Adventures in Coconut Water, Kale and Squash

I'm just going to say it. I don't get the coconut water hype. I had tried some when I was getting my hair done a couple weeks ago and enjoyed the flavor but didn't examine the label closely. I bought some on my own today at lunch and again, picked it up blindly without reading the can. Maybe if I was totally burned out on water and just wanted the taste of something else...I just cant justify 12 grams of sugar. It was tasty, but I really think I should have only had about half of this can. In the end, I just don't think that it tasted so great that it was worth the sugar. I will stick to plain water unless I'm in the mood for a treat. In which case, I'd have ice cream and cake (hellloooo?).

I've been experimenting with red kale lately. It has the same amazing health benefits if it's green cousin, but with a slightly different flavor. It's less bitter and more mild. I still like the green kale in my smoothies much more, maybe I"m just used to it. So far I've made the red kale by sauteeing it with onion and garlic and its really good. An excellent side vegetable if you are looking for more variety. Can't beat the B vitamins, vitamin A as well as the other minerals you get from this tasty veggie!!

I bought a spaghetti squash last week and was tempted to just make it the way I usually do. That is, roast it, clean out the innards and make "spaghetti" with the strands, and eat with butter and parmesan and garlic. Well, I happened to see this recipe for Spaghetti Squash Lasagna on Skinnytaste and thought I'd branch out. I did not get any photos of it, as I made it at my parents house. Everyone was actually surprised at how much more they liked it than they thought they would. No one in my family is a fan of the spaghetti squash like I am apparently!

Have you ever tried red kale? How do you like to eat it? Spaghetti squash is in season and I'm looking forward to trying more recipes!

Feeling Fancy: Nutty Kale Surprise - Smoothie

My breakfast in a stemless martini glass!

It wasn't so bad adjusting back to being home after my glorious weekend in Seattle with my oldest and dearest friends. Sure, I miss the spa, the great meals, the company of course, and not having to wipe anyone else's butt. I did come home to a spotless house because like a smart woman I scheduled house cleaners to come in and do a DEEP (and I do mean DEEP) clean right before I left. I was not overwhelmed when I returned. I did all my household laundry before my trip so when I returned I mostly had only my vacay laundry to do. I was right on schedule.

I drool over this type of selection, am I crazy?

While I got to enjoy visiting Pikes Place Market last weekend, I did miss out shopping at our local Farmer's Market. I got to go yesterday with both of my sons before baseball practice and stocked up on kale! It's been over a week since my last green smoothie and I was having a craving!! Apparently Monkey was too, as he asked for one also. I love it!!!

I decided to mix it up a bit this time. Of course, I used some of my favorite ingredients that I typically use in my kale smoothies with a little addition!

Nutty Kale Surprise
2 large kale leaves, hard stems removed and chopped
1 cup blueberries
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons crunchy almond butter
1 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup water
1 cup non-dairy "milk" of your choice

Whirrrrrrrrr it up and you're done! Voila!

I loved the crunch of the almond butter! It also made crunching the bits of kale, which I really don't mind at all, less noticeable. I find banana makes my smoothies sweet enough, but some of you may want additional sweetener in the form of a non-sugar such as Stevia or even a maple syrup. Enjoy!!!

Have you tried almond butter? I bought it for myself and thought I could sub it out sometimes in my son's sandwiches but he's not having it. He didn't even mention it in his smoothie this morning, so I guess the Deceptively Delicious concept worked in my favor here!

Stay smart and delicous!

A Twist on Pancakes

This should keep me going for a while!

What is it, you ask? Today its a whole wheat pancake, made from scratch (pat, pat). A spread of almond butter and some banana slices. Pretty tasty.

I have also discovered how much nicer my food pics look when I use a program like Instagram. I do not boast photography skills, and I am usually too focused on just getting a picture of what I am eating or cooking to make a nice presentation like a lot of other food blogs too. I really need to be better about that. So for now I will cheat! Photo today is my typical "not thinking" shot. Gotta work on that.

Tonight we are having "date night" and going to sushi with some new friends. Sushi is so pretty. Hope I don't screw it up and can manage to take some photos of our food. 

