Strawberry Vanilla Protein Oats (Slow Cooker Style)

So is it Spring or isn't it?! Mother Nature is seeming a little confused these days. One day it's warm and sunny and the next it's gray and frigid. We had some glimpses of Springtime weather on Tuesday morning and since then have pretty much been experiencing a monsoon.....okay, so maybe I'm being a wee bit dramatic, but we've had some crazy thunder, rainy downpours and the weatherman is calling for a chance of wet snow or freezing rain today today. AWESOME {enter sarcasm here} I think we can all agree that we are done with winter and want the snow to take a hike, but it just doesn't seem to want to let us go. I bought a couple {read: five} new pairs of flats that I'm dying to wear, but I made an attempt with them yesterday and my feet received a royal soaking. Today, I'm back to boots.

My cravings have been all over the board because of this weather too. One day I'm craving fresh green salads with lots of veggies and my favourite honey dijon dressing and the next day I'm thinking about making a crockpot full of veggie stew.

Last night, I decided that I needed to make a crockpot full of steel cut oatmeal for breakfast. I decided to try a new strawberry vanilla combo, so I could get a little Springtime with the berries while at the same time getting the warm and cozy comfort of the oatmeal. This combo turned out to be delicious!

I also decided to add some protein powder to my oats, which is something I've never done before. I recently became a member of Team Vega {an entire post dedicated to this amazing company and their equally amazing products will be coming very soon} and they provided me with a sample pack of products to try - I decided that their Vega One French Vanilla Nutritional Shake powder would be a perfect compliment to my strawberry oats. This flavour is the bomb-digity of protein powders!!!!!

What I ended up with was an amazing new oatmeal that I insist you've got to try. It's Springtime meets comfort food and it is SO.GOOD!!!!!

Strawberry Vanilla Slow Cooker Protein Oats

Serves 2

1/2 c steel cut oats

1 c unsweetened original almond milk (or milk of your choice)

3/4 c water

1 package vanilla-flavoured protein powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 c frozen sliced strawberries (fresh would probably work)

Optional Toppings: favourite nut butter, maple syrup, coconut or chopped pecans

Note: I used my small hot dip slow cooker for this recipe. It works perfectly or you could use Janetha's instructions here for using a larger sized slow cooker.

Grease your slow cooker with coconut oil or non-stick spray.

Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and stir well to combine.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve and enjoy. Sometimes I like to add a spoonful of plain non-fat Greek yogourt to my oats and sometimes I eat them topped with chopped fruit, a drizzle of syrup (perfect way to add more sweetness for all you sweet lovers out there) or a big glob of melty nut butter. Either way will rock your socks off!

I prepare my oatmeal in the evening and let the slow cooker simmer away all night long. When I get up in the morning, I open my bedroom door to the mouthwatering aroma of freshly made oatmeal. It's such a nice way to start your day!

Are you craving fresh produce and all foods associated with Spring or are you still enjoy all the comfort foods of winter?

Have a great day!!

Andrea

xoxo

Plans for the Week of March 10th

Hi! How was your weekend? I hope it was fabulous!

I had a lovely weekend. We went out with friends to a karaoke bar on Friday, which was so much fun, and the rest of the weekend was spent doing just the "usual stuff"  (groceries, house cleaning, watching Season 3 of Sons of Anarchy {LOVE!!!} etc). Yesterday, I spent some time in the kitchen doing food prep for the week. Last week I was really successful in sticking to my clean eats goals and I am determined to be just as good this week.

Yesterday I made:

 * Baked Blueberry Banana Oatmeal
 * Hard-boiled Eggs
 * Homemade Tater Soup - for Derek & his dad
 * Quinoa (to add to salads, roasted veggies, etc)

Now here is where I should be inserting a pic or two of my food prep, but someone <cough, me, cough> has misplaced her cord and cannot download any photos right now :-/

I'm planning for the following dinners this week:

 * BBQ Tofu with Roasted Balsamic Broccoli
 * Lentil Veggie Mac 'N Cheese
 * Toasted TLT (tempeh, lettuce & tomato)
 * Spaghetti Squash with Veggies
 * Veggie Omlets with Sweet Potato Homefries

I also bought a ton of fresh veggies that I'm planning to wash and chop tonight because the one thing I'd like to improve on this week is adding more salads to my daily eats - I'll be having salads for lunch or adding them as a side to our dinners. Now that the weather is starting to warm up, I crave fresh greens so much more!

