I hate canned soup...but YUM!

I must admit, I really do not like canned soup at all. But, I have to say Amy's Organic Soup is super good. It is packed with flavor and all natural. No preservatives, no added "stuff", just natural. I had the tuscan bean and rice soup last night for dinner sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It was really good. I have also tried the tomato bisque which is very tasty also.

So this soup in the can...I recommend!

Sick Day..Little Help from a Smoothie

Yep, I have been sick the past two days. I have a bad cold/flu thing going on accompanied with a fever :( So plenty of rest and fluids happening for this girl. I am pretty sure I will be ready to get back to work tomorrow! Especially after a nice smoothie I made myself. It was great.


Strawberry Banana Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
4 strawberries
Handful of blueberries
1 cup Stonyfield Organic French Vanilla Yogurt
1/3 cup organic milk
1 tbs. of honey


Directions:

Slice up the bananas and strawberries. Get out your blender. Add the bananas, strawberries and blueberries into the blender. Then add the yogurt, milk and honey. Blend until smooth. Really smooth and delicious. Put in the fridge for about an hour if you want it nice and cold, or you can add a few ice cubes during the blending process to make it cold.

I feel like a kid again!

Today for lunch I was craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so I made it happen. But, I made it happen in a healthy way! I got some organic all natural peanut butter and all natural organic mixed berry jelly and put it on a whole grain naan. What is a naan you ask? Naan's are super tasty. Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flat bread. I purchased the Whole Foods 365 brand Naan and am pretty pleased with the product.
I of course had to have a nice glass of organic milk with my sandwich! Satisfied my inner child.

Stonyfield Organic Yogurt

I love Stonyfield Organic Yogurt. I am making it a point to try each flavor and each different fat content: fat free, low fat, whole milk, etc.

This yogurt is great because it is oh...Organic! But honestly, it has a really great natural taste and your essential probiotics.

I really love all the flavors, but the plain yogurt has the lowest sugar content. To make it just a little more tasty, I add some homemade granola to kick it up a little bit. I could not imagine not eating yogurt, and Stonyfield Organic Yogurt does it for me!

Oatmeal...Best Breakfast Ever

My newest addiction...oatmeal. I love it. It keeps me full and satisfied all morning and can taste great if you dress it up the right way. So this morning, my oatmeal consisted of this. And I must say, it was super tasty.

Oatmeal with Banana and Pecans

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of old fashioned oats
2 tbs. of flax seeds
1/3 cup skim milk
1/3 cup of water
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 tsp. of honey
1 tsp. of cinnamon
1 banana sliced
2 tbs. of pecans

I found a great way to prepare oatmeal overnight at a the blog site, katheats.com. She lets the oatmeal absorb the liquids overnight and I must say I am loving it!

Directions:

Add the oatmeal, flax seeds, milk, water, honey, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl and mix. Stick in the refrigerator and let it sit over night, covered. In the morning stir the mixture and add the sliced banana and top with pecans.

Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Feta

So last night for dinner I made a great pasta dish. I brought the leftovers for lunch today. It was really great. Actually, for lunch I did not heat it up and decided to go for a cold pasta dish and it was fabulous, especially on a hot day like today...80 degrees here in Ohio! Wahoo! So, to this dish you could add some shrimp if you wanted some protein. Shrimp would be a really great addition.


Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Feta
Serves 4

Ingredients:

3/4 box Barilla Whole Grain Pasta
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 small yellow onions chopped
1 container of all natural pureed tomatoes
1 tbs. of honey
1 tbs. of Italian seasoning
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
4 tbs. of feta cheese
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Bring about 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the whole wheat pasta and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Strain once the pasta is fully cooked. Meanwhile, chop the onion and garlic and add into a saute pan drizzled with olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Slowly add the all natural tomatoes and reduce the heat to low-medium. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the honey, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Let cook an additional 5 minutes. Before you serve, sprinkle with some fresh parsley and feta cheese.


This dish is really good and I love the honey that I put in it because it adds a sweet taste to the tomatoes and binds together nicely. The feta melts easily on this dish and really adds a nice flavor to it!

Theo Chocolate...Organic Chocolate Yum!

I have a proclaimed love affair with Whole Foods..it is true. I have a sweet tooth that must be satisfied, and when I found this chocolate bar, the gates of heaven opened. I introduce you to the Theo Chocolate Bar, Cherry & Almond Dark Chocolate.

Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Almonds that has rich 70% dark chocolate combined organic cherries and crunchy roasted almonds. So good. Plus it is Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free and Vegan. Delish.

