Fresh Fruit & Yogurt

I've been trying out Chobani yogurt of late. It's delicious and so yummy with granola and fresh fruit! 

Sunday lunch was at a friend's house - organic granola, yogurt, fresh fruit and nitrate free bacon. We hung out the afternoon, sang around the piano and just talked. Friends are like gold! When you find a true one, it's a treasure.

I guess I've been eating lots of breakfast foods of late for meals other than just breakfast :) Last night we had fresh apple waffles (whole wheat) with lots of maple syrup. Bananas & PB make a great waffle topping :D The syrup was from friends - so sweet!

Whole wheat pita pockets stuffed with veggies was a recent lunch :)

Tomatoes are a great meat substitute for a summer sandwich and I love how refreshing and hydrating they are!

I was up and at it early this morning. For some reason, the weekend seemed to brew some unusual excitement and perspective into my daily routine. 

I did a quick 20 min workout + a stretch session this morning before heading out the door for work. I got home around 5:30 and by quarter of six I was in my gym clothes. This was the first time I'd gone for a "real" run {meaning more than just around the block :) } since my cold. Ahh - a cold will zap physical performance faaster than most anything, except maybe sugar :/ Glad to be back at it! 

Today's run was a test run more than anything else, to see how much endurance I'd lost and need to regain before Saturday as I'm running a 5K race this weekend! I went 2.5 miles this evening which felt great. Yahoo! I'm very excited about the weekend, especially since I'm doing the 5K with 2 of my sisters and a few friends :-) Anyone else training for a race?

Bubbies sauerkraut makes a great salad topping. I had some for supper tonight :) It adds great flavor & replenishes your GI tract with healthy "bugs" :) 

I'd had great of hope of going for an evening ride with my horse after supper, but I had music practice that was calling my name, plus overdue housework and it starting raining. Oh, well - maybe tomorrow!

It's been a while since I've done a recipe share . . . Any requests or suggestions?

Natural Cold Remedies + Artisana Giveaway Winner

What a beautiful week it's been! Now, to what you've all been waiting for! We have a winner for the Artisana Organic Food giveaway!!! I apologize for this post being so late in the day; I'm sure there must have been some suspense :P I've had trouble with Internet access, hence the reason. So, now onto the winner! And, it is . . .

Audrey!!! Congrats, girl! You've won a free 8oz jar of  Artisana Organic Raw Coconut Butter & the  Assortment of On-the-Go Squeeze Packs :) 

Since my last post I've experienced my cold from bad to worse and now to better :) I had a painful ear infection which tempted me to get antibiotics. I'm all for meds when you need them! I'm currently out of town, though, so it wasn't as easy as running to the family doctor for help. Plus, it was late in the day making it harder to find something open. I guess you could say I was "forced" to go the natural route :P And, I really didn't want to use antibotics unless I absolutely had to and now that I'm over the hump- I'm glad I was able to muscle through it :-) 

I made an onion poultice which REALLY helped to calm me down. Has anyone else ever done this with success? For those interested: you slice an organic onion in half, boiling until soft. Then you wrap it in a cheese cloth, holding the onion next to your ear as you tilt your head to meet the steam as it rises. This soothes the pain, and helps to move the congestion that is clogging up the ear. 

Some of my family went hiking at Grandfather Mountain yesterday! They did this 8 mile rough terrain hike in 4 1/2 hours. Joey did it too and he's only seven! I wanted to go SO bad!!! I had to be left behind - which almost killed me because I was sick as a dog. In the end, I was okay with it as I needed the rest :)

This picture is from last year, though! 

Delicious chocolate green smoothie from earlier this week :)

I love this picture! It's one I took from a picnic adventure this afternoon.

This was our delicious packed lunch. Chicken salad & lettuce stuffed into whole wheat pita pockets and ginger snaps for dessert!

