egging myself on

Yesterday my parents weren't around for the day, so I spent most of it home alone accomplishing all the homework and such that I needed to. Personally, I like being home alone; I get to put on my music while doing my chores and sing along (not like I refrain if someone's home though...), study for my egg-ams without having to close my door and shut myself away, and in general I just like to sometimes have the house to myself. So I was pretty egg-static.

As many of you may have figured out by now from my other blog posts, I like to plan ahead for myself. And most weekday mornings I eat a pretty basic breakfast: half a grapefruit and Cheerios with almond milk. Sometimes I find myself getting hungry during my morning classes though, and sometimes I just am not in the mood for the same thing that I eat every other day. So I decided to make pre-prepped egg muffins for the week. For me, these are easy because I'm not awake enough to prep anything in the morning, and this is easy enough for my mom to just microwave so that she doesn't need to be prepping eggs at 5:45 in the morning either. It's also a good breakfast for on the go - if you're running late you could easily pick up an apple and this egg and eat it while on the move. Eggs are pretty filling breakfasts, and with the superfood kale and cheese in here, this breakfast is perfect! The only thing I'm going to change for next time is that I think I'm going to make just egg whites instead of the whole egg, but otherwise they were egg-celent.

I topped my egg with some Sriracha, ate it with avocado, and had berries on the side. With a glass of almond milk on the side, this basically tackles all the basic nutrients to start a day off well, and the taste is still egg-straordinary.

And I guess at this point these puns are a little egg-cessive, but they're just so easy to fit in egg-actly where I want them to, and they just crack me up. But I'll try and contain myself for the rest of this post.. no more yolking around.

Here's what you'll need:
yields 6 egg muffins
5 eggs
handful of kale (as much as you'll eat in there - I added a little egg-stra)
1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used pepper jack)
black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together.

2. Wash and chop up kale into small leaflets.

3. Add kale and cheese to eggs, add black pepper to your liking. Pour mixture into muffin tins.

4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Enjoy!!

berry important information

Lately I have not been experimenting in the kitchen as much as just using recipes that I've made before and know I like. I have been doing my research though, and my newest information includes what to eat before and after a workout. So I thought I would share with you all what I've learned, and I'll share with you my newest concoction that I made for myself and my mom after coming home from the gym.

Before working out:

Eat a low fat, low fiber meal. Provide your body with complex carbohydrates and protein, and drink water!! Your body needs the fuel to make it through the workout, and working out on an empty stomach can cause muscle loss, ultimately slowing down your metabolism as your body draws protein from muscle instead of food eaten.

Today I ate half of a whole wheat bagel and natural peanut butter about an hour before my workout, and drank water throughout the day leading up to my work out. 

Ideas of what to eat before you workout:

• banana with nut butter
• whole wheat crackers and hummus
• oatmeal with berries
• apples and walnuts
• whole wheat bread with olive oil to dip and veggies on the side
• brown rice and beans

After working out:

Eat something that combines protein and carbohydrates (again) to replenish the energy storage in your body and to build and repair your muscles. 

Ideas of what to eat after you workout:

• chocolate milk
• chicken and vegetable sandwich
• vegetable omelet with whole wheat toast
• fruit smoothie
• tuna on whole wheat bread

Today I made a smoothie for my mom and me when we got home from the gym and it was absolutely delicious! The berries provide nutrients and the sweet taste and the milk provides calcium. Flax seed has fiber and Omega-3's, and the kale has protein (and a whole lot more - it's considered a "superfood"). 

Here's what you'll need:

yields 2 servings

1 1/4 cup almond milk

8 strawberries

1/4 cup blackberries

1/2 cup blueberries

1 tbsp flax seed

3 bunches of kale 

1. Wash the berries and cut them into smaller pieces in order for them to easily be blended. Wash the kale and chop into smaller pieces. Blend all ingredients together in a blender until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.

