Kitchen Experiment #515

I really have no clue where I come up with these kitchen experiment ideas. I was craving oatmeal this morning for breakfast, but I didn't want the same old bowl. Instead, I decided to "bread" my sliced nectarine with oatmeal batter. (I know, random.) I used Kath's recipe for an oatmeal pancake with my addition of 1 tbsp of vanilla hemp milk to make the mixture more "battery." I then coated my nectarine slices with the oatmeal pancake batter and cooked them in a skillet. The experiment came out pretty well, but I think next time, I will double the batter recipe. The nectarine slices would have benefited from more oatmeal pancake goodness. This recipe would probably work well with other slice-able fruits-- apples, peaches, etc.


Oatmeal Pankcake Batter

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1 egg white (or 3 tbsp of liquid egg whites)
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp vanilla hemp (or soy) milk
  
• Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

• Heat skillet and add non-stick cooking spray (or butter, oil, etc.)
• Slice fruit into 1/4 inch pieces
  
• Spread oatmeal pancake batter on one side of fruit and place in skillet, oatmeal side down. Then, spread oatmeal pancake batter on the top side of the fruit while in skillet. (*Add more oatmeal batter if desired, covering the entire piece of fruit.)
  
• Top fruit pancakes with maple syrup, almond butter, jam, etc. (optional)
  

* Double recipe for more batter.

Nectarine slices, coated in oatmeal pancake batter, cooking in skillet...


I also had a few dates and an iced coffee with vanilla soy milk for breakfast.


Eat Breakfast Like a King, Lunch Like a Prince, and Dinner Like a Pauper

I receive comments from readers pretty regularly about the smallish size of my dinners-- I tend to taper my food intake as the day progresses. I figured I should explain this eating habit.

Like the old proverb says, "Eat Breakfast Like a King, Lunch Like a Prince, and Dinner Like a Pauper," I try to eat my larger meals early in the day (i.e. eat breakfast like a king) and my smaller meals in the evening (i.e. dinner like a pauper). This eating pattern makes a lot of sense to me for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is that I often exercise first thing in the morning, so I like to refuel with a big breakfast (600-700 calories) packed with healthy carbs and protein. Following a morning workout, I used to eat a much smaller breakfast, but by lunch, I would be starving. Over time, my body has gotten used to eating most of its calories in the early hours of the day. My lunch is usually a tiny bit smaller than breakfast (500-600 calories) with a good-sized snack in the afternoon (200-300 calories) and, of course, occasional treats (100-300 calories). Eating the majority of my calories in the first part of the day keeps my energy up and my metabolism buzzing along. Dinner is often my smallest meal of the day (400-500 calories), which is usually made up of protein, complex carbs, and lots of veggies. Especially when I am just lounging around the house at night, I don't need lots of calories for energy. I'm also an earlier riser, so it makes sense for me to front-load my caloric-intake because I hit the sack before 10:00 pm and don't need a ton of calories in the later part of the day. Finally, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so why not start the day off right with a hearty meal of my favorite foods.

Question of the Day

How do you push/challenge yourself when exercising (mind games, the clock, personal trainer, exercise buddy, etc.)?

That Sandwich Looks Awesome

My study session went much better this morning. I woke up 15 minutes earlier, showered and got ready lightening fast, ate breakfast while checking my email, and had a whole hour and a half to study for the NASM. I got through about 2/3 of a chapter (reading and taking notes). I'm actually starting to feel a little better about the exam. The first 3 chapters blast science right at you, which is especially overwhelming if you haven't taken any sort of science course since freshman year of college. However, once I made it to chapters 4 and 5, I can see how the later chapters simply build off what you learned in the first few chapters. It all ties together quite nicely. Let's just hope this pleothra of information sticks in my brain!

Breakfast

I made the most wonderful breakfast panini this morning-- even Mal commented on its awesomeness! :) Inside 2 pieces of whole wheat bread:

• 1 tbsp of low-fat ricotta mixed with 1 tsp of cinnimon
• 1 sliced banana
• 1.5 tbsp of almond butter (sadly, not Barney Butter)
  
• 5 chopped dates
• 2 tsp sliced almonds
  

Grilled perfection...


While I studied, I sipped on an iced iced with vanilla hemp milk.


