Here’s another WIAW! Thanks to Peas and Crayons for turning me onto this midweek fun!

I’ve been fighting a bad cold/flu, and decided to take the day off today to try to recoup. I had a lazy morning and enjoyed a slice of toast with strawberry jam and a sweet egg white omelet, much like the one I made last week. Sorry, no picture. I was still in a sleepy daze.

Later, I had some roasted cauliflower and asparagus with a vegan cheddar cheesy sauce from the Happy Herbivore Cookbook. So Good!

For a snack: an impulse buy from Sprout’s…or what’s left of it, anyway.

It was one of these and it was delightful. I’m a sucker for new Luna/Lara/Think Thin Bar flavors.

Late afternoon snack: Veggies and Walden Farms Thousand Island Dressing:

 Dinner:

My plate

Travis's Plate

That’s it for the day. It’s back to work tomorrow

What did your Wednesday look like?

-Lou

For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, What I Ate Wednesday is a weekly blog post that features all of your eats on any day of the week that you choose, and then it’s blogged about and posted on Wednesday. It began over at Peas and Crayons and has taken the blog world by storm! It’s fun to see what other bloggers are eating throughout an entire day.

Here’s a little blurb from the Peas and Crayons website:

Want to join in on the fun?I’d love to see a day in the life of you!  Meals, snacks, drinks – all that good stuff!  Don’t stress it if you forget to photograph a snack or even forget an entire meal until long after the plate has been licked clean… just post the rest of the goodies!  You can even put a fun spin on your WIAW. Holiday editions, Bday eats, Travel, Road Trips, etc…  Have fun with it! =)  Bonus points for featuring veggies <3Simply photograph a day of meals any day of the week and create your What I Ate Wednesday post to link up on any (and every!) Wednesday you choose.  What I Ate [Last] Wednesday posts are popular and so are Monday and Tuesday eats! <3  Make sure you add the WIAW button to your post [this will allow your readers to join in on the fun too!] and link up more than just one meal/recipe.  Now get your party pants on and join us every Wednesday for a fun food diary party!

So without further ado, here are my Wednesday eats:

Breakfast #1 (post-4am gym workout)

A sweet egg white omelet (egg whites, stevia, cinnamon, and cream of tartar) topped with a teaspoon of almond butter.

Breakfast #2 (in the car on the way to work):

A SUPER spinach-packed Green Monster with Sunwarrior protein powder, almond milk, ice, and a pinch of xanthan gum.

Morning Pick-Me-Up (because I was falling asleep on my drive to work…ugh):

A coffee with a touch of steamed nonfat milk. I like to drink my coffee black when I have time to sit back, relax, and really enjoy it, but today I wanted to down this bad boy to get that caffeine into me quickly so I added a bit of milk!

Snack #1 (during recess duty on the playground):

Actually, that’s the “after” picture because I couldn’t eat, watch my students, and take a picture of my food. It was half a cup of greek yogurt with cinnamon.

Lunch (finally!!!):

Leftovers! Ground turkey taco meat with some chopped avocado, carrots and celery with a greek yogurt/dijon mustard dipping sauce, kumquats, and a couple pieces of dark chocolate (not pictured!).

Snack #2 (home at last!):

A serving of Trader Joe’s fully cooked edamame sprinkled with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. Deeelish. I also had a small bowl of Nature’s Path Multibran Flakes with almond milk. I was hungry!!!

Dinner (I look forward to this all day):

I think I’m going to call this “Pizza Salad.” It had one Trader Joe’s Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage link, a couple slices chopped pepperoni, a sprinkle of fat free feta, a couple kalamata olives, sauteed bell peppers, and some Italian dressing. Served with a side of sweet potato fries that Travis and I shared.

Well, there ya go! That’s everything I ate today. I will probably have something for dessert, too. Maybe a big mug of my super rich and thick low calorie hot chocolate!!

What’d you eat today!?

-Lou

As soon as Travis left for work on this sunny Sunday (oh, the perils of owning your own business!), I headed out on the 8.5 mile loop that takes me from my front door to the ocean and back. When I made it to the water, I just had to stop and take it all in. Today is one of the most beautiful days we’ve had in a while. It’s hard to believe it was raining and thunder storming on Friday.

Standing on the bluff above the sand, I watched the surfers ride the waves as a pod of dolphins played about 30 yards offshore. There was a surfing competition going on and lots of people around walking their dogs in their tank tops and flip-flops. Ohhhhhhh it was so perfect! I wish I could show you a picture, but I don’t run with a camera or my cell phone. I like to be unplugged.

Here are the stats from my run:

Miles: 9

Time: 1:09:45

Pace: 7:45/mile

My Garmin got all messed up somewhere along the way. I think I forgot to restart the time after stopping at a traffic light so when I got back home, my watch showed that I had only gone 7.5 miles. I kept running until it said 8, but then I came home and mapped my route on Map My Run just to be sure. I actually ended up running 9 miles instead of 8.5. I took a guess at my average pace. I ran the last mile at 7:50, and it definitely felt like my slowest mile, so I settled on 7:45 as my average pace.

I dreamt up a new recovery smoothie while I was running. It was pretty warm out and I wanted something cold! I also wanted something that would help my muscles recover and keep the inflammation down.

Blueberry Vanilla Chai Smoothie

Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg all contain natural anti-inflammatory properties, among other amazing health benefits, and the added protein powder helps to repair micro tears in muscle fiber. This spiced smoothie is refreshing way to recover from a long run. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 scoop Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder (or your favorite protein powder)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 3 ice cubes
• pinch of xanthan gum (to thicken, optional)
• Sprinkle of ground flax (optional)

Directions:

1. Place ingredients into blender in order listed.
2. Blend until smooth
3. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with a sprinkle of ground flaxseed, if desired. Serves 1.

(175 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 21 grams carbohydrates, 18 grams protein)

Love that color!

This smoothie was so delicious and refreshing after my long, sunny run. I only wish I made double the amount because I drank it so quickly!

Now it’s time for Sunday chores, and hopefully a long walk along the ocean later on when Travis gets home.

Happy Sunday to you.

-Lou

I started the day with a local 5k that Travis’s running store sponsored. It was a small race, but everybody had a really good time despite the rain and wind!

We got these awesome race t-shirts. I am wearing mine right now and I will probably wear it all day since I don’t have any other green clothing.

Congrats to my sweetheart! He got his store’s name across the entire back of the shirt!!!

Here we are post-race. I was the top finisher for the women and Travis was second overall, but first in his age category!!

I was soaked and freezing by the time I got home, so I warmed up with a steaming hot cup of coffee from the new mug that my dad got me!

It’s from Phillipe the Original in LA. They make the best french dip sandwiches around and they’ve been there for over 100 years! My sister’s and I went there not too long ago. Check it out over here.

A girl can never have too many coffee mugs. Thanks Dad!

It’s St. Patrick’s Day so of course I had to have something GREEN for breakfast! And I was not about to drink a cold smoothie on a rainy morning like this.

I hopped on over to my friend, Sara’s, blog to check out her recipe for spinach pancakes. Using her recipe as a guide…I set out to make a super green, very healthy, and protein-packed recipe to fuel me through this St. Patty’s Day.

Spinach Protein Pancakes

• 1/4 cup gluten-free oats
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
• 1/4-1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• cinnamon to taste

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into your VitaMix or blender and blend on a lower speed for 30 seconds-1 min. until spinach is finely chopped.
2. Pour onto a lightly oiled nonstick skillet, 3 Tbsp. at a time.
3. Flip when bubbles form, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remainder of the batter.
5. Top with Earth Balance or butter and maple syrup.
6. Feel Irish.

 I used LOTS of spinach so that they would be very green!!! They didn’t taste anything like spinach though, not to worry.

When it gets all bubbly, give it a flip!

If you like thin pancakes (I do because then I feel like I’m eating a tall tall stack of ‘em) then add the entire 1/2 cup almond milk. If you want them thicker, just use 1/4 cup.

Green Goodness!

Perhaps there is some green beer in my future, as well.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you,

Lou

But I still think the answer is yes.

Now that I’ve confessed this bit of information, I’d like to share with you my previous love/hate relationship with the spread. I’ve always loved the flavor, the texture, the spoonful after spoonful that never made it to a cracker or carrot stick, but instead headed straight for my lips. What I didn’t love was how much I was spending on hummus so I set out to make my own. And it was terrible. So I made a different recipe. And that one was worse. This pattern continued for about 2 years until I FINALLY FOUND MY LOVE. My hummus love, that is.

I’m sure most have found hummus to be one of those easy recipes that they don’t really need a recipe for, but each batch I made was never as good as the kind I could by at the store. They were either too lemony, had too much cumin, not enough salt, too much garlic, not enough lemon, too much oil, not enough tahini…I could go on.

This recipe is the perfect balance of everything I’ve looked for in a hummus. It’s a game-changer, most definitely, because I have not purchased hummus in over 3 months (!!) since the first time I blended up a batch.   I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Perfect Hummus

• 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed, reserve liquid
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. tahini
• 1/4 cup reserved liquid from beans

Directions:

1. In a food processor or VitaMix, blend all ingredients until very smooth, about 2 minutes. (30 seconds in a VitaMix)
2. Spoon into a bowl and serve, or  refrigerate for 1-2 hours to let flavors meld. I usually can’t wait that long.

I make this hummus once a week, which means I usually go 2 or 3 days sans hummus because I eat it up so quickly.  I love dipping fresh veggies or gluten-free crackers into it.

I made some great crackers a few days ago. They are gluten free, vegan, and full of healthy nutrients! I nibble on a couple while my students are at recess because they give me a little energy boost and Lord knows I need every ounce of energy I can get with those kiddos.

Gluten-Free Seedy Crackers

-adapted from Oh She Glows

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir together all seeds and spices. Add minced garlic to the water.
3. Pour water over seeds and stir, stir, stir until thick
4. Spread the mixture onto the parchment, spreading as thin as possible.
5. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, slice into squares using a pizza wheel, and flip. Return to oven for another 30 minutes.
6. Cool completely before storing so they do not become soggy.

These crackers rock! They are hearty and filling and they make the perfect vehicle to drive more hummus to my belly. I love how crunchy they are too!

My mouth is watering. I’m out of hummus. My hands are starting to shake. This is not right.

Question: “Do you love hummus as much as I do? Do you have a favorite recipe or flavor?” I prefer classic hummus, but once in a while I crave something a little more dolled-up. Cilantro-Jalepeno Hummus, anyone?

Be healthy. Be happy. Eat more hummus.

-Lou

No, I don’t.

Because this recipe originally set out to be pancakes, but it’s fate was destined for a bowl and spoon. So today, Pancake Oatmeal was born.

steamy

After the first flip of the pancake that I attempted to make from this batter, I knew that pancakes were not in my near future. Travis took one look at my sad pancake lump and said, “Oh, Hmmmm….wow.” Done and done.

Enter: oatmeal.

It’s not what I was craving today, but it took me by surprise and I gobbled it right up between sips of coffee from my most favorite, beautiful, flowery, girly “L” mug.

 Pancake Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats (I use gluten free)
• 1/3 cup plus 3 Tbsp. egg whites
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground chia seeds/chia flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in your blender and blend until mostly smooth, 10-30 seconds.
2. Pour “batter” into a small sauce pan and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently.
3. Serve topped with chopped walnuts and a drizzle of peanut butter or maple syrup.  Serves 1

 This oatmeal is high in protein, gluten-free, and sugar-free,  yet still naturally sweet from the applesauce!

