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January 6, 2010

a stuffy start to the week

Filed under: Blog,Breakfast,Dinner — Tags: , — Kristen :) @ 2:15 am

Ever since we got back home my sinuses have been in some kind of a funk and yesterday they decided to wreak havoc on me something fierce.  I didn’t know if I had contracted something from all the hacking people on the plane ride home, or if I seemed to have formed some kind of allergy to coming back to daily grind, ha!  Either way, I was in a bit of a stuffy fog all day where everything was muffled and hazy.  By the afternoon a nice headache greeted me, and by the time I got home I was about ready to burst from the built up sinus pressure.

Dinner was tasty though.  We made falafel pitas the night before and had some leftovers . . . mmm  So far so good with the Eat In Month Challenge!

Usually for our weekly dinners I’ll plan for 3 larger meals and go grocery shopping the Friday before.  Then on the other days we have leftovers & adapt them to our liking.  It also makes it easy when you prep for the week in advance.

I think the hardest part of this challenge (more…)

August 25, 2009

first day of school

Filed under: Blog,Dinner,Lighter Fare — Tags: , — Kristen :) @ 2:56 am

IMG_4490 When I was just a wee whooper snapper, I used to get so terribly excited for school.  I planned for that first day weeks in advance, went shopping with mom to get some new outfits, supplies, a backpack, and organized my binders for each class with multiple color coded tabs.  Yes, I was even planning when I was a kid, probably even in the womb!

I started classes again today, like so many others, and the most planning I’ve done is purchasing my books.  I don’t know what it is but I don’t get that excited anymore.  I mean the classes I am taking seem really interesting so far (still have one more on Thursday), but it’s just not like when I was a kid.  Anyone else?

I went to adv sports nutrition today and it seems like it will be a nice refresher and also very interesting!  I just wish the ex phys program had more classes like this with a specific track emphasis of sports nutrition.  Ah well.  Thursday I have research methods in physical activity.  I’m hoping this will be some great information to help me out with my thesis, because as of right now I’m in a rock and a hard place.  I need to get my butt in gear and decide what I’d like to do.

Did everyone have a good weekend?  I actually felt like I got everything I needed to get done this weekend, which is almost always not the case.  I’m always wishing for just one more day to finish the laundry, do this, make that, just relax.  I actually got to bed by 9pm, and it was awesome to actually get 8 full hours of sleep.  I haven’t had that in a long time.  How many hours of sleep do you need to feel chipper?

Why did I go to bed so early?  Well, being that my body was screaming at me for not getting enough sleep most nights, combined with a 30 mile bike ride, I was pooped!  If you saw my post on Twitter, I had planned to ride 50 miles on Sunday with the green valley cyclists club.  I was nervous to begin with for this ride because the most I’ve ridden is about 31 miles.  Then, when we arrived to the starting point, I saw about 25 other cyclists many of whom rode professionally in Europe, and I thought . . . you know this probably isn’t a good idea for me right now.  And boy was I glad I went on the other group ride!  Chris told me it was just crazy.  My ride was good, a little too easy, but good.  I’m feeling a lot more comfortable on my bike, but I still need to master confidence with speed.  I’m always afraid I’m going to totally biff it!

If you ever get the chance to speak to a professional cyclist, be prepared to be dumbfounded, intimidated and feel like a complete loser! (or just human) They are just on a completely different level that I cannot comprehend, aside from most athletes even.  We talked to this one cyclist who still rides competitively, but not like he used to since he blew out his shoulder racing 60 mph and also blew out his knee on another crash, both of which the doctor’s said he probably wouldn’t race again.  Since his major crash, he took 10 years off, gained weight, then started racing again 3 years ago and is already kicking everyone’s tail.  What?!  He also said that 50 mile ride was a ‘cool-down’ from his 75 mile ride just the day before.  What?!  I just don’t get it, someone explain this to me?!  crazy.  Props to Chris for going on that ride.  I’m going to have to have a little more than 5 rides under my belt I guess.

I also talked to him about his diet, supplements, ergogenic aids and what he does to keep in the best shape.  He told me that he probably burns upwards of 5,000 kcals/day and there is no way he can replenish all of that realistically.  I thought this was interesting.  Do you think you could eat 5,000 + kcals/day without eating high calorie junk?  I was thinking I should do an interview for the blog!

I sure wish I would have had my little camera, I need to take pictures next time.  It looks so neat when there are 25+ people allIMG_4476 riding together.  It’s a very empowering feeling too, but then I lose it when I fall back in the slow-poke group hehe

Dinner tonight was sure simple and filled with lots of veggies!  We slathered some portabella mushrooms with TJ’s BBQ sauce and grilled them along with some other random veggies we had in the fridge to use.

I topped them with some cheese and placed them on TJ’s flat IMG_4492bread (love that bread!).  I also made a simple hummus dip with some more of that lemon basil I’m in love with, which was an awesome spread.  Simply swirl all the ingredients below in a food processor!


