Chocolate Cupcakes

It's spring which means it's time to bake. These cupcakes turned so beautifully! I was inspired by Lesley over at The Purple Carrot: The Art of Real Food Grows to give this recipe from Clean Eating a try.

I topped them off with a made-up-out-of-my-head chocolate frosting :) I used sour cream, Irish moss, agave and cocoa powder. Not sure the quantities- a bit of this and a bit of that is about all I can tell you! It was good though, especially if you let it sit in the freezer for a few moments before icing. Next time I think I'll add a sprinkle of instant coffee to give it a hit of mocha flavoring. Garnish with your favorite chocolate selection!

And, here's my green smoothie of the day! Only 1 more day to go... can you believe it? This has been way too much fun! We might just have to make this an annual spring event, what do you think?

{Getting ready to mix up it all up!}

One of my darling friends shared this link with me yesterday and I thought I would share it with you, it's from the Smoothie Girl who has tons of advice on incorporating whole foods into your diet.

{Strawberry/spinach smoothie}

There's been lots happening around here, one of which including getting a new horse!!! We welcomed our new Arabian mare, Padrona Rose, to our farm last evening. She's so lovely and I just love her name. "Padrona" means "lady" in Italian, so it's "Lady Rose", so feminine. Can't wait to get to know this little sweetie!

{My Egyptian Arabian, Shibar, on the left with Padrona Rose getting to know each other}

Ooh, and be sure to enter the Amazing Grass energy bar giveaway for your chance to win a free box of these delicious and nutritious health food bars :) Cheers! 

I'm Hosting a Giveaway!

In light of how inspirational and successful the current 7-Day Green Smoothie Challenge has been, I'm hosting a give away! The incredible team over at Amazing Grass is graciously offering to give away a box of energy bars to 2 top winners! How sweet is that?!

Okay, so here's how it works. All you have to do is leave your name in the comments below. If you put a link to my blog on your site I will enter your name twice, but be sure to mention this when you comment so I know. This will give you a greater chance to win! The winners will  be chosen through a random name selector and announced at the beginning of next week.

The 2 winners will each get to pick the Amazing Grass energy bar box of their choice!

{Photo credit}

Please be sure to "Like" the Amazing Grass Facebook page! We definitely want to support good companies. The one catch for entering the giveaway is that we need you to live in the US or Canada. 

I've been a fan of these bars for a while now and I think you're going to love them too! I like to eat as much fresh food as possible but it's nice to have that packaged version for when you're on the go and the peace of mind that it's good for you! :)

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Here's my green smoothie for the day! Day 5 of 7 :)

It had a tropical twist: pineapple, mango, spinach and raw protein powder. Delish! I think I'm hooked on these things :) Has anyone else noticed any increased energy or health benefits? 

Greens contain cellulose which is one of the strongest molecule structures on the planet! Because of this, to get the cells in the greens to release their nutrition we have to chew and chew and chew. Well, obviously, most of us just don't do this. That's why "chewing" our greens in the blender is such a great option! It allows the nutrition contained in the greens to be released and us to get the benefits in a quick and easy way!

Hope you are having a wonderful Friday and enjoy your weekend! Sign-up for the contest and tell your friends- who knows you might be the winner! 

My Little Garden & Baking Confessions

Here's the "before" picture! Not promising there will be an "after" picture, but we'll see. :) 

I took this picture last night right before going out to plant with little bros. Relishing these cool, breezy evenings with my family :)

I also made TWO of these cakes yesterday afternoon for guests we're having tomorrow evening. Quite the workout! This, my friends, is hands down one of the best cake recipes in the whole wide world. You must give it a try.

I took these pics late last night as I wrapping them up for their overnight stay in the fridge to keep them moist. Enjoy! Click here to head over to Taste of Home for their Southern Chocolate Torte recipe.

It's Day 4 for the Green Smoothie Challenge! Hope you're enjoying it! Have you discovered any new favorites? 

Here's my delicious strawberry smoothie. I let a friend, who doesn't typically like this kind of stuff, taste it and she loved it! I was pleasantly surprised myself because I put tons of spinach in it and that can change the taste, but it turned out sweet- just like a strawberry. I figured I needed the increased nutrition as I have a huge day ahead me :) The kind I like best! Never a dull moment. I'm now off to the grocery store to help make food for a sit down dinner for 25 people this evening. So fun!


