Sunday, my only day off!

I just thought about something...

Sunday is my only day "off" of work and school. I go to a meeting, but that is something that I enjoy, and I usually spend the rest of the day doing whatever fun stuff I can jam in to the waking hours.

Here is a recap of a typical Sunday for me:

Early morning, wake up and go see "Gampa" in MC, and then once the baby is settled, go to a meeting with my lovely friends.

Head back around 1pm and put the baby down for a nap.

*Insert random fun thing here.* Sometimes I bake, read, shower, do hw (yes, it's fun to me), cook, plan...etc

Today, that fun thing was going for a run in the FREEZING cold. It was so cold, my toes began to feel numb! It was bad. But, I made it three miles in 40 minutes, which is pretty good for me. I really wanted to go for a run out on the Nature Trail on Lake Michigan, but it was snowing by the lake so I opted out. My run was just as nice.


After my run, I came in, made a protein shake and warmed up. Telepathically, my son woke up to the sound of me walking up the stairs. I got him up, and then we snuggled for a while until he wanted to play.  He's so sweet. Carressing my face, hugging me and kissing me, saying, "Mama". I don't want him to get any bigger!!!! Just too cute.


The boys (my son and my "nephew" Clay--both too cute for words) wanted shrimpies for linner, so I made them that with an awesome raspberry kiwi fruit salad. Doesn't this look da'bomb? Yeah, and both fruits were ripe and juicy, so it was super fresh and sweet.

They ate together. Alexzander usually eats in his highchair and normally the TV is off during meals, but I was feeling nice on this weekend day. Here they are eating lunch together. Yes, my son is not wearing any pants, with knee high tube socks and some retro looking tennis shoes form "Gampa". He wouldn't take them off, nor would he put pants on. He was happy, so I let him be.

 I cleaned up and then started a batch of lentils and grains for supper. Such a funny word that is, but I like using it. It turned out delicious, especially after Alexzander and I went  swimming at the pool. I wish I could take pics of him swimming because he is SUCH a good swimmer. He is not afraid one bit!! He scoots around the entire edge of the pool, jumps in by himself, kicks and moves his legs and arms to swim, and doesn't mind going under water. He is amazing. I am so proud that he loves the water, because as a child, I HATED the water. My brother threw me into the deep end all of the time until I got used to it. That was a dreadful experience. I hope that by taking him early, and having him swim 3-4x per week, I can get him swimming by 2 or 3 years old and I won't have a problem teaching him later on. 

After dinner, we played and then watched a Disney movie before bed. It was so relaxing. He went down around 8:30,and then I went and prepared my weekly snacks and my breakfast smoothie for tomorrow. I would much rather lose 30 minutes the night before than wasting time frantically doing things in the morning, half asleep.

My smoothies have been awesome lately, and the one I have prepped for tomorrow is spinach, raspberries, and blueberries, with hemp, C, Glutamine, coconut water, acai juice, carrot juice and 3 scoops of true vitality protein powder. I always blend it extra long, and it is smooth and creamy. SO yum.


 OH, I almost forgot!!!! The best part about prepping now is being able to WEIGH things on my new KITCHEN SCALE!!! Found it for 15$ at COSTCO!!! Talk about deal, baby!!!!! The labels for food always give portion sizes in oz, g, or cups so I wanted to be able to track exactly what calories I was consuming. It REALLY helps!!! I bagged up 5 dried fruit and nut baggies for this weeks shuffle (school, work, nannying...etc). Each one is for my midday snack ~ 300 calories.


For each mini meal I try to consume no more than 300 calories, 5x per day. That equals 1500 calories, and with the mild to moderate workouts I do each day, I am sure that I can slenderize the last few areas on my list.





What are YOUR days off like??? Do you do fun stuff or do you prepare for the rest of the work week? Do you relax or do you run and get things done?? I'd love to hear!

My morning ritual.

This is my breakfast nook. Every morning, I wake up, turn on the Keurig and start breakfast for my son (organic, free range scrambled eggs and sauteed mushrooms, with fresh fruit and toast--yes, he eats all of that!!).

While he is puttering around, my cup of coffee is happily brewing, and the mushrooms are cooking, so I can start on my breakfast.

Since the last week in December, I have started on a liquid breakfast. It works well for me, and it last at least 3-4 hours, which is what I need. I usually have several drinks in the morning: black coffee (organic/fair trade--yes kcups do make great coffee choices!!), my breakfast smoothie, and then my homemade "vitamin water".

The best part of smoothie breakfast is that I can do it in 5 minutes. I have all of the ingredients (beside the fruit and juices) in one place, along with my blender bullet. It was the best Christmas gift my Dad ever gave me.