Happy Saturday! What did you have for breakfast today? What do you have planned this weekend?

FTW! Kale Smoothie - Trial and Error

Now THIS concoction is something I will look forward to!

Ok, I think I've got it now. Last time I made a juice-based smoothie with my kale. As you may have read, I liked it a lot better than I thought I would but still wanted to experiment with flavor as it was just a little bitter. This time, I used less kale (approximately 2 cups instead of 3). I also used almond milk instead of orange juice. I found that this counteracted the bitterness in the kale much more than juice. This one was really good. We had a leftover fruit salad from Costco that someone brought over on the 4th, and it was perfect for throwing into the 'Bullet.

Beautiful , healthy kale

I used a whole banana, a couple days too ripe for eating plain.

The banana had the perfect sweetness for this smoothie

 I chose some mango, blueberries, a couple strawberries and melon from the fruit salad. (My kids don't like melon or mango. Perfect).

I chose fruit from this leftover salad that I knew my kids wouldn't eat

 I used a cup of my favorite almond milk.  And a cup of crushed ice.

I buy 2 of these when I go to Trader Joe's now!

I did not stuff my MB full of kale this time

 No extra spices or sweeteners were necessary for this delicious  - and I mean DELICIOUS - smoothie. I could really taste the banana, and I like banana. Whirrrr...and voila! Enough for 2 of us!

Not as green as the other smoothies I made. Sort of Shamrock-ish

 I can't wait to buy more kale at the Farmer's Market this weekend. Consider me hooked!!!

I know not everyone will have a fruit salad handy like I did but what's great about smoothies is the recipe doesn't have to be exact.

Recipe for Hungrigyrl Kale-Banana Delite:
2 cups kale, rinsed and lightly chopped (discard tough stems at the end)
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup mango
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup honeydew or cantaloupe (I used both)
2 strawberries (optional)
1/2 cup crushed ice (optional)

I really want all you green smoothie skeptics to give this a try. Unless you hate bananas, you will love this smoothie!

Kale. It's What's For Breakfast

Me and the Magic Bullet are getting to be good friends. Today I decided to try a kale smoothie after my run. I know kale is really good for you, but I've only had it sauteed with olive oil and garlic or cooked in some way, where it is softened and less bitter. So I was a little scared, but I went for it.

Hungrigyrl's Krazy Kale Smoothie:

2 cups rinsed, chopped kale (discard the tough stems)
1 cup orange juice
1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon maple agave syrup from Trader Joe's
2 dashes of cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup ice (optional)

I used about half of this

I used orange, but I bet apple juice would be good too

I wish I could grow blueberries, we eat them like crazy!

I wanted to use the whole banana for sweetness to balance out the kale

Loving this stuff lately!

Cinnamon is a staple around here

Before....

...and AFTER!

Kale is definitely more bitter than spinach. When I made my spinach smoothie I didn't mind so much if there were little chunks of spinach. However, with the kale I really notice them so I definitely let the 'Bullet do its thing for a bit longer. It is definitely key to add sweetness to balance out the flavor. I have to say I really was surprised at how much I liked it, more than I expected. I've got lots of kale and nothing to do with it so will be experimenting a bit more this weekend, when I am not indulging in holiday bbq and alcohol. I handed my husband his kale smoothie this morning and I said, "I guarantee this is the healthiest thing you will put in your body all day." He agreed.

Have you tried a kale smoothie? Try my recipe and let me know what you think! Or share your own, I'm looking forward to having fun with this!

Be A Good Girl Now and Drink Your Veggies!

Over the last couple years I have been seeing info on the web about people making "green smoothies". It always looked like something I would try, if I wasn't so lazy. Seriously, I think God invented Jamba Juice so we would never have to clean our blender, right? Well, last week, one of my Running/Recipe Mama  friends on Facebook Adventure Junkie Mom posted something about the Green Monster Movement. I happened to be going to the Farmer's Market the next day, so I picked up a huge bunch of spinach along with my usual goodies like blueberries, bread, strawberries, etc. I came home and poked around on the website, pulled out the Magic Bullet and decided to go for it.