2. Enjoy!!

Resources:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/what-eat-before-during-after-exercise?page=4

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/best-foods-eat-and-after-your-workout

flower child

Spring is finally here, and this year I've really realized how much I actually love the season. My mood was fantastic all week this week, and I loved enjoying the weather. I went for a run outside again the other day, I've been snacking on my banana popsicles, and today I went out for ices for the first time this season! I've also been embracing the weather with my outfits, bringing out the skirts and putting the boots away until winter. On Wednesday, I wore a headband that I have that wraps across my forehead, and I even got a few comments that I looked like a hippie. One of the history teachers that just so happens to be teaching the counter-culture of the 60's even stopped me in the hall to tell me I fit in perfectly with her lesson..

Anyway, I just thought of that connection since yesterday with dinner I made balsamic roasted cauliflower. So many flowers going on... I love it! Cauliflower happens to be one of my favorite vegetables, and it's good for you too! Cauliflower is packed with vitamin C, fiber, and is low in calories.

Also, I've been really into balsamic vinegar lately. I dress my salads with the vinegar and olive oil, I drizzle the balsamic over chicken or fish, and I decided to try roasting cauliflower in the balsamic as a side dish last night. I think both of my parents and I could all agree that it was a success!

Here's what you'll need:
yields 6 servings
1 head cauliflower 
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the cauliflower head into small bunches and wash.

2. Put the cauliflower in a big Ziploc bag and pour in balsamic vinegar. Mix around to coat all cauliflower.

3. Spread cauliflower out on tins and drizzle remaining vinegar from the bag on top.

4. Keep in the oven for 1 hour. Enjoy!!

Resources: http://www.livestrong.com/article/520414-nutritional-content-of-cauliflower/

muffin much going on

The title really says it all. Nothing much was going on this week or weekend, as ACTs are next week, AP tests start in a month (exactly one month from today), and the weekends just seem to fly by much too quickly. Every year it seems that come April, the weekends are always super busy all the way to summer. It's a good thing because it means summer is close, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time in each day to accomplish everything. But as a break from all of my homework and studying yesterday, I made these lemon chia seed muffins. I had seen the idea on another blog to use chia seeds instead of the more conventionally used poppy seeds, but I wanted to incorporate whole wheat flour as a healthier alternative as well, so I mixed a few recipes together and came up with these delicious muffins! I've shone the spotlight on chia seeds before (back when I first started my blog!), but as a reminder, they are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and Omega-3's. Plus they add a nice texture to the lemon muffins.

Here's what you'll need:
yields 9 muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/3 cup and 1 T sugar
zest and juice from 2 lemons (plus more juice if the batter is too sticky)
1 egg
1/4 C and 1 T plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C canola oil
1 1/2 T chia seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix sugar and lemon zest until well combined. Then add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together lemon juice, egg, yogurt, vanilla, and oil until well combined.

4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Add more lemon juice if needed.

5. Add chia seeds.

6. Pour batter into lined muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Enjoy!!

I tried to get artsy with the pictures this time.. did it work?

going bananas!

Now that Passover is over and I'm back into the swing of my kitchen concoctions, I've been printing new recipes and making shopping lists so that I can start making all the newest recipes I found over spring break that I couldn't make because of the holiday. It made me a little crazy not making anything for over a week, but with limited ingredients that are Kosher for Passover, and even more limited supplies and appliances for the holiday, I wasn't really able to experiment much.

Which is why yesterday when I got home from school I was insistent on trying something new. I scavenged for whatever food we had in the pantry (my family cleared out a lot of the non-Kosher for Passover food before the holiday), and I decided on another banana-based snack. I spent a lot of my down time over spring break last week looking up new recipes and scrolling through Pinterest, and I came across this recipe of banana popsicles. 

This recipe is perfect for the mood I've been in lately. I'm pretty sick of winter (aren't we all?) and I have been in a sort of denial that spring hasn't really sprung yet. I've been trying not to wear my boots anymore, I already brought out my jean jacket and boat shoes, and I even went running outside the other day in just a t-shirt and leggings (which was a little bit of a mistake.. my hands and arms were freezing!) It's pretty evident though that I have gone a bit bananas after all these cold winter months, and this spring-time snack fits right in with my thought-process. If I pretend that it's spring for long enough, at some point spring will be here.. right?

