Andreas Wellness Notes

Practice Being Happy

2010-03-10T05:15:00.000-08:00

Are you happy? What do you think happiness depends on? On our genetic make up? On what happens to us? Or on how we react to things?

In today’s post on Career Action Now I talk about happiness being a habit and how you can practice being happier. And yes, a lot of it comes back to a positive attitude, which was my topic last week…

Head over there if you are interested.

Questions: Are you happy? If not, what do you think you can do to become happier? Do you believe that happiness can be practiced/learned?

Be well,
Andrea

Flax Seeds Bring Back Childhood Memories

2010-03-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you may remember that growing up I used to eat flax seeds in my yogurt. And whenever I eat flax seeds now, I’m taken back to my childhood. I still enjoy flax seeds in plain yogurt (just as a kid), but I also use them in other things, such as veggie burgers.

I have been wanting to try flackers - crackers made with flax seeds, herbs and spices - for a while now. Several weeks ago, the kind folks at Doctor in the Kitchen sent me samples of each of the three flackers flavors: savory, rosemary, and dill. It took me a while to find the time to do a “proper tasting” (translated: I had a few uninterrupted minutes = toddler was asleep and hubby and teenager weren’t home to bother me…).

Here is what the package says about flackers:

flackers are a delicious, health giving, flax seed cracker. The seeds are sprouted to increase the bioavailability of the nutrients then dehydrated at low temperatures to preserve the omega-3 fatty acid.

Flax seeds should be part of every optimal health and longevity diet. They are high in alpha linolenic acid – a heart healthy omega-3 fatty acid. They are packed with fiber, which helps to maintain normal cholesterol levels and promote optimal digestion. Also, these powerhouse seeds are filled with antioxidants, protein, plant lignans, and many vitamins and minerals.

Flackers are made with organic flax seeds and organic herbs and spices. They are gluten free and raw. Flackers are high in omega-3 fatty acids and have 7 g fiber and 5 g protein per serving.

Okay, okay you say. But how do they taste? My favorite flavor were the savory crackers, and I think they would appeal to most people. They have a nice spiciness, and I could picture eating them with some nice, raw cheese. Well, what couldn’t I picture eating with cheese? :-)

I also very much enjoyed the dill and rosemary flavors, but they were quite potent. I love herbs, and dill and rosemary are my favorite herbs, so I actually enjoyed the “herbiness” of the crackers. I did ask hubby for his opinion later on, and he said that he liked the savory and the rosemary a lot. He’s a big time rosemary fan, but I was still surprised that he liked the rosemary one so much because I thought it would be a bit too much for him.

To sum it up, I think flackers are a delicious way to get some omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, and for me the flax seeds brought back some childhood memories… :-)

Questions: Do you like flax seeds? If so, what is your favorite way to eat them?

Be well,
Andrea

Beautiful March Weekend

2010-03-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

Our weekend started off with a CSA delivery on Friday; fresh produce always makes me smile! :-)

Here is what we got and what I plan on making/already made with it:

Apples – I think I’ll make some of my mini apple crisps this week.
Pears – eat
Oranges - eat
Tangerines - eat
Lemons – I love lemons in salad dressings these days.
Cauliflower – I made smashed cauliflower.
Broccoli – I plan on making some broccoli cheese soup.
Red Chard – I found a recipe for chard and white bean soup. I think I’ll give it a try.
Kale – I made kale chips.
Rainbow Carrots – They are the toddler’s favorite snack. See below…
Romaine Lettuce – I made a salad with cilantro & radishes.
Cilantro – I used some of it in a salad. I think I’ll add the rest to my lunch tomorrow, whatever it’ll be. I LOVE cilantro (my sister, on the other hand, hates it…).
Yellow Onions – I'll use them in a stir fry or a sauce.
Yukon Potatoes – Not sure what I’ll make with them yet.

Unfortunately, the toddler hasn’t been feeling well for the past couple of days. However, the rainbow carrots in the CSA delivery made him happy, and he promptly declared them “his carrots.”

They are already almost all gone…

The toddler had a very rough night last night and hardly got any sleep (neither did hubby and I). So he took a very early nap. In the afternoon, we decided to head out to the animal farm. The toddler is usually not a huge fan of the stroller anymore, but he enjoyed the ride today…

And we enjoyed the animals…

And despite being under the weather, the toddler had plenty of energy while at the farm…

Here he was on the hunt for some water…

The weather was beautiful while we were at the farm, but on the way back it got cloudy, cool and a bit windy. But it was a beautiful walk.

