What I Ate {on my birthday} Wednesday

Good morning! How are ya?!

Yesterday was my birthday and I had an absolutely great day. Derek and I celebrated over the weekend with a special dinner, some shopping and a movie, so yesterday was pretty much an ordinary day except for the fact that I received so many birthday wishes and lots of love from the people who mean the most to me in this world.

Birthday flowers:

I feel extremely blessed to have so many amazing people ~ friends & family ~ in my life!!

We went out to eat several times over the weekend, so all I wanted yesterday was some good, CLEAN homecookin'. You know that I started my 'clean eating' journey on Monday and I really wanted to stick to it! My plan is for clean eats to become my lifestyle, it's not just some temporary diet that I'm going to follow. I need to figure out how to maintain my clean eating habits over holidays and special occasions, so I decided that my birthday was a great way to challenge myself to make a healthy, clean and delicious birthday dinner.

Here's a recap of my meals from the big day!

  Birthday Breakfast   I made one of my faves: Pumpkin Pie Slow Cooked Steel Cut Oats   

   It's a decadent way to start any morning!   In order to clean the recipe up, I submitted honey for the brown sugar. The flavour was just as delish!     Lunch   Being the good girl that I am ;-), I brown bagged it and spent my lunch break walking around the downtown with my good friend, Lisa. Afterwards, I ate my lunch at the office.   Roasted Sweet Potato Salad Clementines Pumpkin Amazeballs  

    Birthday Dinner   Plant Power Pumpkin Alfredo with brown rice pasta and a Greek salad  

  Dessert: An Edible Arrangement that my parents had delivered to me at work!  

{oy, please excuse my very messy office!}

   Thank you, as always, to Miss Jenn for continuing to host our weekly Wednesday party.  

Do you like to go out or eat in on your birthday?

 

Enjoy your day!

 

Andrea

xoxo

 

 

   

Healthy Autumn Salad

Hi guys! I'm so glad to be back - my nose is no longer stuffy; I can breathe and taste again!!! I started feeling better just in time for our Canadian Thanksgiving holiday {and for that I am thankful!}. This past weekend was full of family, food and fun.

I am still stuffed from two back-to-back days of Thanksgiving dinners  ~ can you say 'hello stretchy pants'???

Heavy meals, holiday parties and lots of comfort food can be pretty dangerous this time of year! I find that the Fall results in a lot more temptation and I tend to crave carb-heavy meals and can easily go a little light on my fruits and veggies.

After a weekend like this past one, it's critical for me to get right back on track with my eats. I created this salad on the weekend and while it's light and healthy, it includes some roasted butternut squash, which totally satisfies my love of comforting Fall fare.

Healthy Autumn Salad

Serves 4 - 6 as an appetizer salad

For the salad:

2.5 - 3 c chopped butternut squash*

1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 c mixed greens

1large apple, chopped

1/2 sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1/4 c dried cherries

1/4 c dry roasted unsalted pepitas

2 - 3 oz crumbled goat cheese

*Slice the neck of your butternut squash into 1/2" thick rounds and then cut each round into quarters.

For the dressing:

6 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 - 3 tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch sea salt & fresh ground pepper

Place all of the dressing ingredients into your blender or Magic Bullet and blend well. Refrigerate.

Preheat your oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place your chopped squash into a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and sea salt. Spread the chopped squash onto your cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes, making sure to flip about halfway through the roasting time.

Once roasted, remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool.

To assemble your salad, place your mixed greens into your salad bowl. Add the squash, apple and pepper and toss. Top the salad with the cherries, pepitas and crumbled goat cheese.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I served the dressing in a cute little pitcher on the side, so that each person can drizzle the dressing on themselves.

A good peeler is a huge help when dealing a squash.

I have a Tupperware peeler and it is the absolute best!

I like the look of the uniform wedges, but you can just chunk it up if you prefer.

Store your leftover dressing in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

A gorgeous colourful salad to be proud to serve to guests.

Or as a delicious dinner at home after a weekend packed full of FOOD!

 

The sweet-savoury flavour combo of each bite will rock your socks off!!!

What is your favourite healthy meal to make after a weekend full of indulgences??

Have a great day y'all!

