***I wrote this post a few months back but wanted to post it after our friends, Matt and Laura, left for Italy.  As a tribute to them, I thought I would post it today.  Matt, Laura and Giulia – I hope you are having fun in Italy! ***

I have a sweet tooth.  While I think I have more of a french fry tooth (and no, I don’t have a ranch tooth.  But that would be hilarious if I did!), my sweet tooth does have a tendency to rear its ugly head more often than I would like.  So, while I try to quell it with things like dried figs dipped in honey, dark chocolate melted over strawberries and peanut butter covered apples, sometimes all Healthy Chow wants is a little brownie.

Image Credit – allstarhealth.com

Now, I’m not trying to say there’s anything wrong with craving a real baked good every now and again, but the problem is, once I start, I just can’t stop.  So instead of denying myself the pleasure of having a piece of pastry, I allow myself to have that treat.  But, I try to do it in as smart of a way as I can.  Thus, when my friend, Laura, asked if I would like to come over to her house to bake and then test the No Pudge Brownies, Healthy Chow was all in!  Plus, I had the chance to cook in someone else’s kitchen (which I love) and it was a good way to spend girls’ night in with two of my favorite ladies – Laura and her two year-old daughter, Giulia.

Laura was as excited as I to try out this product.  We had seen it at Trader Joe’s, the regular grocery stores and even at Target, and while we were both intrigued, we had both never opted for a pudge-free baked good.  Laura is one of those lucky people that just doesn’t seem to have a craving for sweets.  Unless she hides it too damn really well, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen my friend indulge in a baked good.  She claims she just really doesn’t crave sweets.  Huh?! Is this possible?  Not in the world of Healthy Chow! Hell to the no!  But Laura and I both strive to eat well and know the importance of a well-balanced diet and exercise.  That said, we’re constantly trading health and fitness secrets and sharing tips on how to make everyday meals and the foods we love a little more figure friendly.  And we could both chat for hours on just about any topic, so our ‘bake n’ bitch’ was a perfect way to end a long week.

After getting Giulia bathed and settled into bed with one of her favorite DVD’s, we made a b-line to the kitchen to get our brownies going.  Like any other brownie mix, the instructions could not be any easier.  You simply take the mix out of the box and dump into a bowl and then mix in some nonfat vanilla yogurt (or you can substitute plain nonfat yogurt with a teaspoon of vanilla extract).  Once that is blended well, you dump it into a greased pan.  Bake and voilà!  The brownies are done!  Easy as pie (actually, pies are a lot tougher to make).

We used a food processor instead of hand mixing in a bowl – gotta make sure it’s smooth!

We used Stonyfield Farm yogurt…

with vanilla extract…thanks for modeling, Laura!

Ooohh, looks like ice cream!

While the brownies were baking and Giulia was still trying to find Nemo, Laura and I enjoyed a cup of tea and caught up on just about everything.  We talked about her upcoming job interview in Milan and how if things went well, she and her family would be moving as soon as the beginning of next year.  While it was sad to know a close friend of mine could possibly be moving to another country, I was happy for her and excited that she had this amazing opportunity.  Selfishly, I wish she and her family would stay in Boston because they are such great friends and support systems to both me and my husband.  Patrick and Laura’s husband, Matt, are very close friends, practically brothers, and Giulia is our goddaughter.  Needless to say, there’s going to be a void in our lives if Laura is offered the job and accepts.  But life is about exploration, growth and change and as good friends, the only feeling we can have is true happiness.

Like her mom, little Giulia likes shoes…

After about 30 minutes, the brownies were done baking and we were ready to eat.  They smelled incredible (but then again, when do baking brownies don’t?) and looked just like the any other brownies would.  And the taste?  They were quite good!  They didn’t have that velvet-y and soft consistency like a traditional fudge flavored brownie and they certainly weren’t as dense and rich, but then again they didn’t have the added oil and/or eggs either.  Considering we only added yogurt to the mix, these brownies were not dry at all and were quite chocolate-y tasting.  I’d even venture and say that they almost had a ‘dark chocolate’ taste versus a ‘milk chocolate’ taste.  Combined with our hot tea, these brownies were definitely a winner!  Although making your own ‘healthier’ brownies from scratch would not be that much more difficult than making the No Pudge brownies, this was definitely a great option if you’re looking to fix your chocolate craving in a fast and ‘less-pudgy’ way.  We both thoroughly enjoyed our baking job for the evening and savored each and every bite.

Hmmm, fresh out of the oven…

A few days ago, Laura made the announcement that she was offered the job in Milan and accepted.  While we weren’t shocked that she was made the offer (Laura is a very hardworking and talented individual), we were surprised that Laura would have to move as early as this November (the whole family would move in January 2010).  Moving to Italy was always something Laura and Matt considered doing, but when it became a reality, it definitely hit me hard.  Being able to have such wonderful friends live so close by and being able to watch our goddaughter blossom into a beautiful little girl is truly a blessing.  It’s that comfort of knowing you have your very close friends living only minutes away from you that I’m honestly going to miss.  But it’s the strength our our friendship that I’ll always value and our strong bond that will continue – no matter how many oceans apart we are.  Spending time with Laura and Giulia at our girls’ night in is something that I’ll cherish and remember, especially after November.  But like the brownies we baked tonight, life must be enjoyed and can’t be kept in a box.  We have to be open to trying new things and see the possibilities that our lives can brings us.  And when we do take the chance to venture out and spread our wings, life can be sweet and definitely worth indulging in.

