HEALTHY Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls!

Ingredients:

½ cup oats

1/8 cup sunflower seeds

1/8 cup pumpkin seeds

¼ cup currants

1/3 cup cooked quinoa

2 T. chia seeds

½ cup of peanut butter

1 T. honey

Splash of vanilla

Directions:
Mix everything together and form into balls :)  It should make about 12 balls of amazing goodness!

Makes a great breakfast on the go!

Sunday Morning Breakfast!

I'm on spring break this week!!!  Ten days off to relax, spend time with friends and family, catch up on movies and reading.... SO excited!!!  My friend and I have also started P90X.  I'm doing the workouts but am not following the meal plan.  I'm also starting a running plan so P90X might have to be on my non running days or something once running gets more intense.  Right now I can easily do both.

Here is an easy and yummy breakfast I made today. 

Take 1/2 cup of Fiber One pancake mix and mix it with 1/3 cup plus a little extra.  Then pour it into a skillet on the stove.  Cook it as usual and plate it.  Then in the same skillet, add 1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries and 1/8 cup of syurp.  Heat until berries are no longer frozen and pour on top of pancakes :)  Enjoy!

In the past I've also topped them with slivered almonds but I didn't have any on hand today!  Another similiar recipe is to take a Kashi waffle and top it with cottage cheese and the berry mixture :)

DIY Pizza

I'm back from yoga class and hungry!  What a great night to whip up a quick DIY pizza :)  I took a Trader Joe's pita, topped it with some pizza sauce, added some fresh basil, mozarella cheese and it was ready for the oven.  It would be great topped with some additional veggies but I was in a hurry!  Put it under the broiler for 5 minutes and you have yourself a speedy and yummy meal :)

Happy Sunday!

Today is off to a great start!  Why?  Because it's weigh in day!!!  Last Saturday I met with a wellness consultant who helped me develop some strategies for healthier eating and meal planning.  All week I felt better and had more energy however today was the day to get quantitative data to show if her plan was working.  The result- I lost 1.8 pounds which is more that I lost the whole month of February let alone in one week.  I know many people loose much more than 1.8 pounds but for me anything more than .2 is something to celebrate :)

Last night was fun!  I had friends over for a wine night.  We had lots of amazing, healthy, organic food along with some pizza rolls that someone brought!  They were yummy too though!  I'm so not a food snob!

Photo by Sarah Kim

This morning I slept in, surfed the internet while I drank my daily lemon water and now I'm finally getting around to breakfast- at nearly 11am!  Today's breakfast is a Peanut Butter and Banana Chia Breakfast Bowl which is AMAZING despite how it looks in the picture.

Peanut Butter and Banana Chia Breakfast Bowl
2 tablespoons of chia seeds
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 tablespoon goi berries
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 banana
1 glob of peanut butter (I like Peanut Butter and Co White Chocolate Wonderful)
drizzle of honey

1. Place chia seeds, hemp seeds, and goji berries in a tiny cup.  Add water, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes. 
2. While you're waiting, grab a cereal bowl slice 1 banana and add a glob (technical term) of peanut butter on top.
3. After 5 minutes, scoop out the seeds and put them on top of your banana.  Also add the pumpkin seeds.  Mix, drizzle with honey, and serve.

This is SO yummy and super healthy!  Have a great Sunday!!!

The Most Amazing Recipe That You Will Ever See Posted Online In Your Entire Life!!!

I <3 Almond Butter Brownies!!!  I cannot even tell you how amazing, wonderful, fabulous, etc. etc. these brownies are.  LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Photo by Amanda Skrip

Speedy Quesadillas!

Thanks to Amanda for allowing me to resist the urge to get takeout of some sort and instead go home to make my own dinner- even if I'm STARVING!  Here is a great healthy and super speedy quesadilla recipe for a busy weeknight.

Ingredients:
Ezekiel tortilla
Beans of your choice
Cheese of your choice
Salsa
Spinach
Olive Oil
Greek Yogurt (if desired)

Directions:
Place your tortilla on a baking sheet and brush them with a small amount of olive oil.  Then lay down the cheese that you have selected on half of the tortilla.  Next put some beans on top of the cheese followed by a scoop of salsa and some spinach.  Then put them under your broiler for 3 minutes.  Flip and cook 1-2 minutes on the other side.  That's it!  Dinner in 6 minutes!

I like to serve mine with a side of sour cream (aka Greek yogurt!) and salsa :)  Yumm!

Chopped Salad Shaker with creamy hummus dressing!

Here is an amazing chopped salad that I made today!  <3 it!

