tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77639862100953309042024-03-12T18:34:24.833-07:00In My Healthy PlaceThe everyday ins and outs of trying to be a healthy person.LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-37676524947614999602012-02-12T06:04:00.000-08:002012-02-12T06:59:24.705-08:00Healthy Place check in for the New YearI'm sure it seems odd to be doing a New Year check-in post in the middle of February, but as you'll find out (if you keep reading!), in a way the New Year is really only just beginning for me.<br /><br />I'm not normally one for New Years resolutions but I did have an eating plan in mind, namely cutting out cheese (because I overindulge in it and it's certainly not a health food) and refined sugar (the reasons for this one should be obvious). The holidays are not a smart time to start such a plan so I figured starting in the new year just made sense.<br /><br />The first week of January, I came down with what I thought was the flu, and eventually discovered about 2 weeks later (when I went to the doctor because the cough just wasn't going away) that I actually had pneumonia. This put me out of commission for most of January. On top of that, I injured my back during one of my worst coughing fits, and only now is my back finally starting to feel better. As a result, going to the gym has not been on the menu, although in the past two weeks I have started going a couple days a week to recumbent bike and ease back into exercise. I really miss it, especially Body Pump, but I know that a back injury is not something to mess around with. Hoping now that my back is feeling better that I can start easing back into some strength training and work my way back up to the level of exercise I was doing before the new year.<br /><br />On the plus side, I have been able to stick to the eating plan quite well. There were a few "must have comfort food" moments when I was sick, but for the most part I didn't have much of an appetite, so it was pretty easy to stay away from cheese and sugar. Even now that I'm feeling better, it's been surprisingly easy to stick with. I think the key for me has been being flexible about it - cheese and sugar are ok on special occasions, like Friday night when I had pizza with some friends, or on Valentine's Day coming up when the BF (or should I just say F for fiancé now?) and I will no doubt share a nice dessert. Treats like that make it easier for me to say no on an everyday basis.<br /><br />Some food substitutions have been helping as well. I recently made Dreena Burton's "<a style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);" href="http://viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/03/vegveeta-cheese-dip.html">Vegveeta</a>" dip and enjoyed it as a wonderful "cheezy" accompaniment to broccoli, tortilla chips, and drizzled on a butternut squash and lentil stew. I like that this cheeze sauce doesn't include nutritional yeast - I have nothing against nooch per say, but it's pricey and also hard to find at the stores in my area. I also like that it's delicious!<br /><br />Natural sweeteners have also made a difference - I've been sweetening my yogurt with honey or all-fruit jam, and I made <a style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" href="http://viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/04/super-charge-me-cookies.html">Super-Charge Me cookies</a> (Dreena Burton again!) which use maple syrup for a sweetener and which were some of the best cookies I've ever had.<br /><br />This morning I'm enjoying a yummy pumpkin muffin sweetened with honey. The recipe for these came from the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.ca/Crazy-plates-Low-fat-youll-swear/dp/0968063128">Crazy Plates cookbook</a> and they are chock full of good things like wheat bran, carrots, walnuts, and of course pumpkin.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGIlshwOfablHQLeyG1XZLb4NZr20Izk5_9oac26eWDoHSD5gaTescPjiCZamdpIpoK4ZBnJQpMj_1iWRw9fNbpD6BMHRdy4UhUnfwnq-FJ9y9zu3QZl6xWh0UYsmGT18dLZjXiEeM0GN/s1600/Food+335.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGIlshwOfablHQLeyG1XZLb4NZr20Izk5_9oac26eWDoHSD5gaTescPjiCZamdpIpoK4ZBnJQpMj_1iWRw9fNbpD6BMHRdy4UhUnfwnq-FJ9y9zu3QZl6xWh0UYsmGT18dLZjXiEeM0GN/s320/Food+335.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708262710533637330" border="0" /></a><br />My goals going forward are to get back to to the gym and back into some sort of normal exercise routine, and on the eating front, try to cut back on my use of fat. For the most part I use healthy fats in my cooking (olive oil, nuts and nut butters, avocado) but some days I feel like it's too much of a good thing, so I want to try and be more mindful of how much fat I'm consuming and look for areas where it can be cut back or removed all together (for example, sauteing veggies in broth instead of oil).LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-24068409363302612852011-07-13T16:47:00.000-07:002011-07-13T17:23:02.654-07:00Zucchini Bread with Maple Crumble ToppingOne of my favourite things about my house is the little garden bed in the backyard. Every summer since moving in the BFF and I have tried our hand at growing a few vegetable plants. With very little effort, we've had amazing results.<br /><br />This year's garden is coming along very well. Our crop this year includes two tomato plants:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoGY7UqaqRWuSlJUmydbNmxX1MrGvCNiuNDKnJieMaDRu23f0PnmqYFfJYeraQiB-yCjKpfY6OcfileD3tzOnwV5XRCXLTCxLOf2ijWkdWDRKvPmSoYSOQUkq81b6q_eXUS48Ywc1YzBz/s1600/IMG_1060.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoGY7UqaqRWuSlJUmydbNmxX1MrGvCNiuNDKnJieMaDRu23f0PnmqYFfJYeraQiB-yCjKpfY6OcfileD3tzOnwV5XRCXLTCxLOf2ijWkdWDRKvPmSoYSOQUkq81b6q_eXUS48Ywc1YzBz/s320/IMG_1060.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628992149770314786" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssS0gT7Ms6Bw5vAKgr5bcHw6r4HyW4_AM7JrsqlIVxG3_lMonU8NlOfzJFn5mP2IPOKv7AgafWNNMJqIKkn_-An_ip2TKaryj5EYiEiqWWNkHlvC2_XjR0fjlTwlIdL8RoFzdaGkBm0zQ/s1600/IMG_1069.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssS0gT7Ms6Bw5vAKgr5bcHw6r4HyW4_AM7JrsqlIVxG3_lMonU8NlOfzJFn5mP2IPOKv7AgafWNNMJqIKkn_-An_ip2TKaryj5EYiEiqWWNkHlvC2_XjR0fjlTwlIdL8RoFzdaGkBm0zQ/s320/IMG_1069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628992494517946722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hard to see but this one is covered with little cherry tomatoes</span><br /></span></div><br />Two jalapeno plants:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_VAUXYwxjbUh-fnZpOrkrjnW_LCOZ7cIjofiDdYLC3B-n-MeffSur9KfGLSeY6rSYyONTG4EIM1mpAEFacrxvuhQX78pQ5qets5sHhH9Rvg9QKtFsbvdjHlgct_Fx9sRTHxir36pvHz-/s1600/IMG_1068.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_VAUXYwxjbUh-fnZpOrkrjnW_LCOZ7cIjofiDdYLC3B-n-MeffSur9KfGLSeY6rSYyONTG4EIM1mpAEFacrxvuhQX78pQ5qets5sHhH9Rvg9QKtFsbvdjHlgct_Fx9sRTHxir36pvHz-/s320/IMG_1068.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628993106540198674" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQiuq_i5bwPoykcju7Pl6sYqa-NH9q2GnYetjrHSLm2O6TzELsfM9KAfEoJfOzi_42Ke5zWACmOabfaf1XBKY_6j7fwVWcB_qxEgwhXHfF9OuLfV47AfhFpPypgdvUW_t_Rsgt4m9GjUP/s1600/IMG_1073.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQiuq_i5bwPoykcju7Pl6sYqa-NH9q2GnYetjrHSLm2O6TzELsfM9KAfEoJfOzi_42Ke5zWACmOabfaf1XBKY_6j7fwVWcB_qxEgwhXHfF9OuLfV47AfhFpPypgdvUW_t_Rsgt4m9GjUP/s320/IMG_1073.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628993445672965794" border="0" /></a><br />A cayenne plant (not pictured, because none of my pictures of it turned out very well), and a yellow bell pepper plant:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyXQE5gz-bZ2aWs5uKhWtM-55tMbU8UFw2xrZd4_ZNA_1HSDhmzYvv0AIv4SnrKrgvHA4q2TT00RkX62mmjDlECGeigZjC7jsmlgs8dtWofsRyPN4g308Z1EYkjzs8ZuXdmGj52411MoL/s1600/IMG_1066.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyXQE5gz-bZ2aWs5uKhWtM-55tMbU8UFw2xrZd4_ZNA_1HSDhmzYvv0AIv4SnrKrgvHA4q2TT00RkX62mmjDlECGeigZjC7jsmlgs8dtWofsRyPN4g308Z1EYkjzs8ZuXdmGj52411MoL/s320/IMG_1066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628993842211475298" border="0" /></a>I tried one of these last year but it didn't fare very well. This year's plant seems to be doing much better though - it has lots of flowers, and a tiny little pepper is starting to grow!<br /><br />I also added some flowers in the boxes by our back deck. I had my doubts about how these would do, since before planting these the dirt in the boxes was filled with old wood chips and cigarette butts from the previous owners, but I am thrilled at how beautiful they are:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqi4Qt8gM477Rt1bgOHQnemII1pkH7NkZvTneh_ArzopxftYtkSVu_SetcGjwHSg_uxa-R8dBi4ZCrfEwJHQbvDEEUZS2UE3KFvgvnzd-EnjU1__8lbAazf1jFGiqWArGgdiaJ2tN3elI/s1600/IMG_1077.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqi4Qt8gM477Rt1bgOHQnemII1pkH7NkZvTneh_ArzopxftYtkSVu_SetcGjwHSg_uxa-R8dBi4ZCrfEwJHQbvDEEUZS2UE3KFvgvnzd-EnjU1__8lbAazf1jFGiqWArGgdiaJ2tN3elI/s320/IMG_1077.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628994141719938818" border="0" /></a><br />My garden does not contain zucchini, but I didn't need that as an excuse to bake this zucchini bread. Anyone who is growing this notoriously prolific plant should definitely take note of this recipe, and it's also 100% worth picking up some zucchini at the grocery store to make.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7hJkxxQjfre79Fo5P3dLG7e2FtVS27tNFPBKmcveOt0BYIxQ_4UOBqxCAiY7Z7XrDQvU5JZzvTY-HkRz_yoYDnv0IKQTSwq4oPC3d7b8jAjnRRulovSjokBJPMPD9w34XwjdePVirkn-Y/s1600/Food+310.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7hJkxxQjfre79Fo5P3dLG7e2FtVS27tNFPBKmcveOt0BYIxQ_4UOBqxCAiY7Z7XrDQvU5JZzvTY-HkRz_yoYDnv0IKQTSwq4oPC3d7b8jAjnRRulovSjokBJPMPD9w34XwjdePVirkn-Y/s320/Food+310.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628994421410148370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zucchini Bread with Maple Crumble Topping</span> (recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.lemonbasilpdx.com/2009/07/best-zucchini-bread-ever.html"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">LemonBasil</span></a>)<br /><br />3 eggs<br />1/2 cup melted butter<br />1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce<br />1/4 cup canola oil<br />1 1/4 cup pure maple syrup<br />Zest and juice of 1 lemon<br />3 cups packed shredded zucchini (for me, this was 2 and a half medium sized zucchinis)<br />2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp baking soda<br /><br />Maple Crumble Topping:<br />1/4 cup maple sugar<br />1/4 cup brown sugar<br />2 tablespoons flour<br />2 tablespoons melted butter<br /><br />Beat together eggs, butter, applesauce, oil, lemon juice and zest, and maple syrup. Combine dry ingredients separately. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and fold in zucchini. Pour batter into two greased 9 inch loaf pans. Combine the topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over one of the loaves (the recipe only makes enough to cover one loaf - you can double it if you like). Bake at 325 for 50 minutes.