2010 September|Chia Seed Me

Sep 30, 2010 Posted by candice on Sep 30, 2010 in Uncategorized, breakfast, our life, travel | 12 comments

adventures in iowa part 1

So, we headed out at about 11pm last night…

…and drove….

…and drove some more…

and finally arrived in Iowa at about 9 am this morning!

I’m not going to lie, it was a rough night. It was actually kind of fun considering we hadn’t seen our sweet friends, Jason and Emily, in months – we had puh-lenty of time to catch up! But the time when I was actually trying to sleep was not pretty. No big surprise there, though.

The most eventful part of the trip was on the Kansas turnpike about 3 hours in. We suddenly realized we were quite low on gas, but if you’ve ever been on the Kansas turnpike, you know that there is a large portion of nothingness for miles. Our gauge was telling us that we had 0 miles of gas left, and we still had 14 miles to go.

Our gas gauge lies apparently…because somehow we made it all the way. A gas station has never looked so beautiful, especially at 3 am.

Upon arriving in Iowa, we first hit up the little town, Fort Madison, where the guys’ tuxes were waiting. Before picking them up, however, we found this cute little cafe in the middle of town. It was so quaint…and it literally put a smile on face for many reasons.

cute atmosphere and sweet friends (and husband:)

Japanese Sencha Green Tea

whole wheat toast with Barney Butter from my HLS swag bag

a big bowl of fruit

I was feeling really pretty terrible by the time we got to Fort Madison – my eyes were bloodshot and burning, my body was stiff and cramped everywhere…and I needed a serious shower. But this little cafe, Wild Whisk, made me so very happy! It was the breath of fresh air I needed with a healthy breakfast and some delicious tea.

Then we walked to the tux place. And I snapped photos of all the quaintness.

handsome husband:)

We finally made it all the way to Burlington at about 11am, and after some puppy dog eyes and coercing with the front desk clerk were able to snag an early check in.

I showered and then hopped into bed, feeling so blessed to have my husband on one side of me and our wonderful friends in the next bed over (not awkward at all:). We are sharing a room this afternoon, and then tonight the guys will stay together for the bachelor party, and Em and I will stay here. I spent the rest of the afternoon just like this.

Tonight we enjoyed the evening celebrating with our friends at their rehearsal dinner. And it was lovely. More of our Iowa adventure to come tomorrow!

and we’re off!

Today has been quite the whirlwind!

I got up this morning and went for a quick and chilly 4 mile run. When I got back I rewarded myself with a delicious green smoothie.

Aside from three tutoring appointments and a yoga class, I spent the rest of the day preparing for our trip!

the goods

Let’s see, we’ve got bananas, rice cakes, almond butter, Pirate’s Booty, larabars out the wazoo, honeycrisp apples!, and a few random samples leftover from my HLS swag bag. I also tossed in my Vega Shake n Go smoothie mix. This girl is definitely not going to go hungry! My motto is you can never be too prepared for a road trip. Besides, I’m thinking Burlington, Iowa probably doesn’t have tons in the way of healthy restaurants.

Yes, that’s right – I said Burlington, IOWA!

You guys had a lot of good/legitimate guesses earlier, but I only had two people specifically guess Iowa – Amanda from Vegacious and Amber from Stay at Home Mom’s Musings. So, with two correct guesses, I had to draw a name.

Congratulations Amanda! Email me your address, and as soon as I get back from our trip I’ll bake you some cookies:)

Kind of ironic too, considering Amanda lives in Iowa!

Anyway, I gotta run…err, drive that is. We’re leaving right now (10:45 pm) and driving thought the night. Talk about miserable!! JK. Hopefully it won’t be too bad.

Our hotel has wifi, though, so I’ll talk to ya’ll tomorrow!

G’night:)

want some cookies?

And the celebration of fall continues…

Breakfast this morning.

Overnight oats prepared with 1/3 cup soy vanilla yogurt, 1/3 cup almond milk, 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 canned pumpkin, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp molasses, and a sprinkle of unsweetened dried cranberries. I also made a trip to Panera with the husband before work – a bagel for him and a half decaf black coffee for me.

Today has been ultra busy because I’ve been preparing for a trip! We are leaving tomorrow night with some friends to roadtrip somewhere across the U.S. I’ll leave you with a hint as to where it might be.

I’ll choose one comment out of all of you who guess correctly by tomorrow night at 8pm, and I’ll mail you a batch of my very favorite homemade vegan cookies.

Let’s face it – I’m really just looking for an excuse to bake cookies for one of my fabulous readers. I love you guys:)

G’night!

back in town

Wow – thank you all so much for the sweet comments on my Project Food Blog entry #2! You guys sure know how to make a girl feel good. If it wasn’t for all of you, I wouldn’t even be participating in the second round, so thank you, thank you!

Voting for Challenge #2 started this morning. You can go here to read my entry (and others!) and vote. Your support means so much to me:)

This morning started out as a celebration of the arrival of the fall season to Oklahoma. I woke up with a serious craving for pumpkin – so serious in fact that I made a special trip to the grocery store to see if Libby was back in town yet…

Sheeee’s baaaaaaack!

We had a joyous reunion, which involved 1 cup almond milk, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp molasses and ice (recipe stolen from Angela). I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time I was drinking it. Made me feel all warm inside:)

I spent the morning working on some projects, and then wrapped up just in time for lunch. Lunch was a bit hurried as I was rushing to meet for my 1st tutoring appointment of the afternoon. I threw together an easy peanut butter and banana sandwich on that amazing bread I raved about last week. It’s actually a little stale now, but still good for toasting!

Probably would have been best to get some veggies in at lunch, but sometimes ya just gotta go with it:)

We spent a majority of this evening doing something that is overdue, and not fun in any way.

We put our little Mini Cooper up for sale.

I spent some one-on-one time with her at the car wash, getting her all gussied up and ready for a photo shoot. Then the husband and I took her out and snapped some pics – and she is now officially up on Craigslist.

