The next best thing since Jelly

Ever try to invent something? And I mean invent something that is truly unique and there is nothing of its kind out there already? If you have ever seen ABC's The Shark Tank (coming back in March!), you know how tough it is. I think it is dang near impossible! 

Unless you so happened to be the inventor of this.

Or this. 

Or this.  

Ok, so it can be done. But let me tell you my ventures in inventing..


A few years ago, I thought I had a genius idea that would revolutionize the lives of elementary school moms across the world. As I was supposed to be studying at the library one night, it was all I could think of. I thought I had truly created something unique. I was pumped. Here's how silly little me thought I was going to make the big bucks one day:  

The Problem: The Jelly part of the PB+J. 

The PB part of the PB+J equation is typically effortless for most creators of this straightforward meal. Smooth and easy spreadin', whether using crunchy PB or regular. It is on in a few seconds and you are left with half of a beautiful sandwich, hopeful for the J that is shortly to come. 

J, on the other hand, can give you a sticky run for your money. Personally, I have wars with my J. I either end up tearing holes in the slice or am left with a chunky, runny, ugly mess on the other half of what should be a classic delicacy. (I hear you...this is all before the days of squeezable bottles, and pre-mixed PB&J, mind you) (OH and YUCK to the pre-mixed kind, btw!). 

The Solution: Sliced Jelly! Sliced cheese work great for your turkey sandwich so I figured, 'why not sliced jelly?!' Convenient, quick and most importantly mess-less. I thought it was was a goldmine if I could figure out how to execute the 'minor' details. 

An eager Google search to see if there was anything of it's kind out and I learned in seconds that there was a patent pending for my very idea. A group of students from OU it said. (sssssssss!) My ship instantly sank. It was back to the lame-o studying for me. (I have not researched the jelly slice issue again until now and I could not find anything. Hmm....maybe I DO have a chance!:))

I was not trying to invent something revolutionary like my sliced jelly or make the big bucks  when I did this particular stunt a few weeks ago, but when I saw this face plate....I immediately thought, "I shoulda done that!!" Again, a lost opportunity where I was sooo...closee...

Check out what I mean.

Their snack plate:

These lil' guys/gals will run ya $15/ea and are re-useable.

My snack plate: 

These lil' critters are free but for one-time use only. Dang it, 

their idea wins. ;)

Maybe I should have taken this one all the way to the top a little sooner. :) 

"Dolce and..."

padded bike shorts?! That's right. No D&G, here. I'll be trading my Gabana (or lack thereof) for a new look. The style I'll be rockin' proudly (or not-so proudly', rather) is all spandex. Shiny, tight and unforgiving spandex, baby. When this nasty weather decides to clear up, that is. :) 


Since Justin and I are training for a triathlon and biking makes up 1/3 of the -'athlon', we decided bikes were probably a necessity if we wanted to try and look semi-prepared for the race. So...I am now the proud owner of a juicy red "Dolce Sport" and it truly is sweet. 

Granted, I might not be singing sweet love ballads for long (learning to clip in and out is going to be a new and most likely hazardous experience for me! eek!) but I am excited about this ruby red and the adventures she will lead me on. Or rather, I will lead her on :) 


Justin got a similar bike in a cool blue (pics to come), so if you see what resembles an American flag zipping through the city...know it is us, representing the US of A on our patriotic wheels. Goooo USA!


Here's to letting go of my pride, taking some awkward falls and looking goofy in padded spandex!

Don't judge a recipe by it's...name?

I really have no intentions of turning my blog into a cooking/recipe/food blog (I will strive to keep it as random and themeless as it currently is ;p), however, we have had some tasty treats lately and hoarding these delightful delicacies would just be wrong of me. So for now, I will embrace the Julia Childs deep within me (and trust me...it's way on in there) and blog about food if I'm feelin' it. 

While flipping through an Eating Well magazine (great website as well, fyi) in an office yesterday, I found this recipe and decided it was a great choice for dinner last night. After we both licked our plates clean, it was officially decided that the meal was...(all you former middle school cheerleaders, chant it with me now): a-w-e-so-me! I mean it, this dish was dang gooood and it passed my 4 major recipe 'must-haves:'  

1) Healthy

2) EASY/not requiring I purchase a lot of non-frequntly used & expensive ingredients 

3) Scrumptious, duh!

