Is going for it OK? January 27, 2011

What’s up, buttercups? I taught my 6 a.m. Pump class then headed to Starbucks for Awake tea and a breakfast “happy bowl” that I made last night at home. I liked the tea 😉

In the Happy Bowl

• organic fuji apple
• 1/4 avocado
• a few soaked almonds and pistaschios
• 2 chopped dates
• cinnamon
• 1 tbsp original tahini hummus

Yummy! Then studying for a while. Is it bad if they recognize you at the local Starbucks now?

I am in extreme like of the new BodyCombat, so I went back to the gym to take that, then home for lunch: a beast of a salad with carrots, celery, grape tomatoes, tabouli, hummus, and herb greens,…

…a bowl of 1/2 orange and kiwi slices

and a smooooooooooooothie!

Green Drink

Makes 2

• 1 cup coconut water
• sliced banana
• mixed fruit (strawberries, sliced peaches, mango) from a frozen mixed fruit bag that I defrosted
• handful of spinach
• 3 sprigs of mint
• 1/2 organic lemon with rind (I’m not sure I’d add that again, but I wanted to use what was in the refrigerator)
• toppings: 1 tbsp Naturally More, cacao nibs

It made enough for tomorrow’s breakfast: smoothie in a bowl!!! I forgot how nice it was to make breakfast at night since I haven’t had overnight oats in a while. I may have to bring those back for y’all! So selfless hehe 😉

After more studying, I made a quick snack since I knew that I was teaching Zumba. I wasn’t super hungry, but I feel like I teach better when I have a little fuel for the fire. Not sure if that was a good decision, but I had greek yogurt for protein with some mixed fruit and a few soaked mixed nuts.

 After a Zumba class, I wasn’t super hungry for dinner, but my mood was telling me that I needed food (you know what I mean?). Y’all can pray for me. Satan is after me with negative questioning of food as to over analyzing everything I’m eating again.

My parents were making spaghetti, so I tried to simulate their meal so that we could all eat together….

spinach noodles from Whole Foods with organic pasta sauce, a few steamed broccoli and cauliflower, black beans for protein, nutritional yeast, and spices all over a bed of spinach. I made a side salad just like the one at lunch and had an end piece of bread with some EVOO.

While battling in my head over the bread, I just decided to do it and have a glass of Charles Shaw Merlot. I’m feeling the acid now, but I just went for it.

I wasn’t even sure that I should have dessert, but, again, I went for it! I rolled with a Ball of Energy, a square of 100% cacao, and a random mix of chia seeds/warmed almond milk/special dark cocoa powder that I wanted to turn into “pudding” after I sat it in the frige, but no luck 😦 Blah! Oh well….

What is going on with me?!

Sorry, y’all! I’m praying against this spiritual warfare amidst the blessings God’s showing me. Tell me the happiest thing that happened to you this week.

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Detox Retox January 16, 2011

Evening, y’all! What in the world is up with football underdogs? WHOA!

Well, I held the hunger (and juicing) at bay until lunch time and was able to sneak some studying in. Then, this happened….

I pretty much through all the veggies I could find in the blender.

Serves 2

• 1/2 tomato
• a few carrots, chopped
• a yellow pepper cap
• a couple florets of broccoli
• a handful of spinach
• organic lemon with rind
• cup of filtered water

It’s like magic! Just press blend (and dream of a VitaMix), and ta dahhhh

It’s like Mira said at yesterday’s workshop: there’s no way that I could eat this many veggies, but juicing makes it easier to get it in.

I had a glass of green juice, a fuji apple with a Ball of Energy (dessert), and a “stuffed pepper” for lunch.

For the pepper, I just capped a yellow pepper (used the cap for juice), baked it at 350* for about 12 minutes…just enough to cook it a little and heat it up so that the edges are a little brown. Then, I stuffed it with quinoa, broccoli, and Craisin pilaf inspired by Real Simple. (Yay for saving time and a dish by cooking it all in 1 pot.)

To save time, I steamed the broccoli in with the quinoa while it was cooking. For 2 servings, I did 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup of water, 3 broccoli florets in the pot, then added about 1/3 cup of Craisins at the end to plump up in the water. Garnish with scallions and soaked almonds. The quinoa smelled so nutty while it cooked…yummy! The pilaf was a great balance of flavor and texture as the Craisins added just a hint of sweetness to the crunchy broccoli and pepper….and, look at the color!

