chocolate, dessert, recipe, snack

Treat Tuesday–Chocolate Power Balls

IMG_0284

So here’s the thing: I can’t help but to ALWAYS sing Chef’s Chocolate Salty Ball song from South Park whenever I make these! South Park fans… this one is for you! lol 

These little power balls are the perfect snack when you are feeling sluggish or are needing an extra burst of energy! Packed with oats, peanut butter and chocolate, they are healthy and delicious!

But anyway… (And now that song is TOTALLY in your head now!) here is the recipe!

Chocolate Power Balls
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 serving of your favorite chocolate superfood protein powder (I used vegan Shakeology)
1/3 cup honey
A few tablespoons of chia seeds and hemp seeds
Dash of cinnamon
1/3 cup carob chips (or your favorite chocolate chip)
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

IMG_0274 (002)

Combine everything in a bowl and stir until well combined. Roll into 1/2 in balls. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

IMG_0283

Enjoy! XxOo Tasha

PS – Are you needing a little bit of help and accountability with your health or weight loss? We are filling spots in the upcoming Summer Lean Down program and we want you to join us! No diets, no gimmicks – we focus on daily exercise which you can do from your own home and clean eating! Click here to get the details!

dinner, snack

Back on track and feeling great!

Hey guys!

Today went very well – I already feel a lot better about my eating and feel that I am able to gain my control back. I can tell I needed this as I have been “craving” sugar. Yuck.

Afternoon snack was a kiwi. PS – I really enjoy eating kiwi with the skin on!

DSC04339

Along with a few handfuls of nuts.

And I have been drinking plenty of tea, too.

 DSC04341

J has been sick with a cold and my throat and ears have been bothering me all day, especially tonight. Green tea, Echinacea and cold care to try to boost my immune system.

DSC04350

Dinner was a nice big salad.

DSC04343

I loaded it with spring mix, romaine, black beans, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, carrots, basil, red onion, red bell pepper, s & p and EVOO. I also had a rosemary cracker and some hummus.

DSC04344 

I decided to skip the gym tonight. I hate feeling sick while trying to workout.

So I stayed home, read through my health magazines, tore out articles and wrote recipes. I love nothing more than the get great ideas on meals and nutrition.

DSC04353 di

I think I might be the only one who enjoys actual writing over typing! Anyone else feel this way?

ztashaz

alterative, clean eating, health, snack

Movie Time Alternatives

There is no doubt that when you pop in a movie you automatically want to nosh on finger foods; specifically salty popcorn or sweet candy and soda. I am no different. I do “treat” myself to a little helping of my husbands popcorn, butter held, or my favorite candy when I go to the movie theater. However, I know this is not healthy and I end up wasting all that I bought.

I wanted to come up with some healthy and clean eating snacks the entire family can enjoy AND still be healthy.

Did you know the average movie popcorn and soda combo has over 1,600 calories and enough saturated fat to last 3 days – 60 grams! These stats have been compared to eating 3 McDonald’s Quarter Pounders WITH 12 pats of butter. Wow – I am literally shocked and speechless. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has done an entire article on this subject.

Ok, so you are staying in for the night and popping up your own bag of popcorn – great! Well…. not really. Here is a quote from an article stating the dangers of microwave popcorn:

A report from the FDA indicates that a chemical coating used in microwave popcorn bags breaks down when heated into a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA). The Environmental Protection Agency has identified PFOA as a “likely carcinogen.” Another study has found an acid that can be extracted from the chemical causes cancer in animals and is “likely to cause cancer in humans.”

A second potential danger in microwave popcorn is diacetyl, an FDA-approved chemical found in the fake butter flavoring. There’s even a debilitating respiratory disease called “popcorn workers lung,” (the medical name of the condition is bronchiolitis obliterans) suffered by microwave popcorn factory workers caused by extended inhalation of the chemical’s fumes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH) concluded that diacetyl needs further study so that workers in the flavorings and snack industry are no longer at risk.

No comment – I leave the decision up to you.

Now that I have you all worried that your favorite movie time snack is gone from your life forever and you will be snacking on the crumbs that are in your couch cushion, here are some healthy yet satisfying alternatives! I promise – popcorn is at the top of the list!

———————————————————————————————–

POPCORN

Making your own is simple, easy and my favorite way to eat it! Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil or grapeseed oil in a large pot, heat on medium. Immediately put 2 kernels into the pot. Once these kernels have popped scoop 1/3 of a cup of popcorn kernels and place in the pot. Cover and wait until the popcorn has started to pot. Now start shaking the pot back and forth, allowing some of the steam to escape. Once popping has slowed remove from heat, uncover and enjoy! Sprinkle some sea salt on it or nutritional yeast for a buttery alternative.

APPLE AND CARROT SLICES WITH ALMOND BUTTER

Apples and nut butter are my all time favorite snack, hands down. The apple and carrot, yes carrot, adds a sweet taste to the almond butter. I love almond butter because it is low in saturate fat and high in monosaturated fat. This is a snack everyone can enjoy!

PITA BREAD ANS HUMMUS

Hummus is wonderful when you are having a salty or savory craving. Chickpeas contain the necessary folate and magnesium to support a healthy heart. Plus they are high in fiber to support a healthy digestive system. Pair hummus with whole wheat pita bread or veggie sticks.

TRAIL MIX

I am not talking about pre made bags of trail mix – these contain an unhealthy amount of sodium, sugar and oil. Making your own is fun, great tasting and healthy! I love going to the bulk bins and stocking up on raw, unsalted cashews, almonds, dried fruit and either dark chocolate chips or carob chips. Mix up your own batch for that crunchy, sweet and “salty” movie time or ANYTIME snack.

FROZEN GRAPES

Mindless eating stops here. You can be happy about what you are popping into your mouth with frozen grapes. Crunchy and sweet just like candy!

———————————————————————————————–

I know that these alternatives will not work for when you go to the movie theater. AND I know how hard it really is to pass up the snack counter. My tip is to share. Get a small popcorn, hold the butter and a medium soda and share with the person(s) you are watching the movie with. While I DO NOT promote bring in outside food to the movie theater, I always seem to have some dark chocolate in my purse for that chocolate craving. But that’s between me and you!

ztashaz

holiday, jordan, snack, workout

Nostalgia

HI!

DSC03174

I am blogging from my comfy office bed! I haven’t done this in ages!

Just look at my desk =)

DSC03173

I just got home from the gym, showered and feeling great! The chiropractor appointment was WONDERFUL! Call me weird or sick, but I love to hear my back crack! It makes a world of difference for me and my well being. My lower back is still pretty sore but it was out for 5 days!

I was able to run fairly well tonight with no pain. 3.7 miles in 42 minutes but 10 minutes of that was spent walking at a heavy incline for warm up and cool down. I even sprinted for a few minutes to regain some leg strength.

My iPod is lacking, though. I have been listening to old school Limp Bizkit and Alice in Chains and I need to upload some new tracks. Time to look through our endless stack of cd’s and start burning!

It’s funny because I listen to music when I workout that I normally wouldn’t listen to on an everyday basis. Like a lot of “poppy” music makes me want to go yet I would never listen to that when I am driving. But I am a diehard rock fan – the harder the better. But I LOVE acoustic guitar, too!

Hmm…. I guess I love all types of music, really. Rap, not so much and I have no idea what is “hot” right now. Meh….

What get’s you moving? 

Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to take any pictures of my food today! Granted, my lunch was left over French onion soup and no matter how I shot it, it just didn’t look appealing. But these carrots and hummus did.

DSC03143

Marc and I went to Sushi for an early dinner and I forgot my camera – but rest assured it was AWESOME as usual! Funny, because EVERYTIME we go to sushi I end up leaving my camera. Strange.

———————————————————————————————–

Look at these comparison pictures!

December 2008 – 2 months old

It looks like he is going to punch Santa! lol

December 2009 – 14 months old

DSC03151 DSC03145

:sniff sniff:

My baby is not a baby any more! Seriously, it goes entirely too fast!

Here is the picture I am going to use for our Holiday cards:

holiday 2009

I may use one of the stocking pictures (I took 30!) because I sent out a stocking picture last year and it might be a nice comparison for people.

He still has that wonderful smile that melts my heart!

tasha

recipe, snack

Kale Chips

Want to get more green in your diet?  Try Kale Chips! These light and airy “chips” will knock your socks off with one crunch!

Ingredients

  • one bunch of Organic kale, washed and trimmed
  • salt
  • EVOO
  • cheese or other flavorings (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash and strip the kale from it’s stem – making them the size of potato chips. Arrange them on a cookie sheet(s), drizzle some olive oil and salt.Massage leaves so they are well coated. You can even add cheese or any other type of flavoring.