Nutrition Facts*(not including toppings): 272 calories, 3.3g fat, 1mg cholesterol, 40g carbs, 7g fiber, 11g sugar, 18g protein

*nutrition facts are an estimate based on the ingredients I used.

Remember that any sugars in this recipe are 100% natural, unrefined, and good for you!

Wanting to stick with the sugar-free theme, I opted for a teaspoon of warmed peanut butter drizzled over the top and a few crunchy walnuts for texture.

This made a large serving that I’m certain will keep me full for at least 4 hours. I’ve got to keep my strength up for my friend Gina’s bachelorette party tonight!

It’s going to get rowdy. And no, I probably won’t post any pictures.  ;-)

It’s another 3-day weekend!!! Hooooorrrraaayyyyyy!!!!

-Lou

Super Rich and Thick Low Calorie Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. chia flour (I just grind my chia seeds in my Vitamix)
• 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 packets stevia
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

I drank mine from my favorite Charlie Brown Christmas mug. Travis has an equally cute one. We scored them at Big Lots for just $2 each around Christmas time.

The chia flour makes this cocoa really thick, and giving everything a whir through the  blender ensures that it’s smooth. The blender also whips it up a bit so you get more for your money! Always a plus.

When made with chia flour, this big mug of hot chocolate comes out to a mere 125 calories. If you opt to leave it out you will bring the calories down to only 80 calories per mug, but it won’t  be as rich and thick. Sure beats the nearly 300 calories and 13g of fat that you get in an equally sized Starbucks hot cocoa. Plus mine is vegan. And it didn’t cost me $4.

I topped mine with a big spoonful of TruWhip, so that added another 30 calories or so…but I’ve been home sick all day and once again I’ve found myself soupless.

              soupless [soop-les] adjective: Without any soup whatsoever. Sad. Hungry.

Look it up.

So once again I’m surviving on toast and lacking nutrients. Hence the dallop of whipped cream on my hot chocolate. You know, since whipped cream is nutrient dense.

Back to the couch I go with my blankie and Friends reruns on TV!

Send good thoughts my way so that I may get over this nasty cold very very soon.

-Lou

(Thanks Ali!)

I literally squealed with delight when I unwrapped it. Yes, I’m well aware that I do not follow a gluten-free lifestyle, nor do I claim to be a vegan, or even a vegetarian, but I do base most of my cooking and baking ventures on the aforementioned practices.

Let me just say that I now fully understand why gluten free products are so dang expensive. It’s because the ingredients to make these products are, you guessed it, so dang expensive. I spent a solid 2 hours and $45 searching for and purchasing the things I would need to bake most of the recipes from Babycakes Covers the Classics, but the results I achieved on my first gluten free baked good were ohhhh so worth it.

I’ve now made a number of things from Erin McKenna’s recipes and I have not been disspointed yet. In fact, I will gladly swap out my favorite butter and egg-laden oatmeal cookie recipe for Erin’s vegan and gluten free fancies from here on out. They are that good. Gluten free/vegan or not, the cookies and donuts from these recipes are some of the best things to ever leave my oven. No joke.

Without further ado, I give you a Gluten Free and Vegan version of the ever-popular Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. I dare you to tell me they don’t taste exactly like a Thin Mint.

Vegan and Gluten Free Thin Mints

-adapted (only slightly) from Babycakes Covers the Classics

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour
• 1 cup vegan sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 cup arrowroot
• 1 1/2 tsp. xantham gum
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp. peppermint flavor

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, arrowroot, xantham gum, baking soda, and salt. Add the canola oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract and mix with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms.
3. Pat the dough into a disc and refrigerate 1 hour until firm. Roll out half the dough until 1/8″ thick. Using a 1 1/2″ round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut rounds from dough. Continue until all the dough used. Roll the other half and repeat process.
4. Transfer rounds to the parchment lines baking sheets. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and bake for 7 minutes more. Let cookies stand on baking sheets for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine the chocolate chips and mint flavor in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until chips are melted, being careful not to overcook. Remove from heat.
6. Using a small knife or offset spatula, spread the mint chocolate over the tops of the cookies. Arrange cookies in a single layer on a platter and freeze 10 minutes until chocolate sets.