Here is the ingredients/directions on my smoothie and vitamin water.

Protein Fruit Smoothie:
1 serving protein powder  (preferably > 15g of protein)
fresh fruit
1/2 cup ice
fruit juices (my faves are carrot, lemon, and acai) (aprox. 1/2 cup total)
spinach (if you want extra green--sometimes i omit)
vitamin c powder
glutamine poweder
chia seed
1 squirt  stevia sweetener (the vitamin c and lemon juice make it a bit sour)
splash of unsweetened almond milk

Blend for at least 1 minute. The longer you blend, the better then stuff is broken down, making it easier for you to absorb it. I read somewhere that studies show people stay fuller for longer if they blend their smoothies longer. I'll find that info and update this blog when I do.

Enjoy!!!

Vitamin H2O
2 cups brewed wooyi green tea
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp acai juice
2 tbsp carrot juice
chia seed
Vitamin C powder
Glutamine powder
ice
1 squirt of stevia

Shake up, chill, and drink all day to stay dosed up on your essential vitamin C and EFA's (essential fatty acids). I usually like to drink it to take my other vitamins because the chia seeds become kind of silky, helping the vitamins go down.

Tell me if you try these drinks. They are so YUMMY.

<3 Amelia

I need bread taste testers.

Black Bean Brown Rice

Agave Oat

Agave Oat and the Black Bean Brown Rice, cut.

A "buttered" slice of the Agave Oat. Check out those morsels. MMM.

 

I am making a list of people willing to taste test my bread. Comment with your name if you are willing.
 

There are conditions tho...

1.) Must have access to a toaster.
2.) Must be willing to be honest.
3.) Must be willing to pick up samples or cover shipping costs if not around this area. If I see you regularly then you're off the hook.
4.) Must give me feed back within 1-2 business days.
5.) Must give me a list of your allergies (if there are any rare ones) so I am sure to avoid them. I do use coconut and almond flour occasionally, along with flaxseed and chia. 
6.) Must be willing to keep track of each bread, and compare them to each other. I can provide journals/pictures/pens if needed. 

I have been using my mother and son, but they are always so nice. It would be nice to have people to REALLY are willing to tell the truth. I like all of my bread, whether it sucks or not. I don't know why, but I think it is because I just love bread so much. So, that being said, I really need some objective information.

Also, I would really like to know how it fairs in comparison to other national chain allergy free breads. I am willing to sell this at an extremely low cost because it is imperative that all of us--allergy sufferer or not-- should be able to have yummy bread, but it has to compare, if not OUTSHINE my competitors.

Thank you, and PLEASE comment if you are willing. I hope to start sampling this weekend, if I am not psycho from physics and orgo.

LOVE!!!!!

<3 Amelia

RECIPE: millet bread (gf, vegan, nut free)

It has been a while since I did any recipe posts. I decided to make it a point to do this one, mostly because it was DELICIOUS!

I got the inspiration from GingerLemonGirl, so thanks for posting your idea! You have made gf eating easier, and now that you also focus on vegan recipes too, I love you even more!

Okay, here is my adopted version:

1cup millet flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup arrowrroot starch
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup rice milk
3tbsp coconut oil
1 flax egg (1tbsp flax meal + 3tbsp hot water, combined)

First, preheat oven tp 450*.

Measure the coconut oil out and add to saucepan on low to melt. Add milk. Bring to warm temp. Turn off heat.  Add flax egg.

Measure and whisk all dry ingredients.

Combine wet and dry, just until mixed.

Add 1/2 tbsp coconut oil to baking pan, put in oven to melt, spread to grease pan.

Add batter to pan. Cook for 20 minutes, or until done (test with cake tester or toothpick).

Let sit for 5 minutes and then slice, "butter", and enjoy!

<3 amelia

Sprouting: day 1

Everyone knows it is important to eat your vegetables. According to the food guide pyramid from ages ago, the daily requirement was only 3-5 servings, of approximately 1/2 cup of fresh or steamed vegetables. Now, researches are professing that a diet RICH in plant life is not only beneficial to your health, it is NECESSARY for proper cellular functioning.

Vegetables, all of them, have micronutrients. Micronutrients are the minerals and vitamins that your body needs for cellular growth, repair and metabolism. Without micronutrients, our bodies begin to breakdown, cell by cell, and start to decompose, causing more possibilities for cancer and disease to thrive.

My favorite new way to sneak in my vegetables is through SPROUTS!

Sprouts are the shoots and roots formed from germinating seeds and nuts. Not only do you get the benefit of eating the seed or nut, but you also get all of the wonderful benefits of the green plant life that's just emerging from their tiny seed coats.