It’s a sad day at the McCoy house. But not as sad as the day we actually sell her will be. We absolutely love our little car. We got her last year on my very first day of teaching. I needed a reliable car with good gas mileage in which to commute, and considering we’d both been eyeing Minis for quite some time it was the perfect solution.

not sure what’s going on with my hair here – all it took was one day with those teenagers I guess;)

Anyway, I know that it’s just a car – and I know that material possessions are not the most important thing. In fact, I’ve been thinking lately that I don’t want to feel so attached to an object. My goal is to live my life with my hands open to God, recognizing that nothing I have is really mine…it’s all His. So, I’m really praying that I’ll be able to view this as an opportunity to glorify Him by giving up this thing that I feel is so important, but really only holds worldly value.

Amen?

Now we just have to work on Olive being able to let go.

“Olive, get on your perch!” (iPhone pic taken last winter)

So, if you live in Oklahoma and are looking for the cutest little, fuel efficient car around you can check out the listing here, or shoot me an email.

Well, I’m off to make some pumpkin overnight oats for tomorrow morning – I have a feeling Libby and I will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming weeks:) Hope ya’ll had a great Monday!

Do you get attached to the car that you drive? Have you ever had to sell a car that you really loved? Would it be hard for you to sell the one you drive now? Please tell me I’m not crazy….

Project Food Blog Challenge #2: a Vietnamese Classic

It was July of 2008. The husband and I had just finished up a year-long stint in Thailand and were spending our final days in southeast Asia. Vietnam to be exact.

During our time there, we walked the streets of Hanoi, taking in the smells of motorbike exhaust and meats from the street vendors. We sailed Halong Bay, relishing the beauty and feeling the hot sun soak into our faces. We watched the people as they went about their lives, and even though the setting was quite different than our country, there was a particular charm that simply couldn’t be captured in a photo.

We left feeling enamored with the Vietnamese culture – the food, the landscape, the somber, yet smiling people – and yet also sad to be leaving after only three short days. I’ve reminisced about our time there many times since, but it wasn’t until today that I felt I was transplanted back to those days. As my kitchen was infiltrated with the aroma of ginger, basil, chili peppers and mushrooms I was suddenly once again meandering down the streets of Hanoi, sidestepping tiny children and stray dogs, and taking it all in. And that first bite of Vegetarian Pho – oh that first bite! My mouth was filled with noodles and warm broth. My eyes began to water as I felt the heat begin to spread. I tasted Vietnam.

Vegetarian Pho – a classic Vietnamese dish
recipe adapted from here

Ingredients for broth

8 cups water
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 shallots, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
12 sliced rounds of fresh ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp low-sodium tamari
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
5 fresh basil stems – set aside leaves
5 cilantro stems – set aside leaves

Ingredients for Pho

8 ounces Thai rice noodles
8 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed and sliced thinly
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp low sodium tamari
2 cups soybean sprouts
4 green onions, cut in 2 inch sections
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup spicy basil leaves
1 chili pepper, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup arugula

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tofu slices into a shallow baking dish.
Combine olive oil, 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar, molasses and tamari and mix well. Pour marinade over tofu, and turn tofu to coat both sides. Bake for 25 minutes (I like mine well-done!).
Fill a large stock pot with water. Add vegetable broth, shallots, onion, mushrooms, anise star, garlic ginger, brown sugar, vinegar, pepper, cinnamon sticks, 3 tbsp tamari, basil stems and cilantro stems. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Prepare to be engulfed with the smells of Vietnam.
With about 5 minutes simmering time remaining, bring a small pot of water to boil. Add rice noodles and allow to boil for about 3 minutes. When soft, drain and rinse with cold water.
Strain broth and return to pot. Discard solid ingredients.
Divide noodles among 6 bowls. Pour broth over noodles and top with arugula, green onions, chili pepper slices, tofu, and bean sprouts. Serve cilantro, basil and lime wedges on the side to be stirred into soup as desired.

The husband and I enjoyed this dish with a side of vegetarian summer rolls and a spicy peanut sauce. A perfect pairing.

Thank you all so much for putting in a vote for my entry in the Project Food Blog Challenge #1! I was so honored, happy and admittedly a bit surprised to advance to the next challenge. When I first began to plot my take on challenge #2, a classic dish from another country, I knew without a doubt what I wanted to do. That was the easy part.

The hard part was finding all the right ingredients! I first stopped by my farmer’s market for the fresh herbs, cilantro, peppers and onion. Next, I headed to our local ethnic foods store where I picked up many of the rest of the ingredients. I had a little trouble finding watercress, so I opted for arugula plus a dash of black pepper instead.

I loved making this dish – it’s something I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to make had it not been for this challenge, but recreating an experience that was so impactful completely made my day.

And I have a feeling I’ll be reliving it for days to come considering the large amount of Pho in my fridge and the smell that has reached to the far depths of my house.

I would love to have your vote for this challenge if you deem my entry worthy. You can vote here starting tomorrow!!

guest post: heather from where’s the beach

Hey all! Happy weekend!

Today I have such a special treat for you guys. For the last couple of months, I’ve been feeling the urge to start doing some resistance training. The problem? I have no idea what I’m doing!!!

While I was involved in some weight training in high school, I didn’t really know what I was doing then and that has been so long ago that I wouldn’t remember much anyway. That’s where my good friend, Heather, comes in. Heather writes about healthy living over at Where’s the Beach, and she never fails to post awesome meals and awesome detailed explanations of her workouts. And trust me, if you could see this girl’s abs, you want to do whatever kind of workout she does! Not only that, but she’s super genuine and sweet, and is one of my favorite blog friends.

Now enough of my rambling, here’s Heather for some great info on how to get started with weight training as a beginner. I stole this picture from her blog – who wouldn’t want those arms?

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First off, I want to thank Candice for asking me to do this post, I really am honored. And secondly, I appreciate her dedicated readers (you) for taking the time to read this post.

Disclaimer before anyone jumps on my case – I am NOT certified in anything. The following is simply my personal beliefs and suggestions through research and trial and error on my own. If you want professional advice, please talk to a certified personal trainer.