Delish!

hello, sweetie…

As Sting says,

If you love somebody,
If you love someone,
If you love somebody,
If you love someone, set them free
Set them free…
Set them free…
Set them free…

So maybe in Italy I’d be called Healthy Ciào?!  I like the sound of that…!

Would you ever move to another country to take a job?

Namasté,
Nicole

I’m a city girl (for now).  I live within walking distance from just about everything I need – a grocery store, restaurants fancy and not-so-fancy, coffee shops (both locally owned and major franchises), a reputable hospital, a couple of malls and most importantly, three different Trader Joe’s.  I’m also steps away from public transportation, so if I can’t get there by foot, there’s always the T.  And oh yeah, the Red Sox play right around the corner from my house.  Needless to say, I live in a great area.

Image Credits – destination360.com

However, while I love where I live and I’m not quite ready for my large house (but a large kitchen would be nice), sometimes I do long for a driveway, my own backyard to hang out in, a basement for storage (Healthy Chow has a lot of stuff) and most importantly, a place to grill.  Don’t get me wrong, I would never say a bad word about my beloved George Foreman grill, but the Foreman just doesn’t give my food that charcoal-y taste.  Don’t hate me, Mr. George Foreman grill, you know I love you…

So the other day when I was rummaging through my freezer, I noticed that we had about a bazillion pounds of chicken breasts (OK, not that many, obvi).  There was seriously a huge mound of poultry just sitting there and it was starting to look a little like Frosty the Snowman (and not in a good way).  That said, when my sister, Michelle, offered (OK, I invited myself) to let us use her grill at her house in the country, I said yes without any hesitation.

OK, so Michelle doesn’t really live in the country.  I like to kid.  She actually lives in Wayland, which is a suburb located only about 20-25 minutes from Boston.  I say she lives in the country because her house has so many trees surrounding it, because there is a lake about 15 yards from her backyard and because she has wildlife such as deer and snakes paying her visits on more than one occasion.  WOW!  Although Michelle doesn’t live very far from me at all, it feels as if our homes are worlds apart in terms of similarities.  So when Healthy Chow gets the chance to cook in a big kitchen, she hops right on it!

The frozen chicken breasts were almost completely thawed by the time I loaded them up in my cooler in my car.  By the time we got there, they were just about ready for marination.  We used Italian dressing (unsure what the brand was), some fresh garlic, dried oregano, dried rosemary, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  We let the chicken marinate in that mixture in the fridge for a few hours as we hit the mall.  By the time we got back, the chicken was ready for some country grilling.  You’ll have to excuse Healthy Chow – she forgot her camera at her home in the city and thus, you’ll just have to envision chicken sitting on an open flame.  I would imagine it being something like this:

Image Credits – eHow.com

When I got home, I remembered (finally) to grab my camera and take a picture of the grilled chicken in real life.  I think you’ll be happy with the results.

I told you there was a lot of chicken…

With all this chicken already prepared and cooked, I knew we could make more than a few quick meals out of this platter of poultry.  It was just a matter of how creative I could get.  I had to channel my inner Robin Miller; I knew she was deep down inside there, somewhere.  Here are a few pictures of how my grilled chicken became ‘Quick Fix Meals‘:

1) Grilled Chicken with Festive Salad Greens and Feta – This pretty much explains it all.  For our first meal, we sliced up and heated the chicken and ate it over a humungo salad.  It was honestly put together in a few short minutes.  But the simplicity of this meal was what really made me happy.  Grilled chicken cooked on an outdoor grill is divine.  The chicken was cooked to perfection (Thanks Jonathan!) and was juicy and tasty enough where I didn’t even have to add dressing to my salad.

I let Patrick be in charge of the chicken and I think he may have thought we were having guests over.  Boy, that’s a hecka lota chicken!

The salad contained romaine lettuce, baby spinach, baby carrot slices, cucumber, tomato, grilled marinated eggplant and broccoli slaw.

So simple, yet so good!

2) Pita Stuffed with Grilled Chicken, Tzatziki Sauce, Romaine Lettuce, Tomato and Cucumber – This was for lunch one Saturday afternoon when we had both had just come home from working out (Healthy Chow – yoga and Patrick – run around the Charles River) and we wanted something quick and on the lighter side.  I remembered recently eating at a Greek restaurant and having tzatziki sauce to dip my pita bread into and I wanted to recreate that for the sauce in our sandwiches.  To make my version of tzatziki, I combined the following:

• heaping 1/4 cup of nonfat plain yogurt (I used Trader Joe’s European Style Plain Nonfat Yogurt)
• 1/4 cup of chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded)
• 1/2 tsp of chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
• few dashes of dried dill
• salt and pepper

After mixing the above ingredients in a bowl, I let it sit and chill (literally) in the fridge for about 30 minutes while we showered and changed for lunch.  Once chilled, I heated the chicken, stuffed each whole wheat pita with romaine lettuce, cucumber and tomato slices and then poured the tzatziki sauce over the sandwich innards.  For a side, I sautéed some summer squash with thyme, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt and pepper.  It was the ideal lunch!

Ready for the tzatziki…

Cool as a cucumber…

Check out all that color, Ma!

