tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64758162520843838572024-03-13T03:59:02.191-07:00Curtsies for PastriesStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-10156760059005410982011-04-28T17:24:00.000-07:002011-04-28T17:24:12.342-07:00To be a kid againHello everyone! It's been almost a month since my last post, I have just been so busy! I seems I have had tests upon tests with papers and presentations in spatterings throughout. Things won't let up for a few more weeks, but I think I can manage a little time to share a few thoughts...<br />
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I am still just as obsessed with yoga as I was last time you heard from me. Maybe even more so! I would like to talk a little bit about inversions with you today. Handstands, tripod headstands, shoulderstands that sort of thing. I read an article on MindBodyGreen today about just this topic. You can find the article <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1893/Handstand-Nation.html">here</a>. The author was slightly critical of the way handstands have been made mainstream in yoga classes. Her argument is that you have to build from the ground up. Without proper alignment and breathing with two feet on the ground, you risk maintaing the proper form which is so crucial to an inversion that does your body good rather than harm it. You have to be grounded before you can fly. And she does add at the end that she loves the handstand, not saying that we shouldn't do it, but that you need to create a foundation first.<br />
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I agree with what this author is saying. However, this article really got me to thinking about why it is I love my yoga practice these days so much. And one of these things is inversions. They are one of the most exciting parts of my practice. And if you ask my family members, they will probably tell you that in the past few weeks I often spontaneously flip upside down. And while the author argues that you need to be grounded before you can fly, I think it is exactly the fact that I get to be ungrounded that is so appealing. I feel like such a kid again when I fling my legs into the air (and yes, I think sometimes in handstands it is definitely a fling rather than a graceful lift). I spend the greater part of my day being grounded. I am serious about my studies and spend a great deal of time preparing for my future. So when it comes to yoga, I spend time on poses such as chair and warrior, but if a class doesn't have some sort of inversion in it you will find me seriously disappointed (which is one of the reasons why I didn't like Bikram...no inversions!). Sometimes it feels good to not be so serious, and when you are falling on your face 50 times for one successful attempt its hard to not laugh!<br />
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So go and try out an inversion tonight. It will bring out your playful side and you will realize that your childhood dream of flying really can be had! (and its just as spectacular as you always imagined it would be)Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-66080169948983823662011-04-09T17:29:00.000-07:002011-04-09T17:29:49.827-07:00Healthy ItalianWhen we think of Italian food, we don't usually think healthy right? Well, maybe Giada's Italian could be, but not your typical Americanized Italian food. You know what I'm talking about...Spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, etc. Basically what you get is lots of pasta or breadcrumbs, meat, and tomatoes. Of course, these tomatoes are usually boiled and look a large amount of their nutrients. Not to mention the sugar that is added to tomato sauces! Now, I do love the comfort of Italian food, but sometimes I am just looking for something that is healthier and won't weigh me down!<br />
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That is where Sarma comes in. I decided to make Sarma's healthy lasagna for dinner tonight, and it was not a disappointment! Layers of fresh zucchini and juicy tomatoes with basil-walnut pesto, tomato sauce, and pignoli ricotta. And yes, all raw! Take a look:<br />
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On another note, I am working on my crow (or crane) pose. Ideally, your arms should be almost straight. But I am pleased with the progress I am making so far. Notice I am wearing a new shirt in the picture! It is one of four in the same style that I bought from American Apparel specifically for yoga. I love them!<br />
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Have a great night!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-60042817608251652392011-04-01T19:08:00.000-07:002011-04-01T19:08:23.179-07:00Blooming Lotus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lf0dF31bJ3s/TZaCB9z_DzI/AAAAAAAAAHU/aWuQ49L4DG4/s1600/Lotus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lf0dF31bJ3s/TZaCB9z_DzI/AAAAAAAAAHU/aWuQ49L4DG4/s320/Lotus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>Hello all, <div><br />
</div><div>I did a 90 minute yoga practice today, that in all honesty was one of the roughest practices I have. I am convinced that Bikram yoga messed with me yesterday. I am going to give it another shot still and try to not be close-minded, but Bikram yoga and I are not friends right now. But we are not enemies yet and I will explain why.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The first...oh maybe 50 minutes of my practice my mind felt weird. I am going to put it into words as best I can. During forward bends my mind felt frazzled. It felt overwhelmed like it had something to shake but just couldn't. My poses weren't painful, but for some reason my mind was all jumbled up. I finally seemed to calm down with the beginning of hip openers, and I was able to find serenity in my practice. Is it possible that Bikram yoga had pulled up all sorts of toxins that were leaving me feeling edgy and mumble-jumbled? And it took a little extra twisting and exhaling to rid myself of these conflicts and unstable emotions? This is why I say Bikram yoga and I are not quite friends yet, nor are we enemies. I may give it another shot.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The second half of my practice I had a very exciting achievement: full lotus! It was a very exciting moment for me, and I would like to share a little background on the symbolic meaning behind the pose. The lotus pose is named for its resemblance to the petal of the lotus blossom. The lotus blossom is a symbol of breaking from the physical body to the spiritual world. It rises up from the mud, and lifts towards the sky and the heavens, as it seeks the light of the sun. It blossoms into a pure white flower, and symbolizes the four virtues: true self, eternity, contentment, and purity. Through the achievement of these virtues it overcomes selflessness, impermanence, suffering, and impurity. I hope that I can one day achieve the virtues associated with yoga.</div><div><br />
</div><div>On that note, have a great weekend!</div><div><br />
</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-18845982194918318592011-03-31T19:03:00.000-07:002011-03-31T19:03:58.964-07:00Not My Cup of TeaWell, I tried Bikram yoga for the first time today. I had bought an awesome month unlimited earlier this year from groupon, and finally decided to put it to use. Here is my experience:<br />
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The building is shared with and Endoscopy office, and I was walking into this door when someone spotted me with my yoga mat and told me I would be surprised if I was hoping for yoga if I went into that office! I redirected, and was pleased with the friendliness of the the Bikram yogis. They were very welcoming, which is definitely important. Now, to the yoga part.<br />
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I walked into the room and hit a wall of humid heat. Think about the hottest day in the summer when it is just about the storm. That is what it felt like. The poses were not foreign to me, having experienced many of them in my Vinyasa practice. However, I did not like the lack of a smooth flow between poses. I also greatly missed the sun salutations that I am growing to become so fond of. My second peeve was a big one: the girl who was leading the class kept telling us that if it doesn't hurt we aren't pushing hard enough! And if we reach the point where it hurts, then it is time to give one final push further into the pose. I was a bit taken aback when I heard this to say the least. From what yoga has taught me so far, a pose should never hurt. Yes, you want to feel an intense stretch, but pushing so it hurts just screams to me MUSCLE TEAR.<br />
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My conclusion: I will never pay for a Bikram class again. However, I am going to utilize my month because despite the disapproval I just expressed, I still feel that the heat was helpful in increasing my flexibility. I just know that I will ignore the instructor's commands if they leave me cringing at the thought.<br />
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And on a side note, I had a very stinky woman next to me! Talk about body odor, it certainly did not help the deep breathing that I was supposed to be doing. Not to mention she was tooting the entire class! And she didn't seem bothered by it at all! Haha ooo well...I will just make sure I stay clear from her if we show up to the same class again.<br />
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xoxo StephStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-91610832155621506372011-03-30T17:06:00.000-07:002011-03-30T17:06:28.085-07:00Spicy, Fresh, and TangyHello all!<br />
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Hope your week is going well so far, my busiest part is over and today I had a mostly relaxing day...feels good sometimes. I got a couple of hours of yoga in, and wanted to build on the energy that was still flowing from my yoga practice with this delicious salad:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ihV0qE2sCbA/TZPBvFTkDyI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/1nrkPFBdbSk/s1600/DSC00457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ihV0qE2sCbA/TZPBvFTkDyI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/1nrkPFBdbSk/s320/DSC00457.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Boy did it his the spot! The recipe was adapted from Kathryn Budig's recipe here. Kathryn is a yogi and health foodie. You will hear me mention her quite a few times from here on out as she is one of my favorite newly discovered yoga teachers, but for now I will just say that she certainly delivered with this recipe.<br />
