Hello & Happy – almost – Friday!

I really have nothing profound to share tonight. It was just another ordinary day for The Nutrition Nut on the run. It went a little something like this:

8:00am: roll outta bed.

8:10am: toast a piece of zucchini bread + boil tea water.

8:20am: eat + read [blogs, of course].

9:00am: shower + dress.

9:55am: in the car.

10:00am – 12:00pm: work.

12:30 – 1:15pm: quick lunch with mom.

1:30 – 1:50pm: dentist appt. to polish my pearly whites.

2:00 – 5:30pm: watch the little rascals.

6:00 – 6:26pm: runnn.

7:00pm: decide what to make for dinner. off to the store…

7:30ish: voila!

Dinner was a fiesta of color!

• black beans
• sautéed [in olive oil and cumin] orange bell pepper, yellow onion + green zucchini
• shredded white cheddar
• red hot salsa
• creamy avocado
• Food Should Taste Good Blue Corn Chips

8:00 – 9:00pm: decaf coffee w/ half + half.

9:00 – 10:00pm: SYTYCD.

What did you do on this fine day? I am amazed at how fast this week flew by! That’s what keeping busy will do to ya. Night, friends!

Hillary

As soon as I found this recipe in Ashley’s epic collection, I e.mailed the link to my mom immediately and asked if she would use her seasoned baking skills to make it for my upcoming birthday. She obliged, and from that day forward I dreamt of green cake. I felt that a Chocolate Avocado Cake with Spinach Whipped Cream was the perfect cake for my first birthday since joining the healthy living blogging community. The cake combines two of my most favorite foods: chocolate and avocado [I also love my leafy greens!].

You can probably imagine how many raised eyebrows I received when I would mention my excitement about my birthday cake to family and friends. Spinach in whipping cream? They acted as if it were illegal.

Now please don’t tell me this cake isn’t stunning [my less than stellar photographs do not do it justice]!

I love my mom’s decorative touch of the bright orange nasturtiums + pink pastel candles – so me!

It was really fun to keep the cake a mystery from my girlfriends and make them guess what they were eating – they’re brave. The verdict… they really liked [loved?] it! The avocado made the cake especially moist, and although the cake was not super sweet, the chocolate flavor was rich just as I like it. My mom may have tossed in a few uncalled-for chocolate chips ; )

Believe me, it’s not a scary as it sounds. If you would like to try this cake at home [my mom claims it is an easy recipe], you may find the [Vegan] Chocolate Avocado Cake recipe at The Edible Perspective or Joy the Baker. If you’re hesitant of Ashley’s [Non-Vegan] Green Monster Frosting, there’s an Avocado Buttercream option, courtesy of Mr. Alton Brown.

Thank you, Mom for making this memorable masterpiece!

XOXO,

Hill

* * *

What’s the strangest dessert you’ve ever had?

Thank you for all of the encouraging comments about my desire for direction in my life and with my blog. I thought about what ya’ll had to say; since blogging is still a young hobby in my life, I feel like all I can do at the moment is keep putting one foot post in front of the other. Good things come with persistence, practice, and patience…

So… what have I been eating lately?

Steel Cut Oats

Apple Raisin Walnut Honey

Banana Brown Sugar Coconut Pecan

Do you see why I loveee mornings so so much? I go to bed dreaming about diving into another bowl of creamy, chewy, healthy steel cut oats… so maybe it’s a tad weird, but that’s how foodies roll, right?

Sweet Potatoes

The other night when I realized I had all four of the ingredients to make Caitlin’s Sweet Tater + Black Beans Balls, I got super excited. They were ridiculously easy to prepare, and ridiculously delicious to eat.

Sweet Tater + Black Bean Balls

• 1/2 sweet potato, mashed
• 1/2 c. black beans, rinsed + drained
• 3 T organic medium-heat salsa
• ground flax

To cook the potato, pierce with a fork and then microwave for appox. 6 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350*. Combine the mashed potato, black beans, and salsa in a small bowl. Roll into balls [should make between 6-8]. Spread the flax onto a flat surface and roll each ball in the seeds, to coat. Place on a greased baking sheet + let cook for about 20-30 minutes, depending on size. Enjoy with sour cream or Greek yogurt – yum!

Salads

After the sweatiest 1-hour spin class tonight + 1/2-mile jog, I came home stoked for sweet taters: round 2. I’ve made renditions of this salad quite a few times before, substituting the potatoes for squash, and either way, it’s quite the taste bud pleaser.

To make: Peel 1 large sweet tater + chop into bite-sized pieces. Place in a small bowl, drizzle with real maple syrup, ground flax, cinnamon + coarse sea salt. Mix to coat. Spray baking sheet with chlorofluorocarbon free canola [or olive] oil and bake in a preheated 350* for appox. 30 minutes. Then place your hot taters atop a hefty portion of organic spinach, creamy avocado, chevre, and red onion. Finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil + balsamic and fresh black pepper.

* * *

So… what have I been doing lately? Well, let’s see… soakin’ up the sun + sweating a ton!

I may be a California girl, but that does not mean I’m necessarily a summer/sun lovin’ girl. Perhaps a shock to some, but my body was raised in a climate that rarely exceeds 60* F, where rain is the norm most of the year, blue sky is received with a celebration, and you wear your winter coat to the windy beach.

circa 2007

That’s to say, I don’t know what to do with myself when I wake up in the morning to an apartment that’s a whopping 82*! So far I’ve figured out to stock my fridge with a huge pitcher of ice-cold green tea… and forget about doing laundry; there’s no way I’m putting on any real clothes – swim suit + shorts is all I need.

Hope your week is off to a spectacular start!

With much appreciation,

The Nutrition Nut

Humboldt County Readers: If ya’ll would like anything from the beloved Trader Joe’s, let me know by tomorrow night. I’d be happy to pick up your favorite product for you : )

I’ve got a bad case of the Mondays ya’ll, and I’m really stumped why that is. I woke up wanting banana pancakes; though too lazy to make them, I resorted to a banana mash waffle sandwich.

2 Van’s All Natural Low-Fat Waffles + 1 small mashed banana + 1T toasted chopped pecans + 1 tsp. coconut + 1 tsp. agave-honey blend

It did nothing to my hunger. I’m missing protein obvi!

After my routine a.m. blogging, I put on a casual, yet cute outfit that screamed: “Hire me!” and picked up my huge stack of freshly printed resumes and list of prospective people that would increase my savings account. Then I got in my car and spent the next two hours stopping in places around town in hopes that the economy was actually allowing business to hire a poor college student. The verdict: s0-so. “We just did a big hire”. “We might hire in the middle of the summer”. That’s convenient – not! The job hunt ain’t over…

How have you successfully found jobs? Any winning resume/interview advice?

With just a couple resumes remaining in my stack, I headed home completely spent. I don’t know what was up, but my Monday morning drained me of all energy. I refilled my tank with a wrap, but unfortunately, it didn’t increase my Monday mojo. It sure was tasty though!

1/2 whole wheat lavash + 1T organic hummus + 1/4 avocado + organic lettuce + Dr. P Cali Veggie Burger [again!]

I had to run downtown again after eating for a couple more errands. I made a pit stop at Starbucks for a caffeinated beverage – hoping that it would cut the yawning factor – but my soy latte only made me feel 10x worse. Something is surely up when I can not finish a latte. It’s a serious case of the Mondays.

I’ve spent the rest of the evening resting in my bed. I need a magical remedy stat because last night my BFF from high school texted me asking if she and her BF could come to visit. If you know me at all, spontaneity is my antonym, but I couldn’t turn down hanging out with my missed friend. Heck, it’s not like I have a job or anything… yet!

Now I need someone to put away the laundry on my floor, vacuum, and put a batch of cookies in the oven to make the house smell inviting. Anyone? Yeah, thought so… I better get busy.

Molly & Me

Junior Prom circa 2006

* * *

Quick Q: Am I making my photos too large for easy viewing? Big or small, people?

I had a FUNday SUNday. You too? It started off early, around 8:00am – just like I like it – with a quiet house all to myself… perfect for muffin’ makin’! After drooling over Allie’s recent recipe, I made a special trip to the store yesterday to pick up a few ingredients so I could mimic her muffins. I’d been wanting to use the remaining bit of quinoa I had in my cupboard from the last time I cooked with it, and Allie’s recipe sounded right up my allie alley.

Coconut Carrot Quinoa Muffins

I have always loved making muffins… mainly because the process is a piece of cake. It’s usually one of the first techniques you’re taught in an elementary foods course. If you do not know how to make muffins “properly”, I’ll show you the way…

Cooking 101: The Muffin Method

1. Whisk the dry ingredients together with salt, sugar, leavenings and any spices in a large bowl.

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 c. any flour [I used 1 1/2 c. whole wheat + 1/2 c. all-purpose]
• 1/3 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt

2. In another bowl or a large liquid measure, combine all the wet ingredients – dairy, eggs, liquid fat, and any flavoring.