So, you’ve probably read that resistance training is important, especially for women. But your first reaction is, “I don’t want to bulk up!” Go ahead and just push that sentence aside and repeat after me, “I will not bulk up like a man lifting heavy weights.” Seriously, say it out loud. Women who do the fitness competitions work long and hard, very hard at gaining their mass. It is a major effort for women to gain that type of muscle mass. Would you believe me if I said that I use 20 lb dumbbells for curls? I do, and I am no She-Ra. So don’t be afraid of weights – they are your friend. Lifting or resistance training can help prevent osteoporosis, boost metabolism, and help you look slimmer. Um, did you read that? So set your fear aside about bulking up. In fact, as a background lesson, I danced (ballet) for over 20 years. My calves and thighs were rather large from all the jumping, etc. Lifting actually leaned out my legs, and I can now wear “skinny” jeans. No lie.

So, now that you know you’re not going to look like Arnold, where do you begin? I know it can be so intimidating that you just avoid it. I mean, how on earth do you know how many sets, how many reps, how many days, what exercises, what’s the right weight, etc. There are some crazy rotations and methods too: drop sets, super sets, tri sets, giant sets, oh pyramids, straight sets, push muscles, pull muscles, push/pull…holy crap.

So how do you sort it all out especially if you can’t afford a personal trainer. I think telling you how I got started may help you. It’s been a learning process, I won’t deny that. I think one of the easiest ways to get started is how I did – via DVDS. I started lifting doing full-body and circuit workouts. Cathe Friedrich was and is my go-to gal pal for weights. The great thing about starting off with the DVDs is that you don’t really have to think about all the details, you can learn the exercises, names, learn about reps, rep patterns, and learn about proper form (providing the instructor is good of course). But, the problem can be getting in a rut and not changing up the routine, the splits, increasing your weights, etc. You do have to push yourself and not be afraid to pick up that heavier weight and know that hitting failure isn’t a bad thing.

Another thing to consider is how you split out the workout: Full-body or Splitting up the muscle groups. There seems to be some debate about the effectiveness of either style. I think there are pros and cons for both, and I am not here to argue them. Here is one article you can read that sort of explains the differences. But, from personal experience I would suggest starting off with 2-3 full-body workouts a week. Make sure you’re up for the routine of lifting each week. Get familiar with the exercises out there and the weights you’re able to lift (this is so important no matter what you do). Remember, it’s ok if you can only start with 5 lb, but don’t forget to push yourself and try heavier. Next play around with reps and weights – try going for fewer reps, but upping those weights. This is more muscle and strength building.

Do some research or invest in some (more) DVDs and play around with splits. Cathe seriously has some amazing DVDs to choose from for lifting options. I know there are others, I am just not as familiar with them. There are also books that have rotations set up for you (gotta love that) with demonstrations of the exercises as well. Two that I would happily recommend (I own both) are The Body Fat Solution and The New Rules of Lifting for Women.

I mostly do splits now. I have done a total-body rotation (8-weeks) twice since December just to change things up. I prefer to split out the muscle groups though so I can go heavy and focus on that muscle group more and for time reasons. I like to change up the splits too – not always doing biceps and triceps, but sometimes doing say biceps and back, or biceps, triceps, shoulders. The thing is, when you only work that muscle group once a week, you have to hit it hard because you’re then going to rest it a week. For full-body workouts, you gotta keep in mind that you are going to hit that muscle group at least once maybe twice more. Good? Bad? Better? Worse? Each to his own is what I say in life. I think you must adapt your workouts (either weights or cardio or both) to your individual situation, your individual needs, your individual goals. I think the important thing is that you’re lifting.

Lifting and exercising are serious passions of mine, and I hope to inspire others to get fit. I know it can be overwhelming, but don’t give up. Just start with the basics. A few dumbbells and some basic exercises can actually get you farther than you think. You don’t have to have a gym membership even. I almost never lift at the gym and almost never ever use the cabled equipment. At home I don’t even have a barbell. So I hope this post wasn’t more confusing, that it perhaps answered any questions or allayed any fears. Mostly, I hope that it inspires you to pick up some weights.

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Thanks so much for taking time to share with us about this, Heather. If you haven’t checked out Heather’s blog, don’t forget to hop on over there. Heather – you are awesome!

bring on the carbs

Happy 2nd day of fall! I can’t believe I forgot to tell everyone Happy 1st day of fall yesterday because I am so darn excited. Last night I heard our weatherman say “a fall cool front will be moving in this week,” and I about jumped out of my skin. It sounds like I’m being really dramatic, but I really am that excited. I am in love with fall:)

Jon and I literally drug ourselves out of bed (it was one of those kind of mornings) and went for a four mile run this morning. I was feeling really strong until we hit our first hill, and then everything went downhill fast, literally and figuratively. I think I was dehydrated – it wasn’t even that hot out and there was a nice breeze, but my neck and face felt like they were on fire and my body felt like lead. Very pleasant indeed. We took a couple of short walk brakes and came in just under 42 minutes. I was feelin’ pretty blah, but still so happy that we finished. Our half marathon training is finally looking up a little bit at least, considering we’ve actually stayed committed to our training this week.

Today has been a very “work from home” kind of day, meaning I didn’t leave the house all morning. When the husband called around 11 to say he had to work through lunch I knew I had to get out of the house. Obviously I had no choice but to drive straight to the little bakery we ate at yesterday.

Instead of ordering the same sandwich, though, I just bought an entire loaf of that same bread, haha. I wasn’t kidding when I said how good it was. By the time I was driving across town to get it, I was already starving and developing a serious headache. So, naturally as soon as I got back in the car, I inhaled two pieces. It was so good. Let me say that again – it was so good!!!

Then I came home and recreated that beautiful sandwich, just with different veggies and hummus instead of pesto.

arugula, sprouts, pickles, hummus

with a red pear on the side

I have been wanting to try arugula for months now, but I never can find it! After I picked up my bread, I dropped by the grocery store to get some bananas and happened upon some organic arugula. score! Is it strange to be so excited over a leafy green?

Anyway, I’ve been so excited about my sandwich that I breezed right by breakfast.