4) Filling. Satisfying a 26 year old, growin' boy's tummy is a challenge! 


Let me tell you that our dinner last night gets a huge CHECK next to #'s 1-4 above and it was delicious.

"What is the recipe you speak of, Courtni??" Well, I am glad you asked, anonymous blogger. The super-foods recipe I am excited to share is (drumroll please)...."Black Bean, Edamame and Wheat Berry Salad!!!" Wait. Your mouth isn't watering? What's wrong?! Ok, I will be real honest with you - the title did not sound appealing to me, either. In fact, this was my immediate, Joey-from- Friends eating Rachel's trifle thought process: "What's not to like? Black beans...good. Edamame...goooood. Wheat berries....what tha!?!" 


I honestly had never heard of wheat berries and even more honestly, they did not sound good to me. If you are feeling the same way, keep reading because there is hope. While I am sure the recipe is wonderful as-is, I lied to you a smidgen. The Gresham house actually ate "Black Bean, Edamame and Pasta Salad" last night, as wheat berries were not to be found on my grocery trip in the arctic cold (this is true! I really did want to try them but after de-frosting in my car, I lost my will to venture to another store to find some). 

So, on the fly, I decided to sub Dreamfields "Rotini" pasta in for the wheat berries. I know, I know... wheat berries are one of the main ingredients...don't hate me for being a rule-breaker. Sometimes you gotta improvise and I think Dreamfields was a great choice - check out the nutritional facts on this amazing pasta :) I was very pleased with this switch-a-roo and Justin and I LOVED the meal. Also, I think the pasta version satisfied requirement #4 listed above more than the called-for wheat berries would have. So in this case, full tummies = happy tummies! =)

Without further adieu, below is the recipe and it can also be found here.

Black Bean, Edamame, and Wheat Berry (or PASTA) Salad


4 cups water
1/2 cup dry wheat berries (or your choice pasta)
1/2 of a 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained (low-sodium kind)
1 cup frozen, shelled, edamame, thawed
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. pompeian red wine vinegar
3 tbsp pompeian olivextra plus 
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Combine water and wheat berries in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 55 minutes or until wheat berries are just tender.


2. Place in a fine mesh strainer and run under cold water to cool quickly, drain well.


3. Combine the wheat berries with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours in advance.

Remarks

Wheat berries are unprocessed wheat kernels and are sold in major supermarkets and health food stores.

Some additional notes: 

-Obviously, if you sub in pasta for wheat berries, cook the pasta according to package and combine with ingredients above.

-I used slightly less water than called for - about 2 1/2 cups. 

-I grilled 2 chicken breasts and sliced up to serve alongside pasta = YUM and ups the protein count!

-We enjoyed fresh broccoli with this meal, as well, and it was delicious! If you need a little flavor, sprinkle some cheese on top of your broccoli.

I.heart.PB&J.

I saw this recipe for PB&J heart cookies on MarthaStewart.com and had to share. If you are following my previous post on healthy snacking, you can make a few substitutions to the ingredients below but let's be real honest with each other...these treats will be tastiest when left in their original state. Butter, sugar and all. It's ok to make exceptions for a sweet valentines PB&J, right!? ;) I think yes. Life is short :)

How cute would these be in your kiddo's (or husbands:)) lunch?!

Recipe: 

Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1/3 cup raspberry jam, stirred to loosen

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter, then egg. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture until dough forms. If dough is sticky, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Press into 1 3/4-inch rounds. Press hearts into centers using your fingertips. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and reshape hearts using your fingertips or the handle of a wooden spoon. Fill indentation of each with a generous 1/2 teaspoon jam to form a heart. Bake until cookies are firm, 6 to 7 minutes more.

Visual Guide to Snacking!

