Cereal for dinner (Always a fav)

Cereal is such a delicious meal, don't you think? There are ways to plump up your cereal to make it more nutritious and filling, for instance if you were eating cereal for dinner! Growing up I loved Grape Nuts, but I went to Whole Foods yesterday and couldn't find them, but I did find the Kashi version, so that was exciting to find a new option for the crunchy pebble cereal I love so much.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Kashi Cereal

1/4 cup Frozen Wild Blueberries (they're cute & little)

Add a little ground flaxseed & raw granola such as Hail Merry :)

1 cup Almond Milk (Unsweetened/Original)

Voilà!

<><> L <><>

Pizza is the best

I read lots and lots of blogs when I have time and I love to read food blogs! Since I created this blog with food in mind, as well as yoga, running, and fitness, I want to start posting more and more of my favorite recipes and/or recipes I am planning on attempting! :)

I just loooove pizza, so much, but sometimes (most times) it is a very heavy and filling meal which has lots of calories. As a runner though my appetite is large so I was excited to find this recipe for a healthier version of pizza which includes the best vegetable ever, asparagus! Thanks to Runners World Nutrition!

Naan Pizza with Asparagus

Asparagus is rich in bone-building vitamin K, immune-boosting vitamin C, and heart-healthy folic acid. Canadian bacon adds big flavor with little damage—an ounce has about one third of the calories of regular bacon and 10 fewer fat grams.

2 9-inch store-bought naan
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup prepared pesto
3 slices Canadian bacon, cut into thin strips
8 asparagus spears (bottom ends snapped off and discarded), cut into 11/2-inch lengths
1/2 cup (or about 2 ounces) grated fontina cheese

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425° F. Place naan on a baking sheet. Mix ricotta and pesto and dollop onto breads.

Toss asparagus with oil and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Evenly distribute spears, along with Canadian bacon, over naan.

Bake until breads are warm throughout and asparagus is bright green, about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven; divide the fontina equally and top each naan with a portion of the cheese. Return them to oven and continue to bake until breads are crisp and cheese has melted, about five minutes longer.

Cut each pizza into quarters, serving each person two slices. Serves four.


CALORIES PER SERVING: 360
CARBS: 32 G
PROTEIN: 18 G
FAT: 18 G




Eat up!


<><> L <><>

Running

I love running. I love running. I love running.

but...

Sometimes it is painful, shin splints, charlie horses, soreness, that is the not so fun part! I have run a half marathon, a 10K, and a 5K so far this year, and they have all been some of the best experiences I have had in 2010. I love the adrenaline when I get to the starting line, and the burst of endorphins and energy I feel when I know I have one mile to go, it is such a cool feeling! I love the crowds who come to support and cheer on the runners, and the whole energy surrounding racing is just awesome.

Here's just some recent pics of my experiences running...

<><> L <><>

Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 in Dallas

I DID IT! 

I had such an awesome experience running my first half-marathon this past weekend!
Finishing time: 2:04:17

Thanks to Hal Higdon training!

<><> L <><>

Lots of firsts...update!

Where do I begin?

 I really don't know where to start, but lots of opportunities have occurred in my life in the past 30 days. It is crazy how everything happens for a reason and how timing is absolutely right when it needs to be. I was living in Austin, working retail, loving life. I got offered an excellent chance to work at an advertising agency in Dallas in the Broadcast department which sounded like the chance of a lifetime! I accepted, needless to say, and spent 10 days picking up my life in Austin and moving it North I-35 to Dallas.

Reasons I feel this choice made sense:

1) Career job at awesome advertising agency
2) Family surrounding DFW area
3) Lots of my best friends live in DFW area
4) Place to live for a few months until I find apartment
5) Half-marathon on 3/14 is in downtown Dallas
6) Teach me how to be independent and grow up

So, I am so excited for this new journey in my life! It is a blessing to see the ups and downs of life, and to have great friends and family everywhere I go!

Where I sit at the new J-O-B! <3

I hope that I can slowly become a better and quicker blogger now that I have more time at a computer! :)

We shall see! 

<><> L <><>

I am officially a runner.

I am back to blogging again, work has been crazy busy along with training for my first ever half marathon in March! But, taking this picture of all of my run gear really proves to me that I can officially call myself a runner. I feel amazing, my legs burn everyday BUT I know it will all be worth it when I cross that finish line. I have no high hopes of a goal time, I just want to cross the finish line without stopping for 13.1 miles. I am nervous/excited/tired/sore/proud and I know that I will have all of those same emotions on race day.

This weekend, my employees and I cheered at the Austin Marathon/Half Marathon in Austin, TX. It was so inspiring standing at mile 7 seeing all of the dedicated runners pass by, I was moved and I think I am more motivated on my runs now since seeing that inspiration. Running is truly a blessing, and I feel elite saying that I am running in a half marathon this year. I used to swear that I'd never run farther than three miles, and look at me now. I ran 8 miles this morning. It was tough. But, I did it, and I feel AWESOME!

More blogging to come! Happy Belated Valentine's Day and Happy Presidents Day! :)

<><> L <><>

Yumm Yumm

I made this low-fat turkey chili last night, and I was so proud of myself I couldn't stop eating the delicious chili! Luckily it is low in fat and heart healthy! Here is the recipe and some pictures!

LOW-FAT TURKEY CHILI:

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 stick of celery, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 14 1/2-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 tbsp fat-free sour cream or yogurt

4 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, celery, chopped pepper and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Crumble the turkey into the pan, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano. Add in tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, mix well and cook on low heat for a further 5-10 minutes.

Ladle into bowls. Add a dollop of fat-free sour cream or yogurt on top, plus some fresh chopped cilantro if you have it.
Serves 4.
Per Serving: Calories 298, Calories from Fat 51, Total Fat 5.7g (sat 0.6g), Cholesterol 35mg, Sodium 440mg, Carbohydrate 32.9g, Fiber 10.2g, Protein 28.8g

: ) I was a proud little chef

Topped it off with Mozzarella & Fritos!

Thai thought the chili spelled mmm-mm-good!

Ladle up this chili and enjoy it by a warm fireplace! Have a beautiful day!

<><> L <><>