I was out of spinach and bananas this mornings, so I had to fore-go my green monster. I opted instead for shredded wheat n bran, a sprinkle of Kashi Go Lean Crunch, frozen blueberries and soy milk. It was a nice change:) I was actually craving cereal last night before I went to bed, so this really kind of hit the spot this morning.

Anyway, I must run. I do just want to say a quick thank you to all my sweet readers for reading my blog- you all are one of the main reasons I keep writing everyday.

And that’s a wrap:) I hope you all have a lovely day – enjoy the cooler weather if you’ve got it and enjoy the last days of summer if not!

the two best things

Today I had the two best things ever for lunch.

A sandwich on the most perfect bread I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. Plus pesto and veggies.

And my favorite person in the entire world. how cute is he?

Afterward I spent my entire afternoon talking grammar with my tutoring students and then wrapped it all up by teaching my yoga class tonight. Life sure is hard sometimes, but today really couldn’t have been any better:)

How was your day? What was your favorite part?

P.S. Last chance if you’d be up for voting for my entry in Project Food Blog. Voting ends tomorrow!! Go here check out my entry and vote:)

decisions, decisions

Thanks so much for the well wishes yesterday. I’m very happy to report that I’m feeling much better today.

I started out this morning with a 4 mile run. Sadly I forgot to plug in the Garmin last night, but the husband came through for us by suggesting we use the Map My Run iPhone app. It worked like a charm! If you’re ever in a pinch, try it out. It doesn’t tell you a lot of details, but it does tell you your average pace, distance, time, and it maps as you run. Not bad for free, right?

Anyway, once we got home I had a green monster for breakfast before doing a run through of my yoga class.

lots of spinach, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1/2 scoop Amazing Grass, 1.25 cup almond milk, ice

There really is just nothing that compares to an ice cold green monster in the morning…really there isn’t.

By the time I got ready for the day and then enjoyed an hour of yoga, it was time to go meet my friend, Grace, for our weekly lunch. Definitely one of the highlights of my week! We went to my favorite little cafe, Cafe Bella. If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ve seen this sandwich many a time before…but I just can’t resist getting the same thing. The one time I branched out I regretted it, and since then have clung dearly to my staple.

grilled veggie panini with hummus

I spent this afternoon working on Outbox tasks and laundry. Definitely one of my favorite parts of working from home is being able to stay on top of household tasks throughout the day. I’m really quite the domestic diva;)

Snack break!

grapes

cinnamon raisin Ezekiel muffin with natural peanut butter

I also ended up having a small mug of Kashi Go Lean Crunch with almond milk later in the afternoon. I am like a bottomless pit today!

Tonight Jon and I decided to turn off work for a few hours and just hang out. We hardly ever watch TV…but tonight one of our favorite shows premiered for the fall season. How many of you watch The Biggest Loser? We are huge fans. And I have to admit, part of my love stems from my love for Jillian. Don’t you just wish you could carry her around in your pocket all day? Or not;)

Anyway, I never fail to feel inspired after watching an episode of TBL. I think it’s going to be a really good season. The only thing I didn’t like about tonight was the way they chose the contestants. They went from city to city, and at each stop they picked 3 people; however, those 3 people had to compete in their first challenge in order to decide which 2 got to actually go on the show. The other person had to go home. One of the challenges was a 1 mile run in which the first two people to finish won. I felt that the most unhealthy person, the one who needed the most help was of course the one to lose on every challenge. I just thought it was kind of silly. I’m sure there was a reason for it, but you’d think they’d want the most unhealthy person to be chosen. I guess that’s the way the show goes, too, though. If you watched tonight, what did you think?

For dinner Jon and I had the bright idea of making quesadillas. Unfortunately, by the time I was all psyched up for it, we realized we were out of soy cheese. Enter sad face.

For some uncharacteristic reason, I decided to just have regular cheese on mine. I think I might have been from Mexico in a different life. Not even kidding. It’s like I get in the zone…and my eyes glaze over at the mention of mexican food. Kind of scary, really. Anyway, it wasn’t that big of a deal, but afterward I did wish I had made a different choice. Isn’t that always the way it goes? Onward and upward, though. Perfectionism will not get the best of me:)

I’m definitely not going to kid myself by saying they didn’t taste good. The husband knows how to make a mean quesadilla. Mine had cheese, vegetarian refried beans, chopped onions, and diced green chilies. mmm.

I’ve got a busy day ahead tomorrow – the usual Outbox work, 3 tutoring appointments and a yoga class await me! My newest tutoring student, Nada, is a little bit high maintenance…which I guess she has every right to be. She wants to learn strictly grammar…and she wants the hard core stuff. She catches on really fast and asks lots of questions – definitely keeps me on my toes! She’s also quite the talker. At the end of our last appointment she started talking and ended telling me everything from how to not get taken advantage of at Disney World (what?) to how to get a job in Dubai. 45 minutes later, I was walking to my car in a daze. I’m going to have to reign her in tomorrow though, or else I’ll be late to yoga. Doesn’t look to good when the instructor’s late!

Okay, now I’m starting to act like Nada:) I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!

P.S. I don’t want to bug you guys, but if you feel so inclined, please drop by and vote for me in Project Food Blog – you can check out my entry and vote here. Thank you so so much to those of you who already voted. You guys are the best!

under the weather

Happy Monday!

I’m sure many of you have heard that voting is open for Project Food Blog today, so please click here and cast your vote for ChiaSeedMe. I’d appreciate it so much!!

We had sort of a crazy weekend over here starting on Friday night with my mother-in-law and father-in-law coming into town for a visit. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law joined us all on Saturday and we spent the day hanging out before heading to the football game on Saturday night. Jon is in charge of taking pictures in the suites again this year, and I get to tag along and be his assistant:) It’s a bit draining making small talk with donors all night, but at least we get free food and drinks!