<br /><br />This zucchini bread is incredibly moist and flavourful. No one would ever guess it's made from all whole wheat flour. I really wanted to enhance the maple flavour of the bread and I had some maple sugar on hand and so decided to add the topping - not the healthiest modification in the world, but I'm not sorry, it makes for a great treat. The other, healthier loaf is in the freezer, ready to come out when its maple-topped friend has been devoured.LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-33198022468369917242011-06-20T18:05:00.000-07:002011-06-21T17:11:10.238-07:00Where did you go June?Yikes. I blinked, and suddenly June is almost over. Ever notice how things like that happen a lot more often in the summer months?<br /><br />My trip to Edmonton was fantastic. It was great to have a whole week to spend with my sister - that doesn't happen very often these days! And we did some really cool stuff, including going to Fort Edmonton Park, a recreation of historical Edmonton that spans 1846-1920:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4L7GmZ4066WlDiMtq6MVHu03Wl3dlQEf9nj8j7egzAYO66A731z8rL7XaYv4zc9XFidsOHEXNrgm9aHkJroIp-_pFDFGj-fg00at-a9-3bwU4ido9Z8EfV_x2hjUe0HPYY1ksLoJvItR/s1600/Alberta+2011+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4L7GmZ4066WlDiMtq6MVHu03Wl3dlQEf9nj8j7egzAYO66A731z8rL7XaYv4zc9XFidsOHEXNrgm9aHkJroIp-_pFDFGj-fg00at-a9-3bwU4ido9Z8EfV_x2hjUe0HPYY1ksLoJvItR/s320/Alberta+2011+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620826528390564034" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BVu2NrXNbgQiMW1laC-NEggGr5GvxwMX9-Q6Un_uQE3l0x2DeQCyYoXAGH8QTmApjk3aZ5iRCOGpZ7zZHcY38XspdfXJz65tMe1EWVYEwV748EZjInMQRGRApZ_4wGWivhV85_fk2wPt/s1600/Alberta+2011+068.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BVu2NrXNbgQiMW1laC-NEggGr5GvxwMX9-Q6Un_uQE3l0x2DeQCyYoXAGH8QTmApjk3aZ5iRCOGpZ7zZHcY38XspdfXJz65tMe1EWVYEwV748EZjInMQRGRApZ_4wGWivhV85_fk2wPt/s320/Alberta+2011+068.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620826798920900306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Heaven for a history nerd!</span><br /></div><br />and the beautiful Botanical Gardens:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquIA9g2AeMvZ5MxaYhs3F4AcbTdFg8j7sTfiF4WuZeQ50Dl04GYu5gYQLmZsY-ojSqGyYJ814LY5gokBnD9ofZsHBWKlZxZD_DPv_nkBmkawjNA4IYxCw6OwjY8Dd9l-k-Kh4a-WPBK80/s1600/Alberta+2011+114.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquIA9g2AeMvZ5MxaYhs3F4AcbTdFg8j7sTfiF4WuZeQ50Dl04GYu5gYQLmZsY-ojSqGyYJ814LY5gokBnD9ofZsHBWKlZxZD_DPv_nkBmkawjNA4IYxCw6OwjY8Dd9l-k-Kh4a-WPBK80/s320/Alberta+2011+114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620827487340451826" border="0" /></a><br />I have to admit that I have not been doing a good job of following along with the 52 Days Til Summer Challenge, but I think I have done a great job of staying on the track that the Challenge inspired me to get back on. My activity level has been good (and I have the sore muscles to prove it) and I've been very mindful of my eating lately. Summer is such a great time to eat healthy! A couple of stellar meals from the last little while:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZosaNWbEiQwyk3pLJgP4kEOUmagJ4hkIVIVPUBinJ5bh3H3nSOPX3v6Z6-FuWaXSQ4-hRoR8xbjvd5d0zbEWNV8sahpmnqcy23pnAnxuPja8Sk7tmUSXc8mKHVkLbI6HNQQGcdyzyiIbo/s1600/Food.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZosaNWbEiQwyk3pLJgP4kEOUmagJ4hkIVIVPUBinJ5bh3H3nSOPX3v6Z6-FuWaXSQ4-hRoR8xbjvd5d0zbEWNV8sahpmnqcy23pnAnxuPja8Sk7tmUSXc8mKHVkLbI6HNQQGcdyzyiIbo/s320/Food.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620827997731718674" border="0" /></a>Quinoa Salad with White Beans, Bacon, Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Spinach and Blue Cheese (from <a href="http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/05/white-bean-and-spinach-quinoa-salad.html">Closet Cooking</a>) - with an ingredient list like that, how could this NOT be good? I loved that even with all those different flavours going on, the resulting dish was not overpowering. Everything complimented each other really well. YUM.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSGrXqKeYoIHKu69iZFxAh-BIOfvY8aRh57la7ipgBGRvuyqAyjEKh-3nnLSsMx8g1TSZEpn8E470o0NYHL9Nkv2xy8xUiULkoZzp2DhhNWU95Ep7NJl_ejeVtwCgPBmw-CsLqBWAQ13q/s1600/greenbeansalad.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSGrXqKeYoIHKu69iZFxAh-BIOfvY8aRh57la7ipgBGRvuyqAyjEKh-3nnLSsMx8g1TSZEpn8E470o0NYHL9Nkv2xy8xUiULkoZzp2DhhNWU95Ep7NJl_ejeVtwCgPBmw-CsLqBWAQ13q/s320/greenbeansalad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620828603850515586" border="0" /></a>Green Bean Salad - straight out of last month's <a href="http://www.chatelaine.com/en/content/28286--dinner-tonight-creamy-bean-salad-with-soft-boiled-egg">Chatelaine</a>, this was a really unique and satisfying dinner. Loved the garlic/goat cheese/roasted red pepper combo. The egg was a nice touch too, although next time I will poach my egg instead of boil it - I am not skilled at peeling soft-boiled eggs.LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-60541178178251870822011-05-26T07:35:00.000-07:002011-05-28T11:03:45.787-07:00Mindful eating and self-loveI have<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">a </span></span></span>bit of catching up to do! Here's how the <a href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2011/05/52-days-til-summer-challenge.html"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">52 Days til Summer</span></a> challenge has been going:<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Week 3 Challenge</span><br /><br />Last week's challenge was to pay attention to your eating. As <a href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">Ashley</span></a> put it:<br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Is what you’re eating helping you reach your goals and hit your full potential? Are you eating mindfully and nourishing your body? Or are there things in your diet that need to go? How are you keeping track of it?</span><br /></span><br />I admit that I did not give as much attention to this challenge as I have to the past ones. It was a whirlwind week that included my 9 year (!) anniversary with my BF and a trip home to Belleville for the long weekend, and my mind was in a place where I wanted to have fun and not think too much about what I was eating.<br /><br />However, having the challenge in the back of my mind proved to help me make some wise eating choices without feeling deprived. My parent's fridge was stocked with veggies so I fit as many of those in as I could in meals at home, and tried to make healthy choices at meals out. There were indulgences (I cannot resist a trip to Slickers ice cream while on a shopping excursion in Prince Edward County, nor can I turn down a home-baked butter tart made by a family friend) but to me, being mindful about my eating does not mean excluding foods like this from my diet forever. It means keeping foods like this to exactly what they should be - occasional indulgences - and eating healthy, whole foods the rest of the time.<br /><br />Even though it is now time to move onto a new challenge, the mindful eating challenge has proven to have some staying power. The other day at work I stared down a box of Timbits that a co-worker had brought into the office. Usually, I overindulge on Timbits - once I eat one, I just want more and more. But I looked in the box and realized that all my favourites had already been picked out, and thought, "why eat them if I don't even really want them?" It was a small but proud moment for me!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week 4 Challenge</span><br /><br />Week 4 already, wow! This week's challenge is to practice some self-love, specifically to try and counter negative thoughts with positive thoughts.<br /><br />After some thinking on it, I decided the best place for me to start exercising some self love is when I am...exercising!<br /><br />I tend to get frustrated with myself very quickly when it comes to exercising. I sometimes feel that I'm not seeing the results that I should be seeing and I have a tendency to blame myself - that I'm not working hard enough, or that I'm just not capable of becoming stronger and more fit. A good place to turn some negative thoughts into positive ones:<br /><br />Instead of thinking, "My arms are so weak," I will think, "These arms used to have trouble with 2 pound weights and now they are lifting 5 pound weights. They have come a long way!"<br /><br />Instead of thinking, "You can't even do a pushup yet, how sad," I will think, "It is great that you are committed to the goal of doing a pushup. Keep practicing and you will get there!"<br /><br />Instead of thinking, "Why is this so hard for me? I should be better by now" I will think, "You are doing things that you never thought you would do, and pushing yourself instead of being content to stay at the level you are. Good for you!"<br /><br />I need this kind of self love in my life. It will encourage me to keep exercising and not give up, to keep challenging myself, and to stop beating myself up over not being super fit yet, and instead appreciate that by becoming more active, I am doing something healthy and kind for myself.<br /><br />Next week I will be traveling to Edmonton for work and then a visit with my lovely sister, for which I am super excited. It may not leave me with much time to blog but I will do what I can, and at the very least take lots of pictures so I can make an epic post when I return!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-32117388116426888252011-05-15T16:02:00.000-07:002011-05-15T16:22:04.985-07:00Check in and some food pics!Just checking in to say the<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);" href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2011/05/52-days-til-summer-challenge.html">52 Days till Summer Challenge</a> is still going strong!<br /><br />Activity has been going well. The past two weeks I have worked out 4 days a week. This week coming up I am aiming for 5! 30 Day Shred has been my main workout this week. I did some Natalie moves the last time I did it and was no longer thinking it was easy! Next week I may switch back to Power Sculpt just to keep my body guessing and to work different muscles. Next week will also be a challenge as I will be away for the long weekend, so I will have to be creative in order to get all my activity in.<br /><br />Food is also going great. I have been making good choices, but at the same time allowing myself to live my life (had a couple drinks out on Thursday and dinner out on Friday). I am proud that I have brought my lunch to work every single day since starting the challenge, which is really good for both my health and my budget.<br /><br />Some recent food:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDEKk65CQUc3pHsXq-WD0Z8E90YHIuxHemDf1177ng4VR-dQ5cXQJYNbCu0vKWYgojUr_UcFAHSakonCHjOPvuEGOxXCZErlNoVOE0m-0t7vuuOKfhaYwYLlAUjGcslOWJ2j3_ps3r8F8/s1600/Food+245.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDEKk65CQUc3pHsXq-WD0Z8E90YHIuxHemDf1177ng4VR-dQ5cXQJYNbCu0vKWYgojUr_UcFAHSakonCHjOPvuEGOxXCZErlNoVOE0m-0t7vuuOKfhaYwYLlAUjGcslOWJ2j3_ps3r8F8/s320/Food+245.