Wet Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. shredded organic carrots
• 1/2 c. unsweetened organic soy milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 c. agave-honey syrup
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2T oil
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla

3. Pour the wet on top of the dry and fold them gently together. Minimal mixing is key. Fold in any additional ingredients at this step (fruit, nuts, etc.).

Fold In:

• 1 c. cooked quinoa
• 1/3 c. toasted chopped pecans

4. Scoop your batter into well-greased (or paper-lined) muffin tins.  Fill the cavities 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Sprinkle with raw sugar.

5. Bake according to recipe directions.

This batch took approximately 26 minutes @ 350*.

• A well-made muffin has a medium grain and is slightly moist, tender, and light. It has a somewhat pebbled appearance and rounded top.

• An overstirred muffins has a peaked top and tunnels [excess air is beaten into the batter, stretching the gluten matrix].

My muffins weren’t as moist as Allie claimed hers to be, but I liked them nonetheless. They’re just barely sweet and I love the added flavor of the quinoa. What’s your favorite type of muffin? Are you a hearty bran, apple cinnamon, or peach blueberry kind of person?

* * *

After my a.m. baking, I washed + vacuumed my car, threw a load of laundry in the washer, and then my roommate treated me to a Starbucks iced coffee before we went shoppin’! My caffeine sensitivity resulted in a coffee buzz all day. Or perhaps it was also the afternoon mocha almond fudge gelato : ) I wish I had captured a photo of the dish of deliciousness, but alas, the camera missed the trip. I promise a picture of the Italian indulgence at some point, as I’m sure there will be many more visits to Powell’s Sweet Shoppe…

Sunday shopping was a success. Hello, watermelon birthday dress!

Then it was time to exercise, so I can be looking fine on June One Nine ; )

Treadmill Time:

• 10 minutes @ 6.4mph – 1.0 incline
• 10 minutes @ 4.4mph – 6.0 incline

[repeat set]

• 5 minutes @ 4.0mph – 3.0 incline

+ 15 minutes abs, arms & legs

Dinner

Dr. P California Veggie Burger a la toasted English Muffin + Mustard, Avocado, and Organic Lettuce

Quinoa [Where’d you come from?] + Salt & Pepper

I declare quinoa my new favorite grain – mmm.

Dessert

2 Kiwis + 2 Strawberries + Agave-Honey Syrup

Editing photos is entertaining.

This post has taken much too long to write/edit/design. I hope you enjoyed your muffin making lesson.

Night!

Chef Hillary

P.S. Inspirations are updated.

P.P.S. Remember, you may use the code NUT15 to receive 15% off a box of custom Element Bars!

Hellooo and hooray for the weekend! I hope ya’ll have something exciting and/or enjoyable planned. Whatever you do, don’t forget to enter my Greek GIVEAWAY by Sunday @ 12:00pm. You’ve got three chances to win! …and speaking of Greek, I had my free honey Oikos for breakfast today with the last of my homemade granola and half of a crunchy pear. This was too sweet for my a.m. taste buds. It seems as though most of you prefer Plain Jane style when in comes to Greek, too.

After class this afternoon, I attempted to run outside. Key word: afternoon. I should have known…exercise in the middle of day is rarely a success for me. I gave it another shot though, and ran for 20 minutes around campus and our track until I finally listened to the throbbing pain in my upper back and gave in to walking. I added another 10 minutes to my watch as I made my way back to the gym where I did a thorough stretch. My legs are still unusually sore from Tuesday – what the heck! Hello, off week. You’re excused to leave now.

Lunch was an exact repeat of Wednesday’s eats, because 1) today was a lazy day, and 2) why wouldn’t I want a very berry Green Monster & jam-cheddar sandwich again?

Then I turned on Food Network – which I haven’t watched in ages! – while I winded down from the week with cookie baking. I think many of you would agree that the kitchen can often be a place to destress [ahem, Allie & Jenna]. So, I got to making Pioneer Woman’s “Good Ol’ Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies”. [Before you read on, go check out this amazing blog!]

I made a couple tweaks to the original recipe:

1 cup real butter

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour & 1 cup + 2 T whole wheat flour

1 tsp. instant coffee granules

1/2 T baking powder

1/2 T salt

2 T ground flax

~2/3 bag Guittard semisweet chocolate chips

Note to self: Do not make cookies while home alone, and there isn’t anyone with whom to share 3 dozen cookies. I ended up eating more cookies than I deserved, but then I thought about Allie and Tina who have admitted to eating 4 1/2 granola bars or half a dozen cookies themselves; then I didn’t feel so bad. How do you handle food guilt?

***

I was surprised that I