And, of course - if you go on a picnic and there's a creek you have to stick your feet in, just for the experience :) 

Have a great weekend everybody! Let me know what recipes and workouts you've been up to of late :0) 

Naturally Sweetened Summer Blueberry Cobbler

{Hand picked blueberries turned into a healthy blueberry cobbler = heavenly}

I hope you're sitting down because this recipe is . . . amazing. It can be so discouraging to search for an "already in existence" healthy recipe because they can be difficult to find. Especially if you have high standards, requiring the recipe to be both yummy and nutritious all in one! But, I guess it just makes the treasure found valued even more :)

I went of this recipe as my base, and this what actually went into the mixture:

Naturally Sweetened Blueberry Cobbler
2 sticks butter
1 cup natural turbinado sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups AlmondBreeze milk
4 cups blueberries (fresh is best!)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Melt butter in dish.
3. Mix together dry ingredients, add milk.
4. Pour the milk mixture on top of your butter. Throughly stir.
5. Sprinkle your blueberries evenly on top of batter.
6. Bake for 25-40 minutes (depending on your oven). Watch it careful to be sure it doesn't burn. 
7. Enjoy with your friends and family! 

There was nothing left and the pan was scrapped clean! This recipe filled an 11x15 glass dish and served 11 people. If you have a smaller party you can halve the recipe to make less. It would be great served with ice cream, but we played it simple and served it as a stand alone.

I love sandwiches! There are so many delightful summer vegetables in season - making it quick & simple to throw together something nutritious. This tomato was from our garden!

Friday's feast was dip and salad with Mexican flair :) We served the blueberry cobbler for dessert.

I ran 3 miles this morning; it felt amazing to wake-up, spend time in the Word and get my heart pumping before I attacked the day's work.

If you haven't already, feel free to enter the Artisana Raw Nut & Butter gift giveaway! A winner will be announce July 27th. Join the fun!

Oh, and I'll leave you with this . . . What do you think about Monsanto and federal immunity? 

Artisana Giveaway: Organic Raw Nuts & Butters

OK, are you ready for some fun? Hang onto your seats - it's just beginning!!! When I discovered the delightful news that Artisana Organic Foods had interest in sponsoring a giveaway for my readers I was ecstatic! I've always admired Artisana products: pure, simple, beautiful and most importantly - organic.

How to Enter (Artisana Giveaway):

1. Share this post on some form of social media (your Facebook page, blog, Twitter, e-mail your friends, etc)
2. Leave a comment with your name and contact info + letting me know you did step #1
3. Answer the question: Do you prefer giveaways (readership involvement) or product reviews and recommendations?

That's it! You're entered for a chance to win an 8oz jar of Artisana Organic Raw Coconut Butter & an Assortment of On-the-Go Squeeze Packs :) 

Think of all the delicious & nutritious recipes you can make with this coconut butter! Artisana products are a great staple to add to your healthy kitchen. My best to you all :-) 

Artisana's On-the-Go Squeeze packets are a great companion for those "rush, rush" moments. Toss an apple or banana in your bag on your way out the door along with one of these yummy nut butters and you have a heart healthy little snack! Too easy :P

The winner will be announced next Friday, July 27, 2012! 

~

My workout today was a little different than normal. It's always nice to switch things up a bit! I found this workout online and modified it slightly.

Here's the rundown, get ready to work up a sweat! 

• Dive bombers 10 reps (first timer . . . definitely need to practice!)
• Burpees 10 reps
• Squat leg lift 20/20 reps
• Burpees 10 reps
• Side plank lift 10/10 reps
• Burpees 5 reps
• Pistol squat 10/10 reps
• Burpees 5 reps

It was short and intense! You can do as many rounds as you like :) There is still much to be desired with my time . . . maybe one day I'll be brave enough to post that :P What did your workout look like today?

2 miles (mostly) PAIN-FREE!

I'm smiling :) I ran 2 miles before breakfast this morning! This is the farthest I've run in almost a month because of injury. I'm very thankful to report I'm healed and ready to up that mileage {happy dance}.

With my smoothies, I've been improvising of late. Instead of using protein powder (which can get really expensive!), I've been just using fruits and vegetables.

Here are a few things I've been throwing in:

• chia seeds (the longer you let them soak the better, and thicker your smoothie will be)
• banana (peel & throw in the freezer if you like your smoothies cold)
• carrots (carrots are a great natural smoothie sweetener!)
• kale (I think I might be a kale-aholic)
• ice (lots and lots- great way to help your smoothie consistency and stay hydrated)

I had carrots on my sandwich as well as in my smoothie today :) This little sandwich is really so simple: real mayo on whole wheat bread, 1/2 cup + shredded carrots, fresh lettuce and a spoonful of saurekraut. Be creative with it and have fun! 