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607082304121713778" border="0" /></a>Tandoori chicken and baked sweet potatoes, a meal made together with the BF. A fantastic dinner - the chicken tasted indulgent even though it was really healthy, and the sweet potatoes were amazing, they are the BF's concoction and they are my favourite way to eat sweet potatoes.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUBWmrysfFpvJuwS5-Sz-IME3dGvnPNPI7VMcgauTuWe7gMRIlFy9FdRq9I0F5vCeqjg4Q53GVB5D4hYpGlmXPvEXYKqgYom-UYV8TWNhmxa3sh0dRHBKx9KlksXnWEG9A7nd8oLNWfck/s1600/Food+295.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUBWmrysfFpvJuwS5-Sz-IME3dGvnPNPI7VMcgauTuWe7gMRIlFy9FdRq9I0F5vCeqjg4Q53GVB5D4hYpGlmXPvEXYKqgYom-UYV8TWNhmxa3sh0dRHBKx9KlksXnWEG9A7nd8oLNWfck/s320/Food+295.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607082496960530162" border="0" /></a>A tofu patty (one of <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);" href="http://www.soyarie.ca/">La Soyarie</a>'s miso veggie burgers, so good), veggies and rice, topped with gravy made from <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Eat-Drink-Be-Vegan-Celebrating/dp/1551522241"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Eat Drink and Be Vegan</span></a>. The gravy does not look so appetizing, but I LOVE the stuff.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gYbz3qKLX6kWKPrAa0WXtg7iCaQRn83i01SEvUJUj0AOsotTg4kKJrFmbrvq5-4JYg_Pkp2Ry8zkG6szZHcWMFu0cY0UIHCK3oXIe9M5jkw4XE9oHW5ioqOxiP63Me5c1bZGuuhf75GR/s1600/Food+299.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gYbz3qKLX6kWKPrAa0WXtg7iCaQRn83i01SEvUJUj0AOsotTg4kKJrFmbrvq5-4JYg_Pkp2Ry8zkG6szZHcWMFu0cY0UIHCK3oXIe9M5jkw4XE9oHW5ioqOxiP63Me5c1bZGuuhf75GR/s320/Food+299.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607082695519537858" border="0" /></a>Homemade iced tea made with some key lime tea bags, lime juice and a bit of agave nectar. Yum!<br /><br />Today the BF and I went and got plants for our vegetable garden, one of my favourite things about summer! We bought two tomato plants, a yellow bell pepper plant, a jalapeno plant and a cayenne plant. I am really hoping to find a cilantro plant as well so that we can make salsa with almost all ingredients from our own garden! Sadly no pictures of the plants right now because it is grey and rainy outside (boo) but when the sun decides to show its face again I will get some pics.LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-83911891159810399702011-05-11T17:18:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:52:15.228-07:00Challenge: Do one thing this week that scares youThis week's <a href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2011/05/do-one-thing-that-scares-you52-days-til.html"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">52 Days Until Summer Challenge</span></a> is simple yet difficult at the same time.<br /><br />"Do one thing this week that scares you."<br /><br />As soon as I read the post I knew what I would be doing - Level 3 of the 30 Day Shred.<br /><br />I've expressed my<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> <a href="http://inmyhealthyplace.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-i-love-30-day-shred.html">love of the 30 Day Shred</a></span> workout before, but in all the time I've been doing it I've never moved onto Level 3. Level 2 is still a pretty intense workout for me, and I am not one to push myself physically. I also have a tendency to think "I can't do that" about a lot of physical challenges. I forget that although I still find the Shred difficult, I have made a lot of progress. I can get through Level 1 without <a href="http://inmyhealthyplace.blogspot.com/2009/07/exercise-my-biggest-challenge.html"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">practically going into cardiac arrest</span></a>. I use 5 pound weights instead of 2 pound weights. I get parallel to the ground when doing squats and lunges instead of barely sinking down. They are small changes that happened slowly over time, but they are significant none the less.<br /><br />Another sign of progress: although Level 2 certainly seems more than challenging at the time, the next day my muscles feel fine. Clearly a sign that my body is getting accustomed to the workout, and it's time to move on to something more challenging.<br /><br />So what was there to be scared of? Logically, not much, but I still felt apprehensive today before starting the workout. Would I make it through, or collapse in a heap?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSM-0STo8GM-eXYm1H9DDqiPz1I3R4NCnJbOEINwFY7Isc31eowh-Q4HnQrTARzg1qdXMJXb9DMtFyraaCXJ1HBQX6euePaPmvdO0IibCi_JA2XmxEz4QvWlA5rCTKv5VQVJaxbsigR6Ly/s1600/Food+244.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSM-0STo8GM-eXYm1H9DDqiPz1I3R4NCnJbOEINwFY7Isc31eowh-Q4HnQrTARzg1qdXMJXb9DMtFyraaCXJ1HBQX6euePaPmvdO0IibCi_JA2XmxEz4QvWlA5rCTKv5VQVJaxbsigR6Ly/s320/Food+244.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605620006013218370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Not totally tomato red - a good sign<br /><br /></span></div>I may not look impressed in that picture, but I survived! Dare I say it...I think I found Level 3 easier than Level 2. Some of the cardio and abs moves were definitely rough, but the beginner strength moves were pretty easy - too easy, in fact, since I should be moving on to a more challenging workout. Next time, I will have to follow Natalie rather than Anita (in other words, advanced vs beginner) for some of the moves. There's the surest sign of progress right there - I NEVER thought I would be saying that any of the beginner moves in 30 Day Shred were too easy!<br /><br />I really enjoyed this challenge and I look forward to going one step further and truly challenging myself the next time I do Level 3. It's time to truly push myself with exercise and not be content to follow Anita!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-42716785291661384462011-05-08T12:24:00.000-07:002011-05-08T12:51:10.986-07:00One week down + delicious breakfastsI'm coming to the end of my first week doing the <a style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);" href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2011/05/52-days-til-summer-challenge.html">52 Days Till Summer Challenge</a> and I'm feeling good! I have been making really good food choices, which is good news both for my health and for my budget. There were a few indulgences on Friday (Greek food for dinner and some drinking) but since everything else has been on track I'm not concerned.<br /><br />I also got moving this week, working out a total of 4 times (The Biggest Loser PowerSculpt 3 days, and Pilates 1 day). I have yet to print my calendar out and stick it on my fridge, but I still met my activity goal which is a good sign! I am definitely feeling the effects of my workouts in my shoulders and my legs, and after the Pilates my abs were killing me! I kind of love exercise pain though.<br /><br />In other news I have been enjoying some really delicious breakfast lately. Last Sunday I made <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);" href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/02/22/sweet-potato-oatmeal-breakfast-casserole/">Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole</a> from Oh She Glows.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBgXBfpWgXGmzKLaJzvsp5biEkiHCXfB4Lb7-s9ghJI0yNjsazGAiAArar4yolINSJEsGCAI4oLYL0kNC2uDyBkkckENnoI7AEOS-fRuicjKnQFcPPkn4CE3-7QKPcBzLiH17-yxWIXnd/s1600/Food+235.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBgXBfpWgXGmzKLaJzvsp5biEkiHCXfB4Lb7-s9ghJI0yNjsazGAiAArar4yolINSJEsGCAI4oLYL0kNC2uDyBkkckENnoI7AEOS-fRuicjKnQFcPPkn4CE3-7QKPcBzLiH17-yxWIXnd/s400/Food+235.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604431880565253458" border="0" /></a>Angela's recipes have never disappointed me and this one was no exception. Absolutely amazing! I loved this the best straight out of the oven, but the leftovers were quite good too, warm or cold. I especially loved the banana in this recipe - not something I would have thought to add to sweet potato oatmeal but it was a great touch.<br /><br />I also enjoyed some overnight oats this week:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1P6v2ViVFiJcDkG25meUFsEjH5StKsdZvCWRtL_8w6aV8PUSCE_b4O78IGUHFAeEPIwYuJ1vYvLizwxm3OcuC8PyDi1oY0TT0umAWjU_7LRRCxJgP3t2YOvoTVy2UMn9pmcA7gi9HlDE/s1600/Food+237.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1P6v2ViVFiJcDkG25meUFsEjH5StKsdZvCWRtL_8w6aV8PUSCE_b4O78IGUHFAeEPIwYuJ1vYvLizwxm3OcuC8PyDi1oY0TT0umAWjU_7LRRCxJgP3t2YOvoTVy2UMn9pmcA7gi9HlDE/s400/Food+237.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604432814221038498" border="0" /></a>Everyone loves pink breakfast right? I love<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/overnightoats">overnight oats</a>. They remind me of those fruit and yogurt parfaits you can buy at the grocery store, but much healthier. This batch had oats, yogurt, soymilk, berries (President's Choice 4 berry blend) and a bit of agave nectar. I also topped this with some All-Bran buds when I ate it for added crunch and fiber.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIPjZGeLkOySBbhcEfudlOScnwj63C_hvEM6NvuVbItN8tDLjE95O7f2Z7qAhMKGCAvl38JgJTJnvbII196V_iWldrEPAaDTn3Xvx9Hn_j8rBIjY8r6N0egCNp_R4D-DRYQGlXzf7F64W/s1600/shatner.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIPjZGeLkOySBbhcEfudlOScnwj63C_hvEM6NvuVbItN8tDLjE95O7f2Z7qAhMKGCAvl38JgJTJnvbII196V_iWldrEPAaDTn3Xvx9Hn_j8rBIjY8r6N0egCNp_R4D-DRYQGlXzf7F64W/s320/shatner.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604433798556917746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">And because William Shatner <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSOUbIvszvY">told me to.</a></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Looking forward to seeing what next week's mini-challenge will be, and to enjoying the spring weather that has finally arrived in Ottawa!<br /></div></div>LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-37497701190610945692011-05-04T17:08:00.001-07:002011-05-04T17:39:13.579-07:00Back with the 52 Days til Summer Challenge<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoo0iPEUUIeYfyN9gXTJw_Lgf7yHPTBJayihW20p7yFO0eqTyxnwIwmx5T41Z3oMHCZTfgN6NQXmasqsx6U97HvjbVXJh9zY_DzAyV-9UTxtl0Bn4tG2Y-bFVIXXZAO37j3ypKpj7v33b/s1600/everybody.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoo0iPEUUIeYfyN9gXTJw_Lgf7yHPTBJayihW20p7yFO0eqTyxnwIwmx5T41Z3oMHCZTfgN6NQXmasqsx6U97HvjbVXJh9zY_DzAyV-9UTxtl0Bn4tG2Y-bFVIXXZAO37j3ypKpj7v33b/s320/everybody.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603023862796159522" border="0" /></a>Oh my god, I'm back <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6XE1XRiLeY">again</a>.<br /></div><br /><br />I was inspired by two lovely ladies I know to get back to my blog:<br /><br /><a href="http://liveeatsmile.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Emily</span></a>, with her blog that I love love love;<br /><br />And <a href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Ashley</span></a>, as I'm thrilled to announce that I will be taking place in her <a href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2011/05/52-days-til-summer-challenge.html"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">52 Days til Summer Challenge</span></a>!