What I Ate Wednesday & What My Poochies Ate Too!

Happy Hump Day - so we meet here yet again!

It's been hot, sunny and absolutely beautiful this week, so I've been enjoying light, delicious summery meals. There's nothing better and I have to say it's about darn time :-). I am loving barbecue season after the long, cold winter we've had!

I know you're dying to get outside to soak up some of that wonderful Vitamin D, so I'll be quick and get right to it.

I've been starting most days off with one of my iced coffee creations. I was going to limit myself to weekends only, but they're so darn good I just can't resist making them whenever I have time!

For breakie, I've been loving Greek Yogourt with Honey, mixed with some of biggest sweetest blackberries ever and some Summer Berry Kashi Granola. This is so filling and satisfying after an early morning workout and I have to say the creamy yogourt mixed with honey is awesome!

For lunches, I've been bringing a Chickpea and Summer Veggie Salad to work with me. The recipe came from a new cookbook that I won in a giveaway hosted by Lauren at the spiced plate ~ thanks Lauren, you're the best girl!  It's Amy Green's Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. I have read this cookbook from cover to cover (I'm weird like that) and I have a ton of recipes bookmarked to try out. This was the first one I made and it certainly did not disappoint. I served my salad on a bed of baby spinach. Healthy and delish! I promise I'll give a proper review of this book once I've had a chance to really try it out :-)

For dinner, we were all about the grill. Grilled corn on the cob (it wasn't fresh, so it was ok but we are definitely stoked for fresh corn later this summer), a grilled balsamic mushroom with swiss and a warm Asparagus and Potato Salad, by Angela. I followed her recipe exactly except that I grilled my taters and asparagus spears in a wok on the barbie instead of roasting in the oven. Mouthwatering. Delicious. So glad there's leftovers.

And because the weather has been so darn hot, I wanted to share a nice cool treat that I give to my dogs to help them cool down. Being big, black and furry doesn't work out so well during the hot summer months. Meet the frozen stuffed Kong. Looks gross to us, but it is absolutely delectable to our canine friends. I stuff the Kongs with all sorts of goodies and today I used mashed sweet potato mixed with an organic chicken and vegetable baby food. I stuffed the Kong, froze it overnight and voila! Cheap, cool and keeps the dogs busy for over an hour!

So what if there's dog slobber all over my floor - I'm just happy they have something that

makes them happy and helps to cool them down in this HOT, HUMID weather!

So there you have it. As you can see I'm back on track and rockin' some healthy eats. I'm determined to lose the excess weight I've gained over the winter. One significant change you might notice is that there are no snacks; especially late night snacks! And so far, I don't miss them one bit!

If you're looking for some more inspiration, check out Jenn's site at peas & crayons.

I know I  have lots of pet lovers that follow me. What's your favourite summertime treat to feed your furry friends? 

Favourite meal of the day? 

On a side note, my bloggie friend, Cait @ beyond bananas, is hosting a Baking for Boobies bake sale over at her site. All funds raised will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help fund community programs to support those who are suffering from breast cancer and to help find a cure.The bake sale ends tomorrow at 11:59 p.m., so pop over and check out all the baked goodies and other items and bid!! A little can go a long way ~ we can all make a difference!
Happy Wednesday!!

Andrea

Chickpea & Feta Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Whew, I have had a super busy Friday and I couldn't wait to sit down and send you out a huge "TGIF", but I just noticed it's already Saturday! I've just now found a minute to sit down and put my thoughts down in writing. The dogs and I have been very busy getting lots of treats ready for a special husband/doggie dad's birthday. Well I've been busy baking and pushing cold, wet doggie noses away from the counters; the dogs consider themselves "quality control". We also had a somewhat successful photo shoot (pics to come later) and by successful, I mean that both dogs stayed in one spot much longer than our previous photo attempts. I was proud and they got rewarded with chicken weiners....it was a happy moment for all. 

