with chunks if you like it that way.  This recipe made a little too much to fit into my 1.5 quart ice cream maker so I froze it in two batches.  You could just decrease the recipe by 3/4 and it would fit perfectly.  It may be a little eccentric to make froyo in the middle of a snowstorm but I was in the mood for something sweet and had nothing in my house.

Makes 9 half cup servings, 92 calories per serving.
Ingredients
4 cups fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 lb frozen strawberries (no sugar added)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup agave nectar
5 tsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla

In a small pot, combine the strawberries and lemon juice and cook until the strawberries are soft.  If you don't want a lot of chunks, use a potato masher to break up the strawberries. 

Continue cooking to reduce the liquid by half.  Transfer the strawberries to a bowl and let cool completely.

Combine all the rest of the ingredients and the cooled strawberries.  Add to your ice cream maker and freeze according to your manufacturer's instructions.

This was so good and pretty that I was literally eating it out of the top of the ice cream maker while it was still churning!

Stay warm out there!

Baking Fail

Happy March!  Oh wait, you say it's January?  Who would know based on the temperatures we've had here lately.  It was mid-40's yesterday and I went for a nice 5-mile walk with my parent's dog, Copper.  She's a springer spaniel and I can apparently outlast her.  It's always my goal to wear out a springer when I go for walks outside at my parent's house.  She has a lot of energy.

I've been hitting all my 2012 (short term) goals this week!  I "worked" (i.e. did stuff) every day (all day) this week and have worked out 4 days this week so far.  I'll get out for a walk or something yet today, which will bring me up to 5 days this week.  I have also been trying to be careful with what I am eating and am back to my pre-holiday weight already.  I tried to be careful over the holidays but, well, that didn't pan out completely.  I think if I wouldn't have worked out so much, I would be facing having to re-losing a bit more weight.  I love being on break (who doesn't?) but I am looking forward to getting back into a routine.

Now for my baking fail.  Last week, in an attempt to get back to healthful eating, I made Chia Muffins (as per this recipe from the Dr. Oz show with some alterations, see below).  The muffins were very good and my mom and I ended up eating the whole batch within a few days.  Chia seeds (if you are thinking "ch-ch-ch-chia!" you are on the right track, these seeds are the same as what is used to grow a chia pet) are extremely nutritious (high in Omega-3, fiber, and protein) and - here's the best part - expand up to 9x's in your stomach after you eat them.  This means you are fuller much longer.  I have been adding these little seeds to my breakfast and it has been so helpful in me not being hungry during the day.

So, back to the story, my mom asked me to make a double batch this weekend and I wanted them for breakfast so I went for it this morning.  A double batch makes 34-36 muffins.  I made the first 24 and when they came out, there was obviously something wrong.  I forgot the baking soda and salt!  I added baking soda to the rest of the batter and baked them (still forgot the salt).  They seem fine.  I'm guessing you can tell which is which:

Yup, baking fail.  Never-the-less, when these muffins are made properly, they are so good and so healthy!  As mentioned above, the original recipe came from the Dr. Oz show, but I made some alterations, so here is my version of the muffins:

Chia Muffins
Makes ~17 muffins, 102 calories each

Ingredients:
1 tbsp ground chia seeds (we use a coffee grinder)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 cup pureed sweet potato
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
Zest of one small lemon
Juice of one small lemon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix everything together and fill lined muffin tins 2/3 of the way full.  Bake 20-25 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Muffins will be very moist.  Enjoy!

Maybe next time I'll actually follow my own recipe.  :)

2012 Goals

I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy New Years!  I was lucky enough to spend the evening with a very good friend and made it home safely right at midnight, just in time to see some fireworks that were being shot off near my parent's house.  Last year, I followed 3-4 drunk drivers at about the same time of night but this year I didn't see any.  Go home town!  We woke up on New Years day to this:

Very pretty, but not enough to snowshoe in!  It's been a very mild winter and I have yet to be able to break out my snowshoes this year.  I'm very sad about this.  I need to find a place to snowshoe near the town I live in.  I've heard there's some good places but I haven't found them yet.

To follow up on my last post, here's my spring semester goals (mid Jan-mid May) and my long term 2012 goals.

Spring Semester Goals:

1. Be less hard on myself.  Everyone who knows me well will tell you that I can be very hard on myself.  This is especially true when I don't meet a goal or if I have a bad day at work.  I need to give myself a little slack as I can't be perfect and I don't necessarily want to be.
2. Let things go.  I take my work home with me.  I teach undergrads and a lot of issues tend to come up.  For whatever reason, I take these issues home with me and leads to a lot of stress.  Not good.
3. Get my fibromyalgia (or whatever it is) under control via natural methods such as supplements (I will be starting to take ribose as soon as it is delivered) and stress reduction.
4. Continue to take my Thursday yoga class.
5. Work out 4 days a week (aside from yoga).  I learned this past semester that I need to keep the number a touch lower as I get really down on myself if I don't hit the number I set for myself.  I am not willing to set myself up for failure!
6. Cook!  :)
7. Meal plan every week.  I am hoping to save on my grocery bills by planning my meals and buying specifically for them rather than just buying a bunch of stuff and then trying to piece together meals.  The one thing I splurge on is high-quality foods but I feel like I could save on it a bit more.

Long-Term 2012 Goals:

1. Read one book a month.  I got a Kindle for Christmas (thanks mom and dad!) and plan to put it to good use!
2. Hang on to the healthy living train for dear life (a classic repeat from 2011).  My plan is to cook and make 90% of my own food using whole foods and exercise 4 days a week (more if possible).
3. Try one new recipe every week.
4. Walk a 1/2 marathon, health permitting.  I hope to pick one in the next month and start training.
5. Make plans with friends and family more often.
6. Keep my house clean and picked up.  Let's just say that this was at the bottom of my list this past year.
7. Be more positive.  I've found that I have been more negative in the past six months or so than I have in a long time.  It's time to get out of that!
8. Finish the afgan I have been working on for nearly 10 years.

I think that's where I'm going to cap my goals for 2012.  I have a few other goals floating around in my head but I don't want to overwhelm myself.  For most of the goals listed above, I have plans on how I plan to obtain each of them.  I am trying very hard to set myself up for success this year!  2011 was a good year, but I plan to make 2012 a great year!

Happy New Years!