Saturday night I started not feeling so well, so we watched Pride and Prejudice (the new version) in bed and then promptly fell asleep. I expected to wake up feeling much better, but unfortunately woke up feeling terrible, so we went to church and then spent the rest of the day hanging around the house. Per the usual, the husband fell asleep to P&P, so Sunday night we had a “re-viewing” so he could see it. I didn’t mind a bit – I absolutely love that movie. The first time I saw it, I didn’t think it was all that great, but I just couldn’t get enough of it this weekend. In fact, call me pathetic, but after it was over Sunday night, I crawled into bed with the book, haha.

Anyway, I’m feeling a little bit better today, but still having some stomach issues and a pretty bad headache. I honestly didn’t feel like eating breakfast this morning, and I certainly didn’t feel like making it, so I went with a simple Ezekiel muffin topped with almond butter.

Lunch was easy as well – leftover Summery Couscous Salad with steamed broccoli.

This afternoon I had my usual two appointments for tutoring plus a new student whom I’ll be meeting with twice a week now. Nada is from Egypt, but she lived much of her life in Dubai, so I got to hear so much about Dubai today! Jon and I have read about Dubai several times, and now my travel bug (which never seems to leave my side) is itching to go there. It has been way too long since I’ve been to that part of the world.

Well, I’m off to try to get some rest and get rid of this stomach issue that has been plaguing me…hope you are all having a great start to your week!

Don’t forget to vote

Project Food Blog Challenge #1

Hey friends! I’m sure you’ve all heard about the Project Food Blog contest that Foodbuzz is hosting for all featured publishers. After much deliberation, I decided to enter because even though ChiaSeedMe is still a humble little blog, I love a good contest and if I’m blessed enough to stay in the contest past the first cut, I’ll be pushed to tackle challenges that I never would get out of my comfort zone to do otherwise. Plus, I love blogging about food, so why not?!

So, in lieu of my first entry, here’s a little bit about me and why I would love to be and believe I can be the next Food Blog Star:) In true English teacher style I bring to you…

The Who

Hey, I’m Candice, a former high school English teacher passionate about food, crazy about my yorkie, Olive, and head over heels for my husband, Jon. I left my teaching job to pursue writing and health, and am loving navigating this new and uncertain world of following my foodie dreams. I love spending my time creating recipes, writing about and photographing everything from a simple green smoothie (which I partake in most mornings) to a perfect chocolaty vegan cookie (which I wish I could partake in most mornings:). I also love teaching yoga, running, going for walks and laughing and talking about English with international students.

The What

ChiaSeedMe is a healthy living blog that I started last January. I previously blogged about my random daily life at a different blog and was super intimidated to start my own food blog; however, once I wrote my first post, I knew I had made the best decision ever, and since then ChiaSeedMe has become such a fun and fulfilling part of my life. I blog about everything from the simple, tasty meals I create to funny little anecdotes in my everyday life that usually involve mishaps in and out of the kitchen and the crazy antics of my husband and our little furball. Toss in some posts about exercise, beauty products, vivid photographs and stories from our travels to Thailand and beyond and you’ve got a glimpse of every side of ChiaSeedMe.

The When

I usually blog once a day and inspiration usually strikes me sometime in the afternoon or evening. Though I’m definitely known to still be typing and uploading photos at midnight more often than I’d like to admit.

The Where

I live in central Oklahoma in a small city where it’s a 50 mile drive to the nearest Target or Whole Foods. While it sometimes drives me mad to not have access to great restaurants and beautiful running paths, I’m often forced to create my own inspiration or find it in the unlikeliest of places. I often use the most basic, everyday foods (Walmart kind of foods:) in my recipes, and on runs I seek out inspiration from cows and wheat fields rather than crashing waves. I hope this enables readers to relate to me and to be encouraged to find their own inspiration in the simplest of places. I believe that a healthy life is less about our circumstances and more about what we make of them.

The Why

I get kind of teary eyed thinking about the why of ChiaSeedMe. For the first 25 years of my life, I struggled on a diet of fat-free and sugar-free foods, while feeling guilty every single morning that I didn’t burn enough calories on the treadmill. Then I found healthy living blogs, and my perspective did a one-eighty. I learned that there is truly nothing better for our bodies than real, whole foods and exercise that is done in pursuit of health and not a number on the scale. I admit, I’m still learning so much about balancing life through food, and I have setbacks all the time (right, Jon?:), but I know that I’m leaps and bounds beyond where I was even two years ago, and I want to share that with anyone who will listen. I want to shout it from the rooftops, and ChiaSeedMe is one way I get the opportunity to do that! I truly love my little blog, and every single reader I hear from reinforces the reason why. When I hear that someone was inspired to eat more real foods because of my daily eats or that someone made one of my recipes for their family and it was a huge hit, I get butterflies inside.

Sometimes I can’t believe that people actually read this blog of mine, and I dream of the day that I can reach more people and hopefully make a positive impact on some small corner of the world.

takin’ me back

Today was another successful day of Operation: Get Clear Skin. Successful being used very loosely of course – meaning I pulled out all the stops by sticking to the list I posted yesterday…but my face is technically still not clear at all. I honestly do think I can see a glimmer of improvement, though, so my hopes are high. Thank you for all the supportive comments and advice. You guys rock!

Actually, the drama with my face brought back a memory of Thailand for me today. It was Valentine’s Day of 2008, and Jonathan had planned a one night getaway for us at a hotel in Chiang Mai. It was really only about 15 minutes away from our apartment, but had air conditioning, a bath tub and was gecko free as far as we could tell:)

this little guy welcomed us to our kitchen the day we moved in – little did we know his entire extended family + all his friends lived in our house as well.

flowers the husband bought me from the market

hotels like this are fairly inexpensive for Americans

I seriously stayed in this tub for hours on end. It was like I was back in America.

The next morning he took me out to breakfast…

and then it was time for the big surprise.

He had booked me a massage and facial (also really cheap in Thailand – I could get a manicure for about three dollars)!

I remember laying on my back, feeling like I had died and gone to heaven as a sweet Thai woman massaged things into my face.

You see where this is going.

The next morning I woke up and throughout the day this rash began to show up on my face. It was like my entire face was completely overtaken by blemishes…seriously beyond anything I’ve ever experienced in my 27 years. I wanted to hide under a rock and never come out. And I kept asking myself “what could have possibly made you think it was a good idea to let someone rub not only their hands, but also various other unknown concoctions all over your face?!”

