Monday Madness!

I moved my blog to : http://Being Healthier.com

For your viewing pleasure, please update your blog rolls, links, and readers etc.

Out with the old…

Old Fridge….
You stored my food so I could create masterpieces, Your never-ending chill was always helpful until it ended. I hope you enjoy your new home. I say goodbye to you.

I also say Goodbye to WordPress… I setup my own domain:  www.beinghealthier.com

For your viewing pleasure, please update your browsers, google readers, and blogrolls etc.!
Hope to see you there…

PB&J Oats, Quick Pizza and Shepard’s Pie

Breakfast:
PB&J Oats with Fruit

 

Lunch:
Pizza!
I used Trader Joes pre-made refrigerated dough for only $0.99 a package, it makes sense to just grab some to have on hand for quick pizza or biscuit sausage pies or breadsticks…the possibilities are endless! Plus, it is delicious and whole wheat.

I topped it with TJ Marinara (another great buy at $1.20), Shredded cheese (“pizza style”) and Turkey Pepperoni.

Dinner:

The Main part was Shepard’s Pie! This was super fast to throw together…

I used garlic mashed potatoes (leftover from last week), frozen roasted corn, frozen peas, spinach and ground meat.

I thawed the veggies while browning the ground meat (with montreal low sodium steak seasoning) and heating up the leftover taters. I layered the meat on top of the veggies, then the mashed potatoes on top. I crumbled 3 whole wheat crackers on top as well to give it a crispy crust. Baked at 350 for about 30 minutes.

On the side, I grilled portabello mushroom caps with a little olive oil and salt & pepper. Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t like the Shepard’s Pie so I made them as kind of a “backup”.
I also made a chopped waldorf-ish type salad. I sliced grapes, fuji apple, celery, carrots, and added dried cranberries, yogurt & lemon juice.
 
Since I was already slicing and dicing, I cut up extra veggies for easy, healthy munching. It was seriously so fast to do all of this and I can’t believe how its nearly all vegetables and fruit! ( Veggies: potatoes, mushrooms, peas, spinach, roasted corn, carrots, celery, cucumber. The Fruit:  apples, cranberries, grapes)

Body:

Cardio and The Sauna. I was going to attend Vigorous Flow after but that sauna just made me too tired!I am definitely going to Tuesday’s flow class though!

Mind:
Did some house things and some job searching things! I did daydream shop for furniture and things for our house too.

Soul:

Dinner was scrumptious! I thought it was one of my favorite meals so far that I’ve made but then again, I usually say that until the next best thing!

Jeff had stayed home in the morning so that flood damage guys/contractors could come assess our damages. The news was semi-good- we are waiting for a quote from the roof guy because there was damage that caused the leak inside the house, but he didn’t think it would be ridiculously expensive.

Sunday

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! I certainly did!

Body:
Strength Training ( Chest, Shoulders and Triceps)
Cardio: Mix of biking and elliptical before and after strength

Mind:
Rest day! Microbiology is over, which means my summer classes are over!I am happy to take a break for a little while anyway.

Soul:
I did a little window-shopping and had my ring cleaned, which I have wanted to do for a while.

Jeff is back safe and sound from the bachelor party for one of his best friend’s, Teddy. Their wedding will be here before we know it! I have never been to Vermont so it should be a great trip ( if we remember to get plane tickets!)

I made my dad a father’s day card and sent it off to him. Happy Father’s Day!

My future sister-in-law called to tell me they FINALLY sold their house! They have been living here at my future-in-laws house since switching jobs and have had trouble selling their house for more than a year now. I smiled all morning for her and for everyone really because it is just great news.

Breakfast:
A Kashi Strawberry Flax waffle with Agave Nectar and Peanut Butter, fruit, yogurt.

Lunch: Veggie and Tempeh scramble with (fat free) Feta

 

Dinner:
The future-in-laws were having crabcakes and since I am allergic to shellfish, they had gotten me some ahi tuna medallions. Isn’t that so sweet ? I felt very special, they used black sesame and toasted sesame oil for searing. It went perfectly with the coleslaw,asparagus and french fries! Oh and a glass of celebratory Champagne and

I also had an unphotographed glass of the Cabernet Franc we gave to Preston for Father’s Day.

How was everyone’s weekend? Ready for the work week to start?

Weekly Recap: Wine, Caprese Salad, Pizza…

Body:

Yoga twice
Strength Three Sessions
Cardio 5 days
Elliptical, Biking, No Running yet! My leg still feels a little over-used, so I am definitely taking caution by only doing exercises that feel great. I have lost weight since I stopped running, which is rather contradictory. I just noticed it this past week and am not hugely concerned, I think it is interesting. I think it might have to do with the fact that when I would run on several days of the week, I would be so hungry and eat so much more than usual! I am definitely back to strength training much more than I was while doing training runs, so at least I am keeping up with my muscle mass.

Mind:
My exam tuesday went well, as did test corrections, then Jeff brought over a (semi) new fridge for the kitchen as a surprise! I did well on the final exam friday, but not as fantastic as I would have liked on the phone interview.  I think I actually over-prepared which can be detrimental sometimes!

We will see how it goes! Thank you to everyone that had voted and wished me well. I enjoyed the experience and glad I went through the process of videotaping myself, applying for a dream job and actually having the opportunity to do a subsequent phone interview! In the next round, the Top 50 will write a 500 word essay which would be another excellent task that I hope I can participate in.

Soul:

I am very passionate about my nutrition degree but strongly feel that school will be there waiting for me, should I move on in this interview process.  My program is growing and expanding everyday. If I were to take 6 months off from studying, I would only gain more from the experience. I would leave with knowledge of wine-making, a great network of people, a better understanding of California agriculture, and all of that would be fantastic to have while finishing my degree.

Jeff is away this weekend in Charleston for a bachelor party ( Eeep!)… No, truthfully, I am not worried much at all. I have such a great trust in him that leaves me with no concerns. I am actually quite excited about the weekend away because:

• I have already managed to split a bottle of Murphy-Goode Cabernet ( Alexander Valley) with my lovely friend Andrea
• I am done with summer school and can RELAX
• I get the whole couch to myself
• I watched “The Women” last night
• I put everything wherever I want to in the house…i.e I have bridal magazines ALL over the living room along with my sweaters in case I get chilly
• I am celebrating my friend Andrea’s birthday tonight
• I am about to head to my friend Sarah’s and lounge by the pool for the day

I just want to highlight the great eats of the week instead of give you every meal, I was so busy so some meals were just not that interesting!

Grilled King Mackerel, Garlic Basil Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with a glass of Murphy-Goode Chardonnay

I boiled red potatoes, then added greek yogurt, some butter, salt, pepper, and basil that I had sliced chiffonade style. The creamy potatoes went perfect with the creamy, buttery Chardonnay. I smelled the aromas of oak and vanilla slightly, tasted flavors like mango and apple, and was surprised at the richness of this Chardonnay! I am not even a fan of Chardonnay in general, but this was a great buy at $17 here in NC. I think if you are going to spend $9-$10, it would definitely be worth your money to spend just a tad more to get a better quality wine such as this!

Caprese Salad

You know I am utilizing all of my ingredients this week in everything! I made a separate Caprese Salad after making Caprese Mac n Cheese earlier this week. I used up the tomatoes, some basil, mozzarella and Balsamic Vinegar, toasted garlic ( just 1 clove), and a little organic Olive Oil. Delicious! This was great to have throughout the week!

Great Snack: Nectarine Mozzarella Kabob 

I used up the last nectarine and the last of the mozzarella by making it into a kabob. I actually added basil after ( the recipe involved these ingredients but I used up too much of everything to make the original recipe!) and I was again surprised at the fantastic combination. I am interested in making it again more “properly”.

Another great snack: Yogurt with berries and pb…

Dinner with Andrea:

A slice of GIANT pizza and a side salad with Murphy-Goode Cabernet.
The pizza was from our favorite, Ruckus. I had Ham, Pineapple, Jalepeno Peppers, and Mushrooms on mine and it was awesome!
I will recap the wine in another separate wine post, so look forward to that!

Solo Dinner!
At the end of my week, I was on my own for dinner and all I wanted was something fast and easy. I made a boca burger wrap with steamed veggies and fat free Feta . Also, I munched on the latest and greatest from PopChips: Sour Cream and Onion!

 

I was ecstatic to see a package from them with their new flavors! I will get together a post for them because these were AWESOME ! Go out and try some now! Or check out my review on their other flavors HERE 

I now go poolside.. What is your plan for the weekend?