<br /><br />This challenge couldn't have come at a better time. Between being sick, crappy weather, and some unpleasant things happening in my personal life, April did not equal a healthy month for me. Food was more often chosen for its comfort value than its healthiness, and exercise was almost non-existent. I'm really feeling positive about May though (despite the sun's continued insistence on hiding away) and am really looking forward to this challenge, which I believe will help keep me accountable and will give me a little extra incentive to stay on the healthy track.<br /><br />The first part of the challenge is to develop a list of reasons I want to participate in the challenge. My goal is not specifically to lose weight (although a few pounds lost would be a happy bonus), but instead just to get back on the healthy track and stay there. My reasons for wanting to get and stay healthy are:<br /><br />- To take care of myself and ensure a long, happy life<br />- To feel (and be) fit and strong<br />- To have lots of energy<br />- To feel proud of the life choices I am making<br />- To feel confident in a bathing suit this summer!<br /><br />The other component to this challenge is to develop a list of commitments that will help me to achieve my goal. My commitments are:<br /><br />- To eat whole foods, especially lots of vegetables, as much as possible<br />- Work out 4-5 times a week<br />- Don't slack off on the weekends (this is a biggie - I have a bad tendency to do really well all week with food and exercise, and then eat whatever I feel like and be lazy on the weekends. I have to remember that weekends count too!)<br />- Take it easy on the alcohol (also applies to the weekend commitment)<br />- Keep track of my progress on this blog!<br /><br />It's also back to <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://inmyhealthyplace.blogspot.com/2009/10/quick-bites.html">tracking my activity</a> with stickers and a calendar - a surprisingly great motivational tool. I guess the love of stickers never really goes away, no matter how old you are!<br /><br />I'm really excited, not just for the challenge, but for the opportunity to start feeling more positive and developing some healthy habits. I hope you will cheer me on, and consider joining the challenge yourself!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-40416582923190429142010-11-08T16:08:00.000-08:002010-11-08T16:24:39.619-08:00Deliciousness, vegan styleIt's <a href="http://veganmofo.wordpress.com/about/">Vegan Mofo</a> month in the blogosphere, and yummy vegan recipes are popping up all over. If there is no vegan cooking in your life, there should be. Eating meatless meals a few times a week is good for your health, the environment, and your budget. Even though I'm <a href="http://inmyhealthyplace.blogspot.com/2009/09/truth-comes-out.html">back on the meat</a> now, I still eat plenty of vegetarian and vegan meals.<br /><br />Vegan meals don't have to be really complicated or involve a bunch of unusual ingredients. Think meatless chili, vegetable stir-fries, pasta, and bean and vegetable soups. I chose to make this eggplant and zucchini casserole last night not because it was vegan, but because it sounded delicious - and it was. The creamy filling made from beans is the best part. To me this casserole was very reminiscent of eggplant parmigiana, but with more vegetables and without a ton of cheese.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgBVig3yr6fDnUF3kvaQ0q29P5jbczLaklfkuGQ87z301tgvQ-N0OH-L-Qox9bGWDnhhyNMaovUZCG0ZQyFUc2wmz6038TfSvoo512Tc0OhICki8cF4DXmtZscochZMWJiLZ7PblEyvcg/s1600/Food+211.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgBVig3yr6fDnUF3kvaQ0q29P5jbczLaklfkuGQ87z301tgvQ-N0OH-L-Qox9bGWDnhhyNMaovUZCG0ZQyFUc2wmz6038TfSvoo512Tc0OhICki8cF4DXmtZscochZMWJiLZ7PblEyvcg/s320/Food+211.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537338449513368162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Recipe at <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2010/10/25/layered-eggplant-and-zucchini-casserole/">Oh She Glows</a></span><br /></div><br />Speaking of cheese....yes, that is cheese on top of the casserole. The crazy cheese lover in me thought the dish would need it, but it really doesn't. Seriously. The creamy filling adds plenty of richness (and without all the extra fat that cheese adds). So skip the cheese, make this a totally vegan meal, and enjoy!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-70112135285761437342010-07-14T17:58:00.001-07:002010-07-14T18:32:04.319-07:00Tofu so tasty you'll eat it with a spoon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYE7QTmfTqlOnfVWzcIW6qHsHcFcB31sbcuvzw4NL2jOInFqnKMksnA0J-8pDw-2Bw8ZooU3tPjmNmcOFtNQbkOHcK3F3TrMLG5uH52GKPWn9b8wCQ4F72QrkGbRtSWq3yKlB7JcvA6lz/s1600/Food+200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYE7QTmfTqlOnfVWzcIW6qHsHcFcB31sbcuvzw4NL2jOInFqnKMksnA0J-8pDw-2Bw8ZooU3tPjmNmcOFtNQbkOHcK3F3TrMLG5uH52GKPWn9b8wCQ4F72QrkGbRtSWq3yKlB7JcvA6lz/s400/Food+200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493939622220699794" border="0" /></a>Consider this - I turned on my oven during last week's brutal heat wave in order to make this tofu. It's THAT good. It might not look or sound that appetizing, but this Thai-peanut tofu sandwich spread is without a doubt the tastiest tofu I've ever had. The origins of this recipe go back to a couple of years ago when I bought some Thai tofu spread at a farmer's market. I devoured it in no time, and inspired by the ingredient list printed on the container, decided to try making a batch of my own.<br /><br />The version I make now is a fair bit different from the original product, but I love it even more. It's ridiculously easy to make for something so delicious, and is versatile - it's particularly good in a toasted sandwich, but is also good thrown into a salad, paired with crackers, or just eaten with a spoon. I should note that calling this a sandwich spread is a bit misleading - sandwich filling would be more accurate. It's crumbly and doesn't really bind together, so it can make for a messy sandwich. Trust me - you won't care. Just be sure to eat it over a plate or container so the yummy tofu pieces don't escape you.<br /><br />Thai Tofu Sandwich Filling (makes about 4 servings)<br /><br />1/2 package firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 6 slices<br />1/4 cup natural peanut butter<br />1/4 cup hot water<br />1 tbsp tamari<br />1 tsp sesame oil<br />Green onions, thinly sliced (as many as you like)<br />1-2 tsp. lime juice<br />1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro<br /><br />Pat the pieces of tofu with paper towel to remove excess moisture, and arrange pieces in a greased casserole dish. Combine peanut butter with water until smooth (adding a little extra water if necessary - you want the mixture to be pourable, but not watery). Stir in tamari and sesame oil. Pour sauce over tofu, turning pieces to coat with the sauce.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees (do this after preparing the tofu so the tofu can marinate while the oven heats up). Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the pieces every 10 minutes. The peanut sauce will dry up a fair bit, but that's ok!<br /><br />Transfer the cooked tofu pieces to a bowl and mash the tofu with a fork. You want the tofu to be in small crumbles, not mashed into a paste. At this point I usually add a little extra pb, tamari, and sesame oil and mash them into the tofu - about a teaspoon of each. This helps intensify the peanut sauce flavour that has been baked into the tofu as well as keep the tofu moist. Add green onions, lime juice and cilantro and mix. You can eat this right away while still warm, but in my opinion it's even better cold the next day. It keeps well in the fridge for at least a few days - it probably won't last very long.<br /><br />I've done my best to write down measurements for this recipe but in all honesty this is one of those recipes where I eyeball everything, so use your best judgment. If the peanut sauce doesn't adequately cover all your tofu, make a little extra. Add ingredients at the end to taste - if you like your Thai food with lots of lime, add more lime! If you love tamari, add a little extra. Enjoy!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-59222475603783991512010-07-05T05:46:00.000-07:002010-07-05T06:09:45.881-07:00More Jillian workouts with The Biggest Loser Power Sculpt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sJUl0XvcMRVMzzBVF3hsK5JmEdk0PORJiUZISROg1y6hJy3G1OE2dC-lKxr3tBy86IzE9VOe1MfeVNXmj4RyrZErRJ_HBpCFs8B4dc-K9mM0BNXev1ClF-IifnZZKUXSA3wVuj6t7fg1/s1600/The-Biggest+Loser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sJUl0XvcMRVMzzBVF3hsK5JmEdk0PORJiUZISROg1y6hJy3G1OE2dC-lKxr3tBy86IzE9VOe1MfeVNXmj4RyrZErRJ_HBpCFs8B4dc-K9mM0BNXev1ClF-IifnZZKUXSA3wVuj6t7fg1/s400/The-Biggest+Loser.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490403037250230626" border="0" /></a><br />Despite my love of the <a href="http://inmyhealthyplace.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-i-love-30-day-shred.html">30 Day Shred</a>, a few months ago I was on the lookout for a workout video that was a little less intense so I could still work out on days when I just wasn't up for the Shred. After some research I purchased <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Biggest-Loser-Workout-Power-Sculpt/dp/B000WM84PY">The Biggest Loser Power Sculpt</a>. Though I've never watched The Biggest Loser, I knew I was a Jillian fan, and one of my biggest fitness goals lately has been increasing strength. I figured this workout would be a good way to transition from 2 pound weights to 5 pound weights.<br /><br />The video has 3 levels, but unlike 30 Day Shred, you are not supposed to do the levels separately. The DVD recommends doing Level 1 for 2 weeks, then Level 1 <span style="font-weight: bold;">and</span> Level 2, then finally all 3 levels. I started out with Level 1 and my 2 pound weights, but found it pretty easy, so added on Level 2. What a difference! Level 2 is only an extra 10 minutes, but it is intense, and doing it after already doing Level 1 for 20 minutes really wipes me out. I have yet to move up to Level 3 - I will do so sometime when it's not 30+ degrees in Ottawa.<br /><br />I have since switched to 5 pound weights to do this workout as I had hoped - for me, this makes the workout quite a bit harder, but it's nice to know I'm actually working those muscles! For a few of the exercises in Level 1 Jillian recommends holding both hand weights in one hand. Apparently I have tiny hands because my hands are too small for this! Instead I use a 5 pound weight and a 2 pound weight together and that works well.