In addition to my eats, here's what the workout plans are looking like this week:

*Sunday - Rest
*Monday - Bootcamp (new love that kicks my butt!!)
*Tuesday - Spin
*Wednesday - Rest
*Thursday - Zumba
*Friday - Active Rest or a new lunchtime Bootcamp
*Saturday - Yoga

So here's to another successful week my friends!

What do you have planned for the upcoming week? 

Have a great day!!

Andrea
xoxo

Today's Motivation:

Source

What I Ate Wednesday - Veggie Love

Hiya guys! I've been really light on my posting over the past two weeks and its because I've had a lot of stuff on my plate! The most recent was a visit from one of my most favourite people....my mom!

She's on her way back home this morning :( and we are back to our regularly scheduled programming ---- not only in our routine but our eats! Oh gosh, our eats have been all over the map. I have been absolutely amazing at sticking to my clean eats goals during the week, but I've been indulging a little more than I'd like to over the weekends.

We have some vacation plans coming up, so that's the motivation I'm using to really stick with my clean eats program and I'm hoping all the veggie love shared at Peas & Crayons this month will help motivate me and give me some creative ideas on how to eat clean while keeping things interesting, and most importantly DELICIOUS!!

 

Even though I've been absent here on the blog, I've still been snapping pics and sharing my eats on Twitter and Instagram....here are some of my fave meals from the past couple of weeks (please forgive the photos - most were taken on my phone and clearly I need to use my Canon with editing to actually have a photograph that is properly centred :) :

 

Bananarama Protein Pancakes are still one of my all-time favourite breakfasts. Lately, I've been adding 1/2 a grapefruit to my first meal of the day.

 

 

 

Over the weekend, I made my mom & I some sweet potato homefries (sweet potato & sweet onion panfried in coconut oil) and baked eggs with mozza, grape tomatoes & fresh basil. I must say it was the best egg concoction I've put together in ages! My mom and I totally swooned over this breakfast.

 

 

 

I've been making a true effort to pack a healthy lunch that includes mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. Here is one from last week that included Gina`s Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, plain non-fat Greek yogourt with mixed fruit, whole wheat crackers and roasted garlic hummus, and some of my trail mix.

  

 

 

I've also been eating a ton of kale. Yesterday, I marinated some kale in an olive oil/apple cider vinegar/dijon combo and topped it with some leftover sweet potato homefries, sweet orange pepper, raw pepitas, raw walnut pieces, goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. It was ah-mazing!

 

Dinners have been really good too. I cannot get enough of Angela's Easy BBQ Tofu. It is so good! I usually pair it with some roasted veggies - here I had roasted taters and turnip. Have I mentioned that I used to hate turnip?! I tried roasting it with a bit of coconut oil and sea salt and I have absolutely fallen in love with it. Derek and I easily eat an entire turnip in one meal!

  

 My other fave dinner of late was Lentil Veggie Mac & Cheese by Lindsay. A classic comfort food with an added punch of protein and veggies. I didn't share one bit of this with anyone; not even Derek got a bite!!!

Whew! I'm feeling a little better about my eats now that I see all the goodness I've used to fuel my body. I've had a few moments of weakness where chocolate or and wine have passed my lips, but hey "moderation is key" wouldn't you agree?!

What's the best healthy meal you've eaten this week?

When you try to follow a meal plan do you allow for some indulgence?

Have a great day my friends!

Andrea

xoxo

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pumpkin Protein Bites+ a Plan

Good morning!

I did alot of planning this past weekend when it comes to my upcoming eats and workouts. As I always say, PLANNING = SUCCESS and I'm determined to succeed at my clean eats goals and to get 4 workouts in this week.

Last week was a bit of a bust for us because we've been spending extra time with Derek's dad, who's in the hospital (he's ok - he's just needing a little attention from his doctors) and Dora, our sweet rottie girl, who got spayed last Tuesday. She was a little out of sorts and we wanted to keep a close eye on her as she recovered, plus we thought she deserved a little extra TLC.