What is your favorite meal of the day? I think I will say dinner is mine. Though, when I really stop and think about it, I usually get more excited about my 'snack' times of the day than I do at the traditional meal times. Twice a day this happens. Once in the morning after breakfast and once after lunch and I get hunger pangs that tell me I should devour an entire pan of Ghiradelli double chocolate brownies by myself (my usual craving and yes, I really think if put to the challenge I could do it. An entire 9x13 pan, no doubt). 

Since that would not be a good idea in regards to my health or contentment of my husband (seeing me grow my own 'fat baby,' would not be attractive to him), I have to choose my snacks wisely. Sometimes this is a difficult task! 

Our 3 main meals are usually planned out and prepared to be balanced (for the most part), so these random non-meal times of the day we find ourselves hungry can be challenging. Typically we want something fast and not too filling before our next meal, so a healthy choice not always the most appealing or efficient option. Our mind and tummy want to tell us that a Snickers (or pan of brownies) is quick and will do the trick! 

To help with our snacking habits (yes....they are habits!), I found this "Visual Guide" to healthy snacking online and thought I would share a few of the healthy, low calorie options with you!

15-20 raw almonds = 139 calories and oh-so-good for you

Raw baby carrots = 60 calories

 Raw celery & hummus = 108 calories

Grapes = 148 calories

Apple = 96 calories. Spice it up by peeling, slicing and sprinkling with a dash of cinnamon. bake in the oven until tender. YUM!

Cherry tomatoes = 27 calories 

Here are a few other suggestions for you to try if you are bored with baby carrots and apples :) 

I LOVE Kim's Magic Pop with a little bit of Nutella or natural peanut butter. 

They are also great with different spreads or cheeses! 

AdvoCare SNACK BAR and MEAL REPLACEMENT SHAKE. Really, both of these are

the bomb.com in taste and nutritional value. Check them out here.

Or you do it my style and try a combination of everything listed above. Justin loved it.

See....snacking healthy can be FUN! ;)

Happy Snacking!!

Kate

My heart is absolutely breaking for Kate and the McRae family, tonight. Please take a minute to read this post and pray for Kate, this sweet family and for Philippians 4:7 to fall heavy on their hearts during this unnerving time.


"..the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phi. 4:7

Guest Blogger: Makenzie!

1 month down, 11 to go on your 2011 goals - yipeeee!!!! The crowds are still lookin pretty thick at the gym (even today, believe it or not), so I think most are still going strong. For most, though, exercising is only have the battle. FOOD choices still remain your biggest enemy! 

My friend, Makenzie, who is an awesome CPT, nutritionist and fellow AdvoCare distributor was generous enough to bestow some of her nutritional expertise upon us, today! She is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about healthy food choices and I thought it was great information we can all benefit from. 


Enjoy what she has to say and thanks for sharing, Makenzie!!

EAT MORE OFTEN AND LOSE THE FAT??

What if we all stopped counting our calories and focused more on the actual foods we were eating. You could very well lose 10% of that unwanted fat in 2 short weeks if you ate the RIGHT foods! We would all love to do that right?

Did you know: You can create a very efficient metabolism for yourself by eating the right foods. 

What are the "RIGHT" foods anyways? Think fresh and pure. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, good fats, and whole grains. Tasteful, colorful, and filling! 

Our Enemy= SUGAR! And guess what, processed foods have a lot of sugar, not to mention all of the harmful chemicals mixed in that may have very harmful lasting effects. 

So, we want to stay away from sugar, processed foods, AND BAD fats!

Bad Fat vs. Good Fat

Bad fats include hydrogenated oils, canola oil, margarine, and butter substitutes! Good fats include raw nuts, avocado, whole eggs, olive oil, and real butter. These "good" fats are going to help with transport of all the nutrients in your body, which will help build a more efficient metabolism. 

GREAT NEWS: We should be eating often in order to keep blood sugar levels stable and maintain a healthy metabolism. It's all about making healthy eating choices!

Email Makenzie Fitzgerald, Nutritionist and CPT, for meal planning, grocery guides, and more healthy eating ideas for you and your family. 

Makfitz.insideout@gmail.com

Insideoutfitnut.com