3) Grilled Chicken with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese and Whole Wheat Ravioli – Patrick and I were in the mood for some pasta and gooey cheese every one night but I really didn’t feel up to making anything elaborate.  Ding, ding, ding!  Cue the frozen ravioli!  This was another item that I had forgotten all about until I spotted the bag in my freezer the day I was getting my chicken.   That said, I grabbed my mozzarella cheese, my jarred tomato sauce and my almost forgotten whole wheat ravioli and went to town. While the ravioli was boiling, I heated up the chicken with some melted mozzarella on top along with some tomato sauce that I jazzed up with some dried basil, garlic powder, and dried oregano.

How could I forget I had ravioli?

Hmmm, melted cheese…

Patrick and I shared this plate of food.  I just kept it on one plate for easier picture taking.  Not pictured was the side salad of baby spinach and cucumber we had.  Gotta get in those greens!

There you have it.  The first three meals made from cooking (grilling) just once.  I felt as if these three were all pretty different from one another and definitely ones that could be put together in a matter of minutes.  By having the chicken already cooked, I didn’t have to stress about defrosting it, making sure it was cooked all the way through or having to marinate or season it.  With just a few simple ingredients that I already had on hand in my fridge and pantry, I was able to have my ‘Quick Meal Fix’.

Stay tuned for my next post, as I will show you part II of 6 Meals Made From 1…

Are you a city dweller or do you live in the suburbs?  Do you like living where you are or do you wish to move elsewhere?

Namasté,
Nicole

I have fond memories of my dad eating and loving his apple pie.  Whether it be frozen, fresh from the bakery or homemade, my dad was like a pig in ‘you-know-what’ if he had his hot apple pie and vanilla ice cream.  While he liked the entire pastry, he definitely favored the buttery pie crust over the apple filling.  Often times, when he was done eating, he would leave the apple filling and Healthy Chow would swarm in and gobble up the leftovers.  Yeah, I’m a food scavenger, what of it?

Because fall is finally here, I’m in the mood for foods that are the epitome of this season.  Thus, items like pumpkin, hot chocolate, cinnamon, apples, soups, stews, nutmeg and anything with melted cheese (OK wait, that’s not really ‘fall-esque’.  But melted cheese is grand anytime of the year!) spring to mind and have been springing onto to my plate.

That said, I’ve decided to merge my mood for fall foods with my dad’s love for apple pie.  But, I decided to put a ‘healthier’ spin on this American classic.  I wanted something yummy, sweet, hearty, cinnamon-y and definitely dessert-like, but I didn’t want it to be loaded with butter, sugar and other unnecessary additives.  Plus, my mother-in-law (thanks El!) just gave us a big bag of apples and what better way to enjoy apples than in a crisp?   So I did some researching on my favorite blogs and remembered Lauren’s recent post (Thanks Lauren!), as well as Kath’s post on her friend, Ashley’s, healthy fruit crisp recipe.  Armed with those two recipes, I made some of my own modifications and come up with my version of the beloved fruit crisp.

Healthified Fruit and Peanut Butter Crisp, Oh My!

Serves 8

For the crisp:

• 6 small – medium sized apples, peeled (I used paula apples – you can use any kind of fruit)
• 4 southern peaches, unpeeled (again, you can use any kind of fruit)
• juice of one lemon
• 1 TBSP of cornstarch
• 1 TBSP of evaporated cane juice, I used Florida Crystals (or dry sweetener of your choice)
• dashes of cinnamon
• dashes of nutmeg
• 1 oz. chopped walnuts, 14 halves (pecans or almonds would be good, too)

For the filling:

• 3/4 cup of oatmeal (I used quick cooking oats – I don’t think instant oats would be good here)
• 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup of nonfat greek yogurt (I used Trader Joe’s Nonfat Greek Style Plain Yogurt)
• 2 TBSP of Better n’ Peanut Butter, melted (you could use any nut or soy butter here)
• 1 TBSP of ground flaxseed  (I used Trader Joe’s whole golden roasted flaxseeds that I ground)
• 2 TBSP of agave nectar (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• dashes of cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• cooking spray

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Start prepping your fruit.  Since I used apples, I peeled the skin with a vegetable peeler and then chopped the apples into bite-sized pieces.  With the peaches, I left the skin on and chopped them into pieces similar in size to the apples (bite-sized).

2) Get yourself a large bowl.  Add your fruit and squeeze the lemon juice all over making sure to coat everything.

3) Add the remaining ingredients for the crisp, except for the nuts, to the bowl and gently turn to coat.  Make sure all the fruit is coated with the dry ingredients.  Again, do this with ease as you don’t want to mash your fruit.

4) Then, add your nuts and gently blend the fruit and nuts together. Set your fruit and nut mixture aside.

5) In another bowl, add your peanut butter.  Microwave your peanut butter for 20-25 seconds to melt.

No comments, please

6) Add your oatmeal to your peanut butter.  Mix the peanut butter with the oatmeal with a spoon.  Once the peanut butter and oatmeal are blended, add the rest of your filling ingredients, except for the cooking spray.  Then, take your hands and knead the mixture together until you get a dough-like ball.  Once your dough ball has formed, set aside.

7) Coat a pie dish or baking pan (I used an 11 x 7 x 1.5 glass baking tray) with cooking spray.  Add your fruit filling.

8 ) Take your dough ball and with your hands, begin breaking the dough ball into pieces.  Spread the pieces all over the fruit filling.  Make sure to cover the fruit filling evenly.

9) Place your fruit crisp into the oven.  Let it bake for 40-45 minutes or until you see the fruit starting to bubble.  Once it’s bubbling and looking ‘crisp’ on top, it’s done! Wait about 5 minutes for it to cool (if you can wait that long) and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream.  M-m-m-good!