<br /><br />I would recommend this workout for exercise beginners as that is who it is designed for, with simple moves and less intensity than the 30 Day Shred. That said, this is no walk in the park! This workout gets me sweating and my heart pumping, like a good workout should. I probably do this more than 30 Day Shred now (again, I claim the heat as my excuse), but ideally I would be alternating them in order to do each workout at least twice a week. That's my goal to work towards!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-7056302215802351382010-07-01T07:56:00.000-07:002010-07-01T08:18:04.654-07:00Larabars - or should I say Laurabars?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxmd-nWwFhlWo4a2wIzZyRYIynqZnb-9BoVR1Jpr6MU5NRzd8nVuSDQMh1TJpGHRdF-uQSrLw1vVj00NfPrLUmEowLwebz4H96k8gtAKymaXAHJ4BqYAwQR4tQ79PNyA0WmDfLvX84XYe/s1600/Food+189.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxmd-nWwFhlWo4a2wIzZyRYIynqZnb-9BoVR1Jpr6MU5NRzd8nVuSDQMh1TJpGHRdF-uQSrLw1vVj00NfPrLUmEowLwebz4H96k8gtAKymaXAHJ4BqYAwQR4tQ79PNyA0WmDfLvX84XYe/s400/Food+189.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488955121019544658" border="0" /></a><br />I love <a href="http://www.larabar.com/">Larabars</a>, but hate the price. The best price I have seen them go for in Ottawa is 3 for $5 at Loblaws, and that doesn't happen very often. The normal price is $2 each, and I've seen them at the Natural Food Pantry for $2.50 (the Natural Food Pantry, Ottawa's price-gouging health food store). I've thought about making my own bars several times, and on my last trip to Loblaws, where it seems Larabars have now disappeared from the shelves, I decided it was finally time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxy2GO3qnvSUwCa4OLBeBuys0xBc1kvSv-RDuFCMQx2QCS3XiM72rgyA-12vU-nGSGBl2ZlZ3Ia9C_JjDMDvjW-kTGRSeHDidZkJVm-RYnONJ6kQl1NHuEVoaJ4PSYVpWD6etNXuelrkGh/s1600/Food+192.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxy2GO3qnvSUwCa4OLBeBuys0xBc1kvSv-RDuFCMQx2QCS3XiM72rgyA-12vU-nGSGBl2ZlZ3Ia9C_JjDMDvjW-kTGRSeHDidZkJVm-RYnONJ6kQl1NHuEVoaJ4PSYVpWD6etNXuelrkGh/s320/Food+192.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488955854439385890" border="0" /></a><br />I followed this recipe from <a href="http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/2008/02/home-made-lara-bars-energy-bars-part-3.html">Enlightened Cooking</a> to make Cherry Pie Larabars. The result, while not exactly the same as a Larabar, is still an amazing substitute. I found the texture seemed to have a bit more date/cherry than it should - but that could be because I ended up adding a few more dates and dried cherries than the recipe called for when it seemed that I had too much chopped nuts. Regardless, the flavour was bang-on, and overall these bars are delicious. Easy to make too - the whole process probably only took me about 15 minutes. It took a little while for my food processor to thoroughly chop up the dates and cherries, but in the end it did the job (and I just have a plain old Hamilton Beech processor, nothing fancy). I will have to get the mathematically inclined BF to help me do a cost-analysis of these the next time I make them. Dates, dried cherries, and pecans are not the cheapest ingredients in the world, but I still think bar for bar I have to be saving money.<br /><br />Other homemade Larabars on the web:<br /><br />Southern, Eh? - <a href="http://canaderican.blogspot.com/2009/01/homemade-larabars-easier-than-you-think.html">Pecan Pie Larabars</a><br />Oh She Glows - <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2008/12/08/homemade-banana-bread-larabars/">Banana Bread</a>, <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2008/12/06/chocolate-chip-cookie-homemade-larabar-recipe/">Chocolate Chip Cookie</a>, and <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2008/12/06/the-larabar-experiment/">Coconut Cream</a> LarabarsLauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-43564529492216289092010-03-21T17:19:00.000-07:002010-03-21T17:48:51.321-07:00Bodypump and awesome dinner. Good day!I'm feeling strong today....I went to <a style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" href="http://www.goodlifefitness.com/GroupEx/Strength.aspx">Bodypump</a> this morning with my friend Steph, and it was pretty awesome. This is my second time to Bodypump, and I enjoyed it a lot more this time - I think I had a better instructor, she was good about explaining the different moves and she had a lot of energy. I have never thought of myself as a person who was able to do a class like Bodypump (which involves doing things like squats, lunges, etc while lifting a barbell) so being able to complete a class, even if I have less weight on my barbell than other people, is really rewarding. I look forward to one day having a gym membership at Goodlife so I can partake in their classes more often, as well as use the exercise equipment. Right now I find taking the bus there and back too much of a hassle to go all the time, but once I own a car, I will be all over it.<br /><br />After class I had a fantastic lunch at <a style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);" href="http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/food/food.aspx?iIDArticle=5599">The Scone Witch</a> (unfortunately I didn't have my camera to take pics of lunch!) then came home and started preparing (also fantastic) dinner:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc6LPYiDuOoZ6H4cBn3U1WnkL2rB-4sg9cmX7kWMxcg5pcA0GpSUQKLvitowD71qtuyaxbjJUdxNhkCQNNpbhSNAguF5qpYfRyXchyphenhyphenbXcq_AvH-qkGqecZ4ZLFBJxahDgMFIn7cUkQVWU/s1600-h/Food+188.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc6LPYiDuOoZ6H4cBn3U1WnkL2rB-4sg9cmX7kWMxcg5pcA0GpSUQKLvitowD71qtuyaxbjJUdxNhkCQNNpbhSNAguF5qpYfRyXchyphenhyphenbXcq_AvH-qkGqecZ4ZLFBJxahDgMFIn7cUkQVWU/s320/Food+188.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451252372909728546" border="0" /></a><br />Sorry for the not so great pic, but this salad was too good to not post about. It's always a little unnerving making new recipes...especially so for me when I'm cooking for the BF. You see we normally cook separate meals...our eating habits are just far too different. I'm not worried when I make a tried and true recipe for the two of us, but making something new always has me a little worried...if it doesn't turn out, I don't want to ruin someone else's dinner! <br /><br />I didn't need to worry this time though. As soon as I started chopping up the fresh dill to add to the chicken marinade, I knew this recipe was going to be good...and oh man, was it ever. This salad was restaurant quality (by which I mean it was as delicious as something you would get at your favourite restaurant, not that it was a restaurant-type salad, which often means iceberg lettuce, a tomato wedge and a slice of cucumber), and two bites in, the BF proclaimed, "I like it." Music to this cook's ears!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dilled Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine</span><br /><br />For the chicken:<br /><br />6 boneless skinless chicken thighs<br />1/4 cup chopped fresh dill<br />1 shallot, finely chopped<br />Zest of one lemon<br />2 tbsp olive oil<br />1/4 tsp each salt and pepper<br /><br />For the salad:<br /><br />1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces<br />6 radishes, sliced<br />(This is all that was in my salad because I was keeping it BF friendly, but feel free to add more veggies - shredded carrot and chopped bell peppers would be awesome additions. The original recipe called for mixed greens but I actually really liked this salad made with romaine, it gave it a good crunch).<br /><br />For the dressing:<br /><br />1/4 cup plain Balkan-style yogurt<br />1/4 cup tahini<br />3 tbsp lemon juice (squeeze the juice out of the lemon you zested for the marinade and you will have enough!)<br />2 tbsp warm water<br />1/2 tsp cumin<br />1/4 tsp each salt and pepper<br /><br />Combine marinade ingredients in casserole dish (or whatever you will be marinating your chicken in.) Add chicken and coat with marinade. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 4 hours, turning chicken at least once.<br /><br />Grill the chicken on your bbq or George Foreman grill. While it's cooking, get your salad ingredients ready and make the dressing - just whisk all the ingredients together. Add chopped grilled chicken to the salad and toss with dressing....et voila! (You may have more dressing than you need for the salad - save the leftovers, this stuff would be yummy on all sorts of salads, or as a veggie dip). Hope you enjoy as much as I did!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-56687938350373103632010-03-17T17:00:00.001-07:002010-03-17T17:33:58.101-07:00Why I Love 30 Day Shred<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJ9UoJuPgF5AyGeEClGzZyudlwwgbjpoI5wk0u2P3ahqFhuMOjhdHFe4m1fcPNw5azJJ-sMimhfkKjHRyutkLCwMv7n7wE1V3CAnAj9g6wcX4ibga9L-enpEkRORFE1J4Qw89oSIXzTYm/s1600-h/30day.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJ9UoJuPgF5AyGeEClGzZyudlwwgbjpoI5wk0u2P3ahqFhuMOjhdHFe4m1fcPNw5azJJ-sMimhfkKjHRyutkLCwMv7n7wE1V3CAnAj9g6wcX4ibga9L-enpEkRORFE1J4Qw89oSIXzTYm/s320/30day.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449764114017508930" border="0" /></a>The first time I did it I could barely walk up my stairs to take a shower afterwards. It's made me think terrible thoughts about Jillian Michaels and turn redder than most tomatoes. Despite that, I love<a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.amazon.ca/Jillian-Michaels-30-Day-Shred/dp/B00127RAJY"> 30 Day Shred</a> and would encourage anyone looking to get into shape or just looking for a new workout to try it. Here's why:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">20 Minutes</span>. I love that even though I feel like I've worked out for an hour after doing Shred, it's really only 20 minutes. Very easy to fit into the day. I usually do it as soon as I get home from work and then I can relax for the rest of the night.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Simple</span>. I was first attracted to this workout because all I needed to do it was a mat, running shoes, and hand weights. Also, the moves are pretty basic fitness moves, and there are modifications for beginners (not that these will completely save you from feeling like you're going to die).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Improved Endurance</span>. 30 Day Shred has 3 levels of increasing difficulty. The idea is to do Level 1 for 10 days, then Level 2, etc (although I've only attempted to do a full 30 days in a row once). When I first started doing Shred I had to stop and rest so many times during Level 1 that it was embarrassing. Now I do Level 2 and usually only have to stop once for a few seconds.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Variety.</span> The workout combines strength training, cardio, and abs exercises, so even if I only do Shred 3 times a week, I feel like I've covered all the workout bases. I find the fast pace, variety of moves, and the ability to switch between levels helps to keep me from getting bored.