You can use whatever veggies you want however I used:
romaine
spinach
green pepper
green onion
avocado
tomatoes

And also:
beans
feta cheese

Put together in a bowl that has a lid.  In another bowl that has a lid mix together 2 T. hummus with 2 T. water.  Put the lid on and shake the dressing to mix it.  Then pour the dressing on top of the salad, put the lid on that bowl and shake some more.

Enjoy and have a great start to your week :)

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas!

Well today is the day- the day to get back on track.  I got really frusterated when I made awesome choices  and didn't see the change on the scale.  Yesterday afternoon, I met with a wellness coach and she reminded me that if it took all of college to get to a place where I was unhappy with my weight, it will take a bit of time to loose it too!  She thought now was a great time to get the ball rolling with weight loss and it will speed up in the summer when people typically eat lighter and are more active.  So armed with her words of encouragement, I start off again today with new goals:

1. Start my day with a glass of lemon water.
2. Eat.  (I often go all day without eating and then eat too much for dinner).
3. Include protein in each meal but especially at breakfast!

Here is yet another picture of mush in a bowl.  I feel like most of what I like to eat is just a concoction of a ton of things mixed together- but it's so yummy!  It tastes SO MUCH better than it looks!

I started out last night by soaking 1/2 cup of steel cut oats in the fridge with some water.  Then this morning I drained the water, put the oats into a saucepan and added 1 1/2 cups of water.  Then I brought it to a boil.  After it was boiling I reduced it to a simmer and stired from time to time.  It takes about 25 minutes however during the last 5 minutes I added in my fruit (1 chopped apple and 1 banana), spice (1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon), and protein (2T of peanut butter).  I though this recipe would be amazing with Peanut Butter Co's Mighty Maple or The Bees Knees but I happened to have Dark Chocolate Dreams on hand and that was also pretty great!  If you do WW then it's 6 points plus per serving :)

I'm off to file taxes (maybe... I didn't get the car donation info yet!), get some work done, and workout later tonight... Happy Sunday everyone!

ABCs of Karen!

A. Age: 24
B. Bed size: A super comfy queen :)
C. Chore you dislike: Putting away clothes
D. Dogs: I love pugs but don't have any dogs.
E. Essential start to your day:  I NEED my morning lemon water to get me started :)
F. Favorite color:  Green
G. Gold or silver:  Silver
H. Height:  5 foot, 4 inches
I. Instruments you play(ed):  Piano, recorder, violin, and clarinet.
J. Job title:  Special ed teacher :)
K. Kids: My school kids and friends' kids are good for now :)
L. Live:  Chicago, IL!!!
M. Mom’s name:  Teresa
N. Nicknames:  Kare, Pantalones
O. Overnight hospital stays:  None just late night ER trips!
P. Pet peeves:  adults acting like middle schoolers with their etiquette
Q. Quote from a movie: Hmmm... not sure
R. Righty or lefty:  Right
S. Siblings:  Scott (21) <3 him!  He is in the pic above!
T. Time you wake up:  If I’m going to work, 5am.  I have a 2 hour commute to work!
U. Underwear:  DKNY<3
V. Vegetables you don't like:  Raw cauliflower and broccoli.
W. What makes you run late: When I loose my keys!
X. X-rays you’ve had:  Jaw after a hayride accident, leg, foot, teeth, and I think that's it!
Y. Yummy food you make:  I'm just starting to get into cooking.  See below for recipes.
Z. Zoo animal favorites:  Ocean animals :)

Delicious Afternoon Snack

 



Warm up 1 tortilla, spread 1 tablespoon of Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut butter on the tortilla, add a banana, roll up!

Saturday Morning Breakfast!

I love Saturdays!  Today I slept in (till 7) and made an amazing breakfast bowl.  In a bit, I'm off to tutor and then meet with a family looking for a babysitter.  The day will end, and most Saturdays do, with a fun night out with my friends :)  Saturday is by far the best day of the week!

Here was my breakfast concoction this morning...
1 cup Strawberries
1/2 cup Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Cinnamon Burst Cherrios
1 tablespoon of honey (since I'm not used to Greek yogurt)

It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!  It's 4 Points Plus if you're doing WW.  Enjoy your Saturday!!!

Weekend with my Mom!

I tried out Rocks tonight with my mom since she wanted "American Food".  It's just down the street from my house.  Check out the dessert we split- not so healthy perhaps but yummy!  It's a fried snickers bar with ice cream :)

Tomorrow we're off for a spa day- my Christmas gift to my mom.  She's getting a 30 minute cinnamon sugar scrub followed by a 60 minute chocolate massage :)  I hope she loves every minute!

The World's Most Amazing Green Smoothie EVER!!!

I have heard about all the amazing health benefits of green smoothies and have been wanting to read Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko to learn more and get some good recipes.  Luckily, a good recipe came my way in one of Amanda Skrip's classes.  It is honestly the best smoothie I've ever had!  I followed the recipe as is, but you could also add some hemp powder for additional protein, vitamins, etc.

