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Day 2- B-fast & Recap on Day 1

***SEE MY NEWER(ISH) BLOG WHERE THIS POST ORIGINATES FROM: alywell.tumblr.com/***

Before I get into this morning, let’s recap on dinner/”dessert” last night:

Around 6pm (with or without my brother, who swore up and down he would be home by 6, but alas he wasn’t and the tuna burgers were definitely done…so I munched before he got here ;):

• 1 tuna burger, baked (see recipe here)
• A ton of peas (sorry, I don’t really regulate my veggie intake, because honestly, who should have to?)
• A romaine side salad tossed with carrots, cucumbers, and green bell peppers + some chunky salsa for dressing
• Polished off the mango from yesterday
• Total: too lazy to calculate out but believe me, well under 500kCal

After dinner last night, and after picking up 2 megamillion lottery tickets with my brother (per request from momma), I decided to watch “Hungry for Change” and today is the LAST day to watch it for free so get on it! It’s very much like a conglomeration of all the food/health documentaries I’ve seen in the past (see: “Forks Over Knives,” “Food Inc.,” “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead”) So, in short, I really loved it. I loved the way they spun a woman’s day throughout all the health testimonials/anecdotes of the people interviewed. They are a huge proponent of juicing, which, I’ve been wishy-washy about in the past but am beginning to want to buy one. I saw “wishy-washy” because people who are proponents of juicing often use “juicing” and “detox” in conjunction with one another and (being a lover of eating things, especially healthy things!) detoxes have always rubbed me the wrong way. But now I’m beginning to see the light. Cramming all those nummy veggies/fruits into a power-packed drink definitely has it’s advantages to those who aren’t willing to fix a salad, but I just wonder how satiated one feels after one of those drinks. Hm, well it is something to consider…

Anyway, flash forward to ~8:15pm when I got the craving for a small bowl of oats. So I made some + 1 tbsp PB2, and it was divine. For some reason I’ve really missed quick oats. Some people can’t do the mushyness, but I personally love it. 

So then that leaves this morning, which, although the caloric intake is roughly comparable to every other breakfast, I am left feeling extremely full. And I mean extremely full :

• 1 banana
• Nibble of larabar (homemade)
• 3/4 cup oats
• 2 tbsp Banana butter

Hm, well hopefully I can last until noon again today because that was pretty great yesterday. I like only eating when I’m hungry, but it’s really hard to do when A. You love food and B. One of your growing hobbies involves cooking/blending/baking food. But this blog is really beginning to help and “Hungry for Change” addressed the dangers of stress eating (which I believe is what I do at school) and how, instead of heading for the fridge, we should either take a nap or take a hike (i.e. sleep/exercise helps you cope better with stress than eating). I really want to incorporate this into my life because, frankly, I’m tired of mindless eating (even if it is with healthier foods). I am ashamed to even admit that this has become a problem for me. Me, who people know as being a huge health proponent/exerciser/go-getter/what have you. But I think we’re all imperfect in a lot of ways and this is one of my struggles. It takes strength to admit to your faults, but it’s the first step toward changing, and that’s what I am trying to do. Anyway, goals for this Saturday =

Goals for today:

• Do some running - treadmill or outside (although it’s been chilly/rainy lately so I’ll have to scope out the forecast)
• Start reading/organizing notes for seminar paper

TTFN :)

I’ve got to learn to start saying “Today, ___” instead of “Someday, ___” Living in the present and accepting myself in the present.

Breakfast parfait: The Puff in my Kamut

Lately I’ve ditched oatmeal as my breakfast of choice. Shocking, I know, but I’ve been craving a certain crunch in my morning meal that cannot be satisfied by the creamy deliciousness that is oatmeal. I need something cold, crunchy…and huge :) 

My solution? Thanks to some yogurt, kamut puffs, and delicious fruit = Parfaits! 