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">RESULTS. </span> This is what you really want to know right? "Does Shred work, or will I just be killing myself for nothing?" Well don't worry - it works. I can't say anything about the "Lose up to 20 pounds" claim - I have lost some weight since starting Shred but I've also been watching what I eat and doing other workouts. I have definitely noticed changes in my body from Shred though. To my surprise, I've noticed the biggest difference in my abs. Jeans that have always made me muffin-top, even at the same weight, now fit perfectly! Pilates may have helped with this as well, but I really think doing Shred is a big part of it, especially Level 2 with all its plank moves. Speaking of Pilates, I've noticed that the more I do Shred, the more my flexibility is improving - another important result to me. On top of that, my legs feel stronger, I look more toned overall, and I have more energy!<br /><br />I'm currently trying to do Shred 3-4 times a week. I'm hoping to move up to bigger weights soon - I currently use 2 pound weights, I think 5 pound ones are actually recommended for Shred, but I'm weak! But heavier weights will equal stronger Laura, and someday I'd like to be able to do a pushup without falling on my face.<br /><br />Have you ever tried 30 day Shred? What did you think of it? What about any other of Jillian Michaels workout videos?LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-57380754328983040922010-02-25T15:55:00.000-08:002010-02-25T16:27:18.123-08:00A convenient curry<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwfc9pEyyVmo1AVTwNcEVrHPEMbZdtKIBiYbOU_T283dijeVoKXAMlbdp0BvotPVyuuJXRYJEas2_Y-c45EZsFyXKPZNrymnAD4TMaABnYrl4BqNC8_dve4o6pxsJl5E5dLMK6SAdNRu9/s1600-h/Food+180.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwfc9pEyyVmo1AVTwNcEVrHPEMbZdtKIBiYbOU_T283dijeVoKXAMlbdp0BvotPVyuuJXRYJEas2_Y-c45EZsFyXKPZNrymnAD4TMaABnYrl4BqNC8_dve4o6pxsJl5E5dLMK6SAdNRu9/s400/Food+180.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442334289044472994" border="0" /></a><br />Usually when I grocery shop I try to stick to two rules: buy whole, natural foods as much as possible, and shop cheap. However, I cut myself a bit of slack on this week's grocery trip. For one thing, it's been snowing in Ottawa for 3 days straight now, and I only wanted to make one stop so I could get home as soon as possible (this meant not stopping at Bulk Barn). Also, I wanted to buy things that would let me cut down on prep time a bit, in the hopes of making it easier to stick to my meal plans.<br /><br />As a result my grocery cart contained some things it hasn't for quite some time: individual Source yogurts instead of plain yogurt that I add fruit and agave nectar to, instant oatmeal packets instead of oats from the bulk store, and a package of pre-cut butternut squash cubes instead of a whole squash. I suspect no one is judging me too much for this - it's still all healthy food after all - but in the case of the yogurt, I think it was a mistake. I'm finding I can really taste the Splenda in it, and it's not pleasant. The butternut squash, however, was worth the $2.99. It meant I didn't have to kill myself trying to cut through an uncooked squash and I got to make this unbelievably delicious curry - which made at least 4 servings, so really the squash only cost be about 75 cents a meal. Worth it!<br /><br />Do you rely on any convenience foods to help you stick with healthy eating (or to cope with neverending wet snow?)<br /><br />Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry (adapted from <a style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" href="http://eatlikeagirl.com/2008/11/04/butternut-squash-chickpea-and-spinach-curry/">Eat Like a Girl</a>)<br /><br />1 package butternut squash cubes (or 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced if you must)<br />1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed<br />1 can coconut milk<br />Half of a 28oz can diced tomatoes<br />2 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />Thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely chopped<br />2 tsp cumin<br />2 tsp coriander<br />1 tsp turmeric<br />Pepper to taste<br />1 cup baby spinach<br />2 green onions, sliced<br />Fresh cilantro for garnish<br /><br />Sauté the garlic and ginger in a little oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and all the turmeric and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the squash cubes and cook 2 minutes, stirring to coat with the spices. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, remaining cumin and coriander, and pepper. * see note below* Cook for 10-15 minutes or until squash is tender. Add the chickpeas, spinach and green onion and cook until spinach is wilted. Garnish with plenty of fresh cilantro. I served this over some leftover brown rice. So, so yummy!<br /><br />*I also added a few shakes of dried jalapeno peppers at this step for a bit of heat - this is optional if you don't want heat, or you could also add a finely diced jalapeno when you cook the garlic and ginger if you don't have a BF who grows and dries his own hot peppers!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-74687889461484164672010-02-22T16:27:00.000-08:002010-02-22T17:59:02.949-08:00The physical and mental health connectionWhile enjoying lunch at <a href="http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Fresh</span></a> this weekend (delicious - how can I convince the owners to open an Ottawa restaurant?) <a href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Ashley</span></a> said to me, "you don't blog anymore!" How right she was. The first thing out of my mouth was "I don't have time" then realized the ridiculousness of saying this to Ashley, whose schedule makes my days look like a walk in the park. I guess the spark to write hasn't hit me lately but this weekend got me thinking about how mental health is as important as physical health, as well as the connection between the two.<br /><br />I was in Toronto this weekend because my friend Kristy and I had planned a trip so that we could see Ashley perform in the musical <a href="http://civiclightoperacompany.com/rex.html"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">REX</span></a>. I've known Ashley since we were 12 but this was the first time I've been able to see her perform. Ashley played both Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth, and I was blown away by her stunning singing voice (you've come a long way from karaoke in Rossmore hun!) and the stage presence she brought to both characters. I also really enjoyed the show as a whole since I love musicals and am really interested in the history of the Tudor era.<br /><br />The show, along with many other great experiences this weekend, was an excellent opportunity to reflect on where I am in my life right now and how it's a pretty great place to be. I feel so fortunate to have remained friends with Ashley for all these years and to get to see her shine on stage. I am also so fortunate to have a friend like Kristy in my life, with whom I always have an amazing time and who appreciates my dorkiness (by going with me to both the ROM and a dollhouse store!). It was a good weekend for mental health - a chance to take a break from work (and Ottawa weather), and an opportunity to appreciate the good things in my life.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYt2l_Y7kkiFUF9JOgrmyoocHr4s5D012sMOuoMJdpvbuSbmSzTHmj4nv68B8WpiG8hIKT-5AZjDvBW8Ry66yOJFwgAuvI5kaT8UbdFOIWC0AxNPLc7aX98r3UnCrMzvGTMWa6zVPkxap/s1600-h/Toronto+weekend+109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYt2l_Y7kkiFUF9JOgrmyoocHr4s5D012sMOuoMJdpvbuSbmSzTHmj4nv68B8WpiG8hIKT-5AZjDvBW8Ry66yOJFwgAuvI5kaT8UbdFOIWC0AxNPLc7aX98r3UnCrMzvGTMWa6zVPkxap/s400/Toronto+weekend+109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441251023678324274" border="0" /></a><br />This morning, having returned to Ottawa, I had my annual physical. On my way to the doctor's office I couldn't help thinking about last year's physical. I was not in a very good place in my life at the time. I was very stressed out by work and a lengthy bus strike and I wasn't taking care of myself - so it shouldn't have come as a shock when my doctor told me I had gained 10 pounds, but it did. 10 pounds may not seem like a big deal, but it hit me that if I kept on going the way I was, 10 would turn into 20, 30, 40 pounds very quickly. When my doctor asked me about exercise I had to admit that other than walking there had been no exercise for me for quite some time. Sitting wrapped in a paper sheet in your doctor's office is not the greatest feeling at the best of times, and that day, I couldn't imagine feeling worse.<br /><br />What a difference a year makes. Today I chatted happily with my doctor and grinned when she said, "your weight is back down to normal, good for you!" We talked about the different types of exercise I've incorporated into my life, and I didn't feel guilty about some food indulgences this weekend, because I knew I'd be going home to a healthy meal and my Pilates dvd. Today's doctor's visit clearly illustrated to me that mental and physical health are so closely linked. Stress has certainly not disappeared from my life but I've learned that clean eating and exercise are healthy ways to deal with stress. I've also learned to allow myself a fun weekend without guilt, and how to get back on track once that weekend is over.<br /><br />I hope to continue writing on the blog because writing has always been a great way for me to reflect and unwind, so while writing about my physical health I will also be doing my mental health a favour. I'll try to use this blog to continue being healthy in all ways!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-22832719782122031532009-11-22T16:49:00.000-08:002009-11-22T17:15:55.044-08:00Sausage, white bean and kale soup - parmigiano rind not optional!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhde_dMEgfVYqWN6-ef7PgRKdI0EIaQEB07R-MsWy3xsKMXH_LjyDdsvy_rMUQYjXJ01yWYXWWbS6HmY52Z1FXmNcnLeVOp5XNViMJCG9S9LcIfrHwbXE3XWhSEdufpfHWVdgiDniKpO2uZ/s1600/Food+176.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhde_dMEgfVYqWN6-ef7PgRKdI0EIaQEB07R-MsWy3xsKMXH_LjyDdsvy_rMUQYjXJ01yWYXWWbS6HmY52Z1FXmNcnLeVOp5XNViMJCG9S9LcIfrHwbXE3XWhSEdufpfHWVdgiDniKpO2uZ/s400/Food+176.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407095170905413266" border="0" /></a><br />On my last grocery shopping trip I bought a big bunch of kale with the intention of using most of it in a sausage, white bean and kale soup, many variations of which I have seen floating around food blogland for some time now. The recipe I used was from <a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/">Closet Cooking</a>, chosen partly because I love the blog and partly because I was intrigued by the addition of a parmigiano reggiano rind. I was definitely not disappointed - this soup is crammed with so much good stuff, and the parmesan rind added incredible flavour. After the soup was finished cooking I broke the rind up into smaller pieces and left it in the soup rather than discarding it - it's delicious, and the hunk of cheese cost me upwards of 10 dollars so no way was I going to throw any part of it out!