In terms of my workouts this week, this is my plan:

Sunday - rest  *food prep day*

Monday - core & zumba

Tuesday - spin & weights (chest & triceps)

Wednesday - rest

Thursday - zumba or the Fitnessista's Booty Burning Walking Workout & weights (back & biceps)

Friday - active rest (long walk with dogs most likely)

Saturday - 90 minutes kundalini yoga

Now when I say I had a food prep day on Sunday, I am not kidding!!! I spent 3 hours planning, shopping and prepping some clean foods for the week. All of my efforts should give us some easy grab 'n go options for busy days this week and I definitely was thankful for my prep work last night when I didn't get home from the gym until 8:15 p.m. I certainly was in no mood to be cooking up a big meal and I loved having healthy, nutritious eats at my fingertips.

I made:

1. 'Cheezy' Broccoli Soup (from the Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook)
2. Hard-boiled Eggs (for Derek)
3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pumpkin Protein Bites
4. Bananarama Protein Pancakes
5. Vegan Mexi-Style Quinoa

My original plan was to make a batch of the Fitnessista's Pumpkin Amazeballs, but I didn't have any natural nut butter at home, so I thought it'd be a tasty twist if I added some Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter instead. Seriously my friends, these turned out to be Ah-Freakin'-Mazing!!! I was so happy that I remembered my measurements, so that I could share this recipe with because you really, REALLY must try it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pumpkin Protein Bites
Makes 7 1" balls

Inspired by the Fitnessista's Pumpkin Amazeballs

3 tbsp chocolate protein powder
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp oats
2 tbsp Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp pure pumpkin puree
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

In a small food process, pulse the protein powder, coconut & oats until it resembles a fine powder.

Add the remaining ingredients and process until well mixed.

Using your hands, shape into 1" balls.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

P.S. - as long as you use a vegan protein powder, such as Vega, these are VEGAN baby!!

Two of these make a fantastic pre-workout snack. (So you might as well use that 7th bite as your taste tester, since it's clearly the odd man out!!) These are so handy for nights when I go from work straight to the gym. It gives me the energy to push through my workout without wanting to gnaw off my arm when the hunger pangs start.

What's your fave pre-workout snack??

Have a great day!

Andrea
xoxo

Food for Thought:

Source: Pinterest via Gloria Dallas

Baked Cinnamon Pear Steel Cut Oats

Oatmeal is quickly becoming my breakfast obsession for the winter of 2012-13. I really don't remember what I did before I discovered the awesomeness that is steel cut oats. They're so versatile and I've been finding myself making all sorts of oatmeal concoctions in the slow cooker, on the stove top and now baked up in a warm and delicious casserole.

This, my friends, is what comfort food for breakfast looks like.  I decided to change things up a bit because I've been obsessively cooking with pumpkins and apples since September, so pears were my fruit of choice this time 'round. I combined fresh pears with cinnamon and Sucanat and the result was an ooey gooey fruit explosion tucked away under a hearty oatmeal topper.

Baked Cinnamon Pear Steel Cut Oats
Serves 4 - 5

2 large pears, chopped
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c steel cut oats
2 c almond milk (or soy milk, coconut milk, dairy milk)
3 tbsp Sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch sea salt

Preheat your oven to 400 and grease a medium-sized casserole dish.

Place the chopped pears in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of the Sucanat and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Mix until the pears are well coated and pour into the bottom of the casserole dish.

Sprinkle the steel cut oats over the pears.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, the remaining cinnamon, Sucanat and vanilla. Pour over the oats and pears.

Cover your dish and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Ooey gooey goodness.

Top your oatmeal with your fave toppings such as maple syrup, chopped walnuts, coconut or raisins. My favourite way was to top it with some plain non-fat Greek yogourt drizzled with just a teeny weeny bit of maple syrup or honey.   

Store the leftovers in your refrigerator and re-heat in the microwave for a quick, CLEAN and healthy weekday breakfast.

What's your favourite oatmeal topping?

Have a great day,

Andrea

xoxo

What I Ate Wednesday ~ Clean Eats

Good morning! Happy Wednesday.

