What I Ate Wednesday

Howdy! Finally we've arrived at the first Wednesday of Fall....we've all been talking about Fall since Labour Day weekend, but now you just can't deny it ---- it's only 3 short months 'til Christmas ;-)

I joke, I joke {now don't you be cursing me haha}

--- I love Fall and I'd really like it stick around for a while.

We've been super busy lately, so my goals have been pretty simple. Try to find enough time (& energy!) to eat healthy and stay active despite our hectic schedule.

It's been tough to find time to get to the gym, so I'm continuing to work towards my goal of running a 5K in October by running at least twice a week. We live in a rural community, so my runs are so quiet and peaceful....usually it's just me & the cows.

When trying to eat well, my meal planning has been a HUGE help. There's no time wasted figuring out what to make for meals --- I have an idea what we're going to have with all the ingredients on hand. It also discourages frequent nights of take out :)


Breakfast

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats is still my go to. I'm getting pretty predictable, aren't I?! I can't help but love them because it takes 5 minutes to put together at night and I wake up to a  hearty, healthy breakfast.

Lunch

I've been relying on leftovers and make-ahead salads. Yesterday I had garlicky kale, speedy three bean salad and cottage cheese.

Snacks

I'm going to need some afternoon protein if I'm going to run right after work. I am in love with raspberry cheesecake Greek yogourt (non-fat plain Greek yogourt, lemon juice, stevia, raspberries).

Dinner

We've had several awesome dinners lately and I couldn't narrow it down to one, so you get to see two from earlier this week.

Last night we had butternut fries with honey dijon and basil scalloped tomatoes with croutons. Those tomatoes are one of my all-time FAVE side dishes; especially when it's made with cherry tomatoes straight from my garden.

Earlier in the week, I had sauted kale with a quinoa/bulger mix, sweet potato rounds and a piece of bruschetta using 12 grain sourdough bread that I got at the farmer's market on Saturday.

For dessert, I made a healthy apple cobbler with the last of my Ginger Crisp apples. All that's missing was some vanilla bean ice cream!

 DEEELISH!

I know there are lots of you reading this who are just as busy as Derek and I. Frankly, I am personally in awe of all you amazing parents out there that manage kids, careers and a home --- I could really use some of your multitasking skills! If you'd like more meal ideas and tips on how to make and keep your goals this Fall, head on over to Peas & Crayons to get your creative juices flowing.

How do you squeeze in healthy eats and exercise when your life gets crazy busy?

What is your favourite apple baked good?

Have a fabulous Wednesday!

Andrea
xoxo

What I Ate Wednesday - Amping Up The Veg Factor

Welcome to the last edition of What I Ate Wednesday - Love Your Veggies!!!

I, for one, have been loving these veggie-themed posts! 

If you've been loving them as well, head on over to Peas & Crayons for lots of other veggie inspiration.

This week I want to show you just how easy it is to add more veggies to your daily eats. Did you know that it only takes 21 days to change a habit? Why don't you challenge yourself to increase the amount of veggies you have with each meal for the entire month of March and see how you feel at the end. I promise that you are going to notice some positive differences in the way that you feel (ie - I am less tired, full of energy and have a much better complexion) and if you love the differences, your new habits are well on their way to becoming part of your regular old routine.

Breakfast

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that my husband had a terrible sinus cold a couple of weeks ago and now is battling the worst cold/flu I have ever seen! I really, really do not want to get his germies, so I have been chowing down on tons of fresh produce to help strengthen my immune system.

Green smoothies are a common breakfast in this house and I've been making an effort to have one every single day. Check out all the produce in just one smoothie: a cup of baby spinach, a large banana, one pear, the juice of one small lemon and  a cup of natural spring water. Now that is ALOT of servings of fruits & veggies in one drink!

Lunch

Most days I pack a salad for lunch. My salad always starts with some baby spinach and grape tomatoes and then I fill 'er up with whatever I have on hand. This one has baby carrots, goat feta cheese, raw sunflower seeds, alfalfa sprouts and peppers. As a dressing, I used a splash of EVOO and apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard. Squirting lots of dijon on a salad sounds a little strange I know, but please be open-minded and give it a try. If you love dijon you will LOVE this!!!! I got this 'dressing' idea from Kris at iheartwellness. If I wasn't surrounded by co-workers at lunch, I would lick my bowl clean ;)

Oh yea baby, I love me some dijon!!!

If you're looking to add a little protein, you could definitely add a hard-boiled egg, a handful of chickpeas or some sliced turkey.

Derek's been loving his salad with 2 hard-boiled eggs, some smoked turkey and Ranch dressing. He's a big guy with a big appetite and he loves to get this salad in his lunch!

Snackage

On Monday, I made an extra special treat that I have been loving as my snack. Black bean brownies topped with some sugar-free raspberry preserves. This is a flourless, gluten-free recipe. They are fudgy, packed full of protein and taste amazing with the fruit. I am in love with this recipe which I found on Pattycake.

Dinner

Instead of bread, pasta or some other type of grain, I've been trying to add a great big serving of veggies as a side  to my dinners. Usually I like a big plate of veggies roasted with a little coconut oil and sea salt or with some oil, dijon and sea salt. I was craving sweet potato fries recently, so I gave in and had a few from a bag I'd bought at the Superstore. They were so good and definitely satisfied my craving!  As my main meal, I finally remembered to buy wonton wrappers and I made Jen's spinach feta wonton cups.