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Arugula/Spinach Mix<br />
Two fried eggs (this was delicious, I may try hard-boiled for a bring to work variety)<br />
Half an avocado (I had already had one avocado and about a 1/4 cup guacamole earlier today...I hope there's no such thing as too much avocado!)<br />
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The dressing (not adapted at all):<br />
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />
1/2 lime, juiced<br />
1/2 T mayo (I used krafts olive oil mayo)<br />
1/2 T dijon mustard<br />
1 t dried oregano<br />
salt and pepper to taste (I didn't have any pepper on hand...oh well!)<br />
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The fried eggs were really nice in this because they wilted the greens underneath a bit. While I love my eggs sandwiched between two slices of toast, this is a great option to get more greens in the diet while spicing them up! I am telling you, go make this now!<br />
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Have a great night :)<br />
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xoxo StephStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-75404938721486126052011-03-29T18:16:00.000-07:002011-03-29T18:16:46.650-07:00Fitness ContestHello everyone,<br />
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So my post today is on the fitness contest I am entering! I found out about it a couple weeks ago from my older sister, Ceara. I have always thought it would be a lot of fun to be on the cover of fitness, so I am excited that I get the opportunity!<br />
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I had a photo shoot over spring break with my mom as the wonderful photographer, and these are the pictures that we have decided on. I can submit 6 in my album, and I am hoping to take one more of myself running. So here are the 5 finalists:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDA_88G5mL0/TY-rdfqEpII/AAAAAAAAAG4/MAjpcdyU2cs/s1600/DSC00402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDA_88G5mL0/TY-rdfqEpII/AAAAAAAAAG4/MAjpcdyU2cs/s320/DSC00402.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</div>And yes, these pictures were chilly! We had about 6 inches of snow on the ground only the day before! Luckily the sun came out for us :) And we wasted no time getting into poses and snapping shots. If I make it to the final 5 I will be asking all of you to vote for me! Stay tuned :)<br />
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xoxo StephStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-54187060855200211372011-03-27T14:23:00.000-07:002011-03-27T14:23:23.258-07:00I'm back!Hello everyone! It's been almost a month since my last blog post, let me tell you why....<br />
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I have a new obsession in my life--yoga! My last post was about the Shiva Rae's DVDs that I rented, which I loved. I started becoming more intrigued in yoga after doing those. Yoga is not completely new to me, but for some reason this time a light seemed to go off in my head. There was a spark and there I have a burning desire to do yoga just about every waking minute. I haven't even been wanting to blog because this takes away from time I could otherwise be doing yoga.<br />
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After doing those DVDs for about a week, I came across an online site called yogaglo. I signed up for the 15 day trial, and absolutely loved it. I am now paying $18 a month to keep up my subscription. It is well worth it. I did it every day for those 15 days, sometimes two times a day. I am keeping up with it, and loving yoga more and more every day. I am always trying new fitness adventures, because I think its really important to spice up fitness if you are going to stick with it. But I think I now have two activities that I will never give up: running and yoga.<br />
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In some ways it is the same feelings that draws me to these activities. I will focus on running another day, but their are many similarities between the two. Yoga is something that I can't wait for every day. I think its because it allows me to be in the moment. I am a very goal-driven person, often thinking about what I have to do next to get everything that I want to get done. This can often be a positive thing because I am productive, but can also be not so good at times. It's important for our stress levels and health to be able to <i>just breath sometimes</i>. And that is what yoga does for me. It allows me to stay in downward dog if I want and focus on nothing other than the present. Feeling a breath fill my lungs and chest fully and that moment when ever cell is completely energized with oxygen. And then letting it out and sinking into the ground, rooting myself. I can feel the lengthening of my hamstrings, and the opening of my chest. That is why I love yoga.<br />
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I think the next days, weeks, maybe months, will be full of short posts. They will be shorter tidbits on my life, so that I can keep sharing while maintaining my growing yoga practice.<br />
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I hope you all had a great weekend, and I shall see you soon.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-56791489719381773712011-03-04T18:11:00.000-08:002011-03-04T18:11:30.605-08:00B-12 and yogaHello,<div><br />
</div><div>I got my blood work back and it turns out my B-12 levels are low..pretty common among those who don't eat meat (although I do eat meat I don't eat much of it, especially while at school). Anyways, my doctor put me on a regimen of a B-12 shot every day for a week, and I will slowly wean off them and take a daily 1000mg supplement. Raising my B-12 levels may result on increased energy levels, which would be great! </div><div><br />
</div><div>In addition to B-12 injections, but daily regimen seems to be including more and more of yoga. I researched some good yoga dvds, and found them on netflix. I am planning on building a yoga library (with my new pay status..woohoo!), but if I can try the dvds on netflix first that is great. So far I have tried two:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JBF0Tzv53GY/TXGaO_UvIpI/AAAAAAAAAGw/XaoRzs_eEfo/s1600/ShivaReaFluidPower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JBF0Tzv53GY/TXGaO_UvIpI/AAAAAAAAAGw/XaoRzs_eEfo/s1600/ShivaReaFluidPower.jpg" /></a></div> This one caught me off guard when I first played it. Shiva starts the two sequences I have done with a sort of flowing dance-like movement. Not what I expected from a yoga dvd it left me feeling pretty goody at first. Here I am, standing on my yoga mat doing an odd body movement. After a minute thought, I began to feel the relaxation taking over my body, and now that I've done the sequences a few times I really enjoy this section to get me in my yoga frame-of-mind. I'll say that this dvd hasn't really gotten me sweating too much yet, but I still really love it. In fact, I did one 40 minute sequence after work today, and it de-stressed me exactly as hoped.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YZerV-ybYac/TXGaPBt_PUI/AAAAAAAAAG0/JhHObq_At5g/s1600/ShivaReaYogaShakti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YZerV-ybYac/TXGaPBt_PUI/AAAAAAAAAG0/JhHObq_At5g/s1600/ShivaReaYogaShakti.jpg" /></a></div><div>Love it! She definitely has come contortionist moves that I cannot even come close to doing, but these sequences have given me a great workout, working up a sweat. Lot's of creative vinyasas.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I think these will definitely be two I add to my budding yoga library!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Any suggestions of good vinyasa/power yoga dvds?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Steph</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-91445980218926860572011-02-25T10:00:00.000-08:002011-02-26T15:06:51.467-08:00ProteinHello all,<br />
<br />
Happy Friday! I am going to work a little early today to get some blood work done. I decided with my recently evolved eating habits it would be a good idea for me to get a blood work up done on my iron, protein, and vitamins. I shall let you all know how that goes!<br />
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Speaking of protein, I have been researching good vegan raw protein options. Kristen's Raw has a really great review on the protein powders she has tried. I think for now I have narrowed it down to two:<br />
Sun Warrior's Brown Rice Protein Powder<br />
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<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oXwkN4-Lo48/TWmHcYuhOdI/AAAAAAAAAGo/UHMmbizCcZs/s1600/sunwarriorprotein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oXwkN4-Lo48/TWmHcYuhOdI/AAAAAAAAAGo/UHMmbizCcZs/s320/sunwarriorprotein.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"></div><br />
and Sprout Living's EPIC Protein Powder<br />
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<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BAWgiPk8yAo/TWmHf9IiCnI/AAAAAAAAAGs/ChRYSIQnbHg/s1600/sproutlivingprotein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BAWgiPk8yAo/TWmHf9IiCnI/AAAAAAAAAGs/ChRYSIQnbHg/s320/sproutlivingprotein.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><br />
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Both are dervied from brown rice, and I am excited to try both. I am thinking I want to try the vanilla and chocolate flavors. I checked out Sprout Living, and they have $2 samples which is great (I bought a very expensive Vega protein in the past only to find that I did not like it at all and couldn't force myself to chug it down, even with my nose plugged) In fact, I contacted Sprout Living to ask what stores they sell it in, and I think they are going to send me a free sample if I ask my health store at home to carry it! That is super exciting. I shall let you know how I like them both!<br />