Question: How was your weekend? What did you do? What did you eat?

Have you entered my Amazing Grass giveaway yet?

Be well,
Andrea

You Are What You Eat

2010-03-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

A while ago Sophia at Burp and Slurp announced the You Are What You Cook Challenge. The challenge is to cook a dish that defines who you are. When I first read about the challenge, a simple, pretty much “no cook” meal popped into my head right away. In our house we call the dish Bap Egg on Top. In a way this dish probably defines hubby, growing up in a mainly Korean-speaking family in the U.S., more than me. Bap is the Korean word for rice. So the dish is pretty much seasoned rice with an egg on top. I know, it doesn’t get much easier than that…

While the basic “recipe,” is from hubby’s childhood, I have put my own twists on the dish over the years. It’s my go-to meal any time of the day. It’s what I crave when I come back from a trip and want something that tastes like home. The dish brings back wonderful memories to when hubby and I first met, and it’s actually pretty much the only dish hubby has “cooked” a few times over the years… (Sorry for throwing you under the bus here hubby!).

Ingredients (Flavored Rice)

Cooked brown rice
Soy sauce
Brown rice vinegar
Sesame oil
Gochujang (Korean spicy red pepper paste)
Organic ketchup
Sesame seeds

Mix all the ingredients together and make sure they are mixed well. I’m not including measurements as I’m constantly changing the proportions of the ingredients. And I think that’s the beauty of this dish. You can make it taste different every single time you make it. And it has changed and evolved over the years. I can make it as spicy or as mild as I like. And I guess my spiciness varies day to day as well… :-)

Top the rice with two over-easy eggs.

I like my yolks nice and runny…

So why does this dish represent me? Well, first of all, I love that it represents hubby’s childhood and that his childhood and his memories are living on through this dish in our family. It also has a few Korean ingredients, and Korean food is my favorite cuisine. I love the complexity of the flavors, despite the dish being so simple. Often the simple things in life are the best, and I’d like to think of myself as simple yet complex. Finally, this dish, while being really simple, can easily change and evolve – just like me! :-) Thanks Sophia for a great challenge. It’s been fun!

Question: What dish or ingredient defines you? Are you sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or spicy? Or a combination of some or all of them?

Be well,
Andrea

How to Deal With Muscle Soreness After Working Out

2010-03-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

After Saturday’s bootcamp workout, my muscle soreness lasted longer and was actually more intense than I had first thought. My soreness certainly highlighted the parts of my body I have to work out more…

After speaking with Lara, we determined that one big problem was that we didn’t stretch after the intense one-hour-long class. The instructor kept saying that we had to stretch after class on our own, but we were both used to stretching as part of a class, and we never got around to it. Well, actually, we went and got coffee instead… :-)

When I was still quite sore on Monday evening, I decided to do some research to see what I could do to alleviate the pain. I did a quick search and found some good information on About.com: Sports Medicine in an article entitled Muscle Pain and Soreness After Exercise – What Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

Here are some of the recommendations to alleviate soreness that the article lists; I did a few of them:

Ice bath
Active recovery, such as low-impact aerobic exercises – Going for a walk actually helped
Gentle stretching – Yes, stretching did make me feel better…
Gentle massage
Yoga

Here are some of the recommendations regarding prevention of soreness from the article; I don’t think I followed any of them!:

Warm up – We warmed up in class, but I’m not sure it was enough… In fact, the warm up felt more like a workout… :-)
Cool down with stretching – Nope.
When starting a new activity, start slowly and increase the intensity gradually. – Certainly didn’t do that…
Don’t make sudden changes to your exercise routine – Nope again.

Questions: When was the last time you got really sore after a workout? What did you do to alleviate the pain?

Finally, have you entered my Amazing Grass Giveaway yet?

Be well,
Andrea

The Power of A Positive Attitude

2010-03-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I believe in the power of a positive attitude. A positive attitude (or lack therefore) affects all aspects of our lives, and having a positive attitude hugely affects our happiness.