Derek's birthday is coming up on Monday, but as you know I don't believe in doing a birthday, it's all about the birthday weekend in this house. Derek is working alot and we are quite busy, so I'm trying to fit in lots of treats and little surprises, so Derek still feels spoiled and is able to have a few moments through the next few days where he can bask in the birthday glow. 

As usual, as soon as I got home from work I quickly got busy doing ten things at one time and didn't get around to making dinner until after 8 p.m. I've been eating way too many carbs over the past few days, so I wanted to do a really good salad tonight and I wanted the salad to be quick and easy to whip together. This salad fits the bill - it's super easy to modify because you can use any veggies you have on hand and you could switch the chickpeas up for white beans if you prefer.

Chickpea & Feta Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Inspired by Vegetarian Times

This makes one large dinner-size salad or two to three side salads. This salad is delicious and filling and can be modified to include any veggies that you have on hand. Honey mustard is one of my favourite dressings and this one was so incredibly easy to make. It would also be amazing on a veggie wrap. To me, the combination of feta & honey mustard are a match made in heaven.

Salad
1 1/2 - 2 cups torn greens (I used romaine - spinach would also be yummy)
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 orange pepper, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 c. chickpeas
1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

Honey Mustard Dressing
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
pinch black pepper
pinch garlic powder (fresh minced garlic would also be great)

To assemble the salad, place the lettuce on a large plate. Top with your veggies, followed by the chickpeas and then finish off with a sprinkling of feta cheese.

Then make your dressing. Add all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until well mixed.

Drizzle over the salad and serve.

Yum! This salad was very tasty. Derek was working, so I ate the entire thing myself. On the side, I had a slice of teriyaki marinated tofu. It was a delicious and satisfying dinner!

I know I've said it before, but I just have to say it again: I will never buy salad dressing again! It is just too darn easy to make your own and they are so much more delish!

Well, I think it's time to bid you all goodnight. My kitchen looks like a cake batter and sprinkles bomb went off and I need to get to work to hide the evidence before I head to bed so (a) Derek doesn't suspect anything; and (b) he doesn't find my goodies and eat them all before morning!

Have a wonderful night and a fabulous weekend.

What special birthday traditions do you have?
Do you also like to stretch out birthday celebrations over a few days - I personally think it's the only way to do it ;-)

Andrea

I Can't Believe I'm Craving Greens!!

This morning when I was putting our lunches together, the following thought passed through my mind:

"Gosh, I'm really craving a salad. I'm definitely going to have to make one for dinner tonight."

Excuse me?!? Craving a salad! Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think this thought would cross through my head! I had a small side salad with my dinner yesterday, but other than that I didn't get many raw veggies over the weekend. I have been making a real effort to eat better and eat my salad a day and I think my habits and taste buds just might be changing for the better :-)

In order to satisfy my salad craving, I decided to whip up one of my most favourite salads. This recipe comes from This Crazy Vegan Life by Christina Pirello. She has an incredible story about how changing her diet literally saved her life. I admire her for her zest for life. She is passionate about healthy, kind eating and has also started an initiative to get healthier food into American schools. Maybe you've seen her cooking show. If you've never heard of her, you should definitely look her up.

Mustard Scented Chickpea Salad
Slightly adapted from the recipe from This Crazy Vegan Life by Christina Pirello

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
pinch sea salt & black pepper
3 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 large sprigs of fresh basil, thinly sliced
1.5 c chickpeas
3 c mixed greens or baby arugula (I used a spring mix)

Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, red onion and basil in a small bowl to make the dressing.

Toss with the chickpeas and salad greens and serve. I enjoy this salad chilled, but it can also be served at room temperature.

I served my salad with some white bean hummus and baked multigrain Skinny chips.

Another fabulous dinner!!

This recipe combines some of my most fave foods: balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and chickpeas. It's no wonder its a total winner with me. The recipe above makes enough for two large dinner portions or in my case one dinner and one lunch!

Who has motivated and touched you in your quest for a healthy and wonderful life?