Trusty Dusty MB

Big Bad Bunch of Greens

 I eyeballed what looked to be about 3 cups of spinach, and rinsed well. Set aside

I also rinsed 1/2 cup of blueberries. Set aside.

I poured 1-1/2 cups of almond milk in the Magic Bullet.

I added my spinach and blueberries, as well as half of a very large banana, so you could use  a whole small banana!

I like my smoothies with some cold, icy crunch to them so I added a 1/2 cup of crushed ice and fired the bad boy up. 

I poured some out for me and my husband and my Monkey said he wanted to try some. I also told him the Green Smoothie would make him powerful. He really liked it.

I was a little nervous about trying this, but I must say, I am going to work these into my regular diet plan. They did not taste "veggie" at all. Ignoring the obvious green color, these smoothies taste like regular fruit smoothies. And I got a massive dose of greens without having to eat a huge salad, which I don't mind but its nice to have some variety. Even better, you can drink this on the go if you are pressed for time. If you have thought about trying a green smoothie, you should give it a "whirl".

Have you ever tried a "green smoothie"? What did you think?

Friday, Time to Break Out the Wine

Clos La Chance, drinking local tonight!

 
TGIF my friends! What a week. It's rained non-stop here, fortunately everyone seems to be out of town because traffic was a breeze to and from work every day. I bring this up because my commute has an enormous effect on my mood. I mentioned a couple days ago I was having some challenges (um, my kids!) with exercise but have still managed to fit it in when I can. Doing even part of my yoga work out and doing arm weights and core exercises while I watch a bit of TV is not so bad! Sure I'm not out running 5 miles but I think our bodies need variety and new challenges to stay in shape. It's supposed to rain all weekend but my running buddy and I still hope to get in 10 miles between Saturday and Sunday. As a matter of fact, when I am done with this post, I plan to get on my treadmill. I am sitting here with my treadmill staring me in the face. I have no excuse! And Good Lord, will that Valentine candy just go away already??

Chip is off tonight - so we are going to do something as a family. Since its raining and one of our brood is too small to sit through a movie at the theater, I am thinking a family dinner out is what's on tap. Probably not anything too healthy as my Monkey is already telling me he is ordering a corn dog (so I'm thinking Chili's). Other than the Valentine candy I have been eating well all week. Breakfast was oatmeal, with almond milk sprinkled with blueberries and cinnamon and vanilla. This was my lunch today:

Black Bean Burrito
1 whole wheat tortilla wrap
3/4 cup black beans (rinsed if they are canned)
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Trader Joe's corn salsa
dash of salt n pepper (optional)

This is the quick and dirty assembly: Put tortilla on microwave safe plate. Put beans in center, top with cheese. Microwave for 40 seconds, depending on your microwave. Top with avocado and corn salsa. Dash with salt and pepper if you so desire. Fold up the bottom, and roll the sides. Easy, healthy and tasty.

Just waiting for the hubs to get home so I can crank out a run, and have a glass of wine. Aaah Friday. Finally. Have a fantastic weekend!

The Quinoa Bomb-Diggity Breakfast

And it all started with this

Does your current breakfast leave you unsatisfied? Are you consuming a sugary carb load that only leaves you hungry 30 minutes later? I suggest you change up your game a bit. Healthy breakfasts with more protein do not have to be all eggs or nut butters. Quinoa is a grain that contains more proteins than other grains. It is wheat and gluten free. I have fallen in love with it mainly because you can eat it at all times of the day, and as a main dish or a side. You can even have quinoa for breakfast. You must try my Quinoa Bomb-Diggity!

You will need:

1 cup quinoa (I used organic from Trader Joe's)
1 cup almond milk - can also substitute with cow's milk or soy milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted (please don't skip the toasting, the flavor is amazing)
Honey to taste

Strainer for rinsing quinoa

Begin by rinsing the quinoa. You must use a fine strainer or else all your grain will go down the drain. Put the quinoa, water, and milk in a medium sauce pan on high.

I live for unsweetened almond milk

No sugar. Most people don't realize how much sugar is in regular milk

 

Bring to a boil. Once boiling turn down to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the water/milk has been absorbed. Remove from heat and cover for about 5 minutes.