This week I started making my own sprouts, because there are so many benefits.
1. I buy organic seeds and nuts, so I know my sprouts are 100% organic. Hard to say it they are store bought.
2. Cheap, cheap cheap! I bought the sprouting jar for 4$, and my starter seeds (18oz) for 6$, both at a health food store. The amount of sprouts you get for on Tbsp of seeds is equal to one cup of full grown sprouts. You do the math...
3. It brings a refreshing dose of newly generated oxygen to the kitchen, a place where I spend a lot of time.
4. I can have several jars going, to have a constant supply of fresh sprouts for salads, sandwiches, stirfrys, and MORE.

I already know that my investment in fresh, organic produce is important, but growing my own makes me feel like my footprint on earth is diminishing a little bit.

How to start sprouting:
1. Buy a glass sprouter jar, with a mesh lid, or make your own with a large mason canning jar. Replace the flat metal seal with a mesh piece.
2. Buy organic seeds (any will do!)
3. Rinse seeds, pick out broken ones, and then soak over night.
4. Drain seeds, add to jar.
5. Place jar in dark, warm area. Avoid excess heat and moisture. > 80* is too high.
6. Rinse 2x/day.
7. Once shoots appear, put in semi light.
8. Grow until 4in tall. Transfer to open container. Add water occasionally.
9. Cut, and use immediately, or allow to continue to grown until ready to use.

I am starting a new batch, so I thought I would blog about the process. This picture is the seeds soaking overnight.

Do you eat sprouts? Do you grow your own? If so, let me know! I would love to hear from you!

Goji berry power cookies

Today, I wanted to do something special for grandpa Gordo's birthday, so I made power cookies!
Eating sweets is my biggest downfall, and I've been tempted lately. Good thing I didn't have enough money at the gas station, or else I would've had two peanut butter cookies this morning!
My willpower was fading, and with the occasion of a birthday, I decided to be creative and make a healthy treat. We must eat to live, not live to eat, remember, so let's not be guilty about indulgences every once and a while.
Here is the recipe.
Goji Berry power cookies
Preheat oven to 350*.
Prepare your cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with an olive oil non stick spray.
Gather ingredients:
Dry:
1/3 cup Coconut flour
1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup dried organic goji berries
1/2 cup gluten free oats
1/8 cup 100% organic cacao nibs
Flax egg:
1 tbsp ground flax seed
3 tbsp hot water
Wet:
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1/3 cup cooked butteernut squash
1 whole peeled and grated zuccini
1. Take the hot water, and put the ground flax seed, and stir. Set aside. This is the "egg".
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with a wisk to uniformly aerate it.
3. Melt the coconut oil, and combine it with the sugar, zuccini, squash, and flax "egg". Mix thoroughly.
4. Slowly fold the wet mix into the dry mix. Batter should be sticky and formed, not runny.
5. Use 1/8 cup scoop, and scoop batter onto greased/lined baking sheet. (I also did some in cupcake tins, and it worked out great.)
This recipe yields up to 2 dozen, depending on size of scoops.
This recipe is chalk full of protein, fiber, fruit, and veggies, not to mention the essential fatty acids found in omega 3, 6, and 9. This is great for breakfast on the run, or for a snack. Since the amount of sugar and carbs are low, and there are complete proteins in them, they will not spike blood sugar levels.
All of the ingredients, if not stated, were organic. I just got really annoyed with typing it over and over again.
Each cookie is approximately 69 calories, which come majorly from the coconut oil, and seeds. There are 7 g of protein in each cookie.

Mixed Veggie Sautee with Rice Noodles

Today, I was craving carbs. Being GF, I chose a rice noodle by Tinkyada, which is by far my #1 choice for any pasta/noodle out there. Great texture, firmness and taste.

I have been on an eggplant kick, and I had a very firm, small, deep pruple eggplant that I picked up from the Winter Garden Farmer's Market, which diced up beautifully.

For this recipe I used:

2Tbsp EVOO
1TBsp minced garlic
1TBsp minced white onion
1tsp minced ginger
1/2 c. Eggplant chopped
1/2 c. Zuccinni chopped
10 cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 c. baby bella mushrooms sliced
1tsp. Seasoned salt

1 cup rice noodle (boiled and drained)

I sauteed the first four ingredients to bring out the flavors, then added the tomatoes, eggplant, mushroom and then finally the zucinni. I gave each veggie a minute or two to sautee before adding the next. The order pertains to how long each veggie takes to cook. (I like well done eggplant, but tender zucinni!)

After the veggies are all done, season them with salt (and pepper, if you like that) and pour over 1 cup rice noodles. Stir, and enjoy!

LIFESTYLE: Vegan Mama lost 15lb in 50 days

I wanted to write a quick post on how adopting a gluten free vegan diet (plant based) change my mind, body and spirit.