<br /><br />This soup fits the veggie packed bill that I have been trying to stick to lately, in addition to trying to do a true 30 Day Shred (as in, do the workout every day for 30 days). Not sure if the Shred will happen tonight - with Christmas decorating and making this soup, the day got away from me pretty quickly - but if it doesn't, I can feel satisfied that my dinner was on track!<br /><br />Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup (adapted from <a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/03/white-bean-and-kale-soup-with-turkey.html">Closet Cooking</a>)<br /><br />4 turkey sausages, casing removed<br />2 tsp. olive oil<br />1 onion, finely chopped<br />2 carrots, finely chopped<br />2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />Crushed tomatoes (I used a mason jar full made by my BF's mom, probably less than a 28 0z can)<br />1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed<br />1 bunch kale, chopped (unless you have a monster bunch like I did - the whole bunch was too much for the soup pot, I had to scoop some of it out!)<br />1 tsp. dried sage<br />1 parmigiano reggiano rind<br />1L container chicken stock, plus two cups water (the 1L container was not enough to cover all the soup ingredients. I used a low sodium broth - if this is not available to you, I recommend using half broth and half water - the soup is very flavourful on its own, it doesn't need a ton of salt)<br /><br />Brown the sausage in a large pot and set aside. In the same pot, heat the oil and saute the onions for about 7-8 min. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour (I caved at 45 minutes because I was hungry, but my carrots were still a bit crunchy).LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-60567429455399782892009-10-20T16:10:00.000-07:002009-10-20T16:33:46.543-07:00I heart cookbooks!<span style="font-style: italic;">(I had hoped to add some images to the post, but Blogger isn't letting me upload them for some reason. Sorry!)</span><br /><br /> I am the kind of person who likes to flip through cookbooks when I am bored...and sometimes, sit down and read them as if they were novels! After the <a href="http://inmyhealthyplace.blogspot.com/2009/10/its-not-always-easy.html"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">elliptical fiasco</span></a> I decided to treat myself to a few new cookbooks and spent about an hour perusing the cookbook section at Chapters (where I'm sure the many employees walking by wondered what the heck was wrong with me).<br /><br />My first choice was easy - after seeing so many great recipes on other blogs from<a href="http://vivelevegan.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"> Eat, Drink and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton</span></a>, I couldn't resist buying it. I am so glad I did...all the recipes look phenomenal! I found the hummus section especially drool-worthy...I can't wait to try Peanut Sesame Hummus and Chipotle Lime Two Bean Hummus! <br /><br />(One thing I don't get about this book - the weird greyish toned pictures of food at the beginning of each section. Anyone else find this odd? They're not very appetizing pictures!)<br /><br />The second choice was a lot harder. So many cookbooks, so little money! I took a good long look at Veganomicon, and the Eat Clean Diet cookbook also caught my attention. In the end, however, I decided on <a href="http://www.crazyplates.com"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Crazy Plates by Janet and Greta Podleski</span></a>. My mom owns this cookbook and I've thumbed through her copy so many times that I figured I should buy my own. Cookbooks by the Podleski sisters are really awesome...full of great recipes, of course, but also lots of nutrition info, fun tidbits about food, and cute cartoons. Some of their recipes call for "low fat" ingredients that I'm not likely to use, but most of the time these can easily be substituted. I've made the Potato and Roasted Pepper Quiche (Quiche Me You Fool!) many times from this book, it's soooo delicious. I want to try the black bean soup recipe (Bean Me Up, Scotty) as soon as possible - it's blended smooth, so a good candidate to try out on the bf!<br /><br />What are your favourite cookbooks? Let me know what I should look for the next time I treat myself at the bookstore!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-5440526346499318462009-10-17T10:58:00.000-07:002009-10-17T11:16:36.019-07:00It's not always easy!I've been a bad blogger, haven't I? It's partly because I've been fairly busy lately, and also because nothing too exciting has happened to write about - I've been getting stars on my calendar for exercise and making healthy meals for the most part, but nothing interesting enough to post.<br /><br />I'm kind of grumpy today. A few days ago I bought an elliptical machine that was on sale at Canadian Tire. I was so excited to use it and to blog about it, but last night while putting it together, my bf discovered that one of the parts was not properly made and so it had to be returned. We had to put everything back in the box, lug it up the stairs, and cram it into the car (NOT an easy feat - it's a two-seater car with no trunk, essentially I was being crushed by the box in my lap). Then halfway to return it...the car stalled!!! It was the most ridiculous night. By the time we got the car going again and returned the elliptical I didn't bother exchanging it for another one - I didn't want to chance that there would be something wrong with the new one and have to go through all that again! I then came home and fixed myself a large drink - not good for my calorie count but I so didn't care at that point! I still really want an elliptical, so hopefully I will find another sale soon or possibly a used one.<br /><br />As well, I went grocery shopping this morning and couldn't find any kale, and I had a bunch of meals revolving around kale planned. I did a quick meal plan change in my head though, picking up spinach instead of kale to use in some recipes and picking up chili ingredients to replace a soup with kale I had wanted to make. And on the plus side, the grocery store was not that busy for a Saturday, and I had my handy little grocery cart with me which I love (even if people laugh at me for having a granny cart). So all was not lost.<br /><br />I guess I should look at this as a lesson to not drop being healthy just because something doesn't go my way. Just because I don't have an elliptical now doesn't mean I'm going to stop working out, and just because I couldn't find kale today doesn't mean I bought myself a cheesecake instead. Life goes on. (And we'll ignore that whole having a drink thing after the elliptical debacle right? haha)<br /><br />I promise to make my next post more uplifting, and to make it come sooner rather than later!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-73976681280862128282009-10-04T15:52:00.000-07:002009-10-04T16:08:53.372-07:00Quick Bites<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLIP0YGM5gzIyPKEzD1SrFceuZEnZ_5mzR5_c6liKTxwsOukqsAkI5dTaDvEl6OIwlvqPxTR-ecMg9dH0QGWsGEjxLxflCayjjXO2M6nr_iCQBZh7zumeOmWgTYPIQmhTv5uUuwrxCBFx/s1600-h/Food+166.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLIP0YGM5gzIyPKEzD1SrFceuZEnZ_5mzR5_c6liKTxwsOukqsAkI5dTaDvEl6OIwlvqPxTR-ecMg9dH0QGWsGEjxLxflCayjjXO2M6nr_iCQBZh7zumeOmWgTYPIQmhTv5uUuwrxCBFx/s400/Food+166.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388881816515989554" border="0" /></a><br />- As you can see I'm back to tracking my exercise on a calendar! (Someday when I get a new printer, the calendars will be prettier, I promise). I'm proud of the active weekend I had (DD = Dirty Dancing, P = Pilates, S = 30 Day Shred). Hopefully I can keep it up and show you a calendar full of stars at the end of October!<br /><br />- <a href="http://inmyhealthyplace.blogspot.com/2009/09/im-back.html">In this post</a> I wrote about trying to stay away from wheat, dairy and refined sugar in an effort to help my skin. Well, I haven't eliminated any of these things from my diet, but I have cut way back on them - and what do you know, my skin is looking better than it has for a long time! I can't say for sure that it's the dietary changes that are improving my skin - could be the change in weather, could be less stress, could be exercising more - who knows! But cutting back on these foods certainly can't hurt so I'm going to try and keep it up...<br /><br />...even though I had an epic FAIL tonight while making dinner. I was cooking up some brown rice pasta that I bought at Bulk Barn a few weeks ago - or so I thought. Once it was cooked, my BF tasted it and said, "I think you cooked some of my pasta by mistake..." and he was right! Plain, white, refined wheat pasta! Sigh. I was really hungry by that point and didn't want to waste what I had cooked, so I ate it. I'll live.<br /><br />- Tomorrow night I'll be making <a href="http://books.google.ca/books?id=tjN8uJETBpIC&pg=PT198&lpg=PT198&dq=spaghetti+squash+veganomicon&source=bl&ots=tyG7vXQA9N&sig=KN8g_bdqrelL5d_iMLA3zXwbmLA&hl=en&ei=aJ-xSsDjIojS8AaY0JWXBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">spaghetti squash mexicana</span></a> and hopefully that will go more smoothly!<br /><br />- You should really read the following two blogs, for different reasons:<br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);" href="http://escapefromobesity.blogspot.com/">Escape from Obesity</a>: My favourite weight loss blog, no question. This blog has no flashy details or fantastic photography - just moving, honest, incredibly-well written posts. The author, Lyn, struggles with her weight loss and does not have a "lost 100 pounds in a year" story like many weight loss bloggers, and yet I find her far more inspirational than any other blogger. <br /><br /><a href="http://daddylikey.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Daddy Likey</span></a> - nothing to do with healthy living, but it is HILARIOUS - and laughter is healthy, right?LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-27421758622741781522009-10-01T15:48:00.000-07:002009-10-01T16:17:31.576-07:00Your inner Homer Simpson will drool..."mmm, pork chops"Now that I am eating meat again, I am discovering recipes in some of my favourite cookbooks that I previously ignored. While doing some menu planning I pulled <a style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);" href="http://www.amazon.ca/Best-Foods-Cookbook-Featuring-Healthiest/dp/1579549659">12 Best Foods by Dana Jacobi</a> off the shelf. This book was a great resource when I was vegetarian, but this time a recipe for 'Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Gravy' immediately caught my eye.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-QDGaKvMvSU5LCQPTBvI_jkmbwoqfTt6gfse-9dbmQucYSlq4rmfS0afLNMt_TGKIxhlAb4dkNrz_zyqsg1q4fGPiduHcg9bqn3q4CpD2os3tKQNZj58QgSX6JkX1MMtd8E02FC36ydQ/s1600-h/Food+163.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-QDGaKvMvSU5LCQPTBvI_jkmbwoqfTt6gfse-9dbmQucYSlq4rmfS0afLNMt_TGKIxhlAb4dkNrz_zyqsg1q4fGPiduHcg9bqn3q4CpD2os3tKQNZj58QgSX6JkX1MMtd8E02FC36ydQ/s320/Food+163.