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Healthy Creamy Spinach Dip

soundeats — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:08:18 +0000

While this isn’t an original recipe, it’s a recipe that I think is delicious and healthy enough I just had to share it with you guys! Every Wednesday I volunteer at my school’s Student Nutrition Club table at a local farmer’s market, and it’s always a lot more fun and interactive with market-goers when we have free samples of healthy recipes to hand out. I’m planning on bringing this dip tomorrow, along with some baby carrots as inspiration for a potential healthier dip for Super Bowl Sunday.

The recipe can be found here:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/creamy_spinach_dip.html

Bonus? Decent nutrition stats!

Per 1/4-cup serving: 54 calories; 3 g fat ( 2 g sat , 1 g mono ); 10 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 4 gprotein; 1 g fiber; 222 mg sodium; 102 mg potassium.

What healthy (or not so healthy) recipes are you making this Sunday? If we have some people come over, another not-so-healthy contender is my award-winning Mexican Bread.

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giving thanks.

soundeats — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:34:14 +0000

I have a confession to make: I didn’t start my Thanksgiving out very thankful. If you’re close to me, I can guarantee that over the past few days you’ve heard complaints on the fact that I had to work yesterday and this morning, Thanksgiving morning. As the holiday grew closer, more and more friends and family were traveling home to be with loved ones on the holiday, and to be honest, I was really frustrated and jealous. I see my family about twice a year and I miss them so. freaking. much. However, this morning as I was walking around the hospital I had a realization.

I have so much to be thankful for. Yes, it stinks that I have to work on Thanksgiving, but I am so fortunate that I am not a patient in the hospital myself, or that I’m not here because a loved one is here. I’m so thankful because early this afternoon I get to leave. And when I leave, I get to go down to Orlando to spend the evening and tomorrow with my in-laws. Sure, traveling on holidays has never been ideal for me, but at least we can spend time with my husband’s family.

So all that to say that it’s time I start recognizing more of what I have to be thankful for.

I’m thankful for a job that, while frustrating at times, allows me opportunities I wouldn’t otherwise have at this stage in my education, and will be a great stepping stone for my future career.

I’m thankful for the absolute most amazing, loving, supportive, and generally awesome family and friends I could ever want.

I’m so grateful for my awesome husband and how often he puts up with me, loves me, supports me, and cherishes me.

I’m thankful for the opportunity I have to go back to school again to pursue an education for a career I can’t wait to jump into.

I’m thankful for a home I feel safe and secure in, an even greater luxury above having a roof over my head.

I’m thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Little Fun for Your Thursday

soundeats — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:02:02 +0000

Because life’s too busy to post recipes, here are a couple updates!

1. Remember that Dinner @ 6 Contest from Foodbuzz and American Express? I won with my Mexican Bread! yeehaw!

2. Remember this Blueberry Egg White French Toast ? Well, it just so happens to be part of a slideshow called, "The Best Recipes from Our Favorite Healthy Food Blogs" on shape.com today! Check it out – I know I’ve been inspired with a few ideas I’ve seen on there, plus if you read a lot of blogs, you may see a few other friendly healthy living blogger faces.

And finally, because life’s too short to stay stressed and insane forever, here are a few things that have made me laugh and/ or lately. May they bring laughter to your day!

lol. daily basis:

Amen.

All pictures found via Pinterest.

Find anything funny lately? PLEASE link away – I’m sure we could all use a laugh!

Tangerine Limeade

soundeats — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:36:50 +0000

Recently I was offered the opportunity to review a Tervis Tumbler from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. I jumped at the opportunity, because I actually grew up with these cups and remembered how amazing they are! I grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and Tervis Tumblers were (and still are!) manufactured in North Venice, Florida, very close by! I remember we loved all the different customizable options. I remember going to their original store and seeing all the fun options. When my sister and I got into college, we got Tervis Tumblers with our new college emblem on them. (Hey, Mom, where’s my UNF Tervis Tumbler? jk) I remember my Nannie once confused a penguin with a pelican, so we of course got her a ~~penguin~~ pelican Tervis Tumbler for Christmas that year.