Stayed tuned for Friday- special giveaway announcement coming!

Chocolate Banana PB {Green} Smoothie

For all of you chocolate lovers out there, this is your day! This smoothie was like a dessert!

{Photo op in front of my chocolate mint plant}

The ingredients: 

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 frozen banana

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup almond milk

1-2 T cocoa powder

1-2 teaspoons cacao nibs (this gives it a bit of crunch)

1 teaspoon PB, optional

goji berries and agave for sweetener 

(I know I promised for a chocolate raspberry recipe, but I ran out of raspberries so I had to improvise.)

{I just love this pretty little pottery pitcher. It's from a trip our family took to Montana several years back. Definitely, one of my favorites states!}

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor, starting with the milk. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add ice if you want to thicken it up a bit or a squeeze of honey or agave if you want it more sweet, both which I did. 

Thanks to Embrace True Health for the recipe inspiration! Ooh, and I ran across this really neat smoothie website (Smoothie-Handbook.com) with lots of helpful information on green smoothies that I thought was interesting as well as this link from IncredibleSmoothies.com

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Workout update:

I went for a short run this morning and then got in a good stretching session. After going for a run there is nothing I love better than a cool glass of water to hydrate my cells and a nice long stretch to release tension. It's amazing how just spending as little as 20 min to an hour a day can positively influence the rest of it so greatly. :)) 

How about your workout, anything you'd like to share? 

Are you going for the green nutrition today?

 If so, I'd love to hear about it! 


 Have you heard?!  Jen announced it on her blog- we're up to 85 participants!!!! 


Oh, and please "Like" us on Facebook!

Garden Spinach Herb Wraps

I was in charge of lunch for the fam yesterday! Here's a glimpse! 

{Garden spinach herb wraps with orange slices}

The recipe: Spread your favorite salad dress onto a spinach wrap (I used vidalia onion), pile high with lettuce, broccoli, avocado, sprouts, tomatoes and anything else you want! Roll up and eat. Loved it!

And, this is what my sweet sister made along side:

{The perfect thing for a spring day!}

{Homemade honey mustard dressing. Colored with turmeric-- no dye in this! I'll be posting the recipe later on}


My workout today was fun. I ran 2 miles, did a 20min FIRM workout, a few minutes of upper body weight lifting and a 15 min stretching session. That's it! Left me feeling invigorated, along with my green smoothie :) Speaking of which, we are now on Day 2 of 7 for the Green Smoothie Challenge!  I worked off this recipe as a base for my breakfast. It's my old faithful, and I needed something quick and easy this morning.

{Fresh as a daisy}

Coming up tomorrow is a green chocolate raspberry smoothie! Can't wait to try this new recipe! It sounds amazing. Remember, your smoothie doesn't have to be the color green to have greens in it. There are definitely ways to hide those nutritious leaves and make it pretty. Have fun and be creative!


How about you, did you go green today? 
I would love to see your smoothies recipes! Please comment and share with the rest of us!

Day 1 of 7 for the Green Smoothie Challenge!

Good morning, challengers! It's day one, are you ready? The Spring 2012 Green Smoothie Challenge has officially begun! We received an overwhelming response from our readership with over 50 participants! Check out Jen's blog here to view the complete list, it's really inspiring! It's not too late- if you still want to join you have until midnight!!! Just comment and let us know!

{Oh, what a beautiful morning!}

So, now onto the recipe of the day! This was my luscious, breakfast smoothie. So delicious! Remember, you can drink your green smoothie anytime of the day-- whatever works best for you! All you have to do is get one in your daily eats every 24hrs March 26 - April 1. I think you'll find that it really refreshes and rejuvenates you! 

Strawberry Field Smoothie

1 cup, sliced banana

5 cups shredded lettuce (remember, the darker the better! I used spinach.)

1 cup strawberries

2 cups water

Blend well!

Personally, I like really thick smoothies so if you want this consistency just throw your banana and strawberries in the freezer the night before. Add ice, if needed. Here's to ya!

{My little brother helping himself to the leftovers.}

This was a ton of food for me, and I wasn't even able to finish the whole thing so I shared! You can always 1/2 recipes to make them more manageable. :-) It was good though, I would probably add more strawberries next time to make it sweeter!

Later on in the week I am planning to share some tips on the nutritious benefits of greens and how they can have such a  positive impact on our health. 