Here's what you'll need:

2 bananas (either frozen or fresh - I only had one fresh banana left, but I had a frozen banana too so I used both in this recipe)

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp cinnamon

1. Add all ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. 

2. Distribute into popsicle molds (or if you don't have them, into paper cups and add a popsicle stick and tinfoil on top).

3. Freeze for at least 4-6 hours. Enjoy!

what's in my lunchbox

In an attempt to be healthier, one of my friends asked me recently to write down everything I eat on a daily basis for her so that she can start buying food like I eat and start eating like me too. So that gave me an idea for a post. Just in case you were wondering what I bring to school everyday for lunch, here's what's in my brown bag everyday.

It also coincides well with that I'm currently journaling what I eat. I'm going to try and do this for a week or two, just to be able to see how well I actually eat (or hopefully eat) on a daily basis. It should be interesting, and apparently writing everything down is already a way to force people to eat better because no one wants to write that they overate or indulged a few too many times in a week... It's something to think about if you're concerned about what you're really eating and if maybe there are things in your diet - or not in your diet - that you should be aware of.

(This sort of reminds me of MTV Cribs for some reason. Like when the celebrities open up their doors and show everyone each room in their house. I don't know why exactly I compare that to opening up my brown paper bag to you all, but I just wanted to share my thoughts here).

1. An antibacterial wipe. These are a little controversial, and washing hands in a sink with soap and water is preferred, but if used properly, hand sanitizing wipes are not bad. With all the germs in the school, it would be disgusting not to clean them before starting lunch (especially for a slight germaphobe like me). An interesting tip though, when using hand sanitizer or antiseptic wipes, your hands should be moist for 10-15 seconds as your rub them together. If they dry quicker than that, you didn't used enough and you should reapply.

2. Greek yogurt and flax seed. Compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt contains much more protein, leaving you full and satisfied for longer. Plus it's low in carbohydrates and easy to digest. With added flaxseed (sometimes I bring chia seeds instead), I get a boost of my Omega-3's, fiber, and vitamin's (including Vitamin B).

3. An apple. They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, don't they? I like to fit my servings of fruits and vegetables in whenever I can, especially because I just like them so much. But apples are one of my favorite fruits, and it's also very easy to keep in my backpack all morning without having to think of it being mushed before lunch (in reference to a banana).

4. A dark chocolate Hershey kiss. In ninth grade English I wrote my whole research report on the benefit of eating dark chocolate, so I can promise you that this addition to my lunch is a good one.  One fun fact about dark chocolate is that eating about 30 calories of dark chocolate a day is actually associated with lowering blood pressure! That's just one benefits of dark chocolate, and in my book any benefit is enough for me to keep some chocolate in my day!

5. Snacks for the morning. Although I'm not in the last lunch period my school has, by the time I do have lunch, I get hungry. So I keep snacks in my lunch bag to eat throughout my morning classes or in the hall between classes. If I have a batch made, I'll eat a ball of energy or homemade granola bars. An alternative snack (or sometimes additionally) I'll bring a prune or Babybel Cheese. I can almost guarantee that I won't convince most of you to eat prunes. I don't know what about them most people don't like, but I know most people don't like them. Personally, I think they're sort of just like enlarged raisins, which I'm a fan of. But prunes are high in fiber and protein, and are pretty low calorie. Babybel Cheese, depending on what variety you choose depends on the exact numbers, but the light cheese is only 50 calories and high in protein. It also contains Vitamin A and calcium. Plus it's always fun to unwrap the wax surrounding the cheese, if you ask me!

So just in case you were looking for some inspiration for renovations (back to the Cribs reference) in your lunch menu or if you were just curious what I eat everyday, there you have it!

Resources: 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/396021-what-is-the-purpose-of-flaxseeds-for-your-health/http://www.livestrong.com/article/487224-nutritional-benefits-of-eating-apples/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/445080-the-health-benefits-of-prunes-plums/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/286299-the-effectiveness-of-purell/