Aside from the fond memories, these cups are amazing. For one, they can hold hot or cold liquids. They’re insulated so the keep the liquid closer to its original temperature longer. Plus, the cups don’t sweat! Living in Florida, anytime I pour myself an ice cold drink, the glass immediately starts sweating. I’m very paranoid about cup rings forming on my furniture, so I’ve been neurotic about using coasters or wiping down my glass. Tervis tumblers make ice cold beverages in hot environments sweat-free!

So needless to say, I am a huge fan of Tervis Tumbler. Thanks for the opportunity for a trip down memory lane and to review one of the new cups, Foodbuzz! I decided to make my inaugural drink a vitamin-powerhouse with a fresh juice. With a lovely tropical, citrus flair, in honor of my and Tervis Tumbler’s Floridian roots.

Tangerine Limeade

1 small apple
2 tangerines
handful of spinach
small head of romaine
half a cucumber
1 carrot
tiny knob of ginger
half a lime

Juice everything and serve over ice! Cool and refreshing – enjoy!

This Just In

soundeats — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:21:35 +0000

Hey peeps! (Oh yes, pulling out the "peeps".) Nothing too special going on around here, just the same old, same old of school, tests, work, volunteering, and always working hard, hard, hard! No complaints though, I really love being busy, I love what I’m learning and I love the life I’m creating for myself!

I wanted to share some news articles I’ve seen recently. I see these articles all the time, and often wonder if anyone else is interested. So let me know if you are or aren’t.

Stick around later this week if you’re here for recipes, though. I’ve got a super simple sweet potato crock pot soup, some unique savory French toast, and a nutty buckwheat pilaf coming up soon!

Mindless Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain

This I get, and (I’m sad to say) I do a lot of these "bad" habits myself! I feel like with my schedule I’m always eating on the run or in front of my computer working on an assignment, etc. It’d be interesting to see what happened if I tried being more mindful in all areas all the time.

Eating Healthy: Whose Choice Should it Be?

This article kind of annoyed me. I see where they’re coming from in the sense that, when someone walks into McDonald’s, chances are that they’re not looking for healthy food options – most people probably want a burger and fries. However, the focus of the article started out on kids and the healthier kids meals McDonald’s is now making, and I wish the article would have stayed on that topic. With kids, I really think that if you don’t introduce them to something like french fries or chicken fingers, how can they ever crave them or be picky to the point they’ll only eat them? I have a tree nut allergy, and people always say it’s such a shame because I’m missing out on whatever their favorite nut is. For me, though, I never feel as though I’m missing out, because I never experienced the "joy" of any of those nuts. I feel like it’s the same with kids…if you feed them mostly chicken nuggets and french fries because they’re "kid-friendly foods", then of course that’s what they’ll like. I for one, fully support McDonald’s efforts to make their kid’s meals the slightest bit healthier. Every bit counts!
I also loved the thought they left off with, of why not making healthy food the default instead of junk food. Sounds wonderful to me!

Multivitamins No fountain of Youth for Women

I found this very interesting. The biggest thing I got out of the article is that there is no real distinction between benefits of supplements and not. I definitely agree that we should try to get as much of our vitamins from FRESH produce (not produce sitting in a warehouse for weeks) as often as we can. Science has come a long way, but there are so many other factors in how our bodies can absorb the nutrients of plants versus a pill. While I do think some things can be beneficial if you have an allergy (i.e. I’m currently taking a probiotic supplement which seems to be helping some gastrointestinal trouble, since I hardly ever eat yogurt/ probiotic-containing diary), I think if possible, go straight to the source – an orange instead of a pill.

What are your thoughts? Have you seen any interesting health-related articles lately? Link away!

Things Around the Web

soundeats — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:26:00 +0000

Dear Pinterest,

Thank you for introducing me to lovely pinners around the world who show me things I had no earthly idea of.

Exhibit A: I did not know that if I rubbed the two sliced sides of chopped cucumber ends together, that a white foamy substance would be produced that apparently draws bitterness out of a cucumber. Thank you, Bless Her Heart.

Exhibit B: I did not know that if I melted chocolate and water together, and then whisked them as they cooled over an ice bath, that a luxurious chocolate mousse would appear. Thank you, Cafe Fernando.

