Category Archives: Healthy food

Fantastic Food Finds – Top 10 foods that graced my plate this summer

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fabulous summer foods

This summer has been a success for me in the foods category. I ripped off my hesitation cloak and embraced finding new foods that were both filling and nutritious! I can say that with the help of the grill I had quite a few tasty treats this summer! :)

My 10 fantastic food finds for the summer:

1. Sweet potatoes

I was never much of a lasting fan of sweet potatoes. I would eat them at Thanksgiving in an obligatory way and then not touch them again until Thanksgiving the following year. However, after this summer… I have a whole new perspective on sweet potatoes! Best way to make them? Par boil them and cut them into fat fries. Sprinkle lightly with olive oil and sea salt and then grill them! They are fantabulous for sure! :)

2. Spinach

The only way my dad could get me to eat spinach back in the day was to tell me that it was Popeye’s favorite treat. It was only then that I would grudgingly eat spinach. HOWEVER, this summer– I started buying freshly washed, already cut baby spinach. I would add it to salads, sandwiches and eat it just because! Now, I cannot imagine my fridge without it! :)

3. Jalapenos

I used to like jalapenos and then I didn’t for the longest time. And now? I grew jalapenos in my garden this summer and found mad love for them all over again! Garden grown jalapenos pack heat and bring delicious flavor! It’s a great added veggie to any dish that requires a little kick! Last seen: In my husband’s chili, which we ate on Saturday night!

4. Red Onions

I have always considered myself a sweet vidalia girl. Sweet vidalias are sweet and oniony and well… just plain good. However, after this summer — they have stiff competition! Meet red onion. Red onion is sweet and mild in flavor. It has considerably less carbs than its yellow counterpart. It adds color and flavor to any dish

5. Carrots

Like Kelloggs Cornflakes I had to taste them again for the first time. Dip them in hummus or eat them plain — carrots are simply delish!

6. Albacore Tuna Fish

At one point, I loved tuna fish and then I didn’t. I craved it all throughout my second pregnancy (maybe because I couldn’t have it?) and then after I gave birth… the craving died down. I gave it a second whirl and found that it went very well in a spinach salad or on whole wheat bread! Now… I am a fan again! :)

7. Blueberries

Put these little blue balls of heaven into a bowl with skim milk and light sugar on top and you have a breakfast for champions!

8. Tomatoes

Until my garden, I had been avoiding tomatoes like the plague. But… garden grown tomatoes have been proven to be a big hit at dinner time! Everyone loves them including me!

9. Avocado

I have always loved avocado and would eat it if someone prepared it for me, but really didn’t develop a taste for them until this summer. Now, grocery shopping isn’t complete without adding a bag of avocados in the cart! Eat them in homemade guacamole or slice them up and put them on a sandwich. They are fantabulous either way! :)

10. Miniature Red Potatoes

Sprinkle them with a little olive oil, seasoning and then wrap them in tinfoil and throw them on the grill. The potatoes might be small — but the flavor is big enough to leave you feeling satisfied. :)

In addition to the wonderful food finds… I also found a wonderful fashion/workout find in the name of mbt shoes!! have you seen them? They help tone your leg muscles and give you better posture! I feel straighter after I walk in them! :)

Those are my fantastic summer food finds. What were yours?

Gardening and other stuff

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I apologize for not being around as much.  The summer season finds me away from my computer a little more.  Well that and I just finished up finals and i’m off from school for the summer.

So, about a month ago I decided to undertake growing a garden.  I found my plot, moved rocks and already established plants and tilled everything under.  I bought seeds and plants that are harder to grow from seed (or take longer for that matter).  I am currently loving and caring for my garden.  I am currently doing it as organic as possible.

And I must say…

I can’t wait to eat the fresh veggies!  I have been growing tired of the bland store-veggies.

As much hard work as I am putting into my yard, I am also excited to do it.  It is gratifying to see my work at the end of the day.  I never knew I had such a green thumb or that gardening would be natural to me!  Believe me.. .if you met me… you wouldn’t think that I was the “gardening type”.

In a couple of weeks, I am going to help my parents put in some pond filters. They have a decorative pond in their yard and they need my help with it.

My parents are also into gardening. My dad actually has a garden that is about 3 times the size of mine. Last year we benefited greatly from some of the veggies my dad sent our way!

So… do you have a garden?

Fabulous Food Finds & Update

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Let’s start with the update first. We are CLOSING on our home next Thursday morning! YAY!! It will be then that I can officially say that I am a short sale success story!

I have been organizing, cleaning and packing. We have accumulated so much stuff since we moved in to this place over two years ago! No really. It’s amazing how much you can accumulate in 2 years! Needless to say, Goodwill has been getting much of the stuff that we no longer need. I would rather give it to charity than hang on to it and have a garage sale in the spring. Too much work. And I have never been one to feel that my things have a price tag on them. We have been blessed with so much. I want to pay it forward any way I can.

So, if you haven’t seen me around much, it’s because I am packing. And organizing. And cleaning. In a couple of weeks things will get back to a better-than-normal state, and I can’t wait! :)

We have also been looking at truck accessories for my younger brother. He just got a new truck. I love helping him out when I can! So all of this running around has me a bit tired but also a lot pumped!

Here are my fabulous food finds:

1) Black beans — best. food. ever. I put black beans and salsa on anything that I can! It’s such an easy and tasty way to make a meal “southwest-ish”.

2) Chuck and Dave’s Salsa — they sell this stuff in bulk at Sam’s Club and Costco. I recommend it! It’s fresh tasting salsa with fresh ingredients. You can also get it at the local grocery store (it comes in smaller containers but might cost you more in the long run).

3) Sweet Potatoes — Buh bye starchy white potatoes… Hellloooo sweet potatoes! Last night I made oven baked sweet potato chips. I sliced them up to a medium thickness (circular shaped), sprayed Pam olive oil on them and smattered them with a bit of sea salt. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes and wahlah! Delicious and healthy potato chips!

4) Snickers Marathon Bars — I use these bars as meal replacement. They have 10g of fiber and 20g of protein. It’s guaranteed to make you feel full for at least 4 hours! 1 bar is 6 WW points. Oh and I eat one in the morning usually before I workout! The extra protein has seemed to help with muscle soreness.

Well, that’s about it for now! I’m off to go and read your blogs and comment on them! I’ve missed you guys! :)