Question of the Day

How do you manage your time (planner, blackberry, online tool, etc.)? What is your best time management tip/trick?

Me: I am a paper planner girl-- have been since the 6th grade with my assignment book. I'd like to transition to an online planner, but I just can't seem to do it. I often think of things that I need to do mid-commute when I don't have access to a computer. Writing something down in my paper planner then typing it into an online tool is double the work. Maybe an iphone would help? :)

My best trick: Do the little tasks first! I feel much more accomplished crossing things off my list (even if they are small) and it builds momentum to tackle the bigger projects.

Tough Decisions

Mal and I are having such a tough time picking the Barney Butter Giveaway winners!! You guys are quite the poets... and I bet ya didn't even know it! (Sorry, had to.) I will reveal the winners bright and early tomorrow morning. Five lucky readers will receive their own stash of Barney Butter. I'm already excited for them! :) 

Dinner tonight was a pasta dish made with broccoli, lemon, garlic, and parmesan cheese. I was really in the mood for pasta this evening, and just threw together this dish based on what was in our fridge. I'm happy to report that the meal turned out well! 

Measurements:

Serves 2-3

1.5 cups dry pasta 

1 tsp olive oil

tbsp chicken low-sodium chicken broth

1 large garlic clove (minced)

1.25 cups steamed broccoli

2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

With the lemon-garlic-parmesan pasta dish, I also had a salad with romaine, grape tomatoes, carrots, and almond slices, drizzled with peanut sauce. 

Dinner from above with a glass of ice water with lemon slices...

Dates Return!

I used to have quite the obsession with dates (the food), but after trying medjool dates, I haven't been able to go back to the conventional Dole dates. Medjool dates are 10 times more delicious-- they're like candy! However, I had a serious craving for dates when we went food shopping the other night, so I decided to just buy some Dole Pitted Dates. (Sadly, our grocery store doesn't sell the wonderful and amazing medjool dates.) 

I stuffed tonight's dates with peanut butter and chocolate chips. Such a good snack! I've missed it!

My dessert was 3 dates stuff with peanut butter and chocolate chips. Yum! 

I'm changing it up with my workouts this week. I've decided to reserve my schedule-- workout after work and study in the mornings before work. We'll see how it works. I need to change it up every once in awhile-- keep things interesting.

Sunday night movie time! :) Good night! 

First Day

Gotta make this quick! I've gotta boogie on outta here ASAP!

I was reading Sammie's blog the other day, and her post reminded me that I hadn't had Peanut Butter Puffins in ages! It also reminded me how in love I am with Puffins. At the grocery story yesterday, I had planned to buy a box of PB Puffins, but the store was all out! (How tragic!) Instead, I settled on the Honey Rice flavor. 

For breakfast this morning, I wanted a meal with staying power since I won't get to eat again for 6+ hours. I decided on a container of vanilla Chobani with honey Puffins and a sliced nectarine. 

Cocoa Brownies

Shape's Cocoa Brownies came out great! I can see this recipe becoming a favorite! 

Instead of chocolate chips, I used a mixed bag of peanut butter and chocolate chips... and I added in a little more than the recipe called for! :) 

Sorry that I don't have the recipe to post-- I searched it on the Shape website, but I couldn't find it. The recipe is in the current issue of Shape (September 2008), if you want to seek it out. 

I'm off! Wish me luck!

P.S. I'm taking an iced coffee with vanilla hemp milk to go! 

Big Day Tomorrow

It's a big day for me tomorrow-- it's my first real shift at Healthworks. (I only worked for an hour last Wednesday night-- we covered the basics: paperwork, uniform, safety, etc.) I'll be working with the Assistant Fitness Director tomorrow, learning the ropes and getting my feet wet in my new Fitness Specialist position. 

Immediately after my shift, I'm off to a Red Sox game, and then to my sister's engagement party after that. I've got a packed, but fantastic day ahead! 

Dinner tonight was a repeat of last night's chili + wine. Amy's chili was wonderful again tonight-- I highly recommend it! It's great for an easy and quick meal... and if needed, it can stay in your kitchen cabinets for months! :)

On the side, I had a plate of carrots, grape tomatoes, and Kashi crackers. 