I wish you could have been in my kitchen as this was baking.  The smell of the apples, peaches and cinnamon cooking and blending together was enough for me to check my watch a few hundred times.  It was the longest 40 minutes, ever!  But once my fruit crisp was finally done, it was well worth the wait (can you tell Healthy Chow is a bit impatient?).  The crisp was just crunchy enough but still had a hearty, chewy texture.  You could really taste the flaxseeds and the peanut butter which gave the crisp a unique, unexpected flavor.  The softened fruit simply melted in my mouth.  Isn’t it funny how anything sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg can taste so good?

This fruit crisp was not incredibly sweet, which is what I prefer.  If you want a sweeter crisp, I would suggest adding another tablespoon of agave nectar or some more evaporated cane juice to the crisp mixture.  Also, in most fruit crisp recipes, butter or oil is called for in the recipe.  I used peanut butter and nonfat Greek yogurt to substitute for the usual butter and/or oil and I didn’t miss it at all.  It’s a healthy recipe and you’ll feel good (and full) eating it.

As I mentioned earlier, this recipe can be made with any combination of fruit.  Adding berries such as raspberries and or blueberries would add a nice tartness to the crisp.  Kiwi and mango would also be a different spin on the traditional fruit tart and would give it a tropical flair.  In other words, the combinations are endless, so have fun mixing and matching (and eating). This recipe is also quite versatile.  It doesn’t have to be eaten as a dessert, snack and/or breakfast, it can also be used as a warm topping for your hot oatmeal, pancakes or waffles.  No matter if you eat this fruit crisp on it’s own or as an accompaniment, you can be sure there won’t be a bite left for any scavengers to find.

So, how do you like them apples?

Image Credits – blogs.msdn.com

What’s your favorite brand of Greek yogurt?  Can you tell the difference between the brands?  I’m a fan of Trader Joe’s, but I know people can’t seem to get enough of Chobani.

Namasté,
Nicole

I love yoga.  If you’ve been reading my blog for some time now, you’ll know that I find it to be the cat (cow pose)’s meow or the (downward facing) dog’s bark.  I’ve learned so much from the extraordinary teachers at my studio, as well as from my own daily practice.  It’s truly amazing how much insight one can gain from stretching, breathing and sweating in a hot yoga room for 90 minutes, 6-7 days a week, 26 – 28 times a month.  See I told you, I’m in love with yoga!

While I’ve learned so much about my body and mind and have been eternally inspired by the words of wisdom that are constantly spoken in class, I’ve also been influenced by some of my teachers’ nutritional and dietary habits.  For example, I’ve tasted a faux cheesecake made from yogurt, dates and nuts.  I’ve discovered the deliciousness of pure coconut water.  I’ve learned about the benefits one can receive from doing a cleanse.  I receive a monthly newsletter from the studio’s shiatsu masseuse, who is also a nutritional counselor.  And finally, I watched my yoga teacher open a bottle of kombucha while teaching class and saw it explode as if it were a bottle shaken-up champagne (a bottle of stinky shaken-up champagne!)

We were both startled and humored by the beverage explosion in class.  At first, I thought my teacher had opened a bottle of seltzer water.  The way the beverage fizzed out of control made me think it was some sort of carbonated beverage.  However, once the smell of the kombucha hit my nose, I knew it was like no drink I have ever seen or drank before in my life.

Image Credits – arizonafoothillsmagazine.com

Just what the fark was it?  It came in a glass bottle, it had junk floating in the bottom, it definitely had to be opened with care and it smelled like rotten juice.  When class was over, I quickly ran to my teacher to find out just what in fact her explosion in a bottle was.  She told me it was kombucha, or what some might call fermented tea.  Then she told me that it was a raw drink and contained living cultures.  After that interesting answer, I asked her if she liked the taste of her kombucha and she paused.  She said, “well, I like it.  But, it’s not for everyone.  I like what it does for me, more so than the taste.  But it does taste good…now…”  I left that conversation a bit confused, but more so intrigued by this little wonder drink.

Image Credits – guerillahealthwatch.wordpress.com

This is how kombucha can be made at home…(not my home)

When I was at the grocery store a few days following the mishap in class, I found the same kind of kombucha.  It was in the natural food aisle/department and my first impression was that it was mighty expensive.  For a 16 oz. bottle of this stuff, the price was just a shade under $4.  But when I looked at the bottle and saw all the benefits that this little elixir could provide, $4 sounded like a bargain!

According to the bottle -

Kombucha supports:
Digestion, metabolism, immune system, appetite control, weight control, liver function, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, healthy skin & hair

During the culturing process (which is 30 days), essential nutrients like active enzymes, viable probiotics, amino acids, antioxidants and polyphenols all form and combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality.

After reading the fun facts on the bottle, I was convinced that I had to try and buy a bottle of GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha.  There was an original flavor, as well as a citrus flavor.  I opted for the citrus thinking it might make the drink a bit more palatable.  Plus, I liked the fact that the bottle had a bright yellow logo (Healthy Chow is a sucker for the little things).

When I arrived home, I immediately put my new bevvie in the fridge.  I didn’t drink it just yet because well, I was sort of scared.  The smell from the explosion in yoga class was the only thing I could think about.  But after a few days had passed, I finally bit the bullet.  Yesterday, I ‘kombucha-ed’.  And let me tell you something, it had me ka-powed!