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I hope you all have fun weekend plans. I know my plans are to relax, go for a nice run, and try my new yoga dvd! I will post more on this dvd after I have tried it so stay tuned!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-20544624627070240972011-02-24T16:35:00.000-08:002011-02-24T16:35:30.918-08:00My biggest food challengeHello all,<br />
<br />
Hopefully you have all been having a great week...tomorrow's Friday! I haven't been doing much food preparing this past week. I have been making juices, and have whipped up a batch of almond milk, but other then that I have pretty much been eating foods straight as they grow in nature. This means handfuls of raw nuts, avocados (I just scoop them out with a spoon right into my mouth), and whole fruit. Throw in some sprouted bagel and a few eggs and thats pretty much what my diet has consisted of. Oh, and I have been eating what remains of my raw desserts...yum!<br />
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I have to admit that I am getting a big bored with my food selection. Not that I don't love a good orange, but I am yearning for a something a little more jazzed up! I am not exactly sure how I am going to remedy this situation yet, but I am certainly brainstorming.<br />
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I have two dilemmas: time and well, time. Ok, I know that sounded odd. Let me describe the first time. I am extremely busy during the week. My unpaid internship officially became a paid job this past week (yay!), but is definitely going to continue keeping me busy. So I now work three days a week, on top of classes and any homework and studying I may have. This past week I had two tests (including a killer history exam). What this all boils down to is I just don't have a lot of time to do food prep during the week. I know, excuses excuses. But when I don't get home until 8:30 at night it can be hard to have the energy to create a work of art! The second time is referring to the amount of time it takes for me to go to the store. There is no good organic health food store in the Bronx, much to my dismay. So I have to drive to the Whole Food in New Jersey or White Plains. I drove to NJ last Thursday and it took me two and half hours! On my day off the last thing I want to do is sit in traffic for two hours. Not to mention to really have fresh produce (this is most important for greens) you really have to make two trips to the store a week. So I just don't know what I am going to do. Perhaps I will have to think of some way to enjoy my time more in the car, so I don't dread the drives so much.<br />
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Anyways, any ideas for me? I need to figure out ways to incorporate more variety into my diet.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-60240613055012121712011-02-19T13:39:00.000-08:002011-02-19T13:39:50.331-08:00Cleansing is not for meI got through one day of cleansing and have decided that I definitely do not want to do two more days. I did not have horrible cleansing symptoms. The only possible symptom may have been that I felt as if heat was oozing out of my skin all day. But what I really had trouble with was the fact that I was hungry all day long. The only time that I wasn't hungry was after the Cinnamon Cashew Milk (which I actually couldn't finish in one sitting it was so filling). I would be full immediately after drinking a juice, but then 20 minutes later I would be starving again! The morning went pretty well, and I was able to manage the hunger. But by the third drink I was feeling fed up. <div><br />
</div><div>The verdict: Perhaps one day I will try a juice cleanse again. I am a bit disappointed because I feel that cleanses are really great for eliminating toxins from the body, and even though I don't eat a ton a toxic foods, I am definitely in an environment where I am breathing in toxins every day. The one thing I can say I took out of this cleanse was a love for juices. I was surprised to find that I really loved both of the greens juices that I had yesterday. I also loved the beet, carrot, and apple juice. Juices will certainly be something that I incorporate in a daily basis into my diet. I am actually going to try the habit of drinking a green juice as my first nutrients in the morning, to ease my body into the arduous process of digestion. </div><div><br />
</div><div>So for now, no more cleansing! But don't worry, all of those fruits and veggies will not go to waste. I am going to use the veggies up within the next couple days, then will move to the fruits (which are a lot of apples, oranges, and pretty hardy fruits)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Have a great Saturday night!</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-58135391051028421192011-02-17T17:10:00.000-08:002011-02-17T17:10:08.792-08:00Pre-CleanseHello all,<br />
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I went on a verryy long shopping trip today (the GW bridge was crazy both ways ugh!) but also a very successful one. Preparing for my cleanse, I made two stops. Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I just discovered that their is a Trader Joe's right down the road from the Whole Foods I shop at. Hearing about how other bloggers love TJ's I decided to give it a try, hoping to get some cheaper produce. I got what organic produce I could at TJ's and then headed to WF to finish up. All in all I spent $80.29 on the produce for my cleanse. Not too bad considering I would have paid $195.00 for the Blue Print Cleanse, more if I decided to have it shipped rather then trek down to pick it up. Plus, I bought all organic produce :)<br />
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I spent an hour and a half washing every single piece of produce I will be using. I even prepared the green juices by assembling the ingredients in containers. Although it took a decent amount of time preparing for the cleanse, I am hoping the this makes the whole process go smoother, as the only work I will have during the cleanse is cleaning the juicer and drinking the juice :)<br />
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Tomorrow starts day 1!<br />
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Have a great night...and if you have any advice for me on juice cleansing I'd love to hear it!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-74282737797315859032011-02-16T18:35:00.000-08:002011-02-16T18:35:23.507-08:003-Day Cleanse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kai4iCgNVqM/TVyHhozP9HI/AAAAAAAAAGg/E7SY9yCXHhA/s1600/IMG_2792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kai4iCgNVqM/TVyHhozP9HI/AAAAAAAAAGg/E7SY9yCXHhA/s320/IMG_2792.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Hello everyone,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Since the summer I have been contemplating the idea of doing a cleanse. At one point in the summer, I decided I would embark on the Master Cleanse. Yes, the cleanse in which the only calories you consume are in the liquid concoction of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. I went into the cleanse planning to stay on it for ten days. Two drinks later, I quit. The drink tasted revolting, and although I wasn't hungry, I simply could not stomach it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Thinking back on this cleanse now I am not sure it would have been the best idea to go through with it. I feel that the nutrients this cleanse provides are simply not adequate. Although I love maple syrup and am known to put it on a whole array of foods, it is not exactly overflowing with nutrients (it does contain high amounts of zinc and magnesium). </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This past summer when I first started to learn about raw foods, I came across juice cleanses. I was new to raw food at the time, so I put the idea on the back burner. Then, a couple of months ago I bought my Breville Juicer and started experimenting with fresh juices. Fresh juices are nothing like store bought! Feeling that I was comfortable with juicing having eased into it, a couple of weeks ago I started looking into doing a cleanse. I had heard of the blueprint cleanse, but the price was a little steep. Then I discovered that the founders have a book on recreating the cleanse at home! So I ordered it, and now I am ready for a cleanse! I feel much more comfortable with a juice cleanse, and feel that the nutrients I am going to get from it are going to be fantastic (I may head over to whole foods and get a wheat grass shot for an extra boost).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">After planning my menu for 3 days I have decided on this:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Day 1:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1. Greens with Apple</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2. Carrot-Apple Ginger</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3. Apple-Pear-Beet-Ginger</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">4. Pineapple Mint</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">5. Spinach-Carrot-Pineapple-Cilantro</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">6. Cinnamon Cashew Milk</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Day 2:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1. Greens with Apple</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2. Carrot-Apple-Parsley-Beet-Orange</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3. Grape-Cucumber-Pear</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">4. Pineapple Pear Lemongrass</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">5. Spinach-Carrot-Pineapple-Cilantro</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">6. Cinnamon Cashew Milk</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Day 3:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1. Greens with Apple</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2. Watermelon-Lime</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3. Pineapple-Beet-Ginger-Pear</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">4. Pineapple Mint</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">5. Spinach-Carrot-Pineapple-Cilantro</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">6. Cinnamon Cashew Milk</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I am beginning the cleanse on Friday and ending on Sunday. My plan is to post each day on how it is going...</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In the meantime, I made a delicious juice this morning:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Apple-Beet-Carrot Juice (2 granny smith apples, 1 medium beet, and 3 medium carrots)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OBM3i_HzJ5I/TVyG0SIyNvI/AAAAAAAAAGY/X5wXbq4FVEM/s1600/IMG_2791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OBM3i_HzJ5I/TVyG0SIyNvI/AAAAAAAAAGY/X5wXbq4FVEM/s320/IMG_2791.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Supurb!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Stay tuned for cleansing details!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Steph</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-20827609501958442322011-02-08T18:54:00.000-08:002011-02-08T18:54:45.080-08:00Citrus and Avocado SaladHello everyone, I hope your weeks are off to good starts...tomorrow is the end of my three-day crazy busy streak, so tomorrow my week will get a whole lot better. Just a quick post tonight on Daily Garnish's scrumptious looking salad that I whipped up tonight. You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.dailygarnish.com/2011/02/avocado-citrus-wilted-spinach-salad.html">here</a>. The salad is very simple, only requiring...5 ingredients plus salt and pepper.<br />