It felt nice to take a little extra time on cooking lunch instead of throwing stuff together really quick, plus, now I have LEFTOVERS! hehe 😉

To continue with the detoxing, it was off to Hot 90 for me at Open Door Yoga. I was a sweaty mess…

After detoxing, why not re-tox? 😉 hehe We went to Rockford, and they just happen to have $5 wine night. I know it isn’t eating raw or detoxing my body to have wine, but it seemed like the right decision to make to catch up with one of my best friends. Let me introduce y’all to Merlot…

 I met one of my best friends at yoga then we went to dinner and FINALLY exchanged Christmas gifts…hey sometimes you have to  stretch it out, you know? (p.s. – i LOVE you, KT!)

I was going to order just a salad, but decided that I could have that anytime at home and to try something new…blackened tilapia with Asian spices in a cilantro-jalepeno tortilla filled with coconut slaw (YUM!) with a side of ratatouille (new food for the day) and a side of Thai chili sauce.  Usually, I would not order a wrap, but this sounded amazing, and I didn’t get a lot of protein at lunch, and Rockford had “buy 1 get 1 half off” on their large plates tonight. The ratatouille was amazing…eggplant, stewed tomatoes, squash. When I asked our waiter what was in it, he said, “Well it’s peasant’s dish.” If so, I’ll be a peasant. SOOOO YUMMY! Maybe I’ll watch the movie now 😉 It was definitely worth the indulgence…even the sauce was good.

Random, but this plate at the restaurant are the same plates that my family grew up eating on when I was little. Each dish is served on a different plate, so I felt really lucky and nostalgic to get to eat on this one again.

My friend, Katie, got a turkey burger with Monterey jack and cous cous. She said it was delish as well!

Katie and I both were craving tea, so as we parted, I headed straight for the store. I bought a Bedtime Tea and a Chai. Y’all, I have NEVER liked hot tea, but my palate craves it now. It’s so funny! I didn’t even want coffee…weird! So dessert happened at home…

• a Ball of Energy (the smallest one I made hehe)
• a square of 85% cocoa that was yummers (Mom was sweet enough to buy it for me)
• a frozen nanner blended with some almond milk in the blender topped with raspberries and blackberries (Is it OK to have 2 nanners in 1 day? I usually try to keep it at 1.)

And that’s a wrap…

Sweet dreams, bloggies!

More Than I Can Ask or Imagine January 13, 2011

What’s up, buttercups? After a SUPER FUN Zumba class tonight full of hard work and laughing (gotta love a party good workout), I made a random dinner of turkey chili, a glass of Duplin Christmas vino, a plate of steamed broccoli with nutritional yeast (new ingredient for the day…I’m trying to up the B12), and a NM&J (Naturally More and jam) Rise & Shine muffin. I had to get in my daily dose of Naturally More. 😉

So yummy and full of flavas!

And dessert…an orange and my last square of 100% cacao. I’m not a huge fan on those chocolate oranges that you crack open, but this was a great mix! Plus, I had some Starbucks caramel coffee 😉

Maybe it’s the early morning Pump, but I have been draggin’ today, and I am NOT a napper. I feel guilty and like I could be doing so much more productive things.

I also wanted to just take a moment and say THANK-YOU so much for reading my little blog. It means more than y’all know. I began this as a writing “project” to keep me accountable, and I love writing. I can’t believe that you actually read it and support me and live life with me. Y’all are truly amazing and such an encouragement. This community has been beyond what I can imagine, so thank-you!

Ephesians 3:20-21 has been coming up daily in my life for the past 2 weeks. It says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Not only y’all, but there have been so many situations, conversations, experiences that have truly been more than all I could ask imagine!!! I have news that I’ll explain when I can ;), the support I’ve received for my South Africa trip has already been a rollercoaster ride of blessing, friendships, and all the answered prayer that I forgot that I even asked for. For example, my Mom joined a Bible study and has been going to church with me. My parents have an amazing group of Christian friends whom I love. I also fell in love in 2010. I fell in love with Christ. He answers prayers in ways above what I can’t ask or imagine…

Do you have an experience that has been above what you asked or imagined?