Do you have a positive attitude in life? How about when it comes to work? My Wellness Wednesday post on Career Action Now focuses on the importance of a positive attitude when it comes to your career and highlights an article that lists six things you can do to be happier at work now. I also describe how keeping a gratitude list helped me through uncertainties while I was in grad school. If you are interested, head over there and check it out.

Also, I have been getting a few questions as to what I used to do for a living and what I’m doing now. I used to work in several law firms in different capacities, from legal secretary to paralegal, for over fifteen years. For the past several years, I have been working as a college instructor.

Question: What brings you joy? I always try to have some inexpensive flowers on the dining room table; they always bring a smile to my face… :-) I also have bright, uplifting photos of flowers as well as low-maintenance plants in my office.

Finally, have you entered my Amazing Grass Giveaway yet?

Be well,
Andrea

Amazing Grass Giveaway

2010-03-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

On March 14, Andrea’s Wellness Notes is turning 1! To celebrate, I thought I’d share one of my recent favorite things with one of my readers – Amazing Grass Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars.

The bars have 12 grams of protein and taste really good. Amazing Grass has generously agreed to give a caddy of bars (box of 12) to one of my readers!!! Thank you Amazing Grass!

This giveaway is open until March 13 at 9:00 p.m. PST, and I will announce the winner on March 14 - Andrea’s Wellness Notes' First Birthday! :-) The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

You’ll have six chances to enter; you must leave a separate comment for each entry:

Leave me a comment and tell me why you want to win.
Tweet about this giveaway and leave me a comment. Use “@WellAndrea is giving away Amazing Grass bars http://bit.ly/aaF4zV #giveaway #freestuff”
If you have a blog, link back to this giveaway from your blog and leave me a comment telling me you did.
Follow me on Twitter and leave me a comment.
Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page and leave me a comment.
Add Andrea’s Wellness Notes to your Google Reader and tell me in a comment.

Be well,
Andrea

Happy Monday and Weekly Meals

2010-03-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

Why do we sometimes dread Mondays so much? Is it because we often have less freedom Monday through Friday? Is it because we truly dislike what we do for a living? Or is it just a habit to dislike Mondays, and Mondays are really not that bad after all? I definitely love my weekends because I get to spend time with my family and have more freedom to do what I want. And sometimes on Sunday afternoons I think, “I can’t believe it’s Monday tomorrow. Where did the weekend go?”

But since I made a career change and now do what I truly enjoy (at least 95% of the time; there are negative elements to any job…), I don’t dread Mondays anymore. However, several years ago, I dreaded Mondays so much that I sometimes would get physically ill (but I still went to work on Monday!). I didn’t like my job, and it didn’t match my interests, values and beliefs. Life is too short to truly dislike Mondays! :-)

Okay, on to this week’s meals:

Monday: Chicken Stew with Kimchi (Korean Pickled Cabbage) and rice. I actually made the stew last night, so it's ready to heat up tonight...

Tuesday: Garlic Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and a Salad.

Wednesday: It’s “Wrapped Up Wednesday.” We’ll have marinated tofu and veggies wrapped into Savoy cabbage leaves. On the side we’ll have a ginger dipping sauce.

Thursday: Vegetable Fried Rice.

Friday: It’s Salad Friday. I picture many colors… :-)

Questions: Do you like Mondays? Why or why not? And, what are you eating this week?

Happy Monday! :-)

Be well,
Andrea

Workout Reevaluation

2010-02-28T07:50:00.000-08:00

Remember my 2010 goals? One of them was to take some exercise classes. I had given myself until February, after the January gym craziness had passed, to take some classes. Well, February came and almost went without my taking any exercise classes. Almost that is. Because yesterday I took a Bootcamp class! I didn’t take it alone but dragged Lara from Thinspired with me. Sorry Lara! :-) (Lara had at one point been under the impression that we were going to take a yoga class. I know, quite a difference…).

It was quite an intense 60 minute workout. We did all sorts of planks, squats, pushups, lunges, jumping jacks – and we didn’t take many breaks. I was seriously warmed up after a minute, and there were a few times when I thought there was no way I could make it…

But I felt great afterward and knew that I hadn’t pushed myself like that in a loooong time. The instructor had warned us that we’d be sore, but I felt fine yesterday. Now, this morning is a different story. I felt quite sore when I woke up, but as I’m moving around more, it’s getting a bit better. What’s more, I secretly actually like the soreness…

I have been working out about six times per week for the past nine months now, and I have known for quite some time that I needed to mix things up a bit. And I have made small changes over the months. But I don’t think they have been enough. My new goal is to take one whole body workout class and one yoga class per week. We’ll see how it goes…

One thing I noticed yesterday was that I was quite hungry for the rest of the day. In the afternoon, I tried another of the Amazing Grass samples that I received a while back - the Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein bar.