Needless to say I haven’t had a facial since.

And that’s where memory lane ends.

Back to today. I started off again with a delicious breakfast juice before doing an hour session of yoga in preparation for my class tonight.

The goods. Parsley, escarole (leafy green I picked up at Whole Foods last week!), 1 plum, 1 organic carrot, 1 beet and 1 apple

aren’t beets so pretty?

a spry little sprig of parsley

and the finished product

After yoga and some light house keeping, I was ready for a snack.

apple and almond butter

I haven’t had an apple and almond/peanut butter together in a long time…but I think it is time to bring it back! holla.

I also sipped on a Pom spritzer (a few ounces of Pom juice mixed with seltzer water) on the side. This little drink was so refreshing to me today.

A little while later lunch was a green monster just like yesterday’s, except with almond milk – yay for a stocked fridge!

After meeting with a new student whom I will be tutoring now as well as student I’ve been tutoring for awhile, I came home craving exactly what you see above: homemade salsa (recipe coming soon!), baby carrots, sugar snap peas, spelt pretzels and spicy garlic hummus. This snack plate was so filling and it took me forever to eat it, which is a plus in my book:)

Dinner was a little more carb heavy. I somehow failed to get a picture, but the husband and I made Mexican Fiesta Pasta. It was hot, mexicany, spicy and it really hit the spot!

I must be off to bed now…I’m planning to make it up in the morning in time for a run, but I’m a little worried seeing as how tired I am right now and how late it is. Must. Get. Sleep.

G’night!

let’s clear things up

Hello!

This morning…I juiced.

But before that I went on a 3.5 mile run. It was a decent run – not the best I’ve ever had, but certainly not bad. I love those moments when I hit a high in the middle of my run, whether caused by my current tune, something to do with the scenery or just a good strong and steady stride, it’s just so sweet. We didn’t make great time – I think we finished in about 38 minutes, but I’ve just been less worried about time lately. I would honestly rather just enjoy running than be super worried about how fast I’m going.

Anyway, so I came home and showered and then got to juicing. I know I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had switched cleansers to Burt’s Bees because I wanted to start using all natural skin care. I’ll be doing a full review on it later as I want to give it a little more time before I form a final opinion. One thing I don’t think I mentioned before is that I felt like it was a good time for me to make the switch because I was having some serious breakouts on my face. I haven’t had a problem with breakouts since high school, and I’m not really sure what’s going on. But I figured since my face was already broken out, it would be a good time to change my skin care system, since switching can often trigger a breakout. Might as well get it all over with at once.

Not sure that was the best idea. I’ve been using Burt’s Bees for about 2 weeks now, and my face has progressively gotten worse. I honestly don’t think that BB is specifically the problem. I think there was already a problem, and so far BB just hasn’t miraculously cleared up my skin. It has gotten so bad, though, that I finally called the other day and set up an appointment with the dermatologist. I’m seriously feeling desperate!

Anyway, I woke up this morning and was washing my face when it occurred to me that I should really try every natural remedy I can think of before I end up with a prescription cream of some sort that is full of chemicals and most likely expensive on top of that. After just a little bit of researching I came up with a few ideas that I’m going to begin implementing.

Drink a lot more water – I drink water with most meals, but often forget to drink it in between
Eat more raw foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds (read: lots of juices, green smoothies and salads)
Eliminate (with a few exceptions) refined sugar and coffee
More yoga – yes, I think this matters. It helps relieve stress and tension, which has a positive effect on my skin
Not wearing makeup whenever possible - this is kind of a catch 22 because I want to avoid makeup so my skin can breathe and begin to clear up, but I also have more of a desire to wear it because my face is so broke out. Not sure exactly how to handle this other than I won’t be wearing makeup anytime I’m at home
Continue to wash morning and night with Burt’s Bees
Use tea tree oil on blemishes
Stop touching my face! I have a bad habit of doing this.

I just felt so compelled today to do whatever I can to take care of this problem.

Breakfast. leafy greens + 1 beet + 1 carrot + 3 celery stalks + 1 apple + small piece of garlic = one amazing juice

After my juice, I did an hour yoga session. I’m learning to turn my planning for classes into awesome classes for myself. I pulled out all the stops, even using my lavender scented cloth:) A couple of hours later I had a snack plate.

Newman’s Own spelt pretzels

natural almond butter

homemade salsa

carrots and celery sticks

And for lunch I opted for a green smoothie. This contained 2 handfuls of spinach, 1 container of soy yogurt (we’re out of almond milk), 2 heaping tablespoons Vega Shake and Go Smoothie, half a banana, 1 tbsp chia seeds and ice.

For an afternoon snack I veered from raw and ate up a cinnamon raisin Ezekiel english muffin with 1 tbsp almond butter.

Plus I drank lots and lots of water all day long! Many trips to the bathroom ensued.

For dinner Jon and I grabbed salads from Chipotle on our way to buy groceries. Mine included lettuce, black beans, grilled veggies, 3 kinds of salsa and guacamole of course!

Overall I already feel much better today. Even though I can’t tell a difference on my face yet, it feels good to know that I’m going everything I can. I would love to be able to cancel that dermatologist appointment in a week.

Well, now that I’ve laid out all my problems for the world to see, I must be headed to bed;)

Question: have you ever had problems with your skin, whether acne or something else? Any ideas for natural treatments?

i’m back

It was a wonderful weekend, despite how busy and crazy it was. I made new friends, learned proper technique on tons of yoga poses as well as a plethora of other yoga topics, and after my community service I’ll officially receive my certificate as a YogaFit yoga instructor.

Honestly, I didn’t take one picture all weekend. I know, right? I don’t even know what to do with myself right now. No pictures?! My days were so full on Saturday and Sunday I honestly didn’t have time to even think about the camera.