  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tsp cumin (we like cumin, so 1 tsp would be sufficient)
  • 2 small cloves garlic
  • 2 bunches lemon basil (this is the best!)
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil to make it smooth

simply. delish.

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On the side we grilled some sweet potatoes and fingerling potatoes for fries.  I’m not much of a ketchup eater really and we don’t have any in our fridge.  The only time I do eat it is when we go out to eat and it’s there staring at me.  My ‘ketchup’ was greek yogurt and lemon basil hummus 🙂

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Guess what I’m having for lunch tomorrow?  I usually always take leftovers from dinner and transform it for lunch the next day.  That way it saves me time in the morning.  Tomorrow I’m not going to have too much time since I have to get blood work early, yuck! I just hate getting blood work, I always get woozy since I have to fast.  Hope your week is going well so far!

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Anyone start classes today, or drop off a kiddie to school?  Are you looking forward to the school term?

May 28, 2009

easy cheesy peasy

Filed under: Blog,Dinner — Tags: — Kristen :) @ 4:46 am

100_2898 Today was actually a pretty uneventful one, and I was happy to be able to drive straight home from work without any other pressing obligations to attend to.  I think this is the first time I’ve been able to do this since we moved!  This morning I decided to go to a spin class at 6 am to get my workout good and over with so I wouldn’t have to worry about it later.  Stats – Max HR 186 and 330 kcals burned.  The most I’ve burned in a spin class is 524 kcals and I was working my butt off.  I thought I worked a bit harder this time, but maybe I’m getting more efficient?  As an athlete it is actually better to have a lower VO2 max and burn less kcals than the person who has a high VO2 and is inefficient in their calorie expenditure, which can lead to fatigue.  Some of the best athletes have low VO2 values, but it can vary greatly individually.

For dinner I decided to use up some of the extra roasted veggies I made for the quinoa-crusted frittata and made falafel naan pizzas.  Usually I like to stuff everything into a pita, but I had some of TJ’s garlic naan on hand and thought it would be a great vehicle.  That naan is so good!  It gets toasty on the outside and doughy on the inside with a nice garlic flavor.  They have many flavors too and I’d like to try 100_2894 the curry flavor sometime.  I also stumbled upon this white bean and basil hummus and wanted to try it for something different.  It was actually really good and has a bit more tang than your average hummus, and the basil flavor wasn’t too strong.

On to the recipe . . .

Falafel Naan Pizza

For the Falafel (this time around):

  • 3 garlic cloves, whizzed in the food processor
  • 1 slice stale bread, 2-3 tbsp quick oats whizzed too
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 3 tsp cumin
  • garam masala, coriander, sumac, cayenne, salt and pepper
  • handful of spinach
  • 2 tbsp olive oil to bring it all together

Form into patties and sauté until golden on a large non-stick pan drizzled with a little olive oil.

To assemble the pizzas:

100_2895 Start with your naan base, slather on a bit of hummus, top with various roasted veggies, then a couple falafels, tomatoes and a sprinkling of low-fat cheese.  Broil until golden and cheesy!  I like to dollop a bit of non-fat greek yogurt on top.  I had to eat this more like a falafel tower rather than a pizza, but it was really filling and was a flavor explosion in the mouth with all the seasonings.

This recipe is very versatile of course . . . I’m thinking of trying a Mexican-style naan pizza next time with ground black beans, taco seasonings, lime, etc . . . mmm!

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Gotta love that Greek yogurt!

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100_2901 I am loving the fruit in season right now and I picked a good watermelon the other day.  Such a refreshing treat!  After dinner I had a ramekin full (plus a few more steals from the Tupperware) and then went for a nice 40 minute walk around the neighborhood.  I love going for walks!  It’s nice to just take deep breaths and clear my mind.  I myself prefer walking to running.  I don’t know what it is, but I am just not a runner.  I think I get bored, and being a dancer I’m used to taking class and doing multiple, different movements.  I tend to stick to the classes at the gym for my usual workouts.  I think it helps when I have someone yelling at me to push harder, ha!

Hope your week is going well!

Are you a runner?  What do you like most about your personal exercise routine?

February 18, 2009

how could I forget!

Filed under: Blog,Breakfast,Comfort foods,Dinner — Tags: , , , , — Kristen :) @ 3:58 am

I forgot to mention the greatest thing about the marinara and pasta chicken-stew-ck-1662823-lrecipe is . . . . lots of leftovers!  Not only does it taste even better the next day, it saves on time and money.

One of my favorite ways to use the marinara sauce in another recipe is Chicken, Pasta and Chickpea Stew adapted from CookingLight.  It tastes like it simmered for hours when you use the crock-pot marinara from my last post.

Chicken, Pasta and Chickpea Stew

(adapted from CookingLight)

Yield

6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1  cup  thinly sliced celery
  • 3/4  cup  small diced carrot
  • 1/2  cup  chopped onion
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • 4  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 3  cups  crock-pot marinara (from the previous post)
  • 1  cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
  • 3/4  cup  uncooked small pasta (I used mini farfalle)
  • 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 8  ounces  skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 1/4 lb extra lean ground beef this time and it was plenty!)
  • 6  tablespoons shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add celery, carrot, and onion to pan; cook 12 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with cheese if desired and serve with an ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich for dipping!