I LOVED this bar. I loved the taste, and I loved that it has 12 grams of protein. I’ll definitely pick up some more.

Questions: Are you happy with your workout routine? If not, what should you change? Do you take exercise classes? If yes, which classes are you taking and how often?

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. And I hope you are not too sore, Lara… :-)

Be well,
Andrea

Lots of Greens

2010-02-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we went to Fresh Choice right before 5:00 p.m. and got dinner for $6.99 a person (and since the toddler is 2, he eats for free!).

I got a nice plate of greens with fresh, delicious salsa instead of salad dressing. I also squirted a bit of fresh lemon juice over the top. It was delicious.

Here is what I put on my salad (as far as I remember):

Baby spinach
Spring mix lettuce blend
Beets
Carrots
Edamame
Corn
Peas
Red cabbage
Tomatoes
Garbanzo beans
Blue cheese
Pumpkin seeds
Salsa
Lemon Juice

I have said this before, while I love making salads, it’s very nice to have others prep all the veggies for you. Hubby, are you reading?!!!? :-)

And this morning I had more “greens” in the form of Amazing Grass. I tried the Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion sample with almond milk.

I really enjoyed the taste of the chocolaty milk, but the texture was a bit grainy. I think I may have not mixed it up enough. It’s definitely a drink I would have again, and it’s a quick breakfast when you are running late. Here is a closer look at the ingredients and nutrition info.

Question: Have you been eating enough greens lately? If not, what do you plan on doing to change this?

Happy Weekend! I’m off to a Bootcamp class with one of my favorite local bloggers. Any guesses who it could be? Wish us luck!

Be well,
Andrea

Easy and Fast Bok Choy and Shrimp Stirfry

2010-02-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

I had some leftover baby bok choy from my CSA delivery in the fridge and wanted to use it up. I decided to make a super quick stir fry with shrimp.

Ingredients

Olive oil
Baby Bok Choy, cut into bit-sized pieces
Shrimp
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Brown rice vinegar

I heated up a bit of olive oil and sautéed the baby bok choy for a minute. Then I added the shrimp and sautéed them until they just turned pink. I seasoned the stir fry with soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown rice vinegar. I served the stir fry on top of some leftover brown rice. Now that's my definition of fast food!

Question: What’s your favorite fast lunch?

Be well,
Andrea

How To Poach An Egg

2010-02-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

I got several questions about how to poach eggs after my last breakfast post, so I thought I’d do a post on how I poach eggs.

Originally, I was actually thinking of doing my first vlog, but it’s just not happening right now. The toddler has been sick and I'm “functioning” on way too little sleep… Anyway, here is how I poach eggs. I’m sure there may be better ways out there…

Bring several inches of water to a boil in a small pot and add a few tablespoons of vinegar.
In the meantime, carefully crack the eggs individually into cups or ramekins; you want to make sure the yolks stay intact.
Once the water boils, reduce the temperature so that the water is simmering.
Carefully slide the eggs into the water. I usually poach two eggs at a time so that I can keep a better eye on them. But I’m sure you could poach more at once.
For a runny yolk, poach the eggs about 2 minutes. If you like the yolk firmer, poach them a bit longer.
Take the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and carefully place the poached eggs on paper towels to dry them off.
Enjoy!

Questions: What’s your favorite way to eat eggs?

Be well,
Andrea

Wellness Wednesdays

2010-02-24T06:10:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, when life was really hectic, and we faced multiple major changes at once as a family, I told hubby that I was thinking about “killing” my blog. Yes, I used those violent words. He looked at me, smirked, and said: “Okay. If that’s how you really feel. I’ll support you in anything.” I replied, “Okay. I just may.” Well, I wasn’t entirely serious, and I think hubby knew all too well that I loved blogging way too much to get rid of my blog; therefore the smirk. But I knew that I was spending too much time that I truly didn’t have blogging. I have cut back some, and I am hopeful that I’ll find a true blog/life balance some day… :-)

The funny thing is what happened a few days after the above conversation. Hubby was all excited about a new idea he had for a career planning blog (he is a college counselor), and he asked me if I was interested in posting on the blog regularly. The timing was really funny as I had just talked about blogging less. However, I was interested.