We finally went food shopping tonight! (Wahoo!) We stumbled across a bottle of my new favorite wine: Robert Mondavi Chardonnay. (I fell in love with this wine at the Hancock Tavern last week.) I'm currently enjoying a glass right now! :)

Lunch

Sorry no lunch post today. I went to lunch at the Savant Project with 4 of my coworkers-- a couple of which do not know about my blog and future plans. So, I'm sure you guys understand why I didn't want to take photos of my lunch, explain everything, and then have my coworkers find out about me leaving in the semi-near future. It's just not quite the time for me to tell my office. 

At the Savant Project, I ordered the Roasted Portobello Pita Sandwich with Spanish chimichurri sauce, tomatoes, and melted parmesan cheese with fries on the side. The sandwich was fab and super filling. The portobello caps were nice and big and roasted to perfection, and there was a thick layer of melted parmesan on the pita. I heart cheese! Again, sorry no photo. 

I did capture a photo of my afternoon snack. Here's my orange mid-peel...

My big day starts bright and early tomorrow (8:00 am) and lasts into the evening. I'll need to be clever with my planning, especially my bag for the day. Multiple events = multiple outfits! 

P.S. Forgot to add: I'm baking Shape's (September 2008) Cocoa Brownies! I heard they were delicious. I'll let you guys know! :)

Monday, Monday

Where did the weekend go!? I can't believe that I am already back at my desk at work! Blah. Let's hope this week flies by! (I have a feeling it will!)

I bounded out of bed this morning-- I was jazzed for a good workout! At the gym, I took a 30-minute Bosu Express class, followed by a 30-minute strength training class, and then I used a foam roller on my tight hamstrings, and stretched for another 10-15 minutes. The combo of foam rolling and stretching made my hamstrings feel a million times better! They were so incredibly tight!

More info about foam rollers:

The What and How of Form Body Rollers

Foam Roller Exercises for Easing Tight Muscles

Video from Diet.com

Foam Rolling for Runners


Breakfast this morning was the usual: Kashi instant oatmeal with banana slices and peanut butter. (Sorry my breakfasts have been so boring lately!) I also grabbed a sweetened iced coffee with soy milk from Starbucks. Breakfast with my Sigg full of H2O...


Question of the Day

What book/article has changed your outlook on healthy living?

Me: I have read lots of books that have changed my outlook for the better! My top choices are Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food and Barbar Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. They both opened my eyes to the importance of eating whole, natural, and local foods as much as possible. I'm currently reading Marion Nestle's What to Eat, which will probably be added to this list as well. It's been great so far!

------------------

And the much-requested Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz ranch dressing
• 6-10 oz Purdue Short Cuts chicken (chopped into small pieces)
• 6-8 oz Frank's Red Hot

Combine ingredients in large bowl, transfer to baking dish, and cook on 350*F for 25-30 minutes.

------------------

Buffalo Chicken Dip - Lower Fat Option
From Crissy, a reader

• 1 1/3 less fat brick of cream cheese
• 8 oz reduced fat cheddar
• 8 oz Maries low fat blue cheese (that good dressing that is usually found in the produce area of your grocery store)
• 1 10 oz. can chicken (found by the tuna, I usually buy Valley something...)
• 1/2-3/4 of the bottle of Frank's Red Hot BUFFALO SAUCE (not the normal hot sauce)
  

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 3 minutes, stir, then microwave for another 3 minutes. I usually serve them with Baked Tostitos Scoops. Still not the healthiest recipe, but I feel less guilty.

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

Time was on my side tonight with this quickie meal! From start to finish, it took just 20 minutes to prepare. Love it!

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

From Fitness magazine, September 2008

Makes 4 servings

10 ounces thick noodles, such as udon or linguine

1 tbsp canola oil

12 ounces chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon peeled, chopped fresh ginger (I used tsp of ground ginger)

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp lemongrass powder or lemon zest

1 medium-hot red or green chile, finely diced

3 ounces bok choy, chopped

4 lime wedges

Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the chicken, ginger, garlic, lemongrass powder (or lemon zest), and chile; mix well. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Add the noodles and bok choy to the wok; toss well. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition facts per serving: 395 calories, 23g protein, 62g carbohydrate, 5g fat (1g saturarated), 2g fiber.