Whew, it's been a looonnnggg time since I've come around these parts to share a day in the life of my eats. I'm sure many of you shared amazing holiday treats and sweets over the past few weeks, but I was so busy stuffing my face with said treats that I didn't read a single WIAW post or snap a single pic!

I enjoyed all of my eating indulgences over the holiday season, but I have to admit that I'm pretty happy to get back into a healthier eating routine (um.....my oh so snug pants are pretty happy too!). 

As you know, I'm really excited to be using The Eat Clean Diet and Vega's Thrive Forward program as my inspiration as I start the journey to clean eating. I've been using The Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook ALOT since Christmas (thanks to my fab hubs who bought it for me!).

Here's a peek at a day in the life of my eats:

Breakfast

I made an AWESOME Baked Cinnamon Pear Steel Cut Oats casserole on Sunday and I've been enjoying leftovers every morning since. I love it topped with plain non-fat Greek yogourt and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

*recipe for this coming VERY soon*

Lunch

Brown baggin' it is absolutely the way to go. I've been going to the gym right after work, so I bring lunch and lots of snacks to work with me. This was Monday's lunch: leftover Festive Sweet Potato Salad, clementines, two plain brown rice cakes with 1/3 of an avocado to smash ;-) on them later, 2 light Babybel cheese rounds (leftovers from Christmas) and a sample of chai guarana  tea that came with an order of  David's tea.

Dinner

These open-faced english muffin pizzas came straight out of The Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook. It's fast and delish! As a side, I made some parsnip fries with dijon for dippin'.

Not too shabby, right?!

What have you been munching on now that the holidays are behind us?

If you're looking for more healthy meal inspiration as we jump feet first into 2013, make sure you head on over to Peas & Crayons to see what other bloggers have been feasting on.

Have a GREAT day!

Andrea

xoxo

Make-Ahead Breakfast Strata

Hi! Sorry things have been quiet around these parts. The closer Christmas gets, the busier I seem to be.....I'm sure you can all relate, right?!

One of the things I've been busy at is menu planning. We're hosting our annual Christmas party on Saturday and our theme is the '80s, so I've been trying to come up with some '80s-themed food to serve. I'm thinking fondues, black forest cake, cake rolls and whatever other fun things I come up with this week!

Are you hosting any meals this holiday season? For me, it's all about planning ahead. I write my menu out, re-write and amend it as the date gets closer and then work away dish by dish when the big day finally arrives. Things that can be made ahead are always favourites because it helps to alleviate all the things that must be done at the last minute.

This breakfast strata is something that I often make when we're hosting a breakfast or brunch. My mom used to make something similar to this for Christmas morning, so I have a sentimental attachment to this dish, plus it's easy to throw together, can be customized with any veggies/meats that you like and can be made the night before ---- {WIN!}

Now you don't need a special occasion to make this; I made it this past weekend and now we have leftovers for breakfasts and/or lunches for the first part of this week.....and who's kidding who, Derek will be lucky to get even a bite. :-D

Make-Ahead Breakfast Strata
Serves 6

8 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
1 1/2 c baby spinach
1 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 large tomato, thinly sliced
2 c cheese
7 eggs
1 1/3 c milk
salt & pepper to taste

Choose a medium-sized casserole dish and spray with non-stick spray.

Layer your ingredients starting with half of the bread cubes, followed by all of the spinach, the mushrooms, tomato, 3/4 c of the shredded cheese and the remaining bread.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt & pepper. Pour your egg mixture over the entire casserole making sure to soak all of the bread. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the entire casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

About an hour and half before you are planning to eat, pre-heat your oven to 375. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes prior to serving.

The assembly looks something like this:

Make sure you let the casserole 'rest' before serving.

I usually give it 5 - 10 minutes before diving in.

I'm sure that you can cut it into lovely little wedges when you're serving it to guests, but we don't get too fancy and just scoop out big ol' portions at our house.

YUM!

Will you help me with my '80s menu? If you have any great dishes that were popular in that decade, give me some inspiration!!!

What's your favourite dish to serve for brunch?

