Last night I took my first class at my new gym - a nice & sweaty kickboxing session. When I got home from working out, I needed something to eat quick that would please my growling stomach, replenish my muscles with some protein, and also satisfy my mood for something chocolatey. I hadn't had dinner yet but it was kind of late, so I wanted something that could double as a nutritious little meal AND dessert. I knew just the thing to make, as I had picked up peppermint extract during my last grocery store run and was anxious to try it out. This smoothie did not disappoint! It's definitely my new favorite shake combo. Peppermint extract is the key to this recipe. It tastes like dessert, yet it can work for a meal or snack at anytime in the day. Peppermint Dark Chocolate ... [Read More]
healthy recipes
Strawberry Avocado Sunflower Seed Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
Hi there! My weekend has been filled with fun and gorgeous weather. Yesterday I researched some hiking spots in the area and we ventured out to explore one of them. Though we wound up not getting to the trail we had originally been aiming for, we still found a pretty area to get some exercise in. I think I'm almost getting used to having cows roaming around near me. We saw a couple of pretty deer frolicking in a field, and on our way back saw a man riding a BULL. I had no idea that riding a bull on the side of the road is a thing that people do nowadays. In response to this comment, Adam said, ''Well at least one guy does..." Yes I suppose! Today we had our first real beach day since moving to the Bay Area. We went to Santa Cruz, and there was not a cloud in the sky. When we got home from ... [Read More]
Peach Chia Smoothie
Last Saturday morning, I found myself staring at a ripe peach trying to think of what to do with it. While I did have time to whip up a fancy weekend breakfast, a waffle or pancake creation didn't seem appealing to me at the moment. I realized that what I was in the mood for was a smoothie. I peered into my fridge and cabinet and pulled out some ingredients that I thought would work well together... ...and this is what wound up being my breakfast: Including chia seeds added a bit of a crunch to my peach smoothie, which I was a fan of. Chia seeds upped the nutritional value of the smoothie, as they are a nice source of omega-3 fatty acid, fiber and antioxidants. Next time I'm going to try adding protein powder to this combo, but this recipe makes a nice refreshing smoothie as is. Peach ... [Read More]
Drunken Noodle Soup
Happy Friday everyone! I don't know about you all, but I'm super excited for the weekend. Got some fun things planned! In blog news, I updated the recipe page today. Go check it out! You may also notice that some new fonts and colors are making an appearance on my site. I'm fooling around with things to try to find a new look that I like. It might just take me 27 hours to figure out, but I'm learning and experimenting with it! Yesterday morning I had the second part of my root canal done. I'm not going to lie, I hated every minute of it, but I'm glad that it's over with. I noticed after the first part was done a few weeks ago that I'm now able to eat on the left side of my mouth without shooting pain, so it seems to be successful. WOO! As expected, my mouth was really sore ... [Read More]
Roasted-Vegetable Soup with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Last weekend was rainy, chilly, and low key - the perfect scenario to try making a new soup. My hubby recently gave me the Williams-Sonoma Soup cookbook, and I was itching to make a recipe from it. This is what I wound up making: The pesto adds a flavorful punch to this vitamin-packed soup. As usual, I altered the ingredient list a bit based on personal preference - i.e. I'm allergic to eggplant so I obviously nixed that; I used vegetable broth instead of chicken; I didn't have the leeks on hand that it called for. I started off with a ton of veggies.... ...which I chopped up, tossed in a baking dish and roasted until tender: From there, some pureeing, pulsing, and mixing was involved, but all in all, this soup was somewhat simple to make! I paired the soup with whole wheat pita ... [Read More]
Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie
I started off my day getting a root canal at the orthodontist bright and early. While it was certainly unpleasant, on the bright side, I actually liked the doctor. This is rare since I've had more than my fair share of nutty doctors and overly rough dentist experiences. She made me feel comfortable (well, as comfy as you can feel with objects forcing your mouth open), and totally reminded me of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Ha, remember that show? I'm not sure if I just have bad reactions to dental work, but I'm damn near useless the rest of the day after I have something done to my teeth. After my root canal this morning, I alternated between doing work from my couch and laying in the fetal position cuddling with Harley. I did get manage to get outside a bit. I wanted to at least do a bit ... [Read More]