I thought this dish was really great, especially as something new and different. I rarely ever eat bok choy, so it was nice to try a new dish. Mal thought the Thai Chicken Noodle Salad was a little bland, so he ended up adding salt to his portion. I thought the chicken and noodles had plenty of ginger-lemon flavor. I think it tasted "too healthy" for Mal's liking! :)

Of course, I saved room for dessert tonight. I had the usual half piece of whole wheat bread with Barney Butter and peanut and chocolate chips. It hits the spot every time!

I'm planning an early morning workout, so I need to start getting ready for tomorrow. It takes me a good 30 minutes to pack my gym bag and lunch for the next day. It's quite the task! Good night!

***Update***

I totally forgot to add my wine and cheese photo from my other camera. Oops! Right after work, I met my friend, Carole, for a glass of wine and some cheese nibbles. We caught up and sipped our wine for about an hour, and then she had to go back to work! Poor gal! As always, it was wonderful to see Carole!

Smooth Start

Don't ya hate it when your fresh produce goes bad on you? I just bought a container of strawberries on Monday, and they are already getting rotten spots on them. I guess that's what happens when you travel 3,000 miles from California. (I need do a better job shopping local-- for many reasons.) I'm pretty sure those are my last strawberries until next spring/summer. How sad. 

Anyway, my rotting strawberries were demanding to be made into a smoothie. My smoothie measurements:

• 1/2 cup diced strawberries
• 1/2 medium banana
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 5 ice cubes 

With my smoothie, I ate a toasted English muffin with Barney Butter (the smooth variety) and banana slices.

Today's breakfast: Strawberry-banana smoothie, English muffin with BB, and iced coffee with vanilla hemp milk and a little Sugar in the Raw.

Question of the Day

If you had $5 to spend on someone else, how would you spend it?

2 Inches Versus 2 Inches

So, I decided against bangs. Thanks for all of your opinions, but, despite being cute and stylish, bangs are a pain in the butt to grow out (if you don't like them or don't want them anymore). I remember growing out them out the last time I had them, and it took for-ever!

Anyway, my hair is a tad shorter than I had originally wanted it. Actually, it's quite a bit shorter, but I think I will eventually get used to it. There was some "miscommunication" between my hairdresser and me. I asked him to "trim-up" my hair, so when he asked, "about 2 inches?," I thought he meant 2 inches, not 4 inches! Oh well. It's just hair. It'll grow back, right? My new cut does look a lot healthier!

Dinner was delish this evening! I found a recipe in the September issue of Health magazine for Zucchini Fries. The recipe was super quick and easy to make-- it's perfect for busy work/school nights.

Zucchini Fries
From Health magazine, September 2008

Preheat oven to 425°. Cut 2 zucchini into 3-inch sticks. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add 1⁄4 cup milk. Combine 1⁄2 cup shredded Parmesan and 1⁄2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place zucchini on sheet. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 32 fries.

I ended up with leftover Parmesan-breadcrumb mixture, so I decided to slice-up and coat a tomato as well. The tomato slices came out great too! I have a feeling that a variety of different veggies would work well with this recipe. I highly recommend it!

While I was covering and baking zucchini and tomato slices, Mal made ground turkey sliders (aka mini burgers). We ate them on Thomas Mini Square Whole Wheat Bagelbread with lettuce, tomato, and relish.

We finished up dinner by sharing a package of Godiva Chocoiste Caramel Bars in Dark Chocolate. Like all Godiva chocolate, these were to die for!!!

Mal and I have a hot date with last night's Hills episode! I love the drama! Night, all!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza II

I had such a nice time tonight! Good friends, good conversation, and good food! All of my favorites! :) Mal and I invited our friends, Blain and Jaime, over for a pizza dinner.

Before our friends arrived, Mal and I enjoyed some wine on our balcony.

For dinner, we made Buffalo Chicken Pizza again. (LOVE this recipe!) We made a few modifications to the recipe, including using blue cheese dressing instead of ranch, and we forgot to buy scallions, so those were omitted from tonight's recipe. The pizza still came out amazingly!

Dinner table with lots of salad dressing options...

We started with a simple salad for dinner. I drizzled peanut sauce on mine.