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</div><div>I will leave the instructions to Emily but urge you to make this quick and yummy salad!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TVIBS3NJdJI/AAAAAAAAAGE/UjP7QXp-SaU/s1600/IMG_2783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TVIBS3NJdJI/AAAAAAAAAGE/UjP7QXp-SaU/s320/IMG_2783.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div>On a bad note...I am sorry to say that I am officially all out of my homemade maple crispies cereal. Sniff sniff. I am now left to no other option but to eat packaged cereals until I am able to make a trip home to restock. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Thank you all for reading, have a great night!</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-49041855277584921002011-02-06T18:29:00.000-08:002011-02-06T18:29:33.440-08:00Philly + Pure Food and WineHappy Super Bowl Sunday! <div><br />
</div><div>It has been another crazy week that left no time for posting. The week left zero time for anything besides school and internship (and working out of course) and the weekend wasn't too much different (although their was a very fun segment to the weekend which is coming).</div><div><br />
</div><div>First, a recap on last weekend:</div><div><br />
</div><div>I visited my best friend from home in Philadelphia and had a wonderful time. We both new that if we didn't make plans to get together early on in the semester we would never end up doing it as our schedules got busier, so we made plans for the first weekend back at school. Good idea! For a late lunch we went to a hot spot that specializes in froyo and salads. <a href="http://www.sweetgreen.com/">Sweetgreen</a> (a really cute name I think...sweet from the froyo and green from the salad) uses local and organic produce from farmers they know and leave a small footprint behind. Gotta love it! Both Maura and her friend got froyo and I was famished and got a <i>loaded</i> salad. Mesclun greens with avocado, fava beans, hard boiled egg, grapes, and asian vinaigrette. Everyone was very pleased with their choices.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Now for this weekend!</div><div><br />
</div><div>I went to Pure Food and Wine! I made last minute plans with my sister and a friend to see Mamma Mia on broadway, and we decided to start the evening off right. We started with two appetizers: Hazelnut Crostinis with Crimini Mushrooms and Caper Bearnaise (little crostinis piled high with pureed mushrooms and capers) and Niwa Maki of Avocado, Enoki Mushrooms, Pickled Heirloom Baby Carrots (like sushi, delicious!) The pictures on the appetizers didn't come out great because of the lighting.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Quick side note: J is currently distracting me by throwing popcorn in the air for me to catch with my mouth. He says I should be blogging about snacking on popcorn because it is Pop Secret <b>homestyle</b> after all.</div><div><br />
</div><div>For the main course I had Zucchini, Local Roma and Heirloom Tomato Lasagna with basil pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato marinara, macadamia pumpkin seed ricotta. It surprised me that it was served cold (I thought maybe it would have been warmed in the dehydrator) but I found that I really enjoyed the cool refreshing mouthfuls.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>My sister had the weet Corn and Cashew Tamales with Chili Spiced Portabella salsa verde, cashew coconut sour cream, avocado, raw cacao mole. Another hit (we all passed around the meals).</div><div><br />
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</div><div>My sister's friend had the Spanikopita with Spinach, Almond Feta, Cucumber Yogurt, local cauliflower and white grapes. Delicious too!</div><div><br />
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</div><div>The over-21 crew also had a pitcher of sangria...which passed their high standards for sangria. This will be one of the first places I go to try all of the creative cocktails when I turn 21.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>We headed to show after a wonderfully satisfying dinner and had a fantastic time. Mamma Mia may be my favorite broadway show (even over Wicked). Great humor, amazing voices, and a wonderful story line (I am happy I hadn't seen the movie yet). Perhaps the highlight of the show was when the elderly male usher began dancing and singing very enthusiastically during the encore. </div><div><br />
</div><div>A great night that made my otherwise homework-filled weekend an enjoyable one!</div><div><br />
</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-3886358155260392202011-01-29T08:26:00.000-08:002011-01-29T08:26:01.750-08:00One week downGood morning! The first week of the semester is down and it was certainly a busy one (despite the snow day we had on Thursday that cancelled five of my classes). I also have a new medical internship which is going to take up a good chunk of my time (but that I am very excited about). I have done plenty of eating and whipping up new concoctions, but was a busy blogger and didn't pull the camera out until last night. Perhaps two missed photo opportunities: the beautiful aftermath of the 14 inches of snow we got here in metropolitan New York and a wonderful sushi meal at Momoya in NYC with my sister. This is my second time ordering sushi at Momoya (and rest assured not the last) so I will be certain to take photos on my next Momoya occasion.<br />
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As I am writing, I am noshing on this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8F_HxWgI/AAAAAAAAAFc/r2AkdMU_Yqk/s1600/IMG_2753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8F_HxWgI/AAAAAAAAAFc/r2AkdMU_Yqk/s320/IMG_2753.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A delicious bowl of cinnamon maple crispies with almond milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8ErQpApI/AAAAAAAAAFU/Kzx8i0Wlrqo/s1600/IMG_2750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8ErQpApI/AAAAAAAAAFU/Kzx8i0Wlrqo/s320/IMG_2750.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8FeAXEUI/AAAAAAAAAFY/fVqy6SmA_AU/s1600/IMG_2751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8FeAXEUI/AAAAAAAAAFY/fVqy6SmA_AU/s320/IMG_2751.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am really in love with these crispies. I made two batches to come back to school with, and I don't think it was nearly enough. Only the first week has gone by and already I am half-way through my stash! I also want to give praise to homemade almond milk. It is loads better then the cartons of almond milk you can buy at the store. I drank store bought almond milk for many months before I finally bought a vitamix, and did just fine with it. However, now that I have been making homemade milk I don't think I will ever truly enjoy going back. The flavor of homemade almond milk has more of a natural sweetness and lightness that the store bought just doesn't seem to impart. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also made this yummy smoothy yesterday afternoon:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8D5-bDxI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/n_BbMj1w2G0/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8D5-bDxI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/n_BbMj1w2G0/s320/IMG_2749.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">pear, apple, 3 blood oranges, and 2 cups frozen pineapple</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I took it out of the fridge this morning it had separated and I thought looked really neat:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8DNYl6GI/AAAAAAAAAFM/CwPEZYw3C9M/s1600/IMG_2748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUQ8DNYl6GI/AAAAAAAAAFM/CwPEZYw3C9M/s320/IMG_2748.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am visiting a friend in Philly this weekend and on my way back am going to stop at the whole foods and stock up again. I have been doing some research on tasty ways to fill collard wraps, and so my plan is to pick up some produce for these. I will let you know how my collard wrap adventures go this week!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't have too much to share on the exercise end of things. Yes, I have been working out, but nothing new and exciting. I have been using my Insanity program which I still love and I believe is making my arms stronger! I am able to bang out more pushups now before resting then when I could at the start, which is definitely a solid improvement.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did happen to come across a great hot Bikram yoga deal on redeemio a couple of weeks ago. Only $59 for a month unlimited, when it is usually $135. I purchased one, and am just waiting to start my month until I am a little more settled into my schedule. I'll keep you all updated :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope you have fantastic weekends and thank you for being be readers!