Oh my goodness, her wonton recipes rock the house!!! I made these ones on Monday and I've already made my own 'veggie omlet' version. These wontons are definitely going to make a weekly appearance on our dinner table.

So as you can see, I can make delicious and filling meals that are filled to the brim with healthy vegetables and fruit. If I can do it, so can you.....and you are going to feel amazing!

What are you going to do so that you can eat more veggies?

Do you have a rotation of meals that you eat every week or do you like to experiment with new recipes and mix it up all the time?

I hope you have the best Wednesday ever!

Andrea

xo

TGIF!! I Survived Week 1 of the Cleanse!!

TGIF everyone!!

I am so happy to report that I have almost made it through week 1 of my 21 day cleanse. The first few days were rough and I found myself in a seriously funky mood on Monday, but I worked through it and I made it. I really struggled with craving chocolate AND COFFEE ~ which might be because I binged on both every single day before I started the cleanse to ensure I got my fill.

I started feeling good on Wednesday. Yesterday, I woke up feeling amazing! The thing I notice most is that I am very clear-headed. Before, I felt like I was foggy and couldn't focus throughout the day. My stomach is also feeling really good. I have no stomach upset or bloating, I haven't had any hunger pains (because I have been eating a ton of awesome food) and my 'system' seems to be operating at peak performance. Isn't amazing how we don't realize we are not feeling good until we actually do feel good?!?!

I am also shocked at how many awesome meals I have made that fit within the guidelines of my cleanse ~ I certainly do not feel deprived at all!! I am really shocked at how badly I was eating ... even though I claimed to be "healthy". I have been focusing primarily on getting my greens in the morning and eating at least 60% of my food raw. This week, I am going to do some further research on alkaline v acid ~ once I get it clear in my mind, I will share what I learn with you. My perception is really starting to shift - isn't change for the better so exciting?!?!

Speaking of food, make sure you check back later tonight because I have an amazing, cleanse-friendly dinner planned.

 I'll give you a hint....it involves avocados.

Check out this organic beauty that I got in one of my organics order.

Thank you for following along with me this week and for the encouraging words so many have posted. I am really looking forward to the next 2 weeks. If I feel this good already, I can't imagine what awesomeness is in store in the next 14 days!

Until then ~ have a wonderful Friday!

Andrea

The 21 Day Crazy Sexy Diet Cleanse

Happy Tuesday everyone - yayyy for short weeks (anyone who had a holiday yesterday knows what I'm talkin' about)!

Before I get all deep and thoughtful, I want to give a shout out to Angela at Oh She Glows --- I just finished downing a bowl of her Sweet Potato Oatmeal <Breakfast> Casserole it was sooooo good!! There are days when I just love having breakfast for dinner. I followed her recipe exactly, so I'm not going to reiterate it here. All I am going to say is if you love sweet potato casserole, duh ~ who doesn't?? and you love oatmeal, this casserole is for you.

....and now on to deeper more pressing issues:

Do you have any idea what it’s like to feel blissfully whole and comfortable in your skin? Do you know what it’s like to be centered and grounded yet filled with an abundant supply of zippy energy?

These are two questions that are asked by author Kris Carr on her website http://www.crazysexydiet.com/.

My answer: No!! I don't know what it would be like to feel blissfully whole & comfortable in my skin and No! I don't know what it's like to be centered and grounded nor have I ever felt full of "zippy energy (except when I was maybe like 5 years old)!!"

Do I want these things: Hell Yes!!

This weekend my sweet mom drove me around to 3 different Chapters bookstores so I could buy Kris Carr's book, Crazy Sexy Diet. I am just finishing Chapter 2 and already I am feeling really excited about the possibilities should I be able to follow the principles set out in this book.

My plan right now is to finish reading the book this week and then embark on the 21 day cleanse. I've never tried stuck to this type of plan, but I'm feeling ready and motivated and this time I am going to do it fully, completely and with an open heart and mind.

Body image has always been a sensitive issue for me. I have to work really hard and be very careful about what I eat in order to maintain a figure that I am happy with. I just have to look at a Boston Cream Donut and I swear that an inch is added to my bum.

I had a lot of success with Weight Watchers a few years back, but in order to shed the pounds, I primarily ate grilled cheese sandwiches using Weight Watchers bread, butter flavoured Pam instead of butter and light cheese slices. Healthy?? I think not. 

A few years have now passed since shedding the pounds and here I am a few pounds heavier finding all my pants to be just a little bit snugger. My dilemma now is that I am much more aware about what I am putting in my mouth and the long-term impact of the food choices that I make, so a Weight Watchers grilled cheese just isn't going to cut it. 

So, I am going to try to stick to eating healthy, whole, organic when possible foods to see if I can get myself and my body back on track. I really want to know, does this change in eating really give you the healthy glow I've been reading about from all my favourite bloggers? ~  because if it does I wanna get me some of that!!

There are no more "diets" for this chickie-poo - only healthy eating and conscious habits like less TV and more exercise!! I'm going to create a new page on my blog that is going to chronicle my 21 day journey - so check back often and chime in with your thoughts and encouragement...& appropriate recipes if you have some!

I'm looking forward to taking this journey with you!!

Andrea