Andrea

xoxo



"Empty the Fridge" Veggie Frittata

Happy Thursday! I've had this recipe up my sleeve since last week's WIAW. I started to put my post together, but then I got sidetracked getting ready for my weekend away and it just never came together!

Before we went away I made a fantastic frittata, so that I could clean up all the veggies that were in my fridge. I just can't stand the thoughts of all my veggies going bad while I'm away. I was inspired by Leanne's recent post for her Everything Awesome Frittata and I basically stuck to her directions, but modified the ingredients to suit what was lurking around in my crisper.

"Empty the Fridge" Veggie Frittata
Serves 4

This is an amazingly delicious and light dinner! You can modify it to include any veggies you want to use up and for all the meat eaters out there, you could easily add in some diced ham or chicken. I had the recipe analyzed and I was so happy to see that it only had 193 calories per serving! Now that's my kinda dinner!

6 eggs
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice)
1/2 c diced sweet onion
1 lg portobello cap, diced
2 tbsp black olives, pitted and diced
1/4 c shredded zucchini
1/4 c. shredded feta cheese
3 dashes Frank's Red Hot (we put that sh*t on everything! --- hehe sorry I just couldn't help myself ;-)
minced fresh herbs - I used basil and rosemary
sea salt & pepper to taste

Grease an oven safe skillet and heat to medium heat on the stovetop.

While warming the skillet, break your eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the almond milk and whisk until well mixed.

Add in all the other ingredients and stir to combine.

I've gotta warn you that this really is "XTRA HOT!"

Pour the egg mixture into your prepared and warmed skillet. Cook for 7 - 8 minutes.

While cooking on the stovetop, turn your oven to Broil.

Once 7 - 8 minutes has passed, place the frittata under the broiler for 5 - 6 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on it because you want the top to be golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Slice and serve.

So tasty! This is a perfect dinner for a summer evening. It would be great paired with a lettuce salad or some fresh local fruit.

I only like to eat my eggs when they're scrambled. What's your favourite way to eat eggs?
How do you clean out the fridge before going away on vacation?
Have a great night!!

Andrea

Tomato Pesto Sandwich

Happy Sunday and Happy Father's Day to all those dear daddies out there! Sadly, I can't be with my dad today, but I was able to spend some quality time with him over Memorial Day and hopefully we'll get down for another visit later this summer. 

Can you believe yet another weekend is on its way out? I swear the weekends get shorter in the summer :-) I've had a pretty great weekend considering I've been on my own since Friday. Yesterday was super busy with an early morning spin class, a vet appointment and a 1st birthday party and today was a lazy day; which was just what I needed.

I have so many things that I want/need to do, but I've been pooped and I decided that this afternoon was going to be a put my feet up and relax kinda day. I find it hard to do that because even though I'll have the intention to relax and enjoy the day, I often feel guilt about nothing being accomplished on that never-ending list of "to-dos". Do you ever have that problem?

Well today I managed to push my guilt aside and I pretty much planted my butt on the couch all afternoon, so that I could get in a whole bunch of Dexter (season 1) episodes in. The first couple of episodes didn't thrill me, but I'm on about episode 8 and I'm  hooked! I am so looking forward to renting the next season and then the next after that!!

To go along with my lazy day theme, I kept my meals quick and simple, but I certainly didn't sacrifice deliciousness!! Check out my tomato pesto sammie.

Tomato Pesto Sandwich

Makes 1 sandwich

This sandwich is really delicious and I can't wait until I have my own fresh tomatoes to use with it! I also used Daiya cheese, which is a wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free vegan cheese substitute. It my first time using it and I was really happy with it. It gets all gooey and melty like cheese and it tastes great!! This sandwich will satisfy vegetarians and meat lovers alike.

1 whole wheat thin bun

3 slices of tomato

2 tbsp your fave pesto (I used a traditional basil pesto)

3 - 4 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese (or your fave cheese substitute - I used Daiya mozza shreds)

4 - 6 baby spinach leaves

Turn your oven on to broil.

On a baking sheet, lay out your bun. On one side, spread the pesto and on the other place your tomatoes.

