A Twist on an Egg Salad

I'm not a huge fan of egg salad, or any salad that isn't green or clumped together with mayo; plus the fact that I'm allergic to dairy makes me slightly biased. So, I don't like egg salad but I absolutely love eggs (I also used to be that person who loved ketchup but hated tomatoes but eventually got less picky and discovered their beauty). Any who, my favorite way to cook eggs is over easy; then I can use my toast to soak up the yolk... it is total bliss.

Well today I was craving eggs... and spinach. Sigh, Omelettes are so in-the-box that I really wanted my lunch to scream Look at me, I'm innovative! Hmm....what to make? Then it hit me, I'm gonna put a literal (and dairy-free) twist on an egg salad with a Taco Bell flare.

What you'll need:
Whole wheat tortilla
2 eggs
Couple tomatoes
Spinach
Olive oil/butter spray
Glass bowl

1) First, I pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees. I took my tortilla and placed it into the glass bowl so it would conform to the bowl's shape (like a Taco Bell's taco salad without the Mexican-ness). Sprinkle with a little olive oil or butter spray so it'll crisp in the oven. 

2) While the "bowl" is baking, I fried 2 egg over easy; super easy peasy lemon squeezy. AH, I so love EB eggs because they come from cage-free chickens aka happy chickens aka happy eggs aka happy me.

3) Once the tortilla has taken on the shape of the glass bowl and crisped up, remove (with oven mitts, learned that the hard way) from the bowl and place on a separate plate. Perdy! Take 1 of the fried eggs and place it on the bottom of the edible bowl. I punctured the egg, so the yolk could be absorbed into the tortilla and create an eggy yuminess throughout the salad.

4) Next, add your spinach (or legal greens of choice), tomatoes and other fun toppings. Lastly, place the     second fried egg (aka the cherry on top aka the crowned jewel), and just admire the masterpiece you have created. I, again, punctured the egg to let the yolk run free. 

This recipe was really quick and simple, and I'm a fan of anything where you can eat the bowl. 

Dig in!

Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit...

The more you eat them, the more you _______.

a) Newt
b) Toot
c) Boot
d) None of the above

I would have to say d) none of the above. Are beans even a fruit? That's the better question.

So it was a typical Manic Monday, I was on the gym's elliptical reading about beans in my Self magazine. The usual, and I came across some really good information about legumes.

I love beans: coffee, jelly, and especially the ones inspired by an organ. Legumes are heart-friendly and high in fiber, so they'll fill you up without filling you out. Self had a great beans buyer's guide that I wanted to share. To buy canned or dried, both have advantages. So without further ado....ahem:

A Buyer's Guide to Beans

When they're in a bag....

• They're cheaper. Buy dried beans and save almost half of what you'd buy if canned. One bag of dried Goya red kidney beans costs $1.80, the same amount in a can in $4; that's a 53% savings!
• You control the salt. Dried beans have little to no sodium. If you add salt to taste, wait until after they're cooked because salted water can make beans tough.
• BPA free. Bagged beans have no BPA (bisphenol-A, a chemical linked with increased risk with breast cancer and heart disease). Some canned goods contain the chemical, yuck.

If they come in a can....

• They're a huge time saver. It takes only seconds to open a can of beans while dried beans needs a night of soaking. Make sure you rinse and drain them well to reduce sodium levels.
• Toots are muted. You read correctly. Beans have sugars called oligosaccharides that we can't digest; as a result, we get gassy. But, the canning process eliminates some of these stinky sugars to reduce those biffffsss...
• You have more options. The canned varieties are wider than the dried versions; ex: green beans.

I leave you on one, final note:

Genius 

Have a great week!

Stevia: The Sweet Superman

When looking for something to spruce up my coffee or tea, I am a victim of no calorie sweeteners. It's a fact that sugar imitations like Sweet n' Low and Splenda aren't good for you, but it's so hard to avoid them when you want something sweet without all the calories. I love agave nectar on my oatmeal and greek yogurt, but a few squirts can add at least 80 calories (or more if you have a mouth full of sweet teeth like moi). Plus it's processed and high in fructose (70-80 %). If you don't want to give up agave, like me, look for products with 30-40% instead.

