Thursday, July 19, 2012

Taking my own advice: "When you want a cookie, sometimes it's better just to have a real freaking cookie." Or in this case, a cappuccino and sticky toffee cake... I may be wayyyy too happy about it, too.
But, really, indulging in the real deal is way more satisfying and can keep a binge at bay.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Easiest Breakfast Ever!

Ok, so I am super big on breakfast. Being from the south, it's normally filled with pancakes, bacon, grits, or biscuits with various toppings. But what's one to do when they're being healthy? Turkey bacon can get boring, and there are only so many things you can do with oatmeal.

I've been eating egg beaters a lot lately, but having so many dishes can be such a drag. Perfect solution?  Make em in a mug! It's so easy, and there are endless possibilities!
I cut up peppers and onions, spray the mug with nonstick cooking spray, microwave for 30 seconds, then add the egg beaters and seasonings (sometimes some leftover meat or sliced up lunch meat) and microwave for another minute, stir, and add on an extra 30 seconds for good measure. I messed around with other cooking times, but that seems to be about the best combo.

Doing a little research, I came across this blog from Hungry Girl. See? The possibilities really are endless! How did I not hear about this breakfast miracle sooner? Well, now you know, too. Try it and get ready to totally shake up your breakfast routine.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Kale Chips: A Guilt Free Crunch?

The other day, I was waiting for the same old green juice (kale, spinach, cucumber, lemon) and wandered over to the Kale display at Earthbar.

Now, I love those crunchy seaweed snacks you can get for 99 cents, and have heard a ton about kale chips, so thought, why not?

They had all kinds of crazy flavors, including a chocolate option, but you know my stance on treats. (If you're gonna have a treat, have a freaking good treat. Chocolate kale? Kinda sounds gross and not worth the extra fat, cals, and carbs.) I ended up with two bags: Lydia's Organics Kale Krunchies Mega Green and Buffalo Bill's buffalo wing flavored Cowboy Kale Chips.

The verdict? The buffalo wing flavored chips were really gross, but I liked that the bag had a zip top for freshness. Lydia's were pretty okay. The top didn't seal, though, so you might be in for a mess... I went around a curve and green crumbs spilled across my seat. The store also didn't have any options that were just kale, so the foreign flavors may have been what I didn't like about them. And at $8 a bag, totally not worth it.

So, store bought kale chips? Not such a success, but I am totally excited to pick up some kale on my next trip to the farmers market and try making simple chips with a little salt and evoo. They can't be so popular for no reason, right? Any suggestions to make them better?

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Twitter

Re-joined the twitter bandwagon this week.

Check me out : Click here for my twitter!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Low Carb Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cookies?


I found the recipe on Pinterest (which is the best time waster, ever, period.)

The original recipe called for equal parts sugar and peanut butter, mixed with a little baking soda and an egg. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Simple and low carb? Seemed like a no-brainer to me.

So I thought, "Splenda will make the cookies even less sinful!"
Then, "flax seed peanut butter will make them downright healthy!"
Well, that's what I get for thinking. I mean, they were alright.

It was my first time baking with Splenda, and I found the aftertaste off-putting. The flax wasn't so bad, but it kind of added a smokey flavor one wouldn't expect in a pb cookie. Maybe choosing one or the other modification would have been a better idea.
Don't get me wrong, they were decent (and pretty much guilt free: major bonus) and they definitely looked like regular peanut butter cookies.

Ultimately, though, if you're going to have a cookie, I think you should just go ahead and have the real deal and enjoy every last bite.

Monday, July 2, 2012

I'm baaaccckk!!!

After a not-so-brief hiatus, I'm happy to be back in the blog-o-sphere. I hope you all have been happy and healthy in the meantime. I'd all but given up on being healthy after some highs, some lows, a few too many cocktails, and a not so small obsession with perfecting my fried chicken recipe.

Personal high: turning my passion for making trash into treasure on HGTV's Flea Market Flip.
Personal low: quitting the gym while eating a bag of Cheetos. Yes, I really did that.

After my mom dropped major lbs by nixing sugar and cutting way back on carbs, I followed suit, and can't be more pleased by the results. People have said taking such drastic measures is crazy, but sometimes that's what a girl's gotta do... as long as you keep it in perspective. Yes, it is totally hard to remember that I didn't drink all those dirty martinis in one day and can't expect to lose their aftermath super fast, but then I remember that I feel amazing, and my energy is through the roof!

So, what have you guys been up to? Any juicy deets on your health trials/ tribulations lately?