I love these buns! They have just the right amount of bread, so you still get a yummy sandwich, but the bread doesn't end up over-powering your sandwich filling!

Sprinkle cheese on each side.

Throw the sandwich under the broiler until it's all ooey gooey ;-)

Remove from the oven, top the tomatoes with the baby spinach leaves and top with the pesto side of the sandwich.

Yum! A perfect lunch for a summer day.

Do you have a hard time setting aside all the things you want to do, so you can take a day for yourself??

What's your favourite kind of pesto? I'm pretty traditional :-)

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening,

Andrea

Around the World on What I Ate Wednesday

Have we arrived at Wednesday again?! You know what that means....you get yet another peek into my good eats!! I can't tell you how much I love sharing some quick and easy meal ideas with you! This WIAW craze has inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and try some new things too! As I planned out this post, I realized that I've been eating all types of different foods. Today, I was in Greece for breakie, India for lunch and Mexico for dinner ...  if only I could give a wiggle of my nose and actually be in those places ....  ah, a girl can dream can't she??

I hate to brag, but I've had some really great eats this week....and my focus on easy meals has helped me to get out of the kitchen at a decent hour. No more washing dishes at 9 p.m. my friends!

Check out my eats.

This morning I didn't get up in time to eat before my workout. I didn't even get in a warm lemon water <insert wrist slap>  I hate when that happens because my body feels like lead and it takes me forever to feel awake! 

I'm trying to cut back on my coffee-a-day habit, but I decided that my level of exhaustion entitled me to just one. Gotta love a large Timmies coffee with one milk. 

Breakfast

First up we have strawberry-flavoured Chobani Greek Yogourt with strawberries and chocolate coconut granola. I've been loving this breakie after an early morning workout. I find that it usually satisfies me until it's time for lunch.

Dear Chobani,

I know we just met, but I think I love you.

Please come to Canada ASAP.

Love, A

xoxo

This yogourt is really, really good. It's so creamy; I absolutely loved it! I only had a strawberry and a blueberry, but I've seen many different and amazing flavours in the blogging world that I'm dying to try. Good thing I'm heading to Kentucky at the end of this month to visit my parents. My plan is to bring my biggest suitcase, so I can fit in lots of groceries to bring back home with me. Will Delta accept a large-sized cooler in checked luggage??

For lunch, I had some leftover Indian-inspired veggies. This was an awesome lunch! I think a bunch of my co-workers will be trying out this recipe because I had tons of compliments on how good my meal smelled. It was just as good today as when I made it fresh!

I forgot to take a picture before I dug in, so you're getting my original photo.

I wanted to keep my calories low, so I skipped the tofu this time.

For dinner, I whipped up Jenn's fiesta quinoa, with a side of guacamole and baked nachos.

Scrumptious! This was an amazing and easy dinner!

These meals were so satisfying that I really didn't have an urge to snack. I did treat myself to 2 squares of dark chocolate after dinner to satisfy my sweet tooth and keep my nighttime cravings in check....they were my last 2 squares and I don't know what happened ~ they were in my mouth and on their way to my belly before the camera had time to click a pic! Oops! Good thing you all know what a good piece of chocolate looks like :-)

Hopefully one of these amazing meals has tickled your taste buds and inspired you to try something new. If you're looking for more ideas, make sure you drop by Jenn's blog, Peas and Crayons, for lots more inspiration!

What flavour of Chobani yogourt is your all-time fave?

What was your best meal today?

Have a happy Hump Day y'all!!

Andrea

What I Ate Wednesday

I've been totally loving Wednesdays lately! I love sharing my good eats, but I really love seeing and reading about what everyone else eats as well! Sometimes it is so easy to fall into the rut of having the same meals week after week and I'm constantly finding inspiration from my friends for new and exciting meals. Hopefully you'll get some inspiration from me to  make easy and healthy meals as well!

I've been having some awesome eats lately. Check it out.






Of course, being the creature of habit that I am, I start my day off drinking a warm glass of lemon water with a dash of cayenne pepper.

On mornings when I go to the gym before work, I've been laying off the green smoothies because that requires the blender, which creates a whole lotta doggie chaos at 5:30 a.m. My dogs love the kitchen and are always lurking around hoping that I'll drop something. If they hear the blender come on, they both come running. The problem is, they are in our bedroom and Derek doesn't exactly appreciate being woken up jumped on by 2 rottweilers at that time in the morning :-)

So, instead of a green smoothie, I make myself and quick and easy breakfast of strawberry-flavoured greek yogourt with some chocolate coconut granola. Soooo delicious!

For my mid-morning snack, I've been sticking to fresh fruit. Pears have been my fruit of choice lately.

So sweet, so juicy....I CANNOT wait until we start getting some fresh, local fruit!

For lunch, I had some of the super-filling energy boosting protein salad I made on Sunday. I still am totally loving this salad ~ it's awesome because it keeps me satisfied until dinnertime.

For dinner, it was a honey veggie stirfry with a piece of panfried teriyaki tofu.

This was soooo good!! I used to think I always needed to have some sort of grain (rice, pasta, etc.) with stirfry, but this was delicious and satisfying all on its own!

I was late eating dinner because I went to a 6 p.m. spin class right after work, so I didn't even have a snack before bed!

Have I made you jealous?? I had some seriously good and healthy eats lately!! Believe me, if I could, I would come and cook for each and every one of you :-) At the very least, I hope I've motivated you with some healthy meal ideas. Check out Jenn's WIAW page for even more motivation!

What was your fave meal of the day??

Happy Hump Day!

Andrea

Energy Boosting Protein Salad

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Because I was super productive on Saturday, I decided to take Sunday off of everything. I just wanted a day to relax on the couch and hang out at home. The movie Couples Retreat was playing on TV and now I'm dying for a vacation even more (but not quite the type of vacation that they had ;-)!!  I'm hoping for Vegas in October and a cruise in March 2012, but Derek wants to go out West to visit family in Edmonton, Alberta. I guess we'll see as the time gets closer. Either way, it's time to start saving our pennies, so we can be sure to do something! Don't you love having a holiday to look forward to??

While I was just lounging around, I decided to whip up a salad to take with me to work this week. Somehow I'm overstocked on kidney beans (I don't know where the cans keeps coming from!), so I started searching around and I found a recipe for an Energizing Protein Power Salad at Oh She Glows. It's a little different from what I'd normally make, but I thought I'd give it a try and boy am I glad I did! It is more delicious than I ever imagined. The combo of ingredients is not what I would ever put together myself, but somehow they really, really work together. You have to cook up your grains, so it takes a bit of time to get this all put together, but it is worth it and it will save you time through the week when you don't have to worry about making a lunch each day. And it's no big deal when your living room is right beside the kitchen. I just put my grains on to boil and checked them during commercials ~ I'm such an awesome multi-tasker hehe!!

Energy Boosting Protein Salad

Recipe slightly adapted from Oh She Glows

This is a fabulous recipe to whip up and take with you to work for lunch each day. Angela used raisins and almonds in her salad and I substituted dried cranberries and pumpkin (pepita) seeds. The combo when all of the ingredients are put together is amazing. It's like a "healthy" party in your mouth!

1/2 c. uncooked wheatberries (you can buy these at your local bulk store)

1 c. uncooked quinoa

1 19 oz can red kidney beans

2 tsp  extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 pepper, chopped (I used some yellow & orange pepper)

1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds

Dressing:

1/2 c. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

black pepper, to taste

Cook your wheatberries and quinoa according to the directions. Once your grains are cooked add them both to a large mixing bowl.

wheatberries

quinoa 

mixed together 

In a large skillet, add your olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add in pepper, cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Cook for an additional 5 minutes over medium low heat.

While the veggies are cooking, make your dressing. Add all of the ingredients into your magic bullet. Pulse until well mixed. (You could also put all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk by hand)

Add your veggie mixture to the grains and pour over the dressing. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 

Store in an airtight container and eat your heart out all week! 

I love it when I have a lunch ready & waiting for me in the fridge. I refuse to spend $10 a day on lunches, so I try to make one at least 4 days a week. I'm notorious for rushing around making a lunch at 11 p.m. the night before......but not this week ;-)

What was the best part of your past weekend?
Do you have a favourite make-ahead meal?

Have a great day!

Andrea