The Sugar Imitation Villains (yeah, we're on to you)

Ugh, I feel so stuck in my non-sugary sugar options. Can the health gods answer our prayers? Well, they may have. It's a bird! it's a plane! No, it's Stevia! Yay...finally a natural, zero calorie sweetener to save the day!

If you've seen the Truvia commercials with the cheesy jingle, that sweetener is only partly made of the Stevia plant. 

*FUN FACT ALERT* 

Coke and Pepsi just got the green light to use Truvia instead of Splenda (sucralose..bad!) to sweeten their diet drinks. Thumbs up for a slight step forward in making soda kinda-sorta healthier; I actually am really excited about this because I also am a huge victim of diet sodas. Sigh, no one's perfect.

The question on everyone's mind (or perhaps not) is: what exactly is a Stevia plant? Well, I Googled it and it's a plant from South America whose leaves are 30x sweeter than sugar; many companies are starting to use it because of this. It looks like any other plant you'd see outside, but hopefully it can be the sugar superman to beat all the imiattional villains.

Hm, now what to do with all those Sweet 'n Low packets? 

Here's an idea:

Have a Sweet Hump Day!

No-Funday Monday turned Egg-cellent

Today knocked me down, laughed, then stole my bike. Not entirely, but today was a grueling day. I didn't have any classes, but somehow I was busier than when I do. I was running around campus like a bat outta H-E-double hockey sticks. Sigh, I was a frazzled mess. It's 7pm and just realized that I'm starving (an indicator of a busy day is when I'm not constantly thinking about my stomach or food). But, I had a big red surprise waiting for me when I got home! No, not roses....tomatoes! The tomatoes in the garden finally ripened; this bumper crop of produce has made my Monday!

What to make with these fine, red, plump, tomaters? Since I never have time in the morning to make myself a scrumptious omelette (that word never looks like it's spelled correctly), what's a better way to turn Monday into Funday than with breakfast for dinner. You were thinking the same thing, too. I knew it.

I decided to make an egg-white omelette with tomatoes and spinach (which I spilled all over the kitchen floor.. today needs to be over).

These tomatoes scream perfection (or eat me). For the egg whites, I don't waste a carton of eggs and toss the yolks. I buy a container of egg whites instead. Pouring milky clear liquid may look gross but the ingredients are: egg whites with no added crap, so we're okay.

I love taking pictures of my food. Call me strange, but think it should be a declared an art form. Not bad quality for a old, scuffed-up Blackberry. 

*FUN FACT ALERT!* Do you know where the name, Blackberry, came from?  

Well yes..most of the phones are black, but its name derived from the keypad that's positioned and shaped like the seeds on a blackberry. 

Now you can't tell me that you've never learned anything from my blog...unless you knew that already (then I got nothin').

Anyways, here's the egg-cellent finished product. 

FYI: I love ketchup on my eggs, and it took me until middle school to realize that not everyone smothered ketchup on their eggs. I thought it was like peanut butter and jelly until kids gave me grossed out looks. 

But, hey..don't knock it 'til you try it. It's delicious. 

My Colorful Nature Run/ I Spy Game

Today puts the sun in Sunday; it is absolutely beautiful out. I would be insulting Mother Nature not to enjoy the weather because soon everything will be covered in a white blanket of snow. Ew... I have lived in New York all my life and still have not accepted our long and chilly winters, so even more reason to go and frolic under the sunshine!

I chose to go on a nature run but decided to make it into game to pass the time: a solo I Spy game (can you tell I'm an only child?). I wanted to capture as many colors as I could throughout my run. Plus..for each colorful object I'd discover, the more times I'd have stop, whip out my smartphone, & the capture the moment...aka the more colors I find = the more breaks I can take.

Yay, lets channel our childhood and play I Spy!

         

 

   

Not a bad way to start off the upcoming week; now let's hope my "runner's high" can stick with me long enough to write a 5 page paper.