Even though my kombucha was sitting idle in my fridge for a few days before I attempted to drink it, I opened it slowly and with precaution.  It’s a good thing that I did because as soon as I turned the cap, bubbles started forming and the kombucha started foaming out.  I quickly had to tighten the cap in order to shutdown anymore from spilling out.  When I finally got the cap off, the smell that came out was so pungent, I thought I had opened a bottle of sweaty gym socks.  WOW!  And, I haven’t even taken a sip yet.

Check out all those bubbles – it’s alive!

Sniff, sniff…

My first sip was a small one, but the taste was nothing but huge.  Holy crap on a cracker!  The citrus flavored GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha tasted like a cross between a ginger ale, beer and some booze that my grandmother used to rub on wounds and bruises, but one that had been sitting in the hot heat for days decaying.  In addition, there were some brown floaties at the bottom of the bottle that seemed to be alive.  According to their website, those floaties are strands of kombucha culture and are perfectly fine to drink.  OK, I guess I’ll just have to take their word for it!

First sip…

My face after the first sip…

Yeah, now you know what I mean about the floaties…

After a few more sips, I started liking the taste.  It was fizzy, bold and refreshing.  Then, I had to look to see if there was any alcohol in the drink because I was starting to feel a tad woozy (that may have been a figment of my imagination).  According to Wiki, ‘Kombucha contains ethyl alcohol in amounts that vary from 0.5% to 1.5%’.  It wasn’t a beverage that I wanted to chug down; it was something that I wanted to sip.  Like a cup of tea or hot water, I can see it accompanying me throughout the day and as something I would use to give me that much needed late afternoon boost.

Pictures of Healthy Chow feeling ‘tipsy’ from her kombucha

I also noticed that after about 10 minutes of drinking some of my kombucha, I no longer was hungry.  Before I opened the bottle, I was feeling a little empty in my stomach and as if I needed a snack.  This drink totally curbed my appetite! I know it claims ‘appetite control’ on the bottle, but I wasn’t sure if that was going to happen.  Oddly enough, I was no longer seeking carbs or becoming my alter ego, Snacky McSnackerton (you probably thought I was going to say ‘Healthy Chow’).  Also, and this might be TMI, but my lower stomach started churning and burning, if you catch my drift.  I guess that must be the probiotics kicking in?  Now I wonder what this little bottle of fabu is going to do for my hair and skin?  I guess I’ll have to wait to find out.

“She likes it, she really, really, likes it!”

All in all, I give GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha a thumbs up, way up (and I said a ‘thumb’, not the middle finger).  I’ve read online and heard from some others that they just can’t seem to stomach this stuff because of the distinct taste and smell.  But I think if you try not to focus on that and remember all the good that this drink can provide for you, you just might want to ‘kombucha’ like me.  I liken my experience with kombucha to the first time I tried vinyasa/power yoga.  When I walked in, the room was steamy, it smelled like sweat, there were people sweating on me, holding all those poses for so many counts made me want to toss my cookies, there were people moaning as if they were in pain, my muscles ached for days afterward in places I never knew had muscles and it’s expensive.  However, once you get over all of the superficial things, you can see the beauty.  Kombucha may not taste like a cold glass of freshly made lemonade, but then again lemonade can’t do any of the things kombucha can.  And hot yoga might not be as easy as pie, but then again, pie won’t detoxify your body and cleanse your mind.

Thumbs way up!

So, are you ready to kombucha?

‘Don’t cha wish your beverage was hot like kombucha?  Don’t cha wish your beverage was a freak like kombucha?  Don’t cha?…’

What’s the weirdest food/drink you’ve ever tried?  Would you eat/drink something just because it was good for you and not for the taste?

Namasté,
Nicole

Two days after I graduated from college, I started my first real full-time job.  While I was grateful to be employed (and had a hot co-worker whose name rhymes with ‘Hatrick’), I wasn’t making the money I needed in order to support myself.  Thus, I got a part-time job working at J. Crew.  This is where my 60+ hour work week began (and probably where my bunion got it’s start – eew, sorry, I know).  But I needed the money and working in the mall kept me from shopping at the mall (OK, that’s not entirely true).  I often times would run from one job to the other and by the time I got home (which would usually be at 11pm), I was starving.  But because I was too tired to make something of substance to eat, I would usually grab the first thing I could find in my fridge.  Unfortunately, that was usually ice cream.

I know, I know!  How could I? But when I finally got home, my feet were numb from being shoved into high heels, my back ached as if I were pulling weeds all day and my mind just wanted to be turned off.  All I wanted to do at that point was plop myself on the couch and indulge in a sweet treat.  It was my way of comforting and rewarding myself.  And didn’t I deserve it?  Well, I certainly thought I did.

However, that was years and years ago and I’ve wised up some (I said some, not a lot ).  I know that ‘rewarding’ myself with indulgent foods is really not the healthiest route to go.  But sometimes, it is just nice to be able to relax in front of the tv with a delicious, frosty dessert.