Now, Theo Chocolate is the only organic, fair trade, bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the United States. Pretty cool.
Check out their website, www.theochocolate.com for all of their other delicious products.

PS..I am not getting paid to promote Theo Chocolate, I really just think their product and what the company stands for is great!

Atlantic Salmon Burgers

So, I got these great frozen Atlantic Salmon Burgers from Whole Foods. I usually am not much of a salmon fan, but I have to tell you these salmon burgers are really great.
So, for dinner last night I made an Atlantic Salmon Burger with a side of roasted asparagus.

Atlantic Salmon Burgers
Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 package of frozen Atlantic Salmon Burgers (use 1 patty)
1 small yellow onion sliced
A few sprigs of lettuce (I use the Earthbound Organic Fresh Herb Salad)
1 mini whole wheat pita
1 tbs. of all natural tartar sauce

Directions:

Heat a small skillet on medium to high heat and add about a tbs. of olive oil. Place frozen patty in the skillet and let it cook for about 5 minutes on each side. The patty should have a golden brown finish. Cut your whole wheat pita, add layers of lettuce, onion and the tartar sauce and place the patty in the pita. Divine! If you use the Earthbound Organic Fresh Herb Salad, it has dill, cilantro and parsley added so the flavors are incredible!

How to Stay Fit...Even When You Have a Desk Job

I have a desk job. A lot of people I know have a desk job. So how can one possibly stay fit when they sit in the same spot for 8 hours, Monday through Friday? Good question.

1. Get up from your desk at least every hour to stretch, walk around the office, run up and down the stairs.
2. Instead of picking up the phone to call an associate, walk over to their office and chat!
3. Keep a water bottle with you throughout the day. Staying hydrated is great, but getting up to refill your water bottle gets you moving.
4. At lunch, take a nice walk. Bring your gym shoes and slide them under your desk, so you can easily slip them on and go.
5. Make it a priority in the morning to get up early and take a nice 30 minute brisk walk before you head into work.
6. Take a nice walk after work to relieve some stress, but to also get that butt moving!
7. Eat well balanced meals...ideally a nice breakfast, mid-morning snack, a healthy lunch, a mid-afternoon snack...and then a nice light dinner.
8. This may be a little interesting, but keep little dumb bells under your desk at work. If you are on a phone call, pick one of them up and do a few sets of arm lifts.
9. Make sure you are stretching out those arms, legs, back and hands. Being immobile for awhile can cause tense muscles, so give them some circulation.

TGIF!! Now Here is a great Stirfry Recipe

Sooo happy it is the weekend. So a few days ago here in Ohio it was 83 degrees! Today...36 degrees, oh and snow on the ground! Can you believe it?! I am ready for spring to stick around. I have this recipe for some really great Asian Stir Fry. I eat it for dinner or lunch, it works great as a lunch to take into work, put in the microwave for a few minutes and walah...you have some great stir fry that everyone wishes they had :)
Now I make this recipe with frozen vegetables. I love frozen vegetables because they stay fresh longer and they have just as much nutrients as fresh vegetables and are super easy to heat up. But, if your heart desires, you can use fresh vegetables instead!

Asian Stir Fry
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen broccoli
1/2 cup frozen asparagus
1/2 cup frozen red and yellow peppers
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 small yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup brown rice
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sauce:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup sweet and sour sauce

First bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the 1 cup of brown rice. Turn heat down to low and let simmer for about 40 minutes covered.
In a saute pan, add about a tbs. of olive oil and bring the pan to a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic. Let saute for a few minutes. Add the frozen broccoli, asparagus, red & yellow peppers, and spinach. Let the vegetables defrost for about 10-15 minutes. If you decide to use fresh vegetables, give them about 10 minutes.
Add in the rice once it is completely cooked. Stir. Add in the sauce mixture and let cook for another 7-10 minutes. Ready to serve! Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper as you like.

I love this dish...I especially love when the spinach is soaked up with the rice and the sauce, it is super tasty. Enjoy and Happy Friday!

'Tis the Time of Year for...Awesome Lettuce!

Okay, so I had been on a pita kick the past two days and as I had mentioned before, I was going to make a pita with baba ghanoush (did you know there are several different ways to spell this delicacy? How interesting!)
So I did make my pita with baba ghanoush which was super yummy. I loaded it with Earthbound Farm Organic Fresh Herb Salad...okay...this lettuce mix is SO good. I mean dynamite, bursting with flavor. The Fresh Herb Salad is Mixed Baby Greens with parsley, dill and cilantro! So many great tastes hitting your taste buds when you take a bite, and it is organic. You can make a great salad out of the Fresh Herb Salad, but I made an awesome pita sandwich. So here is what my sandwich consisted of...