Enjoy the sunshine!

  

  

Fall is Upon Us

Last week was a balmy 75 degrees; this morning, I woke up to the aftermath of Jack Frost violating my car. This can only mean one thing: Fall is upon us.

I would be more bummed to say farewell to Summer if I wasn't completely in love with the Fall season; maybe because it contains the one holiday focused around food, but I love everything that Fall has to offer: hot cider, sweaters, colorful leaves and pumpkin flavored beers...it's perfection at nature's finest.

But there are 2 slight downfalls that the change of temperature brings:
(1) it's one step closer to 6 months in a snow globe; and
(2) my garden will soon be an ice rink.

What...No more backyard supermarket? No more harvesting? How will I live my life? This is devastating since we've been through so much; it's like being forced to say good- bye to a Summer fling. I mean, I suppose I could be a normal person and buy my veggies from the grocery store but where's the fun in that? Maybe I'll start shopping in the produce section of Price Chopper with a trowel and basket. Sigh. These are the times that I wish I had a greenhouse then I could harvest my lovely vegetables all year round.

Maybe I'll freeze some of the zucchini and squash, but I don't have a ton of experience with that. Any tips? I see a lot of acorn squash and pumpkin recipes in my future and that is A-OK with me, the future is bright and delicious!

TGIF! Bundle up and enjoy the weekend!
    

Caffine: The Post-Workout Pick-Me Up

Sweat cleanses from the inside. 

It comes from places a shower will never reach. 

-Dr. George Sheehan

I absolutely love that quote. One of my favorite feelings in the world is pushing myself to the point in a workout where, afterwards, I'm drenched in sweat. Gross, maybe, but it's an amazing feeling knowing that you reached that state solely on self-motivation. It's an reward within itself.

Well, my self-motivation has been a tad on the short side lately. Usually, I'm an eager beaver when if comes to working out, but the past week I've been forcing myself with small steps (Okay, just change into your gym clothes. Next, just ride to the gym. You're almost there...etc.)

I don't like being at the gym longer than I have to because I have the attention capacity of a small child. I like to get in, have a good workout, and get out. I like to do a few day of cardio with some lifting peppered in; just, ugh!, for some reason I dread the days I do cardio. I feel great afterwards; but, for some reason, the days I lift seem so much easier than the days I cardio-it-up. Ah, why is that?

Anywho...if my muscles are tired, it takes an extra motivational push to get through my workout. Which comes to my post-work out solution for soreness. Caffeine! A study found that caffeine can relieve post-work out pain better than a lot of protein shakes or popping ibuprofen. A study found "that caffeine blocks the activity of a chemical called adenosine, which is released into the body as part of the inflammatory response to injury (source)."

So, I've starting drinking coffee post workout vs sucking it down right before (plus, I don't have to stop working out to pee). Win/Win! 

Orange you glad you learned this fun fact?

So, drink Starbucks to feel like a million bucks after a work out! 

Or pick up a Dunkin' to dunk into another great work out tomorrow (eh, I tried)! 

Happy Hump Day!

  

GO FISH

The days I work out, my appetite is through the roof. I can't stop eating. Plus, I'm trying to keep my meals well rounded and nutritious. I'll admit that I can be a victim of convenience (and being a college student). Sometimes that frozen dinner looks a heck of-a-lot more appealing than whipping up a whole meal while dirtying dishes. But, I think that's why I'm always hungry because the easy, I'm-a-lazy-college-student-on-a-budget, throw-in the mic meals are not always the most filling (or nutritious because many of them include ingredients that I can't pronounce = gross). For the sake of my stomach, I need to de-lazify my cooking habits...sigh, I guess college does that to ya.

So today, I say no to the microwave and hello to cooking ahead.

My Game Plan: I'm gonna cook for two! I shall make a big meal, divide it in two and then voila!, I have lunch/dinner for tomorrow. So simple.

I love haddock and I love asparagus, so that is what I'm going to make (and a lot of it).
Lemon Peppered Wild Haddock with Steamed Asparagus


One thing I love about this fish, is that it's wild. Well, duh you're thinking; the fish was wild, but I mean that it was "wild-caught"....meaning a nice fisherman in Iceland caught this fish with a big ol' net. I'm not a huge fan of fish farms because it's like mass producing food (similar to what I talk about in my post: Happy Food comes from Happy Animals). I like my fish happy, and I think they're happier when caught in the wild than in a cramped fish farm.

I'm thawing out two (count 'em, two!) haddock fillets. Plan ahead because thawing these babies takes some time. I once thawed my fish in the microwave and instead of thawing out they came out cooked! Learn from my mistakes, people, and plan ahead!

Pretty fillets

I preheated the oven at 300. I placed the fillets in aluminum foil and seasoned with pepper and fresh squeezed lemon. Yum! While the haddock cooks, I'm going to steam the asparagus in the microwave. I sprayed the foil with butter spray to avoid stick and give the fillets a little extra flavor.

Before

After

I wrapped the fillets up like a present; this will help them cook more thoroughly. I'm gonna stick them in the oven for about 20 minutes, but keep checking them periodically because our oven was made by the devil and gets unusually hot.

Dinner is served for the next 2 nights. I like it.

Happy Monday!

Like My Blood Type: B Positive

Way back when I was starting college, my mom bought me a positive affirmations book with matching CD. It was one of those gifts that I'd never buy for myself, but my mom sneakily disguise as an "I love you" gift... so, of course, I had to accept. I thought I'd give it a chance. A few more "I can do it"-s couldn't hurt; but, as much as I wanted to have that epiphany, the woman on the CD was too Mary Poppins for my liking. Probably not the best response to a positive affirmations book.

Before you think I'm down playing the benefits of positive thinking, just be patient. I've never written about a book recommendation, but I'm making an exception for this book. In my Sales Management class, we're reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I'm only on the third chapter, but I know this book will already be life altering. Stephen R. Covey is the author and he writes about 7 habits that lead to positive personal change. To put it simply, he's a genius.

He writes a lot about positive affirmations (proactive thinking), but illustrates it in a more interesting and insightful way. Most everything he talks about is common sense, but it's a nice refresher of attitudes and mentalities we forget about during hectic days. It's not always easy to have power over our own attitudes because, honestly, sometimes we just want to be lazy, annoyed or pissed off. But, this book depicts how our moods are ultimately our own decisions; while also describing how proactive/reactive thinking affects our mentality and those around us.

This book is powerful stuff; it's like a How-To Guide on being successful within ourselves.

Has anyone read it? If not, I think everyone could benefit from reading what Covey has to say. It will change your life.

  

Team Continuum: Help Turn Cancer into Can & Win a Free T-Shirt!

This sponsorship is brought to you by Team Continuum 

who I have partnered with for this promotion.

I am so excited for this post; I have teamed up with Team Continuum to raise awareness about their Pixels of Promise. It is an organization that raises money and gives renewed hope to cancer patients. This is a great cause and I'm so excited to be a part of it!

What is Team Continuum? 

Located in New York City, Team Continuum is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping cancer patients and their families. They work hard to minimize the hardships that many cancer patients' endure, so they can instead focus on crucial medical care. Team Continuum offers personal and practical assistance  moral support, and friendship to these patients and their families. Like the LiveStrong event I participated in, Team Continuum helps raise money by hosting endurance contests (marathons, half-marathons, triathlons, etc.). It's a great way to help kick cancer in the butt while changing lives.

Want to learn more?

Interesting in donating to or learning more about this admirable organization ---> Click HERE! Remember when donating, every little bit makes a HUGE difference and is appreciated.

Want to participate in an endurance contest? 

Interested in participating in a marathon or other event ---> Click HERE! These events are amazing opportunities to meet people and become part of something larger than yourself, plus they're a lot of fun!

Want to win a Team Continuum T-Shirt? 

Of course you do! Leave a comment on this post and I will pick a reader by random! If chosen, Team Continuum will send you a free T-Shirt. Also, a free t-shirt is given to anyone who donates at least $25 to Pixels of Promise! Wear it with pride and show your cancer-fighting support!

Have you ever participated in an event that raised money for a great cause?

   

Giving Blood aka Pumping Iron

I never have had an issue with shots; but I, ironically, absolutely hated finger pricks. I would have chosen 10 shots over one finger prick. Eek..not my thing; but since needles in general never bothered me, I never had a problem giving blood. I actually kinda enjoy it. Here's my equation:

One pint of blood = free juice and cookies (maybe a t-shirt if I'm lucky) plus I help save lives. 

Sounds like a good trade-off to me; I have some blood to spare for a good cause. Sigh, the only thing I don't like about giving blood is, you guessed it, the finger prick prior to the procedure. But, I'll put on my big girl pants, suck it up and endure like a champ.

Not only is donating blooding an awesome gift of life, but it also torches a ton of calories! A person burns about 650 calories for every pint of blood they give. This is because the body is working overtime to replace the blood. Not too shabby, but it's important to fuel and refuel the body before and after donation. So say no to the gym and hello to an iron and protein packed meal.

Because donating blood wipes out a good amount of iron, my roommate and I are making an iron packed dinner the tonight before we go under the needle tomorrow. This dish is called Espinacas con Garboanzos....or in English: spinach with garbanzos beans, but I think the Spanish name gives it a little more pizzazz. We're making this dish along with brown rice...dear rice, beans and spinach, do your thing!

What you'll need:

A bag of dried garbanzo beans

Spinach

Cumin spice

Olive oil

Bread crumbs/croutons

Brown rice (optional)

You can buy pre-soaked beans in a can, but it's cheaper (being a college student this is clutch) to just buy a bag of dried beans and soak them overnight. It's like those little dinosaurs (lizards, horses, what have you) you'd put in water overnight & the next morning they'd be HUGE. It's like magic.

*THE NIGHT BEFORE: SOAK YOUR BEANS* 

Before

After....magic!

Strain the garbanzo beans and set aside. In a giant pan, saute spinach along with some water, olive oil, bread crumbs, and some cumin spice. Next, mix in the beans and stir until the mixture thickens.

Cook the rice (we used good ol' Minute Rice) and set aside until the beans and spinach are cooked. Once cooked, plate, and dive in. This meal is packed with well-needed iron and protein, and it'll pumped me up so I can pump out (give blood) tomorrow! 

The dinner of champions

If you're not deathly afraid of needles, give blood! It may be the easiest way to save a life (or several)! 


Enjoy your week!
  
  

Super Simple Summer Squash Spaghetti Recipe

Just when I thought I've exhausted all possible uses for squash, I had a foodie epiphany. Spaghetti! I love spaghetti and I love squash, so why not! It makes me wonder why I didn't think of this sooner. I wasn't a veggie lover as a kid, but if my mom disguised squash as pasta then I would have dived in face first.

What you'll need:
1 Medium yellow squash
Potato peeler or grater
Jar of tomato sauce


Flavor Booster Add- ins
Onion (check)
Zucchini (double check)
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Basil


Initially my roommate and I were going to use a potato peeler, but that utensil isn't high on the college priority list. So, we used a cheese grater. Genius. Below, Emily is doing a wonderful grating the yellow summer squash (compliments of our landlord). We thought her bright pink nail polish was a nice contrast against the yellow of the squash...really brought out that yellow hue.

Emily grated long squash strands until she reached the core of the squash. We're like Indians with buffalo in the sense we don't like to waste the leftover parts of our food, but we couldn't find a use for the squash core. We couldn't wear it or burn it for fuel, so we tossed it. Sigh. We also grated in a zucchini and onion for flavor and color.

We sauteed the "noodles" on low heat while sprinkling in some spices. Yes, it looks like a giant pan of mush, but it's going to taste fantastic.

Once cooked, plate and finally top off with some tomato sauce! Nom. Nom. Nom.

Ps. It tastes awesome and it's really easy to whip up.
Pss. Try this out before the summer squash get frost bitten!