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Steph</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-87264102226787673102011-01-26T14:54:00.000-08:002011-01-26T14:54:56.413-08:00CookbooksHello all! Just a short little post on my favorite cookbooks that I have acquired so far :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk4cexXuI/AAAAAAAAAEg/9M0tK6k4vhc/s1600/IMG_2713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk4cexXuI/AAAAAAAAAEg/9M0tK6k4vhc/s320/IMG_2713.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk4_kAx9I/AAAAAAAAAEk/Ik-xzc_8f4Y/s1600/IMG_2715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk4_kAx9I/AAAAAAAAAEk/Ik-xzc_8f4Y/s320/IMG_2715.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> One of my first raw food books :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk5SAoq0I/AAAAAAAAAEo/GcjvP9Do_BA/s1600/IMG_2716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk5SAoq0I/AAAAAAAAAEo/GcjvP9Do_BA/s320/IMG_2716.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Another of my early raw food books</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk54TgvRI/AAAAAAAAAEs/R_l2Zw0IuWw/s1600/IMG_2717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk54TgvRI/AAAAAAAAAEs/R_l2Zw0IuWw/s320/IMG_2717.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The most delicious cupcakes and desserts (my go-to book for whenever I make cupcakes)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk6SGro3I/AAAAAAAAAEw/R6lnA2mfStE/s1600/IMG_2718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk6SGro3I/AAAAAAAAAEw/R6lnA2mfStE/s320/IMG_2718.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> After so much success with my first Magnolia cookbook I just had to get the sequel!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk7UFloPI/AAAAAAAAAE0/Cc_hiMZ5MPQ/s1600/IMG_2719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk7UFloPI/AAAAAAAAAE0/Cc_hiMZ5MPQ/s320/IMG_2719.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> New from this past Christmas but definitely my favorite raw food cookbook</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk79qgm4I/AAAAAAAAAE4/wRZTM_B-ofI/s1600/IMG_2724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk79qgm4I/AAAAAAAAAE4/wRZTM_B-ofI/s320/IMG_2724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Another Sarma cookbook (and Matthew too...I can't forget him!)...love this one but I still use Living Raw Food more</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk8e-7vkI/AAAAAAAAAE8/AJ2Pb-o0qVM/s1600/IMG_2725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk8e-7vkI/AAAAAAAAAE8/AJ2Pb-o0qVM/s320/IMG_2725.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I actually haven't had a chance to make any recipes from this yet...but I think it will be a winner!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk80rSbJI/AAAAAAAAAFA/di0ik44vuDU/s1600/IMG_2727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk80rSbJI/AAAAAAAAAFA/di0ik44vuDU/s320/IMG_2727.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Oh my goodness you must buy now!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk9V9xDuI/AAAAAAAAAFE/2a99O3NLWTc/s1600/IMG_2728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk9V9xDuI/AAAAAAAAAFE/2a99O3NLWTc/s320/IMG_2728.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Another first raw food one</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk92O5QcI/AAAAAAAAAFI/kRZExq6Mm9c/s1600/IMG_2729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TUCk92O5QcI/AAAAAAAAAFI/kRZExq6Mm9c/s320/IMG_2729.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">David is the master of desserts (non-raw) and this is the book that started my love affair with ice cream making...I even have my own labels (read: Steph's Scoops)</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-84992252378097040872011-01-24T14:10:00.000-08:002011-01-24T14:10:14.968-08:00Back to school!Hello all! Today was the first day of the new semester...nice and easy with only two classes. I am all moved in with my new appliances set up (read: vitamix and juicer). However, I am feeling that I need to do some reorganizing but I am not sure how! I stopped at Whole Foods on the drive back, and stocked up on load of fresh fruits and greens. I even bought a bag of carrots, which is very uncharacteristic of me. I actually don't like carrots. I like every other fruit/veggie/green around, from mangos to fennel to brussel sprouts to spinach to kale. For whatever reason I simply do not like carrots. Anyways, my reason for buying them then? I know that they have loads of nutrients, and I figure with my juicer I can whip up juicer with some of the benefits of carrot juice, while attempting to mask the flavor!<br />
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Here is a look at my college fridge, jam packed with all sorts of delicious and colorful food!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT326k1qfjI/AAAAAAAAAEU/exWeedlTbiE/s1600/IMG_2733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT326k1qfjI/AAAAAAAAAEU/exWeedlTbiE/s320/IMG_2733.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT325OS8MGI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/GSP6Q1-3jjk/s1600/IMG_2732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT325OS8MGI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/GSP6Q1-3jjk/s320/IMG_2732.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I could barely fit everything!</div><br />
This morning before class I whipped up a green smoothy. In fact, it was the most delicious green smoothy yet! I stuffed my vitamix with one big bunch of watercress, a bagful of frozen mango (about 2 cups), one peeled lemon, two packets of stevia, and about a cup and a half of water. All blended up it looked like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT32r6OeaXI/AAAAAAAAAEM/ejIvLvIp8Ks/s1600/IMG_2740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT32r6OeaXI/AAAAAAAAAEM/ejIvLvIp8Ks/s320/IMG_2740.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I had a glass full of it, and this container is what was left over. This was the first time I tried watercress, and it just may be my favorite green yet! It tasted really great in the shake and watercress has TONS of nutrients to boot! In fact, watercress is a better source of Vitamin C, B1, B6, K, E, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, and Potassium then broccoli, apples, and tomatoes! It also has more Calcium then the touted spinach (which I also love so I am not trying to diss...I am just excited upon watercress!). Anyways, this shake was delic and I am fairly certain that I will be on a watercress kick for some time now.<br />
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I also made myself a salad for dinner last night. By the time I was done unpacking I was really starving and begining to get a little grumpy (that happens to me when I am really hungry). This salad did the trick! A bed a arugula with goat cheese, pecans, and diced apple. Topped off with a lemon vinaigrette (lemons, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper). I would have loved avocado on it too but it wasn't ripe yet. Really yummy none the less and I was in a much better mood after I gobbled it down.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT327x1QJPI/AAAAAAAAAEY/tod_QPeR2GQ/s1600/IMG_2736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT327x1QJPI/AAAAAAAAAEY/tod_QPeR2GQ/s320/IMG_2736.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT34KxoUCEI/AAAAAAAAAEc/Tq5hqBPzInk/s1600/IMG_2737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TT34KxoUCEI/AAAAAAAAAEc/Tq5hqBPzInk/s320/IMG_2737.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I have a really busy say tomorrow with classes, so I need to figure out snacks to pack for the day! (Five hours of class in a row) I'm thinking a repeat of today's green smoothy for breakfast (may bring it in a coffee mug), a bag of my homemade raw granola, and a banana should hold me over until two. Hope your weeks are off to a great start!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-26937648172258752192011-01-22T06:49:00.000-08:002011-01-22T12:16:52.320-08:00Dehydrating FrenzyHello all. These past few days have been very busy trying to make all sorts of dehydrated goodies to bring back to school with me. I love my excalibur dehydrator, and it really allows me to make a huge variety of delicious and nutritious raw treats, but it is very big! In fact, I keep in it the basement at home or it just looks like an ugly black box hanging out in the main stream of things. I think it would also take up to much room in my tiny dorm room (which is already going to have the new additions of my juicer and vitamix), which is why I have been on a dehydrating frenzy lately. A couple of the many things I made were cinnamon maple crispies and cocoa crispies (same recipe except you replace the cinnamon with cocoa). I originally made one batch of each, which gives you about 4 cups for each, but everyone in my house loves it with milk in the morning so it is already almost gone! Last night I made two more batches of the cinnamon maple variety (my favorite) and I am putting them on lockdown to take back to college! I also made a new granola that I am super excited to try.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTruM42zfPI/AAAAAAAAAEA/7dVpWPUXUGo/s1600/IMG_2707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTruM42zfPI/AAAAAAAAAEA/7dVpWPUXUGo/s320/IMG_2707.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>I have also been busy making nut milks (or nut mylks as the raw food world likes to call them). I have been drinking my first homemade batch of almond milk with my cinnamon and cocoa crispies :)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Lots of raw desserts have been coming out too! I made caramel bars for the first time...yummm. They took a lot of dehydrating time (48 hours) but kitchen time was minimal). And I made another batch of the congo bars. I have plans to whip up another batch of the cinnamon raisin cookies (this time as a chocolate chip cookie variety though), however I am not sure if I will be too wiped out tomorrow to make another recipe.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTruUQ9I4xI/AAAAAAAAAEI/fUb0xT7k3uc/s1600/IMG_0951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTruUQ9I4xI/AAAAAAAAAEI/fUb0xT7k3uc/s320/IMG_0951.