Several years ago, I was actually going to pursue graduate studies in career counseling and interned at a university career center for a few months. I loved what I was doing and learning. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pursue graduate school at the time. However, I have always been interested in career planning, which I believe is really life planning as one’s career is such a big part of one’s life. I think it’s so important to find something you truly love, matches your values, fulfills you, and leaves you energized at the end of the day. And what’s right when it comes to your career is also likely to change as your life changes. It’s so important to reassess where you are at and where you want to be once in a while. Can you tell that I’m excited about this topic?

So for the past few Wednesdays, I have been posting career planning/work/life wellness-related articles on Career Action Now. This week’s post is about making your dreams come true. So if you are interested, head over to Career Action Now where you can read more of my posts as well as Andy’s and Joe’s posts.

Questions: Are you satisfied with your current career? Do you want to make any changes to your career? If so, what is holding you back? If you are still in school, where are you when it comes to career planning?

Be well,
Andrea

Amazing Grass

2010-02-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried Amazing Grass products? I have been wanting to try them for a long time now as I have read quite a bit about their health benefits. Also, I kept reading quite a few reviews, and there are different opinions out there… I wanted to find out for myself what Amazing Grass was all about. Several weeks ago, Amazing Grass sent me some free samples to try.

I didn’t have a chance to try them right away, but I finally ate the Green Super Food Whole Food Energy Bar yesterday.

It contained 220 calories, 8 g fat, 36 g carbs, and 5 g protein. Here are the ingredient (definitely lots of fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds):

Organic Dates, Organic Agave Nectar, Amazing Grass Green SuperFood (Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barely Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Acidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, Organic Peppermint), Organic Cashews, Organic Almond Butter, Organic Almonds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Dried Cranberries, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Dried Coconut, Organic Vanilla Extract.

“Okay, but how did it taste?" you ask. To be honest, I took the first bite and was seriously looking for a “green” taste, an unpleasant green taste. But there truly wasn’t one. The bar wasn’t too sweet, and I really enjoyed the taste. I could definitely taste the nuts and berries in the bar, but there wasn’t one flavor that stood out. I guess all the greens are “hidden” in the bar just like there is no “green” taste in green juice when you add an apple and some lemons to lots of greens. I can definitely see myself eating this bar again, especially when I need to grab something fast and haven’t been getting my fruits and veggies in. However, the bars are quite expensive, so I will probably eat them only once in a while.

Next, I think I’ll experiment with some of the powder samples I received to make some sort of a smoothie or shake. I’m not a smoothie/shake maker/drinker.

Questions: Do you have any suggestions on how to make a good smoothie/shake? Have you ever tried Amazing Grass products? If so, what did you think? Do you have any Amazing Grass recipes I should try?

Be well,
Andrea

Another Special Breakfast and Weekly Meals

2010-02-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned before, I am usually pretty boring when it comes to breakfast. But while my mom was visiting, I got a bit more creative… One of the breakfasts I made were poached eggs with spinach. I didn’t add any cream to the spinach, so the dish was light and healthy.

I toasted some fresh bread and spread just a bit of herbed cream cheese on it. In the meantime, I sautéed an onion and some spinach and seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper. Then I poached the eggs. I topped each slice of bread with some spinach and a poached egg and added some more spinach on the top.

I especially enjoyed the runny yolk with the bread and spinach…

I think this is probably the last special breakfast you’ll see for a while… On to this week’s meals:

Monday: Butternut squash soup with some leftover brown rice.

Tuesday: Smashed cauliflower, salmon, and quinoa.

Wednesday: It’s Wrapped Up Wednesday. We’ll wrap sautéed veggies (baby bok choy, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms) into lettuce leaves and dip it into an almond butter sauce (almond butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and warm water, mixed really well). I love Wrapped Up Wednesdays because they are so interactive…

Thursday: Healthy pizzas made with sprouted grain tortillas as the crust and topped with tomato sauce, veggies as well as some shrimp. I picture this as another interactive dinner…

Friday: It’s Salad Friday. We’ll see what it’ll be…

Questions: What was your last “interactive” dinner experience? Do you like to assemble your food at the table?