Nutritional Information

Calories: 237 (27% from fat)
Fat: 7.1g (sat 2g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.5g)
Protein: 15.5g
Carbohydrate: 28.1g
Fiber: 5.8g
Cholesterol: 29mg
Iron: 2.5mg
Sodium: 724mg
Calcium: 138mg

And if you can imagine it, with the leftover pureed beets from the beet cakes I made ruby red oatmeal!  I’ve never tried this before, but it actually wasn’t too bad!

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For two people:

  • 1 3/4 cups non-fat milk
  • tons of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice (I like it warm and spicy)
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/3-1/2 cup pureed beets (washed and peeled)
  • 1 tbsp of dark honey
  • 1 banana (1/2 mashed in and 1/2 sliced on top)
  • 1 pear to chop on top
  • 2 tbsp toasty walnuts
  • scoop of TJ’s toasty peanut butter and more cinnamon for sprinkling

I start with the milk, spices, raisins and beets and warm them to a small boil, then add the oats, 1/2 mashed banana and honey; stir to combine.  Keep stirring and let it thicken to desired consistency (I like it thicker than most).  And then top with your favorites!  Yum and look at that ruby red color!

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve done with an ingredient or a recipe? Did it turn out really well or absolutely terrible?

February 6, 2009

flexitarian

Filed under: Blog,Dinner,Fitness/Health — Tags: , — Kristen :) @ 2:10 am

100_2292 I would have to say that while I do include meat and animal products in my daily meals, I also enjoy great vegetarian-based meals. I really don’t mind if I don’t get meat in on many days of the week because a vegetarian based diet has many health benefits, and can actually be a lot more flavorful, creative and budget-friendly. It can help in the prevention of many chronic diseases like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. There are lower levels of saturated fat and cholesterol with less animal protein, as well as higher levels of fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals in vegetarian-based diets. A few things that one may need to watch out for, if the plant-based diet isn’t well planned, or with some vegan diets, is deficiencies in vitamin B-12, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin and n-3 fatty acids.

Check out this position paper by ADA.

Aside from Italian food, my next favorite is Mediterranean or Greek type cuisine because there are so many great spices and flavors in their traditional dishes. One of my favorite greek restaurants is Greek Bistro. Boy do they have some great dishes! The ultimate vegetarian meal for me is falafel. Basically, it’s a patty of mixed garbanzo beans, bread crumbs and flavorful spices like cumin, cayenne and sumac (I add this one since I have a huge jar left from my lamb kofta). It is so great stuffed into a nice fluffy pita from Amena Bakery, with all kinds of veggies and a creamy yogurt-cucumber dip.

Falafel Pita

(adapted from CookingLight)

4 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed pita halves)

Ingredients

Falafel:

  • 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (I use a stale garlic ciabatta bread from TJ’s and pulse it in the food processor or about 1 1/2 slices of your favorite bread)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 3 rounded teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp sumac (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • big handful of baby spinach leaves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (you may need more if you sauté in batches)

Tzatziki Sauce: (feel free to double)

  • 1/2 cup plain low-fat greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber, drained on a paper towel
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Remaining ingredients:

  • 4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half (Amena bakery is my favorite)
  • As many of your favorite veggies like dark leafy lettuce, tomato slices, etc. that you can stuff into the pita! I also like to add roasted zucchini slices with olive oil and herbes de provence in a 400 oven for about 40 minutes until they get brown and delicious. Roasted red pepper is a great addition too.

Preparation

To prepare falafel, place garlic cloves in food processor and pulse (these tend to not mix well), then add the other ingredients; process mixture until smooth. Add a little bit of olive oil if it is too thick. Divide mixture into 16 equal portions, and shape each portion into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Or you can make 8-9 big patties. They may be quite sticky, so I spray my hands with pam first). Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until patties are browned.

To prepare sauce, combine all the ingredients, stirring mixture with a whisk. Spread a dollop of ziki sauce into each pita half. Fill each pita half with desired veggies and 2 patties. I had one pita with 2 bigger patties. Enjoy some great vegetarian nutrition!

My pita was bursting at the seams!

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Nutritional Information

Calories: 403 (28% from fat)
Fat: 12.6g (sat 1.9g,mono 5.6g,poly 3.9g)
Protein: 15g
Carbohydrate: 59g
Fiber: 6.8g (that’s about 28% of your daily needs)
Cholesterol: 56mg
Iron: 4.4mg (Chickpeas have 2.4 mg of iron per serving, lentils have 3.3 mg per serving, and one 4 oz serving of lean beef has 3 mg, but is more bioavailable for absorption)
Sodium: 901mg
Calcium: 188mg

Do you eat a plant-based diet? What are some recipes or spices you enjoy?

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