Apple and Banana Breakfast Bowl!

I got this idea from Une Vie Saine and mixed it up a bit!  First I microwaved an apple on high for 90 seconds (next time I would peel it first though), then I poured myself a bowl of Banana Nut Cherrios.  I topped the Cherrios with the apple slices and a sliced banana.  Then I poured in 1/2 cup of almond milk and sprinkled cinnamon on top.  MMM!

If you're doing WW it's 7 points with 2 servings of cereal and 4 points with only one.  I made 2 but then didn't finish my bowl!

Have a wonderful Saturday :)

Backwards Day!

I'm having breakfast for dinner tonight using only 8 points plus :)

Egg White Sandwich
Morning Star Bacon
Clementine
V8

Have a great night everyone!  Anyone waking up super early to watch the royal wedding?!

Good news and bad news...

Good news... I lost 4.2 pounds my first week of WW!!!

Bad news... I figured out that one of the Almond Butter Brownies was 10 points :(  Sad!

Have an awesome Wednesday!

My Sunday Thus Far :)

I started Weight Watchers for real this time!  I think it will help to have a group of people to help me AND to get weighed in every week and to know that's coming.  So far I've made better choices and I plan to continue!

Breakfast: Waffle with 1/2 cup Cottage Cheese and Fresh Strawberries :)  This is so good and only 4 points!

Lunch: Salad with Buffalo Chicken Bites and Lite Ranch Dressing- 10 points.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Weekend with my Momma!

My mom is coming to town this weekend and I'm stocked with lots of yummy food to help us BOTH stick to our diets :)

Woohoo for a fun weekend with the most amazing woman I know!  I'm lucky to call her my mom!

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!