Baba Ghanoush Pita

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat pita
1 cup of Earthbound Farm Organic Fresh Herb Salad (I went crazy with greens!)
1/2 vine tomato sliced
1/3 red onion sliced
1 laughing cow wedge
2 tablespoons of Baba Ghanoush
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:
Cut the pita in half. Spread laughing cow cheese on the pita. Spread the baba ghanoush. Add the lettuce, sliced tomato, red onion and sprinkle on that salt pepper. Super fresh and satisfying.

PS...Can't wait to make a salad tonight with the Fresh Herb Salad :)

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad

Okay, so the weather has been super nice the past few days here in Ohio, although...a cold front is coming through on Friday...shocker? I think NOT! So in spite of the frequent weather changes...I wanted to post this great recipe for a Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad. Great for a wonderful spring day...or winter day...whatever works for you. The recipe was adapted from Prevention.com. I get email newsletter updates from them and had to share this recipe. Check out the website, they have some great fitness tips too!

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad
Adapted from Prevention.com (with Marketing Girl love added)

4 cups baby spinach
2 tbsp crumbled fresh goat cheese (about 1 oz)
1 cup red grapes, sliced in half (or you can use strawberries or mandarin oranges, whatever floats your boat!)
2 tbsp sliced almonds (or pecans) I love pecans, so pecans it is.
1/3 of a red onion sliced finely
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the spinach, cheese, grapes (or strawberries and mandarin oranges), red onion and almonds in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar and mix thoroughly. Season with some salt and pepper. This will make about two servings. Bon Appetit!

Whole Wheat Pitas...Where It's At

I am so excited for my lunch today! I love Whole Wheat Pitas. They are perfect for any kind of sandwich you want to make. I like pita because it is thinner than bread, so not as filling, but still fills you up just enough.
Today I have some lettuce, tomato, red onion, Laughing Cow cheese, salt and pepper, and leftover Lamb from Easter on my pita! Yummy...
Tomorrow I am thinking about making a Baba Ghanoush pita.

For Dessert, my favorite yogurt (as of right now) Stonyfield Organic Yogurt. The flavor is incredible, I mean you can literally taste the "naturalness" to it :)

Granola Making Weekend

This weekend was so lovely. It is very hard to get back into the groove of the work week after a beautiful weekend.
I went hiking with my mom both Saturday and Sunday and we went on some pretty awesome trails. There are some great parks around us and we explored a few that had some great hills and paths through the woods. We took our small pooches who LOVED it and got some sun too :)
I found this great recipe from Real Simple Magazine for an Easy Toss-and Bake Granola recipe. I LOVE Real Simple magazine... I have to tell you. When I was at the grocery store this weekend, I leaped for joy when I saw that the new issue was out. Their website is also great with organizing, cleaning, health and recipe tips..plus lots more!
This recipe is fabulous and I have been sprinkling it on top of my oatmeal, yogurt or just to have as a little snack too. I also tweaked the recipe a little bit to my liking :)

Easy Toss-and Bake Granola
Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

Makes 6 cups
Hands on Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup unsalted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) or shelled sunflower seeds... I used sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I added about 3/4 cup because I like my granola when it sticks together and clumps and has the chewy texture, I also added 1/4 cup of organic buckwheat honey, it added a bold rich flavor that is divine!)
2 tablespoons canola oil (I added 1/4 cup canola oil because I found my oats were not binding together well, and a little extra oil helped)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried fruit (such as cherries, cranberries, raisins or currants) I used raisins, because they are my favorite!

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the oats, almonds, coconut, and pepitas with the maple syrup, oil, and salt.
2. Bake, tossing once, until golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.

Tip:
The granola will keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 weeks.

Love this granola and I have enough to last me for a few weeks, yesss!

PS...My hyacinth plant is in full bloom, and another stem is already blooming too! Beautiful I tell ya :)

Plants can Always Brighten up your Office

I decided to bring a plant into work... word on the street is that having a plant on your desk brightens your spirits and mood...especially in women! I brought in a Hyacinth plant, which are so gorgeous. Yesterday morning when I brought it in, the petals were all closed. I watered it a little bit yesterday, put it by my window at work and literally...overnight...the petals have already opened! I am so excited about it, it is quite sad! Hyacinth has such a beautiful sweet scent, so once it is in full bloom my office at work is going to smell FABULOUS!

PS..I know this has nothing to do with food, but I love anything that is beautiful and can brighten up the day :)