Exhibit C: I did not know that apparently candy corn goes beyond candy corn now. I now know how to make candy cane meringues, candy cane sugar cookies, candy cane cupcakes, and for all I know, candy cane vodka is out there, too. Thank you, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.

Exhibit D: I do not know whether to be fascinated by or thoroughly creeped out and disgusted by this hot dog/ spaghetti "invention". I’m leaning towards creeped out… Thank you, random Tumblr account.

Exhibit E: I did not know more environmentally-friendly jello molds existed. If ever the occasion arose, I could now successfully provide you with jello oranges. Thank you, Cutest Food.

And finally, Exhibit F: I did not know that this would be why my husband is petitioning we bring dessert to Thanksgiving this year. Thank you, Seventh House on the Left.

Who knew a puppy-eyed turkey cupcake existed?

Thank you again, Pinterest, for all my newfound knowledge.

Much obliged,

Linds

This Week’s Line Up

soundeats — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 21:59:03 +0000

Hey friends! It’s been a little while since I shared a week’s menu with ya, so since I just got everything planned out and finished my grocery shopping, I thought I’d share!

In the oven for tonight…

Roasted Rosemary Chicken with Rosemary Bread and Green Beans

Monday

Crock Pot Lentil Chili

Tuesday

Chili Lime Salmon

Wednesday

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Turkey Sauce

Thursday

Egg White & Veggie Fritatta

Friday

(Chicken) Fajita Friday!

Looks like it’s going to be a good week with the potential for some recipes heading your way!

Anything else fun and exciting going on this week? I’m finally feeling better again, so I’m looking forward to getting back into my normal routine of workouts! Also on the agenda is lots of studying for a lifespan nutrition test this week, some much-anticipated HLB business with my fellow admins, an ENTIRE DAY OFF FROM WORK AND SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY (sorry for yelling, that’s a REALLY big deal that probably won’t happen again until December), a student nutrition club meeting, and hopefully the opportunity to speak with a cross country team about nutrition on Friday! Really excited about some upcoming volunteer opportunities!

What’s the best thing you’re looking forward to this week?

Me: a new How I Met Your Mother tomorrow night. kidding! Really, it’d be feeling better and working out more again!

Dinner @ 6: $100 AmEx Gift Card WINNER

soundeats — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:05:53 +0000

Happy October! Not only was it ushered in with absolutely BEAUTIFUL weather here in Florida today, but it’s such a beautiful day it’s time to share the winner of my $100 AmEx gift card giveaway!

(Please see my Dinner @ 6: Mexican Bread Post for my entry to the contest and for all contest rules.)

Without further ado, the winner is…

(Through 84 not 86, subtracting the two comment replies I left)

Congratulations, Niki!

Her favorite six ingredient recipe is:

great recipe idea!

My fav 6 ingredient recipe is a quick pasta dish…

1 lb rigatoni
1 large onion, chopped
a couple of cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped
handful of basil, roughly chopped
1 lb fresh mozzarella
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Cook pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat, then add the chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cut the mozzarella into bite sized pieces, drain the pasta (when it is al dente) and toss everything together. Top with the chopped basil and you are good to go!

I’ve contacted Niki and hope to hear from her shortly. Major thanks again to Foodbuzz and American Express for this opportunity and for providing the $100 gift card for the giveaway.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and a chosen participant in the Dinner@6 promotion, I received a stipend to cover the costs of my submitted recipe and have been provided with the$100 American Express gift card given to the winner announced in this post.

Vanilla Bean Baked Pears

soundeats — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:37:00 +0000

KISS: Keep It Simple (Silly)

Sometimes it’s the simplest things in life that are the best, right? Taking an extra hour in bed relaxing in the sunshine creeping through the blinds, a hike through the woods, a simple roast chicken, an exceptionally bendy yoga class, a hug at the end of a rough day, etc.

Well, I’m adding baked and roasted fruit to that list, too.