I hope you have a wonderful evening,

Andrea 

12 Weeks to a Rockin' Bod & Best Chickpea Salad Ever!

Before I get into my post, I just have to ask did anyone see Kirstie Alley on Dancing with the Stars tonight? Man, that girl can shake some serious booty - she totally rocked it out! It just goes to show that no matter your age, skill level or size, you can do anything you desire with a little heart and alot of effort - way to go Girl!!

...and now onto my post ;-)

Since starting my blog, I've done a 21 day cleanse, I'm trying to eat one large salad everyday and I'm getting my workout plan on track. With so much extra time on my hands (insert sarcasm) and my apparent love of goals and challenges, my friend Shannon and I have committed ourselves to a 12 week "get fit & lose the winter pounds" program. We`re going to get rid of those muffin tops and get back into our most fave jeans just in time for summer!

Shannon is following a 12 week online program, while I am going to eat right and work out with my goal being to lose 20 pounds. As a reward for our hard work and commitment we are going to do something fabulous at the end of the 12 weeks - can you say spa day!!

We've been talking about getting fit for weeks now while giving in to the temptation of the M & Ms machine in the lunchroom and becoming regulars at the pizza place right across the street from our work. With summer just around the corner, we decided last week that it was now or never! I know you`re probably thinking, well didn`t this girl just do a 3 week cleanse and yeah I did, but I only lost 2 pounds. I felt great and energized but I wasn`t getting to the gym much at all and the weight just wasn`t coming off!

I`m going to do some before & after pictures and stats, but I won't be sharing them with you until a few weeks in because right now they are too darn embarrassing :-) My plan is to post my "today" and then my 6 week photo and then my end photo. I need to show you to help me stay honest and on track, but I'm just not quite ready for an unveiling yet.

I want to incorporate this 12 week challenge as part of my blog, so from Monday to Friday, I will be posting healthy and figure-friendly recipes and discussing my fitness progress. The weekends are going to be for fun stuff about love, life, my poochies or anything else that strikes me as blog-worthy. I`m also planning to share one amazing, decadent recipe per week that will cause you to drool from the sinfulness. We have lots of birthdays coming up, so this is where I'm going to let my inner baking diva go crazy because I can give the goods away and not be tempted all week with chocolate and cake and other ooey gooey goodness.

In keeping with my " salad a day" goal, I`m going to introduce you to a fabulous and mouth-watering salad that I had for dinner.

Friends, please meet Tahini Avocado Chickpea Salad from Oh She Glows. I have been amazed again and again at the delicious and creamy salad dressings I can make at home! This tahini avocado dressing is so delicious!

Tahini Avocado Chickpea Salad
Slightly adapted from Oh She Glows

Dressing:
1/2 large avocado (about 1/2 c)
1 tsp avocado oil (olive oil would work)
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
3 tbsp tahini (or to taste)
2 tbsp water (use more if you like a thinner dressing)
1.5 tbsp lemon juice 
1/2 tbsp lime juice
3/4 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt (I used spicy Herbamare)
1/4 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

To assemble the salad:
3 c greens (I used mix of red leaf lettuce and baby spinach)
1 c chickpeas
3/4 c chopped veggies (I used cucumber, red and orange pepper)
Freshly ground black pepper & paprika (I forgot to use these, but I think they would be great - they are used in the original recipe)
4-5 tbsp tahini avocado dressing (or whatever amount you like)

Note: Assemble the salad immediately before serving. Because there is avocado in the dressing, you must use it up within a day or two.

Assemble your dressing ingredients.

Blend in your food processor. My mini processor is awesome for dressings!

Get your mixed greens washed and chopped and pull out your veggies.

Start assembling your salad.

Serve & enjoy!

This salad is fabulous. It`s fresh and delicious and so much better than a traditional lettuce salad!

I can honestly say that I don`t think I will ever buy a bottled salad dressing again!

Do you have a fave salad that you think I should try? I'm always looking for some fun & inventive salads because I can't stand the thoughts of eating plain ol' lettuce day after day?!

I hope you have a wonderful Monday evening!!

Andrea