Have a great day,

Andrea

xoxo

A Powerful Kale Salad that Eats Like a Meal

Good morning! Have you been wondering where I've been?! I've missed you lots and it's because I've been in 'CrazyTown' since Friday. Think Christmas shopping, forcing a crazy dog to rest her sore leg, working, watching Christmas movies I've never heard of that seem to be playing every single night, training new employees, more shopping, doing piles and piles of dishes (seriously where do all the dirty dishes come from?!), trying to squeeze in after-work workouts, planning our annual Christmas party.....

Whew! I'm stressed and exhausted just typing all of that; luckily most of it's fun stuff --- I just seem to have overloaded myself all at once!

One thing that is seriously lacking in that busy list above is meal planning and eating. I have had zero energy and desire for recipe creation, so I've been relying on some old faves to fuel us during the crazy that is our life presently. One new fave that you absolutely must try: the Fitnessista's Cranberry Quinoa Stuffing. Oh. My. Goodness. SOOOOOO GOOOOODDDDDD! I've made it twice now and it makes big batches that I'm able to use in a few different meals.

Not only has it been tricky to keep on track with my clean eating goal at home, but the holiday sweets have started circulating around the office this week too. Not being the type of person to turn down a shortbread cookie stuffed with chunks of Skor Bar, I'm having to offset my indulgences with some veggie-packed healthy meals like this amazing kale salad I've been eating for lunch day after day after day.

This salad creation just kinda happened. I had a ginormous amount of kale to use up and I needed something healthy to pack for lunch, so I just started throwing in whatever I could find that I thought would work together. After making the salad  4 days in a row, I decided that was definitely one of those "must share" recipes. The best thing about this salad, besides the amazing flavour and the fact that it is packed full of all things healthy, is that it eats like a meal. It is so filling and doesn't need any companions to satisfy your belly! Everyday that I brought it to work for lunch, I also included some fruit or a soup and I never had room for them once my salad was inhaled enjoyed.

Power Packed Kale Salad for One
Serves 1

3 c kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c chickpeas
1 c chopped veggies
1/4 avocado, chopped
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp pepitas (or your fave seeds/nuts)
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste

To make your dressing, add all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together.

Place the torn kale into a separate bowl and add the dressing. Massage the dressing into the kale. Top with the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

*Note: I make the salad up in the morning and then take it with me to work for lunch. It is best to let the kale marinate in the salad dressing for at least a few hours before eating.*

So Freakin' Delicious!!!!!

Do you brown bag it to work/school or buy something when it's time to eat?

Enjoy your Thursday,

Andrea
xoxo

What I Ate Wednesday

Good morning guys! How's your week been so far?! This week has been so busy for me. My lunch bag has come home with food still in it because I've been too busy to stop for a snack....missed snacks never happen to me!! 

Even though I've missed a couple of snacks over the past few days, I've still managed to eat some pretty awesome meals. Here's a peek at yesterday's eats:



Breakfast
I ate these pumpkin spice pancakes for breakie on Sunday, Monday & Tuesday. I hated to eat the last bite; these are that good!!

Lunch
My lunch yesterday was delicious! If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you would have seen this HUGE bunch of kale that my grandpa dropped off to me on Sunday.

I ended up making a massaged kale salad that included avocado, dried cranberries, walnut pieces, cucumbers, celery and feta. The dressing was an apple cider vinegar/dijon combo.

As snacks, I took some clementines, a pear and some Tazo green tea k-cups.

Dinner
Last Friday, my grandma and I went out for lunch to a restaurant across the street from my office. I ordered the cheese & onion tart and it was ah-maze-ing!!! I really want to recreate this amazing tart at home and last night was my first attempt.

I caramelized some onions in butter & red wine, added some aged cheddar, and then folded them into my grandma's famous pie crust. It was good, but the crust wasn't quite right. I promise that I'll keep working on it and hopefully perfect a recipe to share with you in the very near future!!

So that's my eats in a nutshell. What was your favourite meal from yesterday?? If you're looking for more meal inspiration, check out Jenn's What I Ate Wednesday page and I promise you that you'll find a ton of awesome eats!!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Andrea

xoxo

What I Ate Wednesday

Howdy! How has your week been treating you so far??

I've been extremely busy with a little project over the past few days. Some exciting things have been happening around here and I can't wait to share......next week ;-) !!!!!!