Ingredients:

1 cup of almond milk

1 cup frozen mango

½ frozen banana slices

Juice from 1 lime

1 large handful of baby spinach

Squirt of honey if desired

Mix in a blender and serve! :)  It makes about 1 tall glass with maybe a bit of a refill!

So everyone try this amazing green smoothie!  It makes a great breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack... anytime meal!

AND- if anyone is wondering, yes that is my Christmas tree in the background... it is nearly March- it NEEDS to go back in the closet till next year and soon!

Speedy Weeknight Dinner!

Ingredients:

1 tub of refrigerated tortellini

1 tub pesto

Almost one full bag of sun dried tomatoes

Directions:
1.  Cook up tortellini according to the directions on the package.
2. Mix drained tortellini with 1 tub of pesto and sun dried tomatoes.  Add parmesan cheese if you wish.

Serves 5

This is a great dish to whip up on a busy weeknight and only takes about 10 minutes to make!  One serving is 9 Points Plus and you could easily add some extra veggies to it such as asparagus :)

Old Town Oil

In line with Friday's post is another favorite shop of mine in the city- Old Town Oil.  They sell more varieties of olive oil and vinegar than I have ever seen in my life.  The shop also allows you to taste test the oil and vinegar by taking mini shots of whatever you'd like to try.  It's a great store if you want to start with the best ingredients!

Oven Baked Edamame!!!

This is so good!  Follow the same recipe posted a few days ago for Crispy Baked Chickpeas but use edamame instead (in the produce department at TJ's).  It's so amazing and is only 3 Points Plus per serving!!!

Spices Galore

One of the MANY things I love about living in Chicago are all the specialty stores.  Last summer I went on an amazing food tour.  One of the places we went was The Spice House.  This store sells... spices!  Everyone who works there has a culinary degree of some sort and every spice that is out on the shelf for sale has been ground and packaged within the last 3 days (if I remember correctly).  You honestly taste the difference when you use the very freshest spices!  This store is amazing!

Yummy Alternative to Chips!

Late at night it's easy to want something to munch while you're watching tv.  I went to the 3rd session of Natural Foods Boot Camp today led by Amanda Skrip and got an amazing recipe for crispy baked chickpeas that were so tasty.  Here is my twist on the recipe based on what spices I had on hand.

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) can of organic chickpeas

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of paprika

1/4 teaspoon of cumin

sprinkle of tumeric (because of it's anti cancer benefits)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 400.  

2. Toss drained and rinsed chickpeas with olive oil and spices.

3. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until browned and crunchy.  Sprinkle with additional salt and let cool.

Put in a tupperware container and keep for about 4 days (although you'll probably eat them all by then!!!).  2 Points Plus per 1/4 cup and WAY more vitamins than potato chips.

Super Bowl Sunday and A High Energy Breakfast!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!!  It's going to be a busy day for me and I knew I needed to start off with a good breakfast!  One of my favorite breakfasts that I always have on hand is my Yoplait Hemp Smoothie. Below is what you'll need to make it:

In a blender I mix 1 cup of almond milk with 1 serving of hemp protein powder.  Then I dump in the bag of Yoplait smoothie mix and turn the blender up to it's highest speed for a minute or so. 

It's 6 Points Plus for the whole blender full and it fills a tall glass.  I just used up my last bag of Yoplait Smoothie mix this morning so after this I might just use 2 cups of regular frozen fruit.  Yoplait smoothies are amazing but there is a lot of added stuff and the breakfast would be fewer points, less expensive, and "cleaner" if I used regular frozen fruit.

Out of all my yummy breakfast ideas, this one keeps me the fullest and gives me the most energy to start my day :)

Saturday Lunch- Brown Rice 'Risotto Style' and Roasted Asparagus :)

After a crazy blizzard and two days off of work, I had plenty of time this weekend to whip up some new recipes.  The blizzard kept me cooped inside and I got many of my normal "weekend chores" done early!  Below is my favorite pic of the storm... luckily I do not have a car!

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Thursday night I was finally able to dig myself out and attend a cooking class at my local Whole Foods store.  The class was led by Amanada Skrip and focused on grains.  I learned a lot of good recipes that I'm not sure I would be daring enough to try without Amanda showing us how to whip them up.  What I liked best was that she was close to my age and seemed to understand cooking for one or two and cooking on a budget because all her ideas on using grains seemed pretty fast and easy!

Today for lunch I whipped up a brown rice dish that we learned how to make and also roasted some asparagus that I got on sale for a side dish.  It was a yummy lunch for a cold winter day :)  I hope everyone had an amazing weekend!  Buckle up for the super bowl tomorrow!!!