I preferred to roll and cut the cookies rather than drop them onto the baking sheet because it gave a more uniform appearance.

 What on earth will I do with ALL these cookies. Hmmm…

For that classic Girl Scout Thin Mint experience, store these in an airtight container and enjoy them straight from the freezer. If you’re really sweet, you’ll share them with your Valentine. ♥

I packed a few in Travis’s lunch today. I also just blew my secret that they were vegan and gluten free. Did I trick you, honey?

I’m going to make a big batch of these for my sister and mom who’ve recently decided to follow a gluten-free and dairy-free lifestyle after experiencing some health issues.

Good news, Mom and Sarah! Now you can have GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!

Lou to the rescue.

Give yourself a Valentine’s gift and buy this book for yourself. I promise you will adore it just as much as I have.

-Lou

When I’m sick all I crave is soup, soup, soup. But again, of course, there is not a can of soup to be found in my pantry. So instead, I’ve been eating toast and crackers. But I only had 3 crackers left, so really I’ve just been eating toast. I really need to get the grocery store.

Tonight I Googled “best canned chicken noodle soups.”  It turns out that Progresso consistently holds 1st place among a number of taste testers, in case you were wondering. But then I stumbled upon an article about how canned soups are made and the types of things that go into them, and suddenly I did not want canned soup anymore.

That’s when I pulled myself together, put on my fuzzy slippers, and made my own vegetarian noodle soup with ingredients I had on hand. I should’ve done that yesterday.

Extra Noodle Soup With Veggies

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. Earth Balance
• 1 tsp. grapeseed oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. each: dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried sage
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp. Bragg’s liquid aminos (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat rotini pasta
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions:

1. Heat Earth Balance and oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and saute for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in basil, oregano, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour in broth, water, nutritional yeast, and Bragg’s (if using)
4. Bring to a boil and then stir in pasta and peas. Simmer for 15 minutes until pasta and veggies are tender.

I served my soup with a couple slices of toasted sprouted whole grain bread, slathered with Earth Balance and sprinkled with vegan shredded cheese. Then I popped them in the microwave for 10 seconds. I call it the lazy girl’s grilled cheese and it was perfect for dipping in my noodle-filled soup.

I like lots and lots of noodles, but if you’d prefer less, reduce the amount of pasta to 1 cup.

It’s past my bedtime and I need my rest.

Enjoy the long weekend if you’re lucky enough to have one!

-Lou

Now I know that caffeine is a no-no during the Whole Living challenge, but just a little from the chocolate won’t hurt, right?

Ok, good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.

This pudding is vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free! Enjoy!

Chocolate Protein Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. firm tofu
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 4 Tbsp. sugar free vanilla syrup (I used Torani brand) OR 4 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 3 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve right away, or if you can wait (I couldn’t) chill for 30 minutes.  Makes 2 large or 4 small servings.

This pudding calmed my sweet tooth without the guilt. I contemplated just giving up and making a batch of brownies, but I’m happy I didn’t because now I have a recipe to turn to when I need a quick, healthy chocolate fix.

Just before diving in to the pudding, I topped it with a few dry roasted peanuts for crunch and a peanut buttery chocolate flavor.

It’s almost dinner time and I have another pound of tofu in the fridge that’s fast approaching it’s expiration date. Looks like I’m doubling up on the soy tonight!

Question: “What’s your favorite way to use tofu?” I’m always looking for non-Asian inspired tofu recipes. I got kinda burnt out on tofu stir-frys during college…

-Lou