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387769146950739442" border="0" /></a>Everything about this dish was amazing, particularly the sweet potato "gravy." Yes, the potatoes contained butter and cream, but it's a relatively small amount, and it's the only added fat in the recipe. Besides, the sweet potatoes provide a huge amount of health benefits (hence this recipe's inclusion in 12 Best Foods) which I would say makes up for a little bit of indulgence - especially since my notoriously veggie-phobe boyfriend loved it!<br /><br />Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Gravy - adapted from 12 Best Foods Cookbook by Dana Jacobi<br /><br />2 boneless center-cut pork chops<br />3 medium sweet potatoes<br />1 tbsp butter<br />3 tbsp half and half<br />1/2 apple, peeled and grated (I used a Granny Smith, the recipe calls for Golden Delicious)<br />1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs<br />1 small onion, finely chopped (I used a bit of onion powder instead - see above re: veggie-phobe boyfriend)<br />Pepper to taste<br />1 teaspoon paprika<br />1/4 tsp onion powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 400 F. Roast the sweet potatoes (the recipe calls for you to roast the sweet potatoes whole and unpeeled, then peel and mash them. Ever try to peel a cooked potato? Not fun. Next time I would peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks, coat with a tiny bit of oil and then roast them). Reduce oven temperature to 35o F.<br />Remove 1/2 cup of mashed sweet potatoes. Combine the remaining potatoes with the butter and half and half. Spread the creamy potatoes over the bottom of a greased square baking dish.<br />For the stuffing, combine the 1/2 cup sweet potato with the apple, onion, breadcrumbs and pepper. <br />Make a large slit in the side of each pork chop. Pack the stuffing generously into the pockets. Combine the paprika, salt and onion powder in a small dish. Sprinkle each side of the pork chops with the spice mixture. Place on top of the sweet potatoes and cover the dish with foil. Bake covered for 35 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes.LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-91149992857030614392009-09-30T05:45:00.000-07:002009-09-30T05:48:13.581-07:00Are you a tea drinker?Then head over to <a style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);" href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2009/09/gluten-free-goodness-tea-and-awesome.html">Dancing Through Life</a> for a fantastic giveaway! (And even if you're not a tea drinker, head over there anyway - both Ashley and her blog are wonderful).LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-17145838181599418942009-09-29T14:35:00.000-07:002009-09-29T14:51:11.144-07:00Vegetable and corn chowder<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraYbB625R49GoLy_IJg45wIVmQ4kMw7uw-ndTbY9qpRf9ZMrLXN1DLrfnrOXlOvzoBN7RI_2X8CnPM73QEitn1QuFvutjt9gmzQWXrqa23OQzLdomr7qaTmZBKQSAu0wZzGcgfntECgvt/s1600-h/Food+157.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraYbB625R49GoLy_IJg45wIVmQ4kMw7uw-ndTbY9qpRf9ZMrLXN1DLrfnrOXlOvzoBN7RI_2X8CnPM73QEitn1QuFvutjt9gmzQWXrqa23OQzLdomr7qaTmZBKQSAu0wZzGcgfntECgvt/s400/Food+157.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387006566296637362" border="0" /></a><br />Hmm, two soup posts in a row - clearly it is getting colder in Ottawa! Soup goes a long way towards helping me tolerate the dropping temperature - they are warm and comforting, easy to throw together, and a great way to cram a lot of veggies into one meal. This chowder has more lovely chunks of vegetables in each spoonful than it does liquid. The small amount of cheese gives nice flavour to this soup without adding a lot of fat, but you could omit it and use soy or almond milk for a dairy-free soup. <br /><br />This recipe is from the fantastic cookbook <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Easy-Soups-Claire-Dashwood/dp/0752549197"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Quick and Easy Soups</span></a>.<br /><br />1 tbsp vegetable oil<br />1 onion, diced<br />1 red bell pepper, diced<br />3 garlic cloves, crushed<br />1 large potato, diced<br />2 tbsp all-purpose flour<br />2 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)<br />1 1/4 cups vegetable broth<br />2 cups broccoli florets<br />3 cups frozen corn<br />1/2 cup old Cheddar cheese, grated<br />Pepper to taste<br />Cilantro for garnish (do NOT skip this - it adds great flavour to the soup. I used <a href="http://www.presidentschoice.ca/FoodAndRecipes/GreatFood/ProductDetails.aspx/id/19936/name/PCFreshFrozenChoppedCilantro/catid/188">this fresh frozen cilantro</a> which is really convenient)<br /><br />Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and potato and sauté over low heat for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the milk and broth.<br />Add the broccoli and corn. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Season individual bowls with pepper and cilantro.LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-55067359998868609842009-09-19T08:51:00.000-07:002009-09-19T09:19:48.242-07:00Dirty Dancing Official Workout: My Review!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfoXgu2FIn7LWD15_Uv4S8F8ubyPEyvQqd5-7VRkwer8OjkthjmGoWdKsNotELAiynkisxYYt3UhQI-ZbbxnsHGej77ugB4gRZaNYm1bk3s5OhZAFy3u_QsFeHkPi5wRBhU8VMqG1F0Rx/s1600-h/dirtydancing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfoXgu2FIn7LWD15_Uv4S8F8ubyPEyvQqd5-7VRkwer8OjkthjmGoWdKsNotELAiynkisxYYt3UhQI-ZbbxnsHGej77ugB4gRZaNYm1bk3s5OhZAFy3u_QsFeHkPi5wRBhU8VMqG1F0Rx/s400/dirtydancing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383207091860576594" border="0" /></a>It's safe to say I have NEVER been as excited for a workout as I was for this one! <br /><br />I grew up watching Dirty Dancing (and yes, that means I'm very sad about the recent passing of Patrick Swayze) so when I read about this workout in a magazine at my sister's place I knew I had to buy it. I found it at Future Shop for only $12.99 (I had to do a little digging to find it but I eventually did, which is good because I really didn't want to ask a salesperson where it was). <br /><br />The DVD starts out with a "syllabus" that teaches you the basic dance moves that will be used in the routines. It also serves as a great warm-up. From there you can choose from the 4 dance routines - "Love Man," "Yes," "Johnny's Mambo" and "Do You Love Me." No "Time of My Life," sadly (although without Johnny there to do the lift and tell your father "Nobody puts Baby in a corner," what's the point?). Each routine starts out with the chance to learn the choreography, then you can do the whole dance with instructions, or with just the music. <br /><br />This morning I tried out "Love Man" and "Yes." I really like that the choreography part is pretty extensive - the instructors teach you all the steps individually and then you run through the whole routine a few times. It's nice that you have the option to practice as much as you want before moving on to the actual dance routine. I also really like that the DVD gives you the option to pick which routines you want to do rather than having to run through all 4 dances each time.<br /><br />Believe it or not, the cheese factor is not as high as I thought it would be. I was pretty worried when the opening started out with the female instructor carrying a watermelon, but it got better from there. The instructors are pretty perky but they're actually quite good at teaching the steps - you just have to get past the fact that the male dance instructor really is named Johnny. <br /><br />I'm not the most coordinated person in the world so it's definitely going to take me awhile to learn the steps, but I can tell I'm going to have a lot of fun while I'm learning them. I also made the mistake of wearing my clunky running shoes - not great for dancing in and certainly didn't help me to feel sexy! Next time I think I can probably get away with bare feet since the workout is pretty low impact.<br /><br />This workout isn't the most intense you'll ever do, but it still had me sweating and got my heart pumping. Besides, I was looking for something to give me a break from the super intense 30 day shred, and this is exactly what I wanted - it's fun and I'm still getting exercise in!LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7763986210095330904.post-72178197734602599232009-09-14T16:13:00.000-07:002009-09-14T16:44:14.131-07:00Tomatoes, tomatoes everywhereRemember <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://http://inmyhealthyplace.blogspot.com/2009/07/tomatoes.html">my tomato plant</a>? Well when I returned from Alberta it was covered in ripe tomatoes, meaning I had to fast forward through the "mmm, fresh tomatoes" phase into the "what the hell am I going to do with all these tomatoes?" phase.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXvX8YVA1JSgB3hRqDC2ePBQDMYPdUlIyDIgAzgPXW4unGKw0dWsc2i2OGnovmoM5nQ21u3-E96hAXTchc5i-sK2vzjGJL3YzHOgG9s8yAc2lhNMlEVAhBvrfCGeQYCvJ5drolM4O0WvN/s1600-h/Food+140.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXvX8YVA1JSgB3hRqDC2ePBQDMYPdUlIyDIgAzgPXW4unGKw0dWsc2i2OGnovmoM5nQ21u3-E96hAXTchc5i-sK2vzjGJL3YzHOgG9s8yAc2lhNMlEVAhBvrfCGeQYCvJ5drolM4O0WvN/s320/Food+140.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381465740044464802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Hello my pretties.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I bookmarked <a href="http://http//www.mykitchenaddiction.com/2009/09/tomato-pepper-and-jack-soup/">this soup recipe from my kitchen addiction</a> when I was still dreaming of ripe tomatoes and decided to make a modified version of it last night. Unfortunately I didn't get a decent picture of the finished soup last night, and my boyfriend just finished gobbling up the leftovers, so you'll have to use your imagination.<br />This soup was really good, but SPICY. I added chipolte peppers because I love their smoky flavour but I definitely went overboard. Next time I'd only add half as many, but if you like heat, go with what I added originally. If you'd like to get the same flavour but without the spiciness, try adding some smoked paprika.<br /><br />5 pounds tomatoes (10-12 depending on how big your tomatoes are)<br />1 red bell pepper<br />3 jalapeno peppers (next time I think I'd switch these for another bell pepper)<br />1 onion, chopped<br />4 canned chipolte peppers, chopped (next time, only two!)<br />3 cloves garlic, minced<br />1 1/2 cups 2% milk<br />1 cup grated cheddar cheese<br /><br />Broil the peppers on a baking sheet until the skins are charred. Set aside to cool. Cook the tomatoes in a large pot over medium heat until soft. If you like, you can strain them to remove the seeds, but I found that blending the soup made this step unnecessary.<br />Remove the skins from the roasted peppers and chop finely. Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until softened. Add to the tomatoes along with the roasted peppers and chipolte peppers. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add milk and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div>LauraAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923834835843668373noreply@blogger.com0