Friday night Jon and I arrived in Dallas around 11pm and knowing that I had to wake up at 6 the next morning, I hit the sack soon after. Saturday morning I left around 7:20, drove to the gym where my training was being held, and didn’t get back home until 6:30pm. Jon and I celebrated my first day of training by making a quick trek through Ikea and then hitting up some Mexican food for dinner. I was just so exhausted by that point that my camera didn’t even make it into the restaurant, so no food pics:(

By the time we got back to my sister’s apartment, I was so exhausted I literally collapsed for the night. Sunday was essentially the same story, except instead of hitting up Ikea and Mexican food, we hit the road for the 4 hour drive home, arriving home last night around 10pm.

Today has definitely been kind of tough getting back on schedule because I’ve just been so tired! As soon as I woke up this morning I knew I needed to energize myself with the most energy filled breakfast I could think of.

one green apple, 1 small beet, 1/2 lime, 2 stalks celery, 1 organic carrot

plus a piece of ginger about the size of my thumb:)

Don’t worry, I didn’t just eat all this raw. I juiced it of course!

However, I somehow forgot to take a picture of my juice…doh! I told you my brain is still not quite functioning properly after the crazy weekend. Take it from me, though, it was beautiful and tasty!

I also had an orange on the side for a little vitamin c and fiber:)

And a little later I snacked on my favorite Larabar of all time before heading out for tutoring.

I’m off to get some yoga in, but later I’ll be doing a recap of my YogaFit training weekend and sharing what I think about the company and their training seminar.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

What was the best thing you did/the best thing that happened to you all weekend? Big or small! Mine was honestly getting to reunite with the husband after an entire day apart on Saturday:)

roadtrip time

The snacks are packed, Olive’s loaded up, and the husband and I are off for a fun and eventful weekend! When I come back, I’ll officially be trained to teach yoga. Hooray!!

Thanks for all the well wishes over my first class…you guys are way too sweet:)

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

a success

Hi!

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday. This week has flown by! I’ve been spending the last couple of days eating and breathing yoga as I’ve prepared to teach my first class. I’m happy to say it went really well! There are of course a lot of things I want to improve upon as I continue teaching, but for my first class I was pleased.

My eats have been kind of boring because I’ve been so preoccupied…just the closest, healthiest (and sometimes not so much) thing and call it good has been my motto! Sometimes life is just like that you know? However, last night when I walked in the door from yoga at about 6:45, the husband was hard at work in the kitchen, cooking up a fantastic recipe from, you guessed it, Eat, Drink and Be Vegan!

Gimme Chimis

Ingredients

1/2 – 1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1-1.5 tsp Chipotle Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5 cups zucchini, julienned
1/2-3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup tempeh, chopped (or extra firm tofu or additional 1/2 cup beans of any variety)
1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 whole wheat tortillas
2 tbsp olive oil (for frying)
fresh lime wedges, for garnish
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish

Directions

In a frying pan on medium heat, add oil, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, chipotle sauce, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and salt and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add zucchini and tomatoes, and saute for another 5 minutes until veggies soften.
Add beans and tempeh (or substitute), stir to combine, and saute for another 3-5 minutes.

Stir in vinegar and transfer mixture to a bowl (scraping out all filling and reserving pan for later).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
On a flat surface, spoon 1/4 of filling down center of each tortilla, leaving 1-2 inches space on top and bottom. Fold bottom edge over filling and roll up, tucking in sides as you go.
In the same frying pan on medium-high, heat oil for 30 seconds, then place burritos seam-side down on pan
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side to lightly brown, then transfer to lined baking sheet )or if frying pan is oven-proof, then simply place it in oven) and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove and serve with lime wedges and a sprinkling of cilantro

This recipe was awesome. I have to say that before I became more conscious of my health, chimmichangas were one of my favorite meals to order at mexican restaurants. I especially loved the fried crispy shell. This healthified recipe was very reminiscent of the old chimi days…and the part that was most similar was the tortilla. It was flaky and crispy, yet soft in just the right areas. Score!

Well, I hate to cut this short, but I gotta run. Tomorrow is the day I leave to go get my yoga certification, and I still have to read up on the manual and pack. Oh, and run through my PiYo class again because I’m teaching in the morning! I am loving all the yoga in my life right now, but I’ll also feel a bit relieved when the new stage has worn off and I can spend a little less time and energy preparing. Soon enough, soon enough.

G’night!

a day of reunions

After such a fun and spontaneous day yesterday it was admittedly a bit hard to get back into a routine today. As my husband can attest – I live for spontaneity. I love waking up and not know what the day will hold and then making it into something wonderful.

We spent the first half of Labor Day getting some work done. One of the harder aspects of owning your own business – you must work even on holidays! I was so glad we got work out of the way, though, because then we had the rest of the day to relax and play.

On a whim, we decided to head to Tulsa. There are several draws to visiting this second closest city to us:

1. my brother-in-law and sister-in-law live there.
2. Whole Foods lives there.
3. There’s a mall.

What can I say? I’m easily pleased.

Before heading out of town, we grabbed some lunch to take on the road.

For him – Chickfila. He doesn’t get quite as excited as I do about taking pictures with his food.

For her – Panera.

Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich (minus the feta)

And an apple balancing on my knee:)

Our first stop in Tulsa as at the Apple Store at the mall to look at iPads. The husband is considering purchasing one for the business, but got cold feet and decided to think on it some more.

We also stumbled upon this place while perusing the mall.

I had never tried Teavana tea before, and I was pleasantly surprised! They had several different flavors out for sampling and they were all delicious. I resisted bringing any home with me, but I would definitely like to try some of their teas in the future. Tea has been on my mind more and more with colder weather fast approaching, so Teavana – maybe we will meet again:)

Upon leaving the mall, we headed straight for my BIL and SIL’s house. We didn’t stay there long as they had dinner cooking and we needed to get back home, but considering we hadn’t seen them since Christmas (pathetic!) it was so nice to catch up in person for awhile.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture yesterday, but just for fun here’s one from when they (MIL and FIL came too!) came to visit us when we lived in Thailand. Fun times.

Anyway, before heading back home, we grabbed some dinner at PeiWei

And then headed to Whole Foods, where the best thing ever happened.