A couple of days ago, when I wanted to sit and veg on the couch, I started digging in my fridge and was disappointed that there wasn’t any frozen yogurt or icy cold treat to tickle my fancy (can someone tell me why I look when I know there isn’t any in there?).  But instead of hightailing it over to the 7-Eleven that is literally 100 steps from my home, I decided to take a deep breath and ask myself what else I could make to tame my sweet tooth.  I’m not sure if I answered my own question, but I began yanking things out of my fridge and pantry.  After a few minutes, I came up with this:

Group photo

I decided I would make my own parfait.  I’ve seen so many of my fellow food bloggies make them (Kristen and K)  and rave about them that I realized it was time to get on the bus.  And boy, was I able to catch this ride!  Here are the ingredients I used to make The Have It Your Way Parfait:

• 1/2 cup of Trader Joe’s European Style Plain Nonfat Yogurt
• 1/3 cup of Smart Bran cereal
• 2 TSP of ground flax seeds
• handful of blueberries (absent from photo)
• 1 apple (any kind will do, as long as it’s not candied )

Chop, chop, chop!

1) Wash your apple and chop it up into bite-sized pieces

2) Get yourself a big glass (the fancier, the better – I only had this one ) and start layering the fun (aka the ingredients)

3) I would start with some apple first, then yogurt, then Smart Bran, then some more yogurt, some bloobs, and work your way up until you are out of ingredients and space in your glass.  But you could do it any way you want because after all, you can Have It Your Way!

It's building...

Rhymes with 'Hatrick' thinks the parfait is smiling at him...

4) To top it all off, I sprinkled some ground flax seeds

Can you hear the angels singing?

5) Get yourself a really long spoon and dig in!

Yummy!

Wholesome goodness!

Holy crap on a cracker!  This sucker was truly, truly, truly outrageous!  All the different flavors like the cold, creamy yogurt along with the sweet, crisp apple, the tartness of the blueberries, the crunch of the Smart Bran and then the nutty goodness of the ground flax seeds made my taste buds sing for joy!  It was delectable and quite filling.  I grabbed my bottle of honey to drizzle over the top for some added sweetness but my parfait didn’t need it.  The only thing I did need was a bigger glass, so I could fit in more parfait into my heart-tay par-tay.  This little concoction did its job in soothing my senses.  From the first bite to the last, I felt instantly relaxed.  Now if I would have known about this when I was working at my part-time job, I might have spent more of my money on yogurt than I did on cashmere.

What was your favorite part-time job?  Your worst?

Namasté,
Nicole

*OK, this one is for you, Mom.  I know how much you love this song, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” , and you know how much I love you!

Boy, the Summit was like the grass sample that was in our swag bags, AMAZING!  After two days of socializing and ‘getting-to-know-you’s’, we finally arrived at the day I was looking forward to the most – conference day.  I think I’ll always be a student at heart because the thought of being in a room with all of our knowledgeable sponsors and keynote speakers was making me giddy with joy.  I could hardly sleep Friday night in anticipation of the big day.  I think I fell asleep with a smile on my face and woke up with one.

OK, that's me after I got ready, not as soon as I woke up

Because Patrick was so very kind to give me, Lauren and Shannon a ride (the first of many), we were able to make it to the hotel bright and early.  Thank you!!!  When we arrived, we were greeted by the Big 6 and were presented our SWAG BAGS (cue the bugles and applause)!  They were absolutely stuffed with coupons, tons of food samples, informational brochures, a re-useable bag (along with the re-useable bag the swag came in), pens, magnets, a shake container, a t-shirt, a shoe wallet, a baked good and magazines.  It was the ultimate goody bag!

The sign of the time

Heather, Megan and Caitlin

"Say my name, say my name..."

My Blue Heaven

"Swagger like us!"

After checking in, getting our name tags and bags, we were ready for breakfast.  Breakfast included an array of fresh fruit, Oikos yogurt, various blends of  MixMyGranola, fresh bagels, danish, muffins, Kashi TLC bars and the obvi fresh coffee and tea.  I chose an Oikos yogurt with honey along with a few scoops of lowfat MixMyGranola and some chunks of cantaloupe and pineapple.  I love me some fresh fruit for breakfast (or anytime), especially when it’s already been cut-up for me .

Hmmm, this yogurt is DEE-LEE-SHUSS!

Tina, Shannon, Lauren and Jesse

We had a good hour to relax, eat and do some more meeting and chatting before we headed off to the conference room.  As I mentioned before, I can be somewhat of a dork.  So when I walked into the conference room, I wanted to be sitting front and center.  However, that was being occupied by some of our sponsors, so I opted for front-ish and left of center.  What can I say?  I like to pay attention!

My table mates - Casey and Ania

Casey and Ms. Bright Eyed & Bushy Tailed

After finding our seats, the Big 6 introduced themselves and welcomed us all to the Summit.  You could tell they were just as excited as the attendees and were glowing with anticipation of the day ahead.

Drum roll please!

The Big 6

Our first speaker was Janel Ovrut, a local registered dietitian, who talked to us about the importance of having a ‘healthy’ diet and how we can manage to eat well in our busy day-to-day life.  She was quite friendly and informative and gave us some useful and easy to remember tips.  She was able to provide insight without sounding ‘preachy’.

The next speaker was my favorite speaker, Cory, aka ZestyCook.  Zesty gave a wonderful presentation on Blogging 101.  He gave us pointers on how to best monetize our blogs, design our blogs and how we could best make them as successful as his (almost!).  I brought my giant legal notepad from home specifically for Zesty’s presentation.  I wanted to be a sponge and soak up as much zest as I could.  I think I did a pretty good job because while I hung onto his every word, my little hands managed to scribble out pages and pages of notes.  Thank you, Zesty!