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>Last but not least, I have been whipping out <b>tons</b> of juices and green drinks. I have created some really great juices--my favorite so far was pear, pineapple, and beets. I was really excited when I found bright orange beets with orange, yellow, and red shoots coming up from them the other day in the store. They made for a beautiful glass of juice! Not to mention beets are chock full of potassium. I even threw in some of the beet greens which are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTruSGfbbqI/AAAAAAAAAEE/Sz2OXe37WQ4/s1600/IMG_2711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTruSGfbbqI/AAAAAAAAAEE/Sz2OXe37WQ4/s320/IMG_2711.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>I think my next post will include my favorite cookbooks! Have a great Saturday!</div></div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-55412239954924768752011-01-16T07:04:00.000-08:002011-01-16T07:04:22.726-08:00Green MonstersGood morning! My juicer finally came in late Friday night, and I made my first juice concoction yesterday morning for breakfast. Wow was it a fun experience! Perhaps the most fun was putting a whole apple into the shoot. It would start of with a slow little drip into the juice canister and then all of a sudden would begin spurting out like a fire hydrant! And the color of my juice was really spectacular too...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTMETnXd_RI/AAAAAAAAADU/wNW6giO9Cv0/s1600/IMG_2701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTMETnXd_RI/AAAAAAAAADU/wNW6giO9Cv0/s320/IMG_2701.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Don't you love the bright green color?!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">...and it tasted as good as it looks! I used 4 kale leaves, a handful of cilantro, 2 green apples, and 2 limes. The green flavor didn't come through at all really, but thats what I wanted for my first homemade green juice because I want to ease into them a little slowly. That morning I also made grapefruit orange juice for my sister. I was actually really surprised of the yield from these fruits. I used only one of each and we got a beautiful sunset colored 8 oz glass of juice from them. I had a sip and the was definitely better then any store bought juice (plus it used all organic fruits so you aren't getting any pesticides with your juice)! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Later in the day I made a juice out of beets, apple, and pear. That too was really delicious and the bright pink color from the beets was really beautiful. (Sadly I don't have a picture but more beet concoctions to come.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This morning I made my second green juice...here's what I put in it this time:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTMEYdf9DUI/AAAAAAAAADY/IAOQqsTWo-w/s1600/IMG_2704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTMEYdf9DUI/AAAAAAAAADY/IAOQqsTWo-w/s320/IMG_2704.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">4 kale leaves, a bunch of cilantro, 2 celery stalks, one medium green apple, and one lime</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I think next time I may try using a less tart apple, perhaps a fuji, to give a bit more sweetness to the juice. So what do I think about the Ikon 5-speed juicer? I absolutely love it. I am really pleased that this is the one I decided to go with. I am impressed with the juice yield, and the pulp is not very wet so I am confident that I am getting optimum yield from the juices with little waste. It is really a ton of fun to use (although maybe this will wear off after a bit) and I think bringing fun into healthy food preparing makes you more willing to eat healthy foods! I also love that it is easy to clean. I clean it right after using so that nothing dries and although there are a lot of parts to clean (maybe 6?), cleanup goes really quick. It takes me about 4 minutes, and I clean it really thoroughly. From what I have heard some juicers take up to 10 minutes, so 4 minutes seems like a bargain to me!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">My workout for the day that I am really looking forward to? Ice hockey! Friends of mine and J's have a pond at their house and in the winter we play ice hockey. Not only is it a ton of fun but its a really great workout (believe me your thighs will be feeling it the next day). When I get home I am thinking of making a couple of raw desserts and watching the Jets game. Go Jets! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So thats the plan for today. What are all of you up to today? Making any fun treat for football?</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-65687455953069850762011-01-14T10:49:00.000-08:002011-01-14T10:49:13.060-08:00Pecans, Carrots, and HerbsHello everyone! Lots of kitchen activities going on today :) I've been so busy in the kitchen I haven't even gotten my workout in yet which is usually done for me by 10 am.<br />
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First off I had some of what was left over of yesterday's Grape Fig Shake. Delicious and the perfect fuel for my morning errands. I stopped at the natural food store for some basics but the didn't have buttermilk so I had to make an extra trip to Hannaford. My final stop was The Home Depot for potting materials for the herbs I bought at the coop yesterday. By the time I was done finding what I needed my fingers were stinging because I had to browse their outdoor garden area! Brrrrrrr. I got home and tried Manna bread for the first time. I went for the Carrot Raisin variety, and schmeared a bit of almond butter on it. I love when I find something new that I love and is simple! I also bought the Cinnamon Date and Rye varieties which I will try soon.<br />
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Next up was breaking in my vitamix some more. I tried one of Sarma's nut milk recipes...Cinnamon Maple Pecan Milk. Talk about decadant! This milk could easily be enjoyed as a dessert drink, while at the same time not being so rich that you couldn't have a sweet glass in the middle of the day. I only had a tiny taste because my vitamix warmed it up a bit, and I am waiting to have a big glass until its nice and chilled. I am officially in love with my vitamix. The milk was perfectly smooth. The only problem now is I want to make recipe after recipe and my family can only eat so much!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCN7Dq7qCI/AAAAAAAAAC0/FvDhntctOyo/s1600/IMG_2687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCN7Dq7qCI/AAAAAAAAAC0/FvDhntctOyo/s320/IMG_2687.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cinnamon Maple Pecan Milk:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>from Raw Food Real World</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup raw pecans, soaked at least 2 hours</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 1/2 cups filtered water</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup maple syrup</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tablespoon coconut oil (I did not add this)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tablespoon lecithin</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 packets stevia</div><div style="text-align: center;">3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: center;">pinch of freshly grated nutmeg</div><div style="text-align: center;">pinch of sea salt</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a high speed blender blend nuts an water about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and blend. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">A word on a couple of the ingredients. The first is lecithin. You will find lecithin in many commercial products in which thickness in desired (read: ice cream, margarine). Do not be scared by this though. Lecithin is actually a healthy emulsifier. It contains choline which is a component of brain cells and is used to manufacture neurotransmitters. Normally produced by humans, plants, and animals, the supplement we buy is derived from soybeans. Be sure to buy lecithin from non-GMO soybeans! Second is stevia. By now you may have heard of stevia on television commercials. Stevia is an herb from the chrysanthemum family and is about 300 times sweeter then sugar. Stevia is considered non-caloric and is a great replacement for the artificial sweeteners that I steer clear from.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The next recipe was Carrot Muffins (I told you I was busy!). This is another recipe from my Good to the Grain cookbook. I haven't tasted them yet, as I am going to workout in a bit, but they sure looked good when they came out of the oven...and I did sample a bit of batter which was scrumptious. However, I have to admit something. When I went to pull out the ingredients I realized I had no unsalted butter! Not wanting to go back out when I had just been to <b>two</b> food stores, I committed a baking faux pas and went ahead with the salted butter, omitting the rest of the salt in the recipe. I think they will still taste good though :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCU5r7VheI/AAAAAAAAADA/B0dfEDSiTAY/s1600/IMG_2684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCU5r7VheI/AAAAAAAAADA/B0dfEDSiTAY/s320/IMG_2684.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kim recommends alternating muffin cups for even baking and to allow to tops to puff up nicely.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCUqLAzH2I/AAAAAAAAAC4/uVGbrOwwyGU/s1600/IMG_2695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCUqLAzH2I/AAAAAAAAAC4/uVGbrOwwyGU/s320/IMG_2695.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lift the muffins out of their pans when done baking to allow them to cool and prevent the bottoms from getting soggy. This recipe actually made eight muffins but I didn't want to take a picture of the lonely pan with only 2 muffins in it...I didn't think it looked so nice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCUy_9gvII/AAAAAAAAAC8/xmnL5TBMutk/s1600/IMG_2698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCUy_9gvII/AAAAAAAAAC8/xmnL5TBMutk/s320/IMG_2698.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Carrot Muffins:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>from Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole Grain Flours</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">Streusel topping:</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spelt flour</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tablespoons oat bran</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tablespoons dark brown sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tablespoon sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (which I didn't add)</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Combine all ingredients except butter. Pinch in butter until mixture is coarse crumbs.