Except here’s the thing: I don’t make “pretty” parfaits. You know, the ones with all the perfectly proportioned layers measured by the spoonful in gorgeous glasses with elegant long spoons. No. None of that nonsense at 5 in the morning. 

Instead, I put 1/2 cup of nonfat yogurt (Greek if I had it) mixed with 1 tbsp chia seed in the bottom of a green bowl and I go to town with the toppings. I’m talking a banana (sliced), a peach (diced), a cup of kamut puffs, a tablespoon of banana PB, a couple spoonfuls of unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon, and a tablespoon of almonds. And then (and here’s the fun/challenging part) I just start folding everything in, trying not to let the contents spill over the surface of the bowl (definitely hard with puffs in there!). What I’m left with is a humongous pile of deliciousness, ready for consumption. Best of all, I get to eat the entire thing (and it’s huge, have I mentioned that?) and it’s under 450 kCal :) 

While it’s not my regular breakfast, it just might be becoming one.

Why do I always post about breakfast?

I guess it’s my favorite… :)

A Different Breakfast…

This morning I branched out. I took a leap of faith. I did not have oatmeal.

:O

Yes, take a moment to process that, and now, let me show you what I did have: 

Buckwheat & Amaranth Warmed Cereal

Recipe courtesy of The Healthy Foodie

Conclusion? = it was pretty darn good :) I loved the different textures! However, compared to my usual flavor-packed batch of oats, this seemed lacking in any strong flavors. I suspect that’s because of using mostly water and not milk. So for next time, I’ll increase the milk to water ratio to try and strike a perfect balance and maybe add some spices. (I did add cinnamon, but the flavor got completely boiled down…maybe add it later in the cooking process?)

I love trying different grains! It just takes a leap of faith for me because I tend to grow attached to my staple oatmeal breakfasts :)

25inches asked: Hello! I was wondering if you had a recipe for the pumpkin oats? I've been eating apple cinnamon for weeks and I need a change!

Why yes, I have delved in the great deliciousness that is pumpkin oats and I’ll give a few tips (so you can experiment on your own) and give you a link to my favorite pumpkin oats recipe.

1. To get a true “pumpkin” flavor, use 1/3 cup canned pumpkin per 1/2 cup oats (uncooked). I’ve found this to be a good ratio.

2. Keep in mind that because pumpkin is not naturally sweet, you’ll need some kind of added sweetener to make the oatmeal nummy. I always stick with the natural fruit sweetener that you get with adding a 1/2 banana. Not only does it add a subtle sweetness, but it adds to the creaminess of the oatmeal in general!

3. While you should add the banana in the beginning of your cooking (either stovetop or microwave), add the pumpkin in the last couple minutes. This is just enough to keep the pumpkin flavor intact. 

4. SPICES! Be sure to add plenty of cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger/allspice/cloves (my fav) to get that true pumpkin flavor and also adding vanilla assists in the sweetness :)

Phew, Okay so now here is a link to my favorite go-to pumpkin oats recipe: http://edibleperspective.com/2011/08/welcome-to-september/

Let me know if you have any other questions—I’m happy to help and give suggestions!

Dinner tonight = Curried Chickpeas with Steamed Vegetables and Bulgur :) Courtesy of “The Earthbound Cook” by Myra Goodman —Thanks to my cousin Madeline for gifting me this great cookbook for Christmas :)

Mmmmmm cafe au lait with coconut milk :)

I keep browsing through my breakfast recipes and waiting for something to strike my fancy. But I just cannot let go of my pumpkin oats! I mean, just look at them:

Who can say no to that? Not me. So I guess as long as I have Aldis to give me canned pumpkin at $0.99 a pop, it’s pumpkin oats for Aly :)

Just mixed together a batch of Mark Bittman’s “Easy Whole Grain Flatbread” a la Food Matters for a side to our leftover chili tonight—so excited! 

…and now I’m bored again :P sheesh…

Currently reading: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen