Rock on!

I have to start tonight's post with this little guy – my little Rocker!

He sees it…..

And he’s in for the kill!

Love it!

 

Here is what I have been filling my belly with as of late.

I am pretty much obsessed with this chocolate shake.

Almond milk + tablespoon unsweetened cocoa + chocolate amazing grass + ice + agave or honey to taste + PB = get in my belly!

Salads – I am hooked on my salads again!

Romaine + great northern beans + raw sunflower seeds + black olives + artichoke hearts + red onion + avocado + Amy’s Goddess dressing = nom nom nom… I couldn’t stop eating!

Confession time:

I don’t understand the hype. At all.

The entire blogger world is OBSESSED with Barney Butter but I just don’t understand. In fact, I was a little disappointed to see so many other ingredients listed besides almonds. Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Fruit Oil, Sea Salt. Ok, I admit they are healthy ingredients, but why? I love the taste of natural ground almonds without anything else.

:sigh: Well, that means more for you! lol

I had it on an organic gala apple – man, this was a GOOD apple!

J had some apple pieces as his snack – this kid LOVES fruit!

And thanks to Jessica I had to make some kale chips today! (Just say NO to peer pressure!)

The only bad thing is that they make me burp – anyone else? Oh well, I still love them!

J and I headed over to a friends house for her daughters 2nd birthday party. She is such a doll! We stayed for about an hour – it was great to get out of the house and see them!

Dinner was homemade pizza – YUM!

My side had mozzarella cheese, yellow bell pepper, black olives, onion, artichoke hearts and basil. Marc’s side had pepperoni and onion. Soooo good!

I had once piece then headed to the gym for a sweaty workout – very much needed!

Hope everyone had a great day!

Safeway Winner and quick weekend update

The winner from my Safeway 50$ give away was number 5, Christina from This Maven’s Menu!

Congratulations Christina! I will be emailing you to gather your information!

So my weekend went by quickly, too much food, too many beers and not enough time. =) I made an AWESOME pizza for our Superbowl party, too! But, um…. I forgot to snap a picture! =(

I have received a lot of feed back and emails from people stating that they miss my daily eats photos. Don’t worry, I will be updating on a daily basis still!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun weekend!

Movie Time Alternatives

There is no doubt that when you pop in a movie you automatically want to nosh on finger foods; specifically salty popcorn or sweet candy and soda. I am no different. I do “treat” myself to a little helping of my husbands popcorn, butter held, or my favorite candy when I go to the movie theater. However, I know this is not healthy and I end up wasting all that I bought.

I wanted to come up with some healthy and clean eating snacks the entire family can enjoy AND still be healthy.

Did you know the average movie popcorn and soda combo has over 1,600 calories and enough saturated fat to last 3 days – 60 grams! These stats have been compared to eating 3 McDonald’s Quarter Pounders WITH 12 pats of butter. Wow – I am literally shocked and speechless. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has done an entire article on this subject.

Ok, so you are staying in for the night and popping up your own bag of popcorn – great! Well…. not really. Here is a quote from an article stating the dangers of microwave popcorn:

A report from the FDA indicates that a chemical coating used in microwave popcorn bags breaks down when heated into a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA). The Environmental Protection Agency has identified PFOA as a “likely carcinogen.” Another study has found an acid that can be extracted from the chemical causes cancer in animals and is “likely to cause cancer in humans.”

A second potential danger in microwave popcorn is diacetyl, an FDA-approved chemical found in the fake butter flavoring. There’s even a debilitating respiratory disease called “popcorn workers lung,” (the medical name of the condition is bronchiolitis obliterans) suffered by microwave popcorn factory workers caused by extended inhalation of the chemical’s fumes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH) concluded that diacetyl needs further study so that workers in the flavorings and snack industry are no longer at risk.

No comment – I leave the decision up to you.

Now that I have you all worried that your favorite movie time snack is gone from your life forever and you will be snacking on the crumbs that are in your couch cushion, here are some healthy yet satisfying alternatives! I promise – popcorn is at the top of the list!

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POPCORN

Making your own is simple, easy and my favorite way to eat it! Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil or grapeseed oil in a large pot, heat on medium. Immediately put 2 kernels into the pot. Once these kernels have popped scoop 1/3 of a cup of popcorn kernels and place in the pot. Cover and wait until the popcorn has started to pot. Now start shaking the pot back and forth, allowing some of the steam to escape. Once popping has slowed remove from heat, uncover and enjoy! Sprinkle some sea salt on it or nutritional yeast for a buttery alternative.

APPLE AND CARROT SLICES WITH ALMOND BUTTER

Apples and nut butter are my all time favorite snack, hands down. The apple and carrot, yes carrot, adds a sweet taste to the almond butter. I love almond butter because it is low in saturate fat and high in monosaturated fat. This is a snack everyone can enjoy!