This isn't done yet and it needs revision.

My interest in a vegan diet began when I started taking a Hinduism class in January 2012. I was advised that this course, if you could fit it into your schedule, was one of the best ones around. This course was taught by Prof. George, in the theology department. The Hindu culture, coming from little that I knew about it, was always intriguing to me because of their interesting lifestyle (music, dance, attire, and intellectual level) and so I decided to learn more. What I learned was that they practice a whole different lifestyle over in India, including diet and how they practice medicine (Ayurvedic) and because of this, they are often healthier.

One of the biggest things in life is remembering this key piece of advice: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

The more you know about anything in life actually makes you the wiser person. You know why? When you don't know something, you are unaware of all the intricacies about that specific thing. Being ignorant is not bliss. People get diseases because they do not know that things are harmful to them, such as inflammatory causing reagents (which can include but not be limited to: food, drugs, hormonal imbalances, and mineral/vitamin deficiencies).

I briefly will state what has helped me change my life from being ~147 pounds to a slim, but not YET sculpted, 132 pounds in ~1.75 months. That is 15lbs in 50 days. The best part is, I am just beginning to have time to work out like I want. Imagine when I have the summer to train fully, every day, and not slip up because of stressful moments. Anyways, I was talking on a rant to myself...motivation!

The things that helped me lose 15lb in 50 days:

Going Vegan.

Going Gluten Free.

I also started moving: dancing, singing, crawling on the floor, picking up sticks in the yard, doing laundry....etc. Something little every day. The summer is approaching and what a better way to enjoy the nice weather than with a little bit out sunshine and activity.

Don't laugh, but when I took Alexzander in his first bike ride on the back of mine, I had him wearing a pink helmet because that was all they had. I am returning it but he is a darn cutie not matter what color he wears!!!

Do it all, especially incorporating you FAMILY....Even babies. They love the food, love the activity

These are my tips, next moment that I take a break from studying or when I actually have time, I will post pics of my before pants and after pants, and you will be like shazam?!

**This next part is a revision**

I am now 8 months into my lifestyle change, and I can honestly say, I haven't been perfect, but I have made PROGRESS.

In the news I have heard of SO many celebrities switching to a plant based lifestyle, and I do not know if it is because more fitness/nutrition trainers are reading more about them, and passing along the info to their clients, or if the celebs are just reading more about it on their own, but either way, I am HAPPY for them!!! Way to go!! Some new Vegan's in the spotlight include: Arian Foster, Pink, Natalie Portman,...etc. It's awesome to see that they are adopting this lifestyle, and feeling miraculous because of it!! 

Courtesy of PETA

RECIPE: Spicy Thai Tofu Stir Fry

Tonight I wanted to try a new vegan protein, so I decided to turn to tofu.
Honestly, I don't like using soy products, because of the various problems it can cause different people (I sometimes have stomach issues if I eat too much of it.), but I think that everyone can gain benefits from using a variety of foods, so try it! I shall repeat, I eat soy only in MODERATION (once/month at the most).

I was feeling like a nice Thai influenced recipe, so look for the ingredients that originate from Thailand throughout this recipe :-)

The ingredients are as follows:
(serves ~2)

4 Tbsp EVOO (I did 3-4 circles in the pan...)
4 Tbsp Low Soduim Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Coconut milk
Ginger seasoning
Curry seasoning
1 Tbsp red onion
1 jalepeno
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 package Extra Firm Tofu
2 large zucinni or yellow squash
1/2lb asparagus
1 cup mini portabella mushrooms
1/2 cup cauliflower

1 cup cooked brown rice

1.) In large wok or pan, add EVOO, Soy Sauce and minced garlic, diced Jalepeno (I used the seeds to make it spicy, but you can omit if you don't like spice) and minced red onion. Let all ingredients simmer on high heat, until you smell the aromas of the veggies.

2.) Remove tofu from package, drain water and cut into 1 inch pieces. Add to pan. Allow the tofu to cook on medium heat for ~8-10 minutes to absorb the flavors so that you are not left eating a bland tofu. It soaks up whatever flavors it is cooking with very readily.

3.) While the tofu is cooking, chop all remaining vegetables into bite sized pieces. Add to pan after 8-10 minutes of the tofu cooking. Add the coconut milk and stir to combine all ingredients. Cover for 15 minutes or until all veggies are tender.

4.) Serve over 1/2 cup brown rice for a complete protein filled meal. This is not only low calorie, but also a complete protein with the vegetables, tofu and and brown rice.

Enjoy!!!

If you have nutritional questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I guestimated this recipe to have 320-380 calories per serving.