Sunshine,

Katherine 

PS: If you're looking for more recipes and info- Kristen Elizabeth, has some great tips of Smoothies and Shakes over at SweetVeganRecipes.com! 

On Sale at Harris Teeter

Okay, ice cream lovers. If you like Natural's organic ice cream you may want to make a dash before it's all gone! It's $2 off two cartons right now here in Fayetteville. 

Ice cream is my weakness... Especially when it has anything to do with chocolate and peanut butter. This was last night's indulgence. {Ahh, happiness...} Wish there was some left over, but with 5 brothers that rarely happens. :o)

7-Day Green Smoothie Challenge

Come on, y'all! Join me and Jen over at Peanut Butter Runner for a 7-Day Green Smoothie Challenge!!! 

We're doing this together and inviting you to join us on this incredible, nutritious journey!

The great thing about doing this as a team is there's built-in accountability and it's going to be tons of fun-- an absolute blast! You won't want to miss out!

I will also be sharing some delicious recipes along the way to shake it up a bit, and throw out some ideas that you might not have thought of before. Jen will be sharing some great suggestions on her blog too so be sure to follow both of us during this get-ready-for-spring-health-kick!!!

For inspiration, start by watching this 3-min clip of FIFTEEN different recipes YOU can make! 

To see the recipes for all of these amazing looking drinks, click here. You also really need to check out this link for the benefits and reasons why green smoothies are such a great idea and so beneficial to your health!

The rules for this challenge? 

Only one! 

You GET to...

drink one green smoothie a day! 

 There are many creative ways to sneak in nutrient-packed green leaves behind sweet, delicious fruits. You won't even taste the greens!

To sign-up for the challenge just submit your name as a comment (along with your blog link, if you have one) and we'll announce the participants on Monday, the 26th. :-)

So, who's with us?!

The challenge officially starts this Monday, March 26th!!!

Thursday's Rundown

It's been a great day! I went for a 30 minute run this morning which left me feeling grateful that I can even go for a run. You know those days when you debate with yourself whether or not you can get away with skipping today's workout? Well... it was one of those days for me. However, once I identified what was actually going on in my brain, I realized there was nothing more important than following through with my original plan. As Nike says, "Just do it!" Something I am learning to pay more attention too! :-) Today is all we have to make a difference. Today matters. 

 

{This was my light lunch. These gorgeous greens are from a friend's garden! The leaves were surprisingly sweet-- so good!}

{And then this was my snack. Since I didn't eat much for lunch I was starving by mid-afternoon!}

So I don't have pictures to share from supper, but it was amazing. I simply love anything Mexican, especially chips and salsa. I wanted to mention this because as I was looking back over this post it looks like I don't eat a lot. This makes me laugh! Anyone who knows me, knows I have a hearty appetite most days of the week-- I'm real :)

Be sure to check back tomorrow evening for a special announcement involving the Peanut Butter runner!

Happy St. Pat's

So I didn't wear green today, but as a treat I did have a fantastic chocolate
green health food bar for breakfast. he-he! Check it out, it's one of my favorite brands!

{Photo credit}

I don't eat energy bars on a regular basis but they're nice when you need them. What I like about this one in particular is #1 it's a green (smile!), and it's a good source of protein, low on the glycemic index, and doesn't contain bad sugars, preservatives or genetically modified foods.  And most importantly it's really, really yummy! 

Click the picture to view more info!

Healthful Sense

Check out this incredible recipe from Healthful Sense! Bet ya can't guess what this is made from!!! 

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This week has been a tough one to squeeze in workouts, but I've managed to get a few in here and there.  Honestly, it's what's helped keep me going even though my total wkly miles only equals 7 (maybe I can get in a few more by the end of the day?!). Running gives me energy to keep running through life. :-) 

The temptation for me when the going gets tough is to cut out my workouts, but in reality they increase my stamina and help me so much. Why would I want to stop doing something that's helping me (remember, you said this Katherine!)? 

This week has been one of little sleep, catching cat-naps here and there, interesting food (although I've managed to keep most of it clean!), but I feel great and I'm so thankful for that. Next week should prove itself more normal... 

Melted Cheese Panini with Organic Arugula and Chipotle Mayonnaise

I love a good ole sandwich and this one is no exception! Most of these ingredients you probably already have on hand or at least something you can improvise with. 