See, I’m on this detox of sorts. I’ll share more about it later, but in efforts to try and straighten out my psychotically backwards hormones and to not be so bloated that I look six months pregnant at the end of the day, I’m eliminating some foods for a couple weeks that may cause inflammatory reactions (think gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, caffeine…that last one is rough on those 5:30AM mornings at work). So, I’m finding myself looking for something on the sweet side to tide me over through a late night of studying. These baked pears totally do the trick.

Only one problem: I realized after baking and consumption of said pears that the first ingredient in the vanilla bean paste was sugar. Oh well. You win some, you lose some? It’s the thought that counts?

Vanilla Bean Baked Pears (serves 2-3)

2 pears
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste*
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice and core your pears into thin slices (I got eight slices per pear half). Toss the pear slices with the vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, and ginger. Bake in an 8×8 baking dish that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray, or lined with foil if you’re like me and are done washing dishes for the day. Bake for thirty minutes, or until pear slices are tender when poked with a butter knife.

That’s it, peeps. This would be delicious as one of those simple-fancy desserts for company. Minimal prep allowing optimal company enjoyment, and you can serve with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, or even vanilla bean coconut ice cream. Don’t forget to invite me over!

*If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, you can use the same amount of vanilla extract or vanilla beans. If using vanilla beans, you may need a teaspoon or so of water to moisten the mixture. I personally prefer the appearance and taste using the vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste. It makes me feel fancier than I really am.

Visionary Body Image

soundeats — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 03:15:52 +0000

I have always been a big proponent of setting tangible, concrete, specific goals. It’s something I’ve done since I was little to having it be part of a former job. I even remember in high school hanging out in the backyard one summer with my sister, and my dad coming out back to encourage us to think about and write down some goals for the upcoming school year. It’s a powerful thing.

However, the idea of creating a vision to go along with my goals was new to me as of about a year ago. I had just gotten a new job at lululemon, and in addition to writing down my goals, they encouraged me to write out a vision for my life in ten years. Obviously nothing is set in stone, in fact, it was encouraged that you continuously revise your goals and vision. That way no matter where you are in your life, your goals and vision will always give you those excited tingles in your core being.

However, I realized today that there’s one area I have unintentionally not set a real vision for myself in.

Ross and I were leaving the grocery store, and as we were walking towards the car I found myself wondering, "I wonder how I will look when I’m thirty? What will I look like in pictures? I wonder what kind of shape I’ll be in or what size I’ll be when I’m a mom?"

It’s not to say that I don’t want to be in shape, athletic, a smaller size, etc. I do. But that’s also the problem. When I think about my desires for the future, especially in terms of weight loss and body type, it’s in the language of want. As in, "I want to lose weight, I want to have an athletic body, I want to be a fit mom, I want to be back to my old smaller size," etc.

The thing about the language of want is that it’s not powerful. It doesn’t strike a true nerve or put up any real drive and determination. Powerful goals are written in a powerful, measurable manner. Like, "I volunteer with ABC organization three times a week by January 2012."

I haven’t been doing that with my body. I just now realized I’ve been in a state of visionary flux. I want to be a smaller size, I want to be more athletic, but I don’t actually see myself as a smaller, athletic person, or becoming that person.

And that, my friends, is the problem.

How can I ever expect to achieve this goal body type, activity and athletic level, and health level, if I can’t envision it? The instant I realized this in the rainy parking lot of the grocery store, I immediately envisioned what I wanted for myself, and that instantly led to me seeing myself making different choices right now (i.e. getting up early for that work out, choosing a piece of fruit over the cookie, etc.)

So, I’m creating a new vision and I’m sticking to it. Please note, everything’s always open to revision depending on however I’m currently feeling inspired! In the year 2017…

I am thirty years old. I am a mother of one, with one more coming soon. I live in Sarasota, Florida in the house my husband and I have worked hard to earn. I am a Registered Dietitian, working with patients to use nutrition as medical treatment and prevention. I particularly love working with pregnant women and children. In my day-to-day life, I eat mostly vegetables, fruits, and lean protein. I am constantly active, with morning runs or patio yoga sessions, a routine strength training regime, and daily after dinner walks with my family. I am toned and athletic, I weigh around 130 pounds, and I am overjoyed to share my love of nutrition and wellness with my family, friends, and patients every day.