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dry Mix:</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup spelt flour</div><div style="text-align: center;">3/4 all purpose flour</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup oat bran</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/3 cup dark brown sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 teaspoon allspice</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 teaspoon kosher salt</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 teaspoon baking powder</div><div style="text-align: center;"> 1/2 teaspoon baking soda</div><div style="text-align: center;"> 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 1/2 cups grated carrot (I used 3 small/medium carrots)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a medium bowl sift all ingredients except carrots together, adding any ingredients that remain in sifter to the bowl. Mix in carrots.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Wet Mix:</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup buttermilk</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 egg</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Whisk together ingredients. Add wet mix to dry mix and stir to combine.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scoop batter into greased muffin tins. The batter should be slightly mounded over rims. Sprinkle streusel topping over batter and lightly press in. Bake for 32 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Twist muffins out and place on sides in tins. Enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And finally...herb potting :) My family uses herbs all the time in our cooking. It often results in wasted herbs because we don't have time to use all the herbs in the package before they wilt. I decided it was time to grow our own indoor herbs. I found organically grown cilantro, parsley, and basil plants at the co-op yesterday, and while I was waiting for the muffins to come out of the oven, I got to work. Not only are they functional (assuming they stay alive and flourish) they also look lovely on our kitchen windowsill. I am still going to keep my eyes open for chives as that is another of our favorite herbs (I love a chive and goat cheese omelet). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCZDI8aM9I/AAAAAAAAADE/9OZlEEyCw5c/s1600/IMG_2688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCZDI8aM9I/AAAAAAAAADE/9OZlEEyCw5c/s320/IMG_2688.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The work field all set up</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCZJi3_QMI/AAAAAAAAADI/CS7CfirodpY/s1600/IMG_2689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCZJi3_QMI/AAAAAAAAADI/CS7CfirodpY/s320/IMG_2689.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Organic soil :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCZPAh55qI/AAAAAAAAADM/DG80tDSJO80/s1600/IMG_2690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCZPAh55qI/AAAAAAAAADM/DG80tDSJO80/s320/IMG_2690.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCZVRbU0GI/AAAAAAAAADQ/pVYw3J-2oAw/s1600/IMG_2694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TTCZVRbU0GI/AAAAAAAAADQ/pVYw3J-2oAw/s320/IMG_2694.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Any tips on how to keep these herbs alive and healthy? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Today is going to be me third day of Insanity in a row. I would really love to go out for a run but it is 16 degrees and windy. I'm not up for the cold, although I had better get used to it because I am planning on training for a marathon this time next year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Have a great day!</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-51017112646864420742011-01-13T13:18:00.000-08:002011-01-18T14:52:18.507-08:00It Has Arrived!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9rw_36tUI/AAAAAAAAACs/zqp5ACsG7Rs/s1600/IMG_0944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9rw_36tUI/AAAAAAAAACs/zqp5ACsG7Rs/s320/IMG_0944.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I had a very productive morning and early afternoon and was even more excited when I pulled into the driveway and my <b>Vitamix had been delivered</b>! I flipped through one of Sarma's cookbooks and decided to make the Grape and Fig Cleansing Shake, which looked and sounded delicious. Using dried figs, I thought this would be the perfect first test for my Vitamix. If everything people say is really true then pulvarizing those figs should be a walk in the park. And it was! I am super pleased with my first Vitamix session.<br />
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This shake is really great for you. Grapes are rich in Vitamin A, C, B6 and folate. Grapes are also high in flavonoids, important antioxidants that combat free radicals (and aging). Figs are rich in calcium and, like, grapes, flavonoids. This shake packs just as much of a flavor punch as it does nutrition. Yum!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9oEMFWyuI/AAAAAAAAACc/SU1XFBF5pI0/s1600/IMG_0941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9oEMFWyuI/AAAAAAAAACc/SU1XFBF5pI0/s320/IMG_0941.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9oMwqur5I/AAAAAAAAACg/_CCog2_urs4/s1600/IMG_0945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9oMwqur5I/AAAAAAAAACg/_CCog2_urs4/s320/IMG_0945.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This really looks a lot like the Cherry PB shake from last post but its a different one!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Grape and Fig Cleansing Shake:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Real-World-Recipes/dp/0060793554">Raw Food Real World</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>makes 2 very big servings or 4 normal size</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4 cups grapes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup dried figs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 cups ice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/8 teaspoon cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">pinch of salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Blend grapes in high speed blender until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until pureed. Enjoy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last night for dinner we had veggie lasagna and my Aunt Nancy's Strawberry Spinach Salad. Her strawberry salad is a real crowd pleaser. Even non-salad eaters seem to like this salad. I am thinking of making the dressing with agave syrup next time rather then sugar, because other then the refined sugar in this recipe it is really a very healthy salad. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9qHdDWpyI/AAAAAAAAACk/vLN5Rvo1bEc/s1600/IMG_0934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9qHdDWpyI/AAAAAAAAACk/vLN5Rvo1bEc/s320/IMG_0934.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9qP00BgRI/AAAAAAAAACo/uZhdZR5ZZJM/s1600/IMG_0938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS9qP00BgRI/AAAAAAAAACo/uZhdZR5ZZJM/s320/IMG_0938.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Aunt Nancy's Strawberry Salad:</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 pound spinach lettuce</div><div style="text-align: center;">bean sprouts to taste (we do a 4:1 of spinach:spouts)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 red onion, sliced<br />
1 pint strawberries, sliced</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dressing</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup vegetable oil</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup apple cider vinegar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 T poppy seeds</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 T sesame seeds</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 teaspoon dried onions</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 teaspoon paprika</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-68200533619076134062011-01-12T07:14:00.000-08:002011-01-12T07:14:43.247-08:00Blizzards and Wipeouts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS3E6TS2JvI/AAAAAAAAACU/P3gs36QCtD0/s1600/IMG_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Kmm4R-L122c/TS3E6TS2JvI/AAAAAAAAACU/P3gs36QCtD0/s320/IMG_0923.JPG" width="250" /></a></div><br />
Hello! Hope you are all having a great week...J (the boyfriend) and I had a great time visiting his Aunt and Uncle. We had sushi from Wegman's one night for dinner. Boy do I hope Wegman's comes our way soon! No standard grocery store compares to it.<br />
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Yesterday a friend from college came to visit and she suggested we go snowboarding. I am a skier but have never been on a snowboard and may have slightly underestimated the difficulty of it. I am not sure why, but for whatever reason when I try to stand up on the board, I have so much trouble! I just cannot figure out why. Sometimes I'll pop right up and other times it takes me 5 or more tries to boost myself up! But it was a ton of fun and a great workout. This morning when I pushed up on my arms to get out of bed I certainly felt it. And although I thought I did fairly well for my first time, my booty is telling me otherwise by the soreness with every step. I sure hope this doesn't hinder with my Insanity workout today. We are getting hit with another storm today (which I love!) but that means I am stuck at home and won't be able to get out for a run or go to the gym. So Insanity it is whether my arms and booty are sore or not!<br />
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Last night for a late night snack I made myself the scrumptious shake that Gena from choosing raw posted awhile ago. You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.choosingraw.com/new-favorite-smoothie/">here</a>. This would also be a great post workout snack because cherries are a natural anti-inflammatory. I somehow didn't make enough of the shake to fill the glass, which I fill every time I make this shake so I'm not sure what went differently this time. My picture doesn't look as beautiful as Gena's, but it sure tasted great! Next time I make this shake I believe I will be making it in my Vitamix, which is scheduled for delivery today...YAY! I just hope the snow doesn't delay it. Although, today was also my day to make a trip to the organic co-op for ingredients, and now that the snow is preventing that, I don't have too much to put in my Vitamix.<br />