Here I go!!

Body:
Rest Day!

Mind:
Last Exam of Summer Session Microbiology!
I cannot believe that I missed 25% of the course and have done above average as far as test grades! I think it shows my perseverance in adverse situations.
Final Exam went well- Thank you for all the good luck wishes!

Soul:

I shared some Murhpy Goode (Alexander Valley) Cabernet Sauvignon with my lovely friend Andrea  and I am looking forward to a fantastic weekend with all of my friends! Lounging poolside with Sarah, celebrating Andrea’s Birthday… Two weekends ago I was in the Outer Banks, this past weekend Bald Head Island, it will be a fun weekend at home for a change!

 

I am anxiously awaiting my phone interview with Murphy Goode! Here I go…

Product Review: PB2 and Chocolate PB2

This product was a celebrity peanut butter on the blogosphere a few months ago and I was overjoyed to see samples from Bell Plantation arrive with their powdered peanut butter product, PB2 and a sample of their chocolate PB2!

First up: Chocolate PB2

Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.

Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons (12 grams)

Servings per container: 16

Calories:  52.2

Calories from Fat  12.8

Total Fat: 1.42 g

Saturated Fat: 0.46 g

Unsaturated Fat: 0.89 g

Trans Fat: <0.01 g

Cholesterol: <0.1 mg

Sodium: 59.9 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 6.0 g

Dietary Fiber: 1.03 g

Sugars: 3.65 g

Protein:  3.85 g

Vitamin A (IU):  <1 %

Vitamin C (mg):  <0.1 %

Calcium (mg): 11.2 %

Iron (mg):  0.73 %

I had mine mixed separately and dipped my oatmeal into it. Then I drizzled it on my oatmeal.

Oh my goodness! It tastes like frosting, really, chocolate peanut butter frosting! It was so delicious that I thought I was eating the frosting off of a cupcake! Neither flavors (chocolate and peanut) overpowered the other and it was very smooth but thick.

I love the nutrition facts! I think healthy fats are wonderful, but they do add up the calories pretty easily! This would be a great dessert option for a frosting that is much healthier than the saturated fat /sugar of buttercream etc. !

PB2: Regular Peanut Butter Flavor

Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, salt, and sugar

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (12 grams)

Servings Per Container: 16

Amount Per 2 Tablespoon Serving (*when mixed with water):

Calories                          53.2

Calories from Fat           16.8

Total Fat:  1.87 g

     Saturated Fat:  0.34 g

     Trans Fat:  0 g

     Unsaturated Fat: 1.53 g

Cholesterol:   0 mg

Sodium:  77.6 mg

Total Carbohydrate:  3.4 g

     Dietary Fiber 0.48 g

     Sugars  1.66 g

Protein   5.65 g

Vitamin A (IU)  0%

Vitamin C (mg)  0%

Calcium (mg)  1%

Iron (mg)  2%

I enjoyed this with banana slices and with oatmeal. I think this is such a fantastic option for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, because those can be very high in kcal and not very voluminous. Using a lower kcal pb that is lower in sugar and saturated fat could help make a pb&j sammy a better meal constituent.

Taste: It tasted just like any creamy peanut butter. I actually like this better than most peanut butters because it didn’t have the oily mess of naturals but it wasn’t so sweet and trans fat tasting like common brands ( jiffy, skippy, etc. ).

Pros:

This peanut butter is powdered, which means much like circa The Depression, it will last for a much longer time!

It does not require refrigeration!

It boasts 5 g of protein and less than 2 g of Fat! Those healthy unsaturated fats and high protein content make this nutritionally sound!

Because you have to mix it with water, so you can actually tailor the consistency to your preference. 

Taste! Those that prefer the more creamy texture of Jiff, Skippy etc. would enjoy the taste of this creamy PB2 while reaping the healthier ingredients.

Cons:

You must mix it with water to get the correct consistency. This is usually not an issue but could be if you aren’t close to a water source!

It costs just about the same as other peanut butters ( $3 per jar) but you most likely have to order it online and pay for shipping.

It is available in many stores now as it gains popularity, however, still not in any stores near me!

Verdict:

I am going to be purchasing a 4 pack as soon as I get a little more money in my Pay Pal account! You can check out more info on it at www.BellPlantation.com