PITA BREAD ANS HUMMUS

Hummus is wonderful when you are having a salty or savory craving. Chickpeas contain the necessary folate and magnesium to support a healthy heart. Plus they are high in fiber to support a healthy digestive system. Pair hummus with whole wheat pita bread or veggie sticks.

TRAIL MIX

I am not talking about pre made bags of trail mix – these contain an unhealthy amount of sodium, sugar and oil. Making your own is fun, great tasting and healthy! I love going to the bulk bins and stocking up on raw, unsalted cashews, almonds, dried fruit and either dark chocolate chips or carob chips. Mix up your own batch for that crunchy, sweet and “salty” movie time or ANYTIME snack.

FROZEN GRAPES

Mindless eating stops here. You can be happy about what you are popping into your mouth with frozen grapes. Crunchy and sweet just like candy!

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I know that these alternatives will not work for when you go to the movie theater. AND I know how hard it really is to pass up the snack counter. My tip is to share. Get a small popcorn, hold the butter and a medium soda and share with the person(s) you are watching the movie with. While I DO NOT promote bring in outside food to the movie theater, I always seem to have some dark chocolate in my purse for that chocolate craving. But that’s between me and you!

Fiber One review + 50$ gift card to Safeway!

 

I was contacted by MyBlogSpark to participate in a review of Fiber One’s Yogurt. As a huge yogurt fan, I accepted. Not only did I receive a coupon for a free 4-pack of Fiber One’s yogurt, I was also given a 50$ coupon to spend freely at any Safeway store – how awesome is that!

They come in 4oz containers of  either peach, vanilla and strawberry. Perfect size for an on the go snack. They are only 50 calories, 0 fat and 5 grams of fiber, too.

Cute, huh!

I sampled the strawberry flavor.

It had a smooth consistency… sadly this was the only thing I liked about this yogurt. It was very sweet for my liking and after one bite I could instantly tell there was artificial sweetener in it – yuck.! I am so used to wonderful Greek yogurt that I cannot stand anything else.

Sorry Fiber One – you did not gain a fan with me nor did you win my Clean Eating seal of approval.

I would much rather get my source of fiber from fruit, vegetables and beans. A medium apple with skin contains 4.5 grams, one entire medium avocado contains 13 grams and one cup of cooked parsnips has 5.5 grams… plus these taste much better!

Safeway has been so generous that they are giving away ONE FREE 50$ Gift Card to their store! Not sure if there is a Safeway around you? Click here to view their locations! I will be drawing a name Monday, the 8th, in the morning.

All you need to do is leave a comment stating how you get your daily fiber. Easy!

Grocery List (part 1)

I have been receiving emails asking me what my staple foods are in my house. I usually answer each and every one but I decided that I would like to share with my readers what I buy and keep on hand.

I am going to focus on produce – my favorite!

I ALWAYS try to shop locally first. Food co-ops, farmers markets or looking for those wonderful “local” signs in the supermarkets. But in the winter it makes it near impossible. I also buy the majority of my groceries organic.

When you buy organic you do more than just preventing pesticides from being digested, you are making a HUGE impact on individuals and the environment.

• Cleaner water used and less chemicals leeching into our soil
• Cleaner air since there are no spray chemicals being used
• No growth hormones
• Protecting the farmers health as they are not breathing the chemicals
• Farmers who use organic methods are more likely to care about the Earth and the environment, making their footprint as small as possible.

Here is a website that quickly, yet effectively, explains why organic is the best choice. Can’t buy ALL organic produce, or is still a little unsure as to which you should choose? Here is a list of The Dirty Dozen.

Ok, back to the topic.

I love shopping for produce. The array of colors and smells excite my senses and I feel so good knowing that I am treating my body well.

So here it is: my go-to produce list

• Greens – baby spinach, romaine hearts, kale
• Apples
• Carrots
• Beets
• Celery
• Onion – red and yellow
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Strawberries, or any other berry that is available
• Sweet Potato / Yam
• Brussels Sprouts
• Broccoli

Other items that I pick up on a bi-weekly basis or when I get the urge:

• Bell Pepper – red or yellow
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Tomatoes
• Fingerling potatoes
• Pears
• Spring Mix
• Bok Choy
• Citrus – oranges, Clementine's, grapefruit
• Butternut Squash

Since I love juicing I do end up having a larger produce bill. BUT I simply love the way fresh juice tastes and makes me feel! It is a necessity in my diet.

This list will change from season to season. In the summer it is loaded with a lot more fruit but I simple cannot stand mealy, tasteless fruit in the winter. =( I miss my cantaloupe and watermelon!

Stay tuned for more of my Grocery List posts in the near future!