YAY for the weekend being here! I came home a bit ago to find the first Christmas gift that I've ordered this year sitting at my doorstep. I love the feeling of getting someone you care about a gift you know that they'll love - 'tis the season right! My Friday so far has consisted of work, hiking with Harley at a nearby park, physical therapy (my calf is feeling pretty good right now!), and last but certainly not least, making this pizza.... If you're familiar at all with my blog, you know that Friday dinners are homemade pizza nights in my household more often than not. Though pizza is often thought of as a ''naughty" food, the ones that I make aren't greasy, and are usually loaded with veggies and made with whole wheat dough. Because I make pizza pretty often, I like to switch it up and ... [Read More]
Archives for November 2012
Infographic: The Importance of Sleep
We all know that getting sleep is crucial to healthy living. Although I know a few people who seem to get by well without much sleep, I am certainly not one of them. When I'm sleep deprived, I feel mentally slow, get distracted, have headaches, and generally just feel off. Sleep is critical to allowing your body to function properly. For instance, our immune systems are weakened when we don't get enough shut eye, which explains why a lot of people get sick when they are lacking the proper amount of sleep. I hate feeling under the weather, so this is a big reason why I try to make sure to sleep enough (the key word here being try, as I'm not too great of a sleeper!). For me, the magic number of optimal sleep is between 7 1/2 - 8 1/2 hours, as it is for most people. Below is an infographic ... [Read More]
Cajun Roasted Chickpeas + Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potatoes (& a Giveaway!)
The biggest reason I love going to San Diego's Little Italy Mercato is that I get to meet the people who are creating the food -- the farmers, owners, and bakers who are passionate about their businesses. The food sold at the market is local, and it's real food with real ingredients you can pronounce and are familiar with. One business that sells their products at the market is Panache Pantry, a maker of all natural, gourmet bread crumbs that contain no fillers or preservatives. They caught my eye one day when samples were being given out of vanilla ice cream topped with Panache bread crumbs, which sounds a bit odd but tastes delicious. From salads and fruit to cookies and garlic bread, the bread crumbs can jazz up many dishes and foods. Using their pumpkin cajun flavored bread crumbs, ... [Read More]
Healthy Snack Alert: Strawberry Banana Chiller
Now that Thanksgiving is under wraps, I feel like it's officially the holiday season. Yesterday I got into the spirit of things by decking out my apartment with Christmas decor, which always feels like an automatic mood enhancer to me. Something about the holiday season in general puts me in such festive spirits. And how can you not enjoy your kitchen table being covered in sparkly red and silver place mats? Speaking of the holiday season, we all know that December is packed with tempting food situations for us to constantly splurge on, from delicious looking Christmas cookies and eggnog at holiday parties, to fast food when we're on the run. I think that everyone should enjoy treats, but it's important to not completely give up on eating healthily just because 'tis the season to be ... [Read More]
Camping in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Julian
This long weekend has been so much fun thus far, and it's only Saturday evening! Let's rewind: I knew I wanted to get some exercise in on Thursday before all of the holiday excitement, so Adam and I took Harley for a hike in the morning. I also did some strength training and yoga, then got ready for ''Friendsgiving" at our friends Tiffany and Jeff's house. I brought these goodies to the party with me... (recipe here) Usually on Thanksgiving Adam and I do our own thing since we live so far away from our families. It was really nice to go to our friends' house for a big celebration. Once we got there, I was in a total relaxed holiday mode. I pretty much forgot to snap any pictures, except for the shots I got of the adorable table setup. Tiffany did a great job of putting ... [Read More]
Let Us Be Thankful: Thanksgiving Quotes
I hope that you all have kicked off your (hopefully long) Thanksgiving weekend well and are looking forward to the next couple of days -- I know I have & I am! Thanksgiving really kicks off the holiday season, propelling me into a December delirium of happiness and busyness. Amidst all of the parties, presents, tree lightings, endless sounds of Christmas music and holiday shopping commercials, and everything that comes along with the holiday season, I think it's important to remember the true meaning of it all. Thanksgiving typically centers around lots of food, football, drinks, and fun with loved ones, but celebrating the holiday is really about acknowledging all of the things in your life that you're thankful for. I have a laundry list of wonderful people and things to be grateful ... [Read More]