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tsp chipotle hot sauce (or to taste)
• ciabatta bread, if possible
• a few slices thinly sliced grilled chicken
• Sargento provolone cheese (go with the sharp for more flavor!) 
• baby arugula 
• olive oil cooking spray

{Mixing up the chipotle mayonnaise}

 {Crispy organic, baby arugula. I wasn't looking for organic, but could only find the arugula in that section so if you have a hard time finding it you may want to check there}

{The chipotle mayonnaise on wheat bread}

I heavily debated between this fresh whole wheat bread and the ciabatta bread. I really wanted to go with the ciabatta but ended up going with the wheat. When I can, I try and stay away from white bread-- it was a struggle. Looking forward to trying the ciabatta next time! 

{Wow, that arugula looks so good and fresh!}

{Melting the sharp provolone cheese under the broiler}

You may be wondering why there's beef on this sandwich when I put chicken down for the recipe? Well... over the weekend, I bought a pack of chicken several days out from it's expiration date, but when I went to cook it it smelled terrible and had obviously spoiled. So, I rummaged in the fridge for a bit and found a few slices of left over beef from last night. This was actually a way healthier choice because my family grows our own beef-- that way we know what's in it and where it came from! It's also a lot of fun!

{Serve it up with your favorite chips and a small fruit and you'll have a deluxe little meal!}

{Enjoy!} 

{Recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste.com)

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My workout including running 2.5 miles in under 25 minutes before lunch. This felt SO good! And, than I did 10 min of upper body weight lifting. Two things I love to do. Great day! The sun is shining and I'm grateful to God for the blessings He showers me with each and every day.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Soft Serve

Ahh, does it get any better than this? I've finally found an incredible (did I mention healthy?) ice cream recipe! You need little to no ingredients on hand for this, just a tiny bit of forethought and you'll be in paradise.

To make this delicious treat, you will need:

• 2 bananas
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (Organic MaraNatha is my favorite!) 
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

Peel your bananas, put them in a Ziploc baggy and throw them in the freezer (you can do this on your way out the door for work so they'll be frozen by the time you get home). Once frozen mix all your ingredients together in a food processor. That's it! The secret to deliciously creamy, chocolate peanut butter soft serve!

What about you? Do you have any fitness plus dessert recipes you love? 


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And, as I promised here's a fitness update!

I ran 2 miles this morning on top of a sculpting session, plus 15 min worth of stretching starting before 6am this morning. It felt so good to finish the week strong. I hope you all had a wonderful week as well and continue to have a fabulous weekend. Be sure to treat yourself to some soft serve!

Look What Came in the Mail!!!

Great anticipation...

A special box from the Raw Organic Vegan Superfood store!

Yeah, it's goji berries!!! My sister Kristen is really into raw foods, and I get the benefit of having a great example of healthy eating. She ordered these and let me have the simple pleasure of opening the box. We got home late last night from a birthday dinner at our grandma Mimi's, but even considering the hour we had to taste these delicious berries. They're great for sweetening smoothies or even just a snack.

Speaking of grandma Mimi, you all will want to check out this yummy cake we had last night!

Oh my! Just looking at this homemade pound cake makes me want another piece! Wish I could share!!!

Saturday's Feast

What I'm cooking largely reflects the type of mood I'm in-- tonight was a good one! 

Take a look... 

Here's what I dished up! Grass-fed beef (raised in our own backyard!), fresh tomato cubes (needed some live enzymes there), and warmed pineapple tidbits on a bed of brown rice topped with a sprig of rosemary from my herb garden.

 It was amazing. The perfect meal to top off a wonderful week. I highly recommend it. 

What foods did you eat over the weekend? I'm interested to hear!

Oh, and... stay posted as my next race will be announced next week (hopefully Monday!). I also promise to be more faithful in posting about my workouts instead of just food!!! 

My lunch.

 I packed my lunch for the office today and it turned out so to be so delicious! It saves time and money for me to "eat-in" at work so I try to do this most days. 

I had jalapeno chips on the side-- so yummy! 

To make this quick wrap all you need is a whole wheat tortilla, a large handful of dark green spinach, a few slices of cucumber, and a grated carrot. I just spread a bit of horseradish mustard, piled all the veggies on top and poured a tiny bit of vinaigrette salad dressing on top. Roll up and you're ready to go!

What did you have for lunch? I'm constantly on the look-out for tasty recipes so feel free to share! Who knows, you may see if on here one day!