Be well,
Andrea

Produce, Flowers, and Toddler Activities

2010-02-21T05:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the sporadic posts lately. I hope to get back to a more consistent schedule soon. Here are a few updates…

We received another CSA delivery:

Here is what we got and what I’ll use it for:

Apples - eat
Oranges – eat
Pears – eat
Lemons – salad dressing & juice
Broccoli – steamed
Collard Greens – sautéed
Butternut Squash – soup
Baby Bok Choy – sautéed
Butter Lettuce – salad with radishes
Carrots – raw with hummus
Parsley – I was excited to see the parsley, which is kind of funny as I used to seriously dislike parsley when I was younger. I’ll use the parsley to make parsley potatoes, a dish my mom used to make often when I was little (and I would always try to pick out ALL the parsley…).
Fingerling Potatoes
Banana Potatoes

Hubby picked up these beautiful daffodils while he was shopping at Trader Joe’s. Thank you, hubby! :-)

Finally, here are a few of the toddler’s new favorite things…

Questions: Is there an herb, spice, or vegetable you didn’t used to like but now like? As I mentioned above, I used to seriously dislike parsley but now enjoy it very much. I also didn’t like beets and olives but now like them a lot.

Be well,
Andrea

Breakfast Journey Down Memory Lane

2010-02-18T07:56:00.000-08:00

I’m boring when it comes to breakfast. Most days I eat oatmeal with walnuts or almonds. But since my mom has been visiting, I’ve made some more “interesting” breakfasts. We have had veggie/egg scrambles, spicy sesame rice with poached eggs, fruit with yogurt sauce and whole wheat pancakes, and bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomatoes, red onions, and capers.

The bagels were huge, and half a bagel was more than enough per person…

I introduced the teenager to smoked salmon when he was a toddler, and he loved it immediately, and we had bagels and smoked salmon on special occasions for breakfast when he was little. I remember attending a wedding with him when he was about 5 and everyone marveling at the amounts of smoked salmon he was eating and how much he loved it… I rarely buy bagels and smoked salmon anymore, so the teenager was thrilled when he got to enjoy one of his childhood special occasion breakfasts. I love how food brings back memories…

Questions: What is your favorite breakfast from your childhood? What memories does it bring back? Do you sometimes still eat your favorite childhood breakfast?

Be well,
Andrea

Sweet Treat Breakfast and Weekly Meals

2010-02-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

On Valentine’s Day, I decided that I was going to make a slightly more decadent breakfast than usual.

I started by making a fruit salad.

The fruit salad contained:

1/2 cantaloupe
1 banana
1 apple
10 strawberries
1 mango
Juice of 1 lemon
Cinnamon
A few drops of agave nectar

To go with the fruit salad, I made a yogurt sauce. It was really good, and everyone loved it.

The yogurt sauce contained:

1 container Chobani nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon Sour Cherry Preserve – sooo good!
A few tablespoons whipped cream

I first mixed the preserve and the yogurt very well and then folded in the whipped cream. The yogurt sauce was slightly sweet and incredibly light and airy. Sooo good!

I also heated up some whole wheat pancakes that I had frozen a while back. They were sort of an afterthought, so I didn’t take a picture. However, everyone loved the yogurt sauce on top of the pancakes the most!

I think it’s time to plan meals again, so here we go:

Tuesday: Brown rice pasta with organic, grass-fed beef and vegetable sauce and a salad.

Wednesday: Salad topped with salmon salad. I’ll mix boneless, skinless canned wild salmon with lemon juice, wasabi mayo, and capers and top a lightly dressed salad with it.

Thursday: Veggie burgers.

Friday: It’s Salad Friday. I’ll try to be creative… :-)

Questions: What’s an interesting/good/special breakfast that you’ve recently had? What are you eating this week? Please share!

Be well,
Andrea

Portion Control and Making Healthy Choices

2010-02-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

Last week, we went to Chevy’s with my mom. It’s a tradition that we go to Chevy’s whenever she visits us. In the past, I had a really hard time to control my portions at Chevy’s since I love chips and salsa and used to eat way too many chips in one sitting. Their chips are warm, and I love the fire-roasted tomatoes in the salsa. Also, sometimes the salsa is nice and spicy, just the way I like it.