I was reunited with my love.

no cameras allowed in Whole Foods so we had to sneak this shot with the iPhone

Almond Butter and I have been separated for a good few months due mostly to the much lower cost of peanut butter:( But last night Whole Foods had their machine working where you can grind your own, and it was only $4.99/lb. So much cheaper than buying it in a jar here!

I was a true foodie through and through last night as I giddily walked through the store with my prized possession tucked safely under my arm and a smile from ear to ear. Only those of you who share my love for almond butter can understand how happy I was. The rest of you can just think how weird I am. I’m okay with that:)

It was a smooth ride all the way back home…just me and the husband. And possibly some dark chocolate.

Hope you all had a great day and are all geared up for the short week!

Love, Candice

Do you live for spontaneity like myself? Or do you prefer the structure of a routine and planning?

labor day love

There is nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a long run.

Maybe I’m being a bit dramatic…but it really is one of the best feelings in the world. We pushed hard this morning and finished six miles in just under an hour including walk breaks.

As I’ve mentioned before, running has become increasingly difficult for me lately, and I’m not totally sure why. But it’s redeeming runs like today that keep me going and keep my love for running alive. It was painful to keep a good pace…but I just kept telling myself to dig deep and show myself what I can do. It felt so good to sprint to the finish.

We drove out the the lake path this morning, and I munched on half a banana on the way for a little bit of carby energy.

It’s kind of blurry because it was still kind of dark outside. And I couldn’t hold still in the car. The husband is a crazy driver.

When we got back I took a long, hot shower and then fixed up a protein filled breakfast.

I cooked one organic free range egg with one egg white in the microwave for 2 minutes. With about 20 seconds left, I threw some spinach on top. After the microwave stopped and toaster popped up, I sandwiched it between two Van’s Flax waffles, with a light spread of Spicy Garlic Hummus and a dash of salt and pepper.

I wasn’t sure about the addition of hummus…but I decided to go crazy and try it. It rocked. Bigtime. The combination of flavors was just perfect! Don’t you love it when that happens? The only thing I forgot was the chia seeds. Doh.

It is such a beautiful day outside – the husband and I are going to head out and see where the wind takes us. No guesses where that might be, but I’ve got high hopes!

Enjoy your Labor Day!

Love and chias:) C

Who is your favorite artist that your listening to these days? The husband and I are really loving One Republic. It’s a bit different than my usual Diane Birch and and Sara Bareilles…but has a really awesome vibe.

sunday

I love Sundays…especially when there is no work on Monday. There’s nowhere to be, no pressure to prepare for the week ahead…plenty of time to just be:)

Our go-to quick and easy lunch

Joseph’s whole wheat lavash wrap, broccoli slaw, spinach, homemade hummus, Morningstar black bean burger

Prime example of how flavors aren’t just about the actual food. They implicate environment, memories, seasons and tradition. I couldn’t resist a Pumpkin Spice latte…but ordered it iced because it’s still 90 degrees. It just wasn’t the same:(

However, it still warmed my heart just seeing the sign.

Creepy face.

Dinner was a combination of two favorites. Mexican Pizza.

Whole wheat pita spread with vegetarian refried beans and topped with all the goods – soy cheese, black beans, diced green chilis, onions and drizzled with green enchilada sauce. mmmm.

The husband was sweet enough to let me lead him through a yoga class tonight. And even extra sweet by pretending he enjoyed it! He’s my guinea pig throughout this whole “learning to be a yoga instructor” process. I’m so lucky. We worked up quite a sweat actually, and it left me feeling really energized and much more ready for our run than I was before. Three cheers for yoga!

And then I went out with a bang tonight when my bedtime snack turned into this

That would be Oikos greek yogurt and Kashi Go Lean crunch splattered on my kitchen floor. Tasty, no?

I’m off to bed – we’ll be starting Labor Day off right with a nice long run!

Hope you are all enjoying your long weekend!

fireworks in September

Last night I met up with my friend Grace to go watch our city’s fireworks show. It was an absolutely beautiful night, almost cool enough for a jacket, and we had a fantastic time.

Surprisingly the fireworks show was one of the best shows I think I’ve seen in a while. They timed it with half time of the high school football game, so it was somewhat short, but what it lacked in length it totally made up in awesomeness:)

Jon left early this morning to go back to work, so I spent most of the day getting the house cleaned up and working on my yoga class. Only four more days until I teach my first official yoga class…I’m a little nervous, but so excited!

Right when I got up this morning, I drank a small green monster to tide me over until I decided what to do for the morning. I sort of wanted to go for a run, but yoga was really calling my name, so I opted out of the run.

A little while later I was starving, but not quite ready for lunch, so I had a little snack.

homemade hummus and Kashi TLC crackers

A couple of hours and a sparkling clean bathroom later I decided to cook up some lunch! This is one of my favorite go-to meals when Jon isn’t home. It’s healthy, easy and he doesn’t like sweet potatoes…so it works out perfectly:)

I mixed 2 tsp of olive oil with a few shakes of garlic powder, ground red pepper and oregano. After slicing the sweet potato and snapping the asparagus, I tossed everything in a gallon ziplock bag together, shaking it until I couldn’t shake anymore. I then dumped the sweet potatoes out on a cookie sheet and placed them in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Ready, set, speed clean the bathroom!

When the buzzer went off, I flipped the potato rounds and added the asparagus to the cookie sheet before throwing it all back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Last time I made this I cooked the asparagus too long – but this time they were just perfect! They still had a little bit of crunch to them, but were still just the right amount of soft:)

I promised myself that if I got everything cleaned and worked on yoga, that I’d sit back, relax and do something purely for fun later tonight. I think I’m gonna grab some dinner and maybe read a book or magazine for awhile until Jon gets home.

Yay for a three day weekend! Hope yours is going swell:)

Love and chia seeds:) Candice

Edited to add: haha! When I went back to re-read this post, I realized I never explained why our city was shooting off fireworks in September..lol. It rained cats and dogs on the 4th of July this year, so they had to cancel the show. It was rescheduled for last night.

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