DSC02916

 DSC02917

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes and enjoy!

Super simple, super yummy and a great snack!

dinner, jordan, snack

Snack frenzy + a future blogger!

Happy Friday!!! Last night I fell asleep pretty early, hence no post. I have been tired lately, I don’t really know why. I used to be able to stay up until the wee hours of the night but the past few weeks not so much – probably has everything to do with my cold.

It was WINDY and RAINY yesterday! We could hear the wind gust last night, making the rain hit the windows. And we were awakened by a huge blast of thunder, too. Crazy! Today seems a little calmer – thank goodness!

I was in a snacking mood yesterday afternoon – crazy!

DSC02788

The Z-Bar was good!

DSC02800

But I totally grubbed on my pumpkin seeds! Plus – I had a few handfuls of kashi crackers AND trail mix – wow. I felt like a little oinker yesterday! I don’t know if was boredom or lack of water.

The I heard the UPS truck stop at my house and dropped off a package that I had been waiting for!

DSC02789

Shelly from Clean Cravings contacted me a few weeks back to sample and review her gluten free, vegan and nut free pizza and pizza crust!DSC02790 I am so excited to try these! We are not a gluten free home but Marc and I do eat gluten free products. I will be tasting these this weekend – she also has a special promo code for those that are interested in purchasing products from her website. Just enter CLEANMAMA and receive 20% off! How sweet of her!

It was a little after 8 before I ate dinner. I was craving eggs, again. And paired it with a bowl of veggies and hummus. (The speckles are pepper)

DSC02802   

DSC02801

I served the egg on a piece of toasted, sprouted bread and some splashes of Cholula. It was an awesome dinner!

AND look – we have a food blogger in training!

 

DSC02794 DSC02795 DSC02796 

Ta-ta for now!

tasha

breakfast, lunch, product review, snack

Mmmmm!

I thought I would take a minute and update some of the amazing food I have eaten the past few days!

This beauty was a tasted bagel, hummus, tomato, lettuce, roasted yellow bell pepper and a Gardenburger. Served up with a side of steamed sweet potato. It was messy, big but VERY good!

I usually don’t stray away from my Green Monsters in the morning but Marc had wanted pancakes so I opted to have one, too. Topped with almond butter, maple syrup, a ripe banana and a cup of Greek yogurt – it was very tasty and a nice change!

While doing some grocery shopping I got very thirsty so I opted to try a new tea. Not too sweet and very refreshing.


And I have got to rave about these chips. While shopping at Costco the other day these bad boys were being sampled and it was instant love. Since they are rice crisps they have no gluten and healthier than regular corn chips. Great for dips, chili, salads or just munching on!

I found this locally made hummus at our market and had to try it. I love to support our local small business whenever possible. I am a huge Sabra fan for many reasons – the texture (super creamy!) the taste (not overloaded with garlic as most are) and the versatility (I use it on everything!). I looked at the ingredients and I was happy to see garlic was second to last. And just what I had expected – sooo good! It is very similar to Sabra yet locally made!

One of my all time favorite snacks is edamame pods. I love taking the time to shell them while I eat and I just love the sustainability these little soybeans give. I make mine without salt and when we go out for sushi I ask them to omit the salt, as well.

Like majority of us, I love dark chocolate. I especially enjoy this bar of dark chocolate with infused mint. A few squares after a meal is the ultimate ending and perfect desert.

Well that’s all for now. Hope to see you back soon!

dinner, green monster, jordan, product review, snack

Where has the time gone?

WOW! I cannot believe this is the first time I have been able to get some blogging done in 24 hours! Seriously, where has the time gone?!

I apologize for the looooooong and delayed post tonight =)

Where did I leave off… oh yes. Dinner!
I made Baby J Annie’s organic pasta with cheese. I added some bits of chicken and green beans for a well rounded meal At first he kept spitting it out (which was hilarious!) but after I put it on his tray he was shoving his face full of it!
I really like Annie’s spin on boxed macaroni and cheese. Just look at the comparison between Kraft and Annie’s:

Annie’s, hands down is the clear choice!


Little hands! 🙂

I caught Marc taking a few bits too – he actually loved this stuff!