Last week, I made a few good choices and a few not so good choices when we went to Chevy’s. First the not so good choices:

I didn’t look up the nutrition facts for various menu items before we went to the restaurant.
I ordered a Chile Verde Bowl from the lunch menu, which I later found out contained 1,030 calories, 44 grams of fat, and 2510 grams of sodium!!!! There are many worse items on the menu but also several much better choices. If I had looked at the menu before we went (which I usually do), I could have made a much better choice.

Despite choosing a not very healthy entree, I actually made some good choices:

I passed on the chips and salsa and instead ate some of the salsa with my entree – I am very proud of not eating any chips! :-)
I took off the sour cream as soon as I got my dish as I figured I didn't need the extra fat. Instead I added some flavor with some salsa.
I ate less than half my entree and got the rest to go. I had some of it later that night, and the remainder the following morning.
I left the restaurant feeling satisfied but not stuffed.

Questions: Do you look up nutrition information before you eat out (if it’s available)? Do you decide on what you’ll order before you enter a restaurant? Do you tend to get “carried away” by the menu? Do you have any eating out strategies you’d like to share?

Be well,
Andrea

Happy Valentine’s Day

2010-02-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

The toddler went to “Movie Night” last night, so we got to enjoy an “adult dinner.” We went to a modern Chinese restaurant and enjoyed a very nice meal. The lighting was very bad, and my photos didn’t turn out very well, but the food was really good… :-) Here is what we had (we didn’t eat the roses, but they were pretty so I had to take a photo…):

Lettuce wraps

Chicken Salad

Eggplant

Tofu

Brown Rice

After we picked up the toddler, we stopped by the cupcake place, and the toddler got to enjoy a mini cupcake… :-) We don't let him have one very often, so it was a very special treat for him...

Today, we'll start the day with some sparkling wine with POM Wonderful juice (POM sent us the juice to sample a few weeks ago). The drink is the perfect color for Valentine’s Day, and it tastes great! The photo is from the other day… :-)

Questions: Do you like Valentine’s Day? How are you celebrating? I’m not the biggest fan of the commercial side of Valentine’s Day, but I think there is nothing wrong with letting others know how much they mean to you… Also, the toddler got to experience his first Valentine’s party at preschool and loved every second of it, which changed my view a bit… :-)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Be well,
Andrea

Enjoying Nature

2010-02-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we walked to a local animal farm. It was a beautiful walk, and we had lots of fun looking at all the animals, and we enjoyed the smells and sounds of farm life. Here are some photos:

Question: What are your weekend plans?

Be well,
Andrea

Got balls?

2010-02-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

We do. I FINALLY made Averie's raw Gingerbread Cookie balls. Well, I changed the recipe a bit as I can NEVER follow a recipe... Therefore, my balls don’t have ginger (since I didn’t have any, which I didn’t realize until I had already started to make them…). I also didn’t use any sugar. Nonetheless, they turned out fabulous!!! The toddler can’t get enough of them… I can’t wait to make more of Averie’s balls… :-)

Question: What’s the last treat you made?

Be well,
Andrea

Sausalito

2010-02-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

My mom and I drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and explored Sausalito a bit. We especially enjoyed our walk along the water and the views of the bay. And, yes, we also enjoyed some coffee and blueberry bread pudding… :-)

Question: Both BlogHer Food as well as the Foodbuzz Festival are going to be held in San Francisco later this year. Do you have plans to attend either or both of them?

Be well,
Andrea

A Weekend Treat

2010-02-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I decided to put some of the juice that POM Wonderful sent us to good use and made some POM/sparkling wine drinks to go with brunch.

I started with about half a glass of POM.

I then added the sparkling wine.

Here are the finished drinks. They were pretty and delicious. I don’t like very sweet drinks, and these were just perfect in my opinion.

Question: What is your favorite “treat” drink?

Be well,
Andrea

In and Around the San Francisco Ferry Building

2010-02-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my mom and I went to the San Francisco Ferry Building. It was raining a bit, but we very much enjoyed the Farmers’ Market outside of the Ferry Building as well as all the shops, sights, and sounds inside the Ferry Building. Here are some photos of our walk from the car to the Ferry Building, the Farmers’ Market stands, some views inside the Ferry Building, and our walk back to the car.

Question: What was the best part of your weekend? I really enjoyed spending time with my mom…

Be well,
Andrea