My first piece of Buffalo Chicken Pizza...

... and my second piece...

I think I like the blue cheese dressing better than the ranch on the pizza, but I liked how we sort of overcooked our first Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Tonight's pizza was delicious, but I think I would have liked it cooked a little more. I love it when cheese is semi-burnt!

Back to the grind tomorrow! At least it's a 4 day week! Night, all!

Breakfast Paninis

Something strange happened this morning... I didn't wake up starving! I'd say 90% of my mornings immediately begin with the thought of food, and breakfast happens shortly after. Today, however, my mind and body were not at all interested in eating. I made myself an iced coffee with hemp milk around 8:30, but it was 10:00 before I started to get a little hungry. So weird. 

Last night's spicy dinner carried over into a breakfast craving. I was also in the mood for eggs, so Breakfast Paninis is was! I scrambled 3 eggs (2 for Mal, 1 for me), and then added them to a whole wheat wrap along with shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, black beans, and jalapenos. 

Before the panini maker:

After: 

Just before eating:

My breakfast panini was sooooooo filling! I ate the whole thing, but I don't think I should have. I'm almost too full now. Ugh, hate that. Well, at least, I won't need lunch anytime soon! 

Monday's Agenda:

• Grocery shopping
• Clean apartment
• Long run
• Thank you notes
• Find wing recipe (if you have a good one, please send it my way!)
• Dinner with Blain and Jaime

Another Busy One

After a slow start, my day ended up being jam packed! I'm glad that we're finally home with no plans on tonight's agenda. In my "old" age, I'm really starting to like relaxing nights in! :)

My Sunday morning started with a glass of iced coffee with vanilla hemp milk, which I drank while blogging about yesterday's busy day. The blog post took me about an hour to type up! 

Breakfast this morning was an egg and cheese sandwich on an English muffin with homemade homefries. For the egg in my sandwich, I used a liquid egg white patty, which was quick and easy to prepare. To make: coat a small, mircowavable bowl with cooking spray, pour 1/3 cup liquid egg whites into bowl, and cook in microwave for 90 seconds. 

Liquid egg whites in cooking-spray coated bowl...

After a quick cook in the microwave, the egg whites form a small patty, which is perfect for a breakfast sandwich.

From above...

To make the homefries, I coated a chopped potato with olive oil, Montreal Steak Seasoning, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce, and baked them in the oven on 375* F for 20-25 minutes. 

Sunday Newspaper

Mal and I used to have a Sunday night tradition where we would read the Sunday newspaper in bed before falling asleep. We no longer have the paper delivered to our front door, so we rarely buy it and hardly ever read the Sunday paper. Today, however, we both had the urge to leisurely peruse the newspaper. We decided to purchase the paper, bring it to Starbucks, and enjoy a couple of yummy beverages while reading outside in the sunshine. At Bucks, I ordered a Banana Chocolate Vivanno, which tasted just like a homemade smoothie. As a snack, this baby filled me right up! Mal ordered his favorite: iced peppermint latte. 

I took a break from the newspaper to catch up with my magazine reading... I saw Kath in this month's Shape! So cool!!!

Around 2:00, I still wasn't hungry for lunch, but I thought it would be smart to have a snack before heading to a friend's Labor Day BBQ, where I knew there would be lots of junk food. I was in the mood for some Kashi crackers, so I decided to make a "dip" to go with them. For the dip, I cooked a veggie burger in the microwave, mushed it up, and added sliced grape tomatoes and roasted red peppers. The veggie burger dip ended up being the perfect consistency for scooping up with Kashi crackers. 

Right before leaving for the BBQ, I grabbed another snack: part of a granola plank (about a 1/3 of a whole one). I'm not sure why I thought I needed another snack--  I wasn't hungry at all. 

At the BBQ, Mal and I played Cornhole...

...and drank some beers. Mal drank 2 Bud Lights, I drank most of 1. My lunch held me over well through the BBQ, and I wasn't tempted at all by the unhealthy food options. 

I'm not sure what's for dinner tonight... I'm not really in the mood to cook, so perhaps I'll make something easy like Annie's Mac and Cheese or a tuna sandwich. Hmmmmm... I'm not really craving anything specific. 

Be back later tonight!