Sound Eats

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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Heart Healthy Meatballs

soundeats — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:54:02 +0000

This morning I had an interview for a scholarship opportunity that I’m pretty excited about. As I was sitting there, nervously trying to keep it cool while I tried to see if I was sweating through my make up, one of the scholarship committee members was perusing my resume and saw my information about my blogs and healthy recipes. We excitedly started to talk about recipes, eating healthy, and making healthy substitutions. I casually mentioned this meatball recipe I recently made. "Sure," I said, "it was super easy! Just lean ground turkey, oats, egg whites, and some spices. Super fast – which is just what I need – and healthy and delicious to boot!"

She quickly asked if the recipe was on my blog, and I assured her it would be going up shortly. With that, I present these heart healthy turkey meatballs. I have to be honest – the inspiration was from my mom. When we were home for the holidays, one night she pulled out some meatballs from the freezer that were delicious and made with turkey and oats. I loved the idea of using oats and egg whites – eliminating the cholesterol of the egg yolk and adding more heart healthy properties/ cholesterol reducing properties of the oats. Perfect for someone who’s trying make small changes and be a little more health-minded in the new year.

Heart Healthy Turkey Meatballs

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 egg white (or 3 tablespoons egg whites from a carton)
1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 jar (16 oz) desired tomato sauce (I love the Whole Foods Organic Fat Free sauce!)

Simply combine the ground turkey, egg white, oats, and spices. Once everything is thoroughly incorporated, shape meat into balls. (I made around fourteen meatballs.) You can cook one of two ways:

Layer a little tomato sauce on the bottom of a crock pot. Place meatballs on top. Cover with remaining pasta sauce. Cook on high for four to five hours or low for around eight hours (or however long you’re out of the house).
Layer a little tomato sauce on the bottom of a sauce pan. Place meatballs on top. Cover with remaining pasta sauce. Simmer on medium for around 45 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.

Serve with some whole wheat pasta and dig in!

A couple notes:

Feel free to add any other seasonings. I just went with something simple, but you could jazz it up with some chopped peppers and onions, or maybe add some fresh herbs and a little low fat parmesan cheese…whatever floats your boat!

These meatballs also freeze very well. We ate some over the weekend when I originally made them in a crock pot, then froze the rest (sauce and all). Today, I thawed the meatballs in the fridge and when we got home, we reheated the meatballs (with a little extra pasta sauce) on the stove for around 15 minutes and it was just as delicious!

Have a wonderful evening! I’m off to workout and study, study, study! Ciao!

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!

Sweet Potato Soup

soundeats — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:04:25 +0000

The weather has turned deliciously cool around here again,which, as I’m sure you can guess, is an obvious reason why the crock pot belongs out on my counter. I’ve made quite a variety of crock pot recipes, from Chicken Noodle Soup, to a Simple Lentil Soup, to a hearty Lentil Chili. The other day I was feeling another vegetarian soup, but I wanted to change it up a bit, maybe make something a little smoother. So after touring my kitchen to see what ingredients struck inspiration, I ended up with this delightful, subtly flavored, pureed sweet potato soup. I hope you enjoy it, too! I killed off those leftovers faster than you can say sweet potato soup, and that speaks volumes because normally leftovers and I have a rather tepid relationship.

P.S. Ross? The husband? He enjoyed this soup, too. Mr. I-only-eat-sweet-potatoes-in-fry-form ate this soup and he knew it had sweet potatoes and he still liked it! Again…we’re talking volumes about this soup, here, folks!

Sweet Potato Soup (serves 6-8)

2 very large (about 1.5 pounds worth) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder.

If not already done, peel and chop the sweet potatoes and rinse and drain the cannellini beans. In the crock pot, place the prepared sweet potatoes and beans, along with the water and spices. Cook on low for five to eight hours (you can let it go longer if need be). Before serving, puree the soup, either by means of an immersion blender, or transfer the soup into a blender and blend away. Enjoy!

At eight servings and using 26 ounces of sweet potatoes, which is what I had, this soup is around 110 calories per serving.

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!

Autumn Massaged Kale Salad

soundeats — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:21:31 +0000

This is one of those recipes that I pushed back all other recipes waiting to be blogged about to share this instead. Yes, raw kale IS that good!

I recently started volunteering at a farmer’s market here in Jacksonville, and not only is it a great opportunity to get more practice with community nutrition outreach and education, but it’s a great way to really get to know some local organic farmers and other vendors, and include their hard work in my daily meals. I’m so looking forward to being part of this market on a weekly basis!