We then broke for lunch (and the bathrooms).  I actually was hoping that this was not the line for the bathrooms and luckily, it was the lunch line.

The waiting game

But, the bathroom line wasn’t too much shorter.  Hence, by the time I got to the head of the lunch line, it was rather slim pickin’s.  Although I did manage to get a yummy turkey sandwich and fresh fruit that helped to squelch my hunger.  I was just hoping for some vegetables and since the lettuce shreds that were left looked a tad lack luster, I opted out.  But now that I have seen some of the other food bloggers’ pictures, I seemed to have missed a whole display of roasted veggies and salad greens.  Eh, that’s what I get for not going to the restroom when I first had to go and for being a Chatty Cathy .

We Are Not Martha - Sues, me and Chels

My Lunch: turkey with swiss & mustard on whole wheat bread w/ a side of fruit and caprese salad

Lunch mates

Meghan checking her phone...

Once lunch wrapped up, we had another very informative presentation from organic dairy farmer, Regina Beidler.  Regina, along with her husband and daughter (who was also at the Summit), are cooperative farmer owners at Organic Valley and the milk from their farm goes to Organic Valley’s New England Pastures for fluid milk or to Stonyfield Farm for their yogurt products.  Regina really opened my eyes to the importance of supporting local farmers and eating organic dairy products.  She was a great speaker and really did a spectacular job speaking to her audience.

Next up were the ladies from Body + Soul magazine.  They scared informed us about some of the potential dangers/toxins hidden in our beauty products and what are some alternative products we could use.  Wow!  I really need to do a better job of reading the labels on my beauty products – yikes!

Caitlin, from whom I won my golden ticket to the Summit, then gave us a presentation about Operation Beautiful.  She talked about how it got its start and how far it has grown.  Caitlin, along with Operation Beautiful, are both so inspirational!  To say the least,  I was moved!

To pump up get the audience and get us involved, the Big 6 then did some product giveaways.  Sadly, I was not a winner but I had a heck of a time cheering on those that did!  There were some great prizes!  For instance, a $300 gift certificate to Athleta.  Um, hello?  Healthy Chow needs new yoga clothes!

Then, we broke for juice (sans cookies).  Andrea, from POM Wonderful, set-up a giant spread of ice cold pomegranate juice and even posed for a few photos.

I’ve actually never tried POM before.  The tartness of the juice was similar to cranberry juice but with a slightly sweeter twist.  Andrea told me that most people she knew cooked with the juice versus just drinking it straight-up.  I can definitely see it working in a citrus-y salad dressing or with a nice piece of fish.  Lucky for me, Andrea gave me a few extra bottles and coupons to take home.  Thank you, Andrea!

To wrap up, the Big 6 each did a brief presentation on the type of fitness they prefer and how they got started with it.  Caitlin and Tina spoke about running and how while they have some injuries, they continue to work through those injuries and take care of their bodies.  Kath talked about how she squeezes in exercise whenever she can, such as when doing household chores like washing the floor and mowing the lawn.  Jenna talked about one of my favorite things in the world, yoga.  She talked about how great of a workout yoga can be and how important it is for the body and the mind.  I couldn’t stop nodding my head in agreement with Jenna.  I so badly wanted to jump out of my seat and tell the group that if they hadn’t tried yoga, they could come with me and I would be more than happy to show them the light .  Finally, Heather and Meghann talked about running and how they have worked up to competing in races.  They even brought out their running gear and demonstrated what they like to use and how sweaty these things can get .

To conclude the conference, we appropriately took a group photo.  We all squeezed into the back of the room and once again, Hangry Mark was our photographer.  Thank you, Mark!  I think if you squint your eyes or get a magnifying glass you can find me (I wore high heels (again) just so you all could see me!).

I promise I'm in there!

I don’t want to sound like a broken record (but I will) , but I want to say that I’m so happy that I was able to attend the Healthy Living Summit.  I had the chance to meet such extraordinary people and learn some fascinating things.  All these women (and men) share the same passion – to live a healthy and happy life filled with fitness, eating well, and passion.  Out of all the people I met this weekend, the one common link is that they all love life and want that life to be a healthy one.  While they aim to be healthy and fit, they know life has to have balance.  For that reason, there was never a hesitation to enjoy themselves – whether that meant having a cocktail, savoring a scoop of their favorite ice cream or simply getting up a bit earlier to take in a morning run.

Just watching the Big 6 speak about their favorite kind of exercise or their favorite thing to eat or how they first started blogging, you could honestly see the enthusiasm and drive exuding from their souls.  I truly felt empowered to be around all of these like minded individuals (bloggers and readers) – people like myself who want the best life and the best me possible and just want to share that with the world.

Contents of the bag...I refrained from eating anything so I could get a complete picture for you to see...that was really tough!

What makes you feel empowered?  Or, what’s the best free sample you’ve ever received?

Namasté,
Nicole

HAHA!  I just cracked myself up with that blog post title (I know, why don’t you just go give yourself a pat on the back?!).

Anyways, I keep reading about ‘broccoli slaw’ all over the food blogosphere in places such as here and here.  I’ll have to admit, I was a bit hesitant at first.  While I’m certainly NOT a picky eater and will pretty much eat everything anything that is put in front of me, I’m not a fan of coleslaw.  It’s odd to me.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that it’s usually drowned in mayo (and not the good kind like the Hellman’s Mom used to buy but the not-so-miraculous Miracle Whip)?  Maybe it’s because it always came all warm and soggy on my plate?  Or maybe it’s because someone told me once that restaurants made it out of the rancid lettuce and cabbage leftover from the day before’s meals?  Whatever the case was, I never liked it.