I'm not much of a meat eater (I used to be though!) so I can skip the lunch meat on my sandwiches, but there are others in my family who can't. I added bacon bits to my little brother's sandwich - anything to tempt them! Plus, a growing boy needs the protein more than I do :) 

And, we just finished up an early delicious summer supper: home cooked roast beef slices on ww bread with garden fresh, sun-warmed watermelon. So good! What did you have for dinner?

Back in the Game :)

It's so wonderful to be home and back to my green smoothies :) I love to travel and see the world but I also love my routine and checking off those to-do lists.

My flight home was delayed due to bad weather, but that was OK because it created a fantastic opportunity for a Starbucks stop and allowed me to edit some pictures from a recent photo shoot. So, I was able to get quick a bit of work done yesterday while sipping on my little treat :P

It was encouraging to see this little stand at the airport and snapped this picture just for you :-) I'd already planned ahead and didn't need any of these, but it was still fun to see.

Monday morning I hiked to the top of a bluff with friends (in Texas) before we had to fly home. It was a beautiful view! It was quick, though - there was a cave to the right of this picture and something started hissing at us rather loudly. Needless to say, we skedaddled. Quickly. I admit it was a slightly scary experience since we couldn't tell what kind of animal we were up against :/

This was yesterday's breakfast. A dehydrated cereal that a dear friend made, served with Greek yogurt and frozen blueberries. Yum! Here's the link to the recipe she used. I can wait to give it a try myself!

Oh, and this picture is from Saturday night . . . Remember the Alamo! The weekend was fun, super fun and I loved making new friends and reconnecting with the tried & true :)

And, I think one of the greatest reminders I came away with from the conference is that our bodies don't have souls, but our soul has a body. The physical is important but our soul will live forever. It also reminds me to look deeper than outward appearance when I'm cultivating relationships. Thoughts?

~

And, for a workout update? This morning I was more than ready to get back into it :) Wow. It's scary how fast you loose endurance!!! Running is definitely on the tomorrow's list . . . It's late now, almost midnight and I'm hitting the sack. Pleasant dreams! More to come :)

Seeing the City (SA) and Food Conference

Guess what?! I'm at the airport on my way home from a fabulous, fun filled weekend conference here in San Antonio! The best part? This conference was dedicated solely to the subject of food and health!

This is Francis Fouchcon (a French chef) that I was privileged to meet last year in Paris! So wonderful to hear his educated thoughts on gastronomy. Here was one of his slides . . . 

This next picture was from taken obviously taken from the plane window :P I snapped it right before landing in San Antonio. I flew out early Thursday morning with conference sessions beginning that afternoon. 

Every minute since has been filled to the brim with learnt and growth. So thankful for truth and great friends!

This lecture, given by Gary Powers, was on adrenal stress. So interesting!

And, this picture? It was taken amidst my packing adventures Wednesday afternoon. I know, super random - sorry! I'd picked up some new energy bars ahead of time at the Apple Crate to try out hence the reason I had to include this pic! The organic spirulina was amazing!!! 

Plus, because there are shoes in the above picture I have to share with you girls the steal I got on the denim peap-toes. With sales and coupons I paid less than $7 for a pair - they were originally $26 something. Yes! I was thankful to find this bargain. They're really comfy too and great for walking :P 

Checking out the vendor hall :P This booth had the tastiest little carrot cakes made with healthy ingredients! 

This booth was great! Had to have their Raw Feast book :) Look out for some new recipes!

Lunch with friends :) Not sure what I'm doing with my hand there . . . ? 

My delicious plate of food. I went for the buffet - an excellent choice! No regrets :)

For dessert had a taste of each of these. After a bite or two I was through. Guess I just wasn't that much in a sweet mood today - strange! I love buffet style dessert bars, though, because you get to taste a variety of different things! 

I love the Riverwalk of San Antonio!

This meal was one of the best. I split it with my momma. Even though there were tons of friends in town we decided to make it special and go out just the two of us for one meal. Love this lady to death so it was a HUGE treat for me! Anyone else crazy about their mommas? 

Fresh honey and hand-crafted goat's milk soap.

I listened to Dr. Bernui lecture several times throughout the weekend and I'd definitely say he was one of my favorite speakers. 

There were samples of this green super drink! Delish :-) 

Fresh watermelon juice for lunch. Ah, bliss . . .

This was time with friends -  rounding off the weekend Saturday evening at a nice Italian restaurant. So, I'm enjoying my last few minutes of vacation before I get back home to the real world! See ya then :)