Anyway, in addition to a plethora of zucchini and a fresh cinnamon bun for the husband, I also came home with some beautiful fresh, local, organic kale the size of my torso. See, I’m not kidding:

(please excuse my I’ve-been-up-for-fifteen hours-working-and-volunteering-nonstop face)

I was also given a beautiful, large red Rome apple. This is the kind of apple that enticed Snow White people. It was gorgeous, and had that perfect taste and texture inside.

So, I combined the two. I massaged the kale with some avocado and, inspired by the season around me, added some apple, raw pumpkin seeds, and a little cinnamon. The result? So much better than I anticipated.

Autumn Massaged Kale Salad (serves one)

1-2 large leaves of kale (this sucker was huge, so I used one)
1/2 small avocado
1/2 of a small apple or 1/4 of a large apple
1 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds
cinnamon

After you clean your kale, pull the leaves away from the long central stem. Tear the leaves into bite size pieces into your bowl. Add the avocado and – seriously – massage the kale. Get in there, and mush the avocado up into and around all of the torn kale leaves.

Dice the apple into tiny quarter-inch square pieces. Add to the salad, along with the raw pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas) and a couple generous shakes of cinnamon. Toss everything together a few times to disperse the cinnamon and the apple/ seed goods throughout, and enjoy!

P.S. This salad also works well for packing up and eating on the go. I’ll be doing that again today, too!

Lentil Chili

soundeats — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:26:00 +0000

Last week’s meal plan featured a new crock pot recipe (apparently crock pot recipes are becoming the underlying theme here at Sound Eats). See, we’re big fans of chili in this house, and all kinds of chili at that. Really, all you need is a pound of ground meat, a couple cans of kidney beans, a couple cans of diced tomatoes, a little water, and a bunch of spice. That’s it! Still, you know I can’t leave well enough alone, and had to spice it up a little (pun intended).

Another underlying factor in the creation of this chili is that, while not a vegan anymore, in instances like this vegan eating is cheaper than meat eating. One and a half cups of lentils will always be cheaper than a pound of meat.

So, lentil chili was born. Enjoy! (Also – if you’re looking for other vegan chili ideas, try my Three Bean Vegan Chili – I still make it all the time and it’s a household favorite!)

Lentil Chili (serves 6-8)

1.5 cups dry lentils
4.5 cups water
3 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, diced
1 heaping tablespoons chili powder
1.5 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1 cup water

LENTILS

Before making the actual chili, you need to cook the lentils. Cook the 1.5 cups lentils in 4.5 cups water for about 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender and water is absorbed. **It’s really important to cook the lentils beforehand, because while the lentils can cook in the liquid of the chili, the acidity of the tomatoes will prevent the lentils from softening, so they’ll essentially taste like pebbles.

CHILI

In the crockpot combine the cooked lentils with the remainder of the ingredients. You can do this the night before and store overnight in the fridge, if need be. Then, cook on low heat for eight to ten hours…or if you’re like me, however long you happen to be gone that day. Come home, adjust seasonings to your personal preference if need be, and garnish with fresh avocado if desired. Enjoy!

Vegan Frozen Strawberry Dessert

soundeats — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:20:35 +0000

Hello, friends! Thought I’d stop by with a quick little snack I just whipped up. Not only is this little dessert/ snack vegan, which means it’s egg-free and dairy-free, it’s also raw and soy-free. Let me introduce you to my new favorite snack.

By now, if you’re a blogger or have been reading healthy living blogs long enough, you’ve certainly heard of banana soft serve. If you haven’t, well it’s a delicious snack/ dessert made up entirely of frozen bananas that have been blended or processed and turned into a one-ingredient creamy, frozen soft serve magic. I personally am very familiar with banana soft serve (or BSS as it goes by in my house), and probably enjoy it on a weekly basis.

Sometimes, though, I crave change. Change is good! What is life, but change after all? (Alright, admittedly this is getting a wee bit deep here for frozen fruit, but roll with me!) So, I decided to change up my frozen fruit desserts/ snacks, and came up with this treat instead.

Vegan Frozen Strawberry Dessert (serves two)

1/2 pound frozen strawberries (eight ounces)
1/2 of a ripe avocado
1 teaspoon raw agave (optional – can use more or less to taste)

In a high power blender or a food processor, start breaking down the frozen strawberries. Once the strawberries look like strawberry gravel, add in your avocado half. Continue to blend, occasionally pausing to wipe down the sides, until an even, creamy consistency is reached. At this point, if you want a little extra sweetness you can blend in a teaspoon (or however much you desire) of raw agave, or any other sweetener you choose. Or, leave it as is and dig in.

There are so many potential variations! Maybe instead of frozen strawberries, try frozen mango? Or add in a tablespoon of cocoa powder (or raw cacao if raw is important to you). For a little extra fun, you can also top it with a little toasted coconut or a few mini chocolate chips.

However you make it, have fun with it and enjoy!