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Hopefully my next post will be juicing and Vitamix experiments! Have a great day everyone :)Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-41434037942263886472011-01-09T06:53:00.000-08:002011-01-18T14:51:15.970-08:00Busy Busy!Whoops! I forgot to post this yesterday!....<br />
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Hello there everyone. These past few days have been very busy and I haven't had any time to post. They have been a fun couple of days though (with the exception to last night)! Sadly I did not take any pictures because of the company (i'm still getting used to always being equipped with a camera for when yummy food opportunities present themselves!)<br />
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On Thursday my family's good friends from Russia came :). Because everyone had either work or school, I hung out with them during the day. We took a drive up to Saratoga, and visited my favorite sandwich and speciality shop, <a href="http://www.putnammarket.com/">Putnam Market.</a> If you are ever in the area Putnam is a perfect lunch spot in the village. The little boy in the family and I hit it off, and he decided to tell me the story of the three little bears (in russian!).<br />
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For dinner, we went to <a href="http://www.longfellows.com/">Longfellow's Inn and Restaurant</a>, also in Saratoga. Longfellow's is a wonderful place for a gathering with close friends. We sat by the fireplace and it was warm and toasty (my favorite because I HATE when restaurants are so cold I feel like I need to wear my coat). I ordered the Maple Bourbon Salmon. Delicious! And my salmon came with my choice of starch...which if there is ever sweet potato fries offered on the menu you can be certain that is what I will order. A delicious meal with wonderful company. It was a great night full of laughter with the people we love.<br />
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Yesterday was also a busy and exciting day. I finally took the plunge and made <i>two </i>very exciting purchases. Purchases any raw foody would love to have and even items that a regular chef and cook would like. A <a href="https://secure.vitamix.com/acb/stores/4/Vita-Mix-Super-5200-P730C108.aspx">Vitamix Super 5200</a> and a <a href="http://www.brevilleusa.com/juicing/ikon-multi-speed-juice-fountain.html">Breville Juicer</a>. The Vitamix brand carries the most powerful high-speed blenders on the market. Their strong 2 horse-power motors are made in Sweden, but the rest of the parts are made right here in the US. The Super 5200 comes with both a wet blade container and a dry blade container so you can make everything from smoothies to soups to your own flours from whole grains! I cannot wait for it to come in, and once it does I will be sure to show you everything it can do. After a lot of research on juicers I narrowed down on this one, and I am hoping I made a great choice. The Breville Ikon Multi-Speed Juice Fountain has a good reputation. Because of the multiple speeds, you can set the speed so as to get optimum juice whether it be leafy greens and fleshy fruits or starchy carrots.<br />
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This brings me to my goal for year 2011. I am going to try to drink green juices at least 4 days a week. Preferably in the morning to jump start my day. I have only ever had the Naked Green Drink so it will be a new adventure but I think it will be a good one. If I seem to be enjoying all the benefits that green juices bring I may even try my own mini-cleanse at some point during the year!<br />
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Last night we had a wonderful snow storm, and it is a beautiful winter wonderland here. However, last night we were driving to a basketball game during the storm in stop and go traffic and someone slammed into us from behind! And the worst?! The guy took off! Can you believe people? Thankfully everyone's okay but it was quite the commotion. The snow is still beautiful though, and my mom and I took a walk this morning to appreciate it before it melts.<br />
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...and as promised, my new yoga dvd! I have done it two times so far, and am thinking I will do it again today. It is an hour long, a perfect length in my opinion for a complete yoga session. It is difficult and you with definitely work your body, but Bob Harper does a good job at showing you modifications if you are a beginning yogi (which I certainly am). I got my copy of the<a href="http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=013132195797"> Inside Out Method: Yoga for the Warrior</a> at borders, who had it on sale for only $11.99. The dvd also comes with a yoga abs routine, which I have not tried but am sure will be good also.<br />
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Tomorrow I am taking a trip to visit my boyfriend's family. I made guacamole this morning, and will make some buffalo chicken dip later for Sunday football.<br />
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</div> My family already ate the half left home for us and it was delicious! I don't use a specific recipe for my guac, I just taste as I go but here was today's combo:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">6 ripe avocados</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 limes, juiced (mine were pretty juicy)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 Medium-Large White Onion, diced (I don't like my onion flavor to be prominent so I dice almost to the point of mincing)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 large handful of cilantro, minced</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 large garlic glove, minced</div><div style="text-align: center;">2/3 large tomato (big boy variety size), diced</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 long hot pepper (I can't remember the variety I tried)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Salt and pepper to taste</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I find it easiest to mix everything in a gallon sized ziplock. I first mash the avocado flesh, until almost all the chunks are gone (I like mine a bit chunky but feel free to mash to you heart's content!). Add everything else but the tomato. Mix everything up, and add tomato. Mix, but be sure to to smash the tomato up too much, you wants pieces not mush! Add salt and pepper to taste, and a little cumin and cayenne pepper if you like more heat (I usually don't add these but they are still great).</div><br />
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What are you all doing for the weekend? Fun get-together or some great relaxation time?Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475816252084383857.post-61323546281438617012011-01-05T13:51:00.000-08:002011-01-05T16:32:37.013-08:00Blistering Socca (and cherries)Hello! I hope all of your New Years are off to great starts. On to the recipes...<br />
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</div><div>I first discovered Socca on <a href="http://www.pure2raw.com/socca-tribute/">Pure2Raw</a>. I did a little googling and discovered that it is a French recipe, and although I am sure Pure2Raw is right on the money with their abundant recipes, I immediately clicked on my bookmark for David Lebovitz's Blog. His is a blog I have been following for many years now, ever since I discovered his mouth-watering ice cream cookbook a few summers ago. David is a pastry chef and dessert connoisseur who moved to Paris after living in California for many years. He is great at blogging about food specialties throughout France, and he did not let me down with <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/06/socca-enfin/">his post</a> about Socca. Socca is something like a savory crepe made with chickpea flour. It originates from Nice, where it cooked in a wood-fire oven. It is cooked until it begins to blister, drizzled with olive oil, and eaten right away while still warm. This is a quick and rewarding recipe (although takes a bit of planning because the batter must be mixed 2 hours in advance). I love that the ingredient list is short, simple, and good for you (no all-purpose flour or refined sugar). Can't wait to make this again!</div><div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Our favorite olive oil </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Nice and golden :)</div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Drizzled with olive oil</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For Christmas I got a cherry pitter and today I finally got a chance to use it! A couple days ago I bought two bags of organic cherries from the grocery store. While I was waiting to obligatory 2 hours for my socca batter to thicken and set, I got to work pitting the cherries. What fun! Pitting cherries has always been a bit of a pain for me in the past, possibly deterring me from some of the cherry dehydrating I would normally do. But with this new handy gadget, pitting cherries is quick and easy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">I now have two trays of cherries dehydrating away. Cherries are one of my favorite dried fruits, and I can't guarantee they won't get eaten before they make it into any recipes. But if they make it, my next food adventure is homemade granola which I think they would taste delicious in (I also made banana chips last week for granola). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">If you do this at home do in a big bowl because it creates quite a splatter!</div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">The cherry weapon</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Today's workout was a 3 mile run and my new yoga dvd which I will tell you about in my next post.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Enjoy your night :)</div></div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00995545544506081975noreply@blogger.com0