No matter how busy I am, I always have time for a What I Ate Wednesday post. It makes me take time to stop and reflect on my eats for the week and to keep me in check as I work towards my goal of maintaining a healthy, CLEAN diet.

Breakfast

I couldn't resist Julie's Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes any longer! I finally caved and made them. My advice: make a big batch on Sunday and toast up the leftovers for weekday breakies.

Lunch

Just call me the  brown baggin' lady. After going out day after day last week for birthday lunches, I'm committed to making lunches for both Derek and I every day this week. Now, if only I could plan ahead and make them the night before, so I could leave for work on time for once!

Yesterday, I took 2 clementines and an egg white/goat cheese/veggie scramble that I stuffed into a multigrain flatbread.

Dinner

I made this on Sunday and have eaten it twice since. I used to LOVE pad thai, but it's difficult to find a vegetarian version that doesn't contain fish sauce. Mama Pea's Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai is sooooo yummy!! I wasn't sure I'd love the spaghetti squash 'noodles', but they soaked the sauce right up and tasted fabulous! The only thing I need to figure out is what I can substitute for the hoisin sauce because it does have some sugar and I'm trying to avoid 'the white stuff' right now.

Do you have any suggestions???

Snack

I am addicted to Lindsay's Baked Apple Packets. I've been baking up a few pockets at a time, so I have something to satisfy my sweet tooth when it comes a knockin'. Yesterday, I made them with pears instead of apples and they were just as delicious! Topping them with honey-flavoured Greek Yogourt puts them over the edge!!

As you can see, I've still been eating well despite the chaos that is my life. My attitude has really shifted over the past couple of years. I cannot sacrifice quality for convenience anymore and my body thanks me for it :-)

If you'd like to see what other  bloggers have been munching on, head on over to Peas & Crayons and check it out.

Have you ever health-i-fied one of your favourite dishes?

What's the best thing you've eaten in the last 24 hours?

Have a great day,

Andrea

xoxo

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

 

 

   

What I Ate Wednesday

Hi friends! Happy humpity hump day!!

So, my original plan this week was to share all of my fave Hallowe'en treats with you, but I've kinda gotten sidetracked with my love affair for pumpkin. I roasted a sugar pumpkin on Sunday afternoon, made my own puree and pretty much every meal since has contained pumpkin in some shape or form.

I seem to be a wee bit addicted.

So....I will try to share some of my fave Hallowe'en treats before the big day but until then, you are going to be subjected to all things pumpkiny. I sure hope y'all don't mind :)

 

Breakfast

Hands down, this is the best slow cooker oatmeal recipe that I have ever made. Creamy pumpkiny steel cut oats topped with some crunchy raw walnuts. Absolutely divine!  

If you take anything away from this post, I beg you to try this recipe!!

  

Snack
Honey Greek Yogourt parfait with pumpkin puree and granola. Yummers!

Lunch
Admittedly, my lunches the past 2 days have been pretty plain jane. I have a ton of tomatoes from the garden to use up, so I've had toasted tomato sammies for lunch. Usually, I spend my lunch at my desk perusing my fave blogs and working on some future posts. Lately, I've had the urge to get up and get away from the computer, so I've been lunching with some co-workers. We laugh and carry on and I totally forgot about snapping a pic. Oh well, sometimes fun trumps blogger duties :-)

Dinner

I could eat a quesadilla every single day for the rest of my life and I would die a happy woman. My pumpkin & caramelized  veggie quesadilla made its return this week. I forgot how much I loved this!!

Even Dora & Hank got in on the pumpkin action this week. We had a party on Saturday night and the pups got more than their fair share of people food. I've been giving them each a big scoop of pumpkin on top of their food to make sure their tummies are feeling 100%. They LOVE it....as you can see by the Hankster sitting and waiting patiently for his dinner.

What a GOOD boy!

If you're looking for some more meal inspiration or perhaps some spook-tastic treat ideas for your Halloween parties this weekend, head on over to Peas & Crayons to see what other people have been brewing up this week!

What do you love to stuff your quesadillas with?

What treat do your pets love the most??

Have a great day,

Andrea

xoxo