However, broccoli slaw is not the same thing as coleslaw and if everyone else is raving about it, maybe I was the one missing out?  I mean, it is just broccoli, carrots and red cabbage.  These are all things that I like and things that are good for me.  So what was I waiting for?  After all, I was always told as a child to try everything once.  So, a week or so ago when I was at the grocery store, I picked up a bag of this:

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do with my new purchase.  I guess I could mix it in with one of my humungo salads?  Or perhaps shove some in a pita pocket for some added crunch to a sandwich?  Then, a light bulb went off.  I decided I would face my distaste for coleslaw head on.  I decided to make my own ‘lighter’ version of coleslaw.  Here is what I came up with:

-1/3 of the bag  or 3 oz. of broccoli slaw
-2 heaping TBSP of nonfat yogurt (I used Trader Joe’s European Style Nonfat Plain)
-1 TSP of dijon mustard
-a glug of red wine vinegar
-1 TSP of honey
-black pepper

Get yourself a small bowl and mix all of the ingredients except for the broccoli slaw and black pepper.  Mix until everything is well blended.  Taste and adjust ingredients accordingly.  Then, mix in your broccoli slaw and turn to coat.  Sprinkle with pepper.  All done.

Because the yogurt is more liquid-y than thick, my broccoli slaw served as a dressing for the rest of my salad.  Alongside the slaw, I had romaine lettuce, baby spinach, chopped plum tomatoes and cucumber slices.  I also had a yam that was about to bite the dust, so I peeled it and steamed it for an accompaniment to my salad.  I then melted some Smart Balance Omega-3 Light and drizzled that over my yam.

Wow, my salads are gettin’ all fancy on me…

The yam didn’t want to get left out of the ‘fancy pants party’…

All together now…

Paired with a frosty glass of seltzer water…

The verdict?  It was pretty good!  Nothing at all like the coleslaw that came in those clear dixie cups that I used to turn my nose at.  Plus, it was a much healthier version sans the greasy mayonnaise.  Because the dressing was so light and subtle, I could still taste the flavors of the vegetables.  The crunch was still there, too.  It was a nice added texture to my sometimes ‘boring’ salads.  I would definitely buy this again.  It’s an easy and healthy way to bulk up my salads and/or sandwiches and might even be good steamed a bit and eaten as a hot side (ok, why does Justin Timberlake now come to mind?).

Are there any foods that make you cringe?  Do you still dislike them or have you given them another shot?

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you know how they say you shouldn’t go grocery shopping while you’re hungry?  Well, I shouldn’t go grocery shopping while I’m hungry and while I’m on a full stomach.  I luuuuurrvvvee food!  If it looks good, smells good and and tickles my fancy, then it’s coming home with me (oh wait, that didn’t sound quite right…haha!).  Anyways, the produce aisle always seems to get the best of me.  I know fresh fruits and vegetables are great for me but I have to be realistic and understand that I while it’s BOGO right now for a pint of fresh blueberries, I can’t eat an entire shopping cart full of them.  I know freezing these lil’ gems of sapphire bliss can fix my overabundance issue, but you can’t beat the taste of a fresh blueberry.  That said, a few weeks ago I came up with this wacky little creation when Patrick was hungry for lunch.  He wanted a turkey sandwich that ‘wasn’t going to taste like a regular turkey sandwich’.  Funny, isn’t he?  So, this is what I made him.  The summer-sweet blueberries are a perfect match for the herb turkey and the yogurt adds the right amount of creaminess while the greens give it a cool crisp.

I present to you…The Cool Blue Turkey Sammie…

The Cool Blue Turkey Sammie

2 slices of whole wheat bread (I used Trader Joe’s)
3 slices of Applegate Farms Organic Herb Turkey Breast
1 slice of provolone cheese (I used Sargento Reduced Fat Deli Style Provolone – Swiss would be good, too)
small handful of baby spinach leaves
8 fresh blueberries, cut in half (think meatball sandwich – things that are round have a tendency to roll out)
2 heaping TBSP of nonfat yogurt (I used Trader Joe’s European Style Plain Nonfat)
1 TSP of dijon mustard
s&p to taste

Place your bread in the toaster (or toaster oven) and begin to toast.  Mix the the yogurt with the mustard in a small cup and set aside.  When your bread has met your desired level of toasty goodness, take out of toaster and start compiling your sandwich.  Layer 2 slices of turkey (add salt and pepper here if you wish) and spread some of the yogurt mixture over the turkey.  Then, add the halved blueberries (the key here is to make sure the blueberries get stuck into the yogurt mixture so they have better staying power in the sandwich and not on your plate or lap).  Layer the baby spinach next.  Then, add the last slice of turkey with some more of the yogurt mixture spooned on top (I had some yogurt mixture left over after the sandwich was made but I know some prefer a ‘wetter’ sammie).  Finally, top it with the cheese.  Cover with the last slice of toasted bread.  All done!  Enjoy!

Serves 1

Patrick loved this sandwich!  He said it reminded him of a post-Thanksgiving Day sandwich (think turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce) but only lighter and ’summery-er’.  Woot!

I like mixing around ingredients that you wouldn’t normally put together.  It’s fun to see what I end up with!  What’s the most inventive food combination you’ve ever come up with?

Namasté,
Nicole