I love these bags of organic veggies from Fred Meyer. You throw the entire bag in the micro for 4 minutes and you have steamed veggies just like that! My freezer is full of them as they are a blessing in disguise when it comes to meals for Baby J – convenient yet healthy!

While Jordan was eating I made myself a wheat grass and juice slammer – I had to do something about my head!

It wasn’t too bad until I got to the end – THICK and kinda gross! I added a tad more juice and down the hatch! It seemed to do something for me as I had energy to go to the gym last night. I drank a small protein shake 30 minutes before going and I didn’t really have a lot of energy to run. I did but it wasn’t as great as I normally do. So I did some weight training and called it a night. Came home, showered and snacked on an apple with honey and AB and a piece of sprouted bread with AB on it, as well.

Oh and speaking of freezer – look what came to our door yesterday!


Our new fridge! I just love it! I love how HUGE the inside is – both doors open up to the fridge and the freezer is down below. There will be no more “I didn’t see it – it was in the back behind the soy milk!” excuses. It has two ice settings, too; Crushed and cubed. Energy efficient, LCD light inside and BEAUTIFUL! =)

OK, so on to today.
One Green Monster – check.

Actually my monster’s are becoming more Red than green. I think they are pretty!

I had to go run some errands and pick up the rest of Jordan’s birthday items. Before I left I snagged a Odwalla bar from the pantry and chased it with water.

I had to make a stop at Target and to the craft store. Baby J LOVES to shop and I love having him around. I talk to him, make faces, let him decide what I should buy… it is a good excuse to use to the hubby: “Jordan wanted it, not me!” 😉

I met Marc for a quick bite at a Terriyaki place – I had a basic chicken with rice bowl. Nothing fancy and I ate most of the chicken and a few bites of rice.
Four hours later and I was done shopping!

Dinner was thawed left over lasagna and a huge salad. I LOVE my lasagna! I ate all of it up and left half of the salad. I just wasn’t feeling it tonight.

My dad is staying the night tonight and Jordan absolutely adores his Grandpa! Have a great night everyone!

green monster, lunch, me, snack

Go away sickness!

Happy Monday!
Today was an uneventful day but I can’t believe it’s already after 3pm! I didn’t get to bed last night until after 1 and my sweet, sweet baby boy woke my up at 6:30am. None the less, I was exhausted!
I did some dishes and helped myself to a warm, comforting cup of coffee!

It was a great cup of coffee! No creamer, no sweetener – I love my coffee black and to be able to taste all of the wonderful notes. I guess you can say I treat my coffee like my wine. I love trying different brands and different blends. And no, I am not talking about Folgers. I tend to support locally and stick with my new favorite brand – Seattle’s Best. This particular blend is Autumn Reserve. Smooth yet hearty!

For breakfast I made a Green Monster – what else?!

A satisfying blend of Almond Milk, Amazing Meal, frozen peaches, frozen strawberries and two clementines. Smooth and creamy – I blended it a bit longer than usual and it was like drinking a milkshake!

So since I was still tired I just sat around and did some window shopping online, read blogs and tried to get myself motivated. I didn’t even take a shower until 11:45! I guess I did get a little motivation as I curled my hair today – I haven’t done this in years and with Baby J crawling at my feet I think it turned out pretty good!

I was actually inspired by Angela’s hair. For some reason I have never been able to do this to my hair. I have extremely thin hair and curls never seem to stay. All I do in the morning is take the flat iron to it and call it good.
I really like it curled and plan to do it more often. I think it would be a cute flirty way to do my hair for a night out on the town!

So after I was done making faces in the mirror it was time for lunch – I was starving!
A simple flat bread wrap with a tablespoon of panag curry sauce from the other night, roasted bell pepper, a few pieces of chicken and 2 leaves of lettuce. I LOVE curry and this was fab!


Oh, and a homemade chocolate chip cookie that I made last night. These bad boys are deadly and addictive!

Then the worst part of my day: I feel like I am getting a sinus infection. 😦
Not even 30 minutes after I ate lunch my head started to feeling fuzzy, eyes are watering and a lot of sinus pressure. Ugh – I really hope I can pump it out fast! Unfortunately I don’t have any sick days being a stay at home mom and Jordan has no mercy on me! 🙂
I took some vitamins and chased it down with a healthy glass of juice.

I am planning on running after I put Jordan down for the night so hopefully I will start to feel better soon!