If you haven't already, toast your walnuts. The best way to do this is in a toaster oven for about 3-1/2 minutes. Toasting the walnuts adds an incredible flavor that really makes this dish.

I put my walnuts on a piece of foil and hit toast!

Stir in the cinnamon. I'll be honest, I used more cinnamon than I put in this recipe because I really like cinnamon but I know its not for everyone. I used 1/2 a tablespoon. Also stir in the blueberries and cranberries to get them warm and softened.

Spoon out into individual bowls. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Drizzle with honey. Enjoy.

Cooking notes: I highly recommend using unsweetened almond milk if you are trying to watch your diet. Even the 1% organic milk I feed my kids has 14 grams of sugar per serving. Make sure to also go easy on the honey. If you are really trying to restrict your sweets you can use stevia extract instead, but make sure you have tried it before as the taste isn't for everyone. Stevia extract is natural, and sugar and calorie free. You can't go wrong with blueberries, so you can always add more and skip the cranberries for less sugar as well.

A New Day

Today I wanted to go with a different approach at breakfast. Rather than have my usual carbfest, which doesn't appear to be working for me, I decided to go for 1 scrambled egg and 1 piece of turkey sausage. I have to say, I stayed satisfied much longer than I had after my typical morning fare. By the way, I need to mention I have coffee, without fail, each and every morning. I typically have the coffee maker set and ready to automatically go at 7 a.m. One of my guilty indulgences is Nestle Coffeemate. I know, the ingredient list is full of stuff I can't even pronounce but there is just nothing like it. I figure (at least I hope) that a couple tablespoons of that every day aren't going to kill me!

Once at work, I was plugging right along until my mid-morning snack at 10 a.m, which today was a Luna Bar in Blueberry Bliss. Its just enought sweet and just enough carb to get me through to lunch. Next job on the agenda was to preview my lunch menu. One of our networks was taking our team out today with our new director. I wanted to make sure I found something healthy and went into the restaurant with something already in mind so I wouldn't be tempted. We were going to this fabulous place downtown called 71 St. Peter 71 St. Peter which has a Mediterranean theme. Even though I've heard of the "Mediterranean Diet" and know that people of this decent are typically healthy due to their diet, I don't quite think I was safe to order just anything off the menu!

So, pat me on the back everyone, I did well! I drank only water, ordered the butternut squash soup for a starter, and went with the seared ahi salad. I'm sure the soup had some cream in it, but I still think I made good choices. I didn't even touch the bread. It did help that I was at lunch with the people I am doing the weight loss challenge with...jokesters that we are, we all tried to get each other to eat the bread and order dessert. The prize pot is $500 after all! All of us did really well. Someone ordered dessert for the table as only half of us are doing the challenge, and a creme brulee was brought out and placed right in front of me. I had a teaspoon because I surely didn't want to be rude....

So far tonight I haven't figured out what I want to eat for dinner. I just ended up having some cottage cheese, blueberries and 1/2 banana. I need to drink more water tonight and drink some green tea. I danced with my 3 year old to the Wiggles for a few songs before I had to start their dinner. Looks like I won't be working out tonight, but I plan to exercise 3 more times this week. I need to kick it up a notch if I'm going to start seeing some real results.

If you like salmon check out this super easy and yummy recipe from the January 2010 issue of Parenting Magazine (they have good recipes in there sometimes, who knew?). I made it a few days ago and thought it was great, and again SO easy.

olive-oil spray
1 lb. frozen wild salmon, thawed
2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil; coat with oil spray. Place salmon, skin side down, on the foil. Top with 2 tsp. soy sauce, onion and garlic powders, ginger, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Bake 10 mins. until cooked.

The magazine recipe included a side of mashed edamame. I love regular edamame, and any recipe that requres me getting out my food processor during the week is too complicated because I have enough dishes to do as it is. I just boiled the frozen edamame from Trader Joe's for about 5 mins., and tossed it with some lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste. I also had brown rice. Uncle Ben's ready rice rocks. You cut the top of the package and put it in your microwave for 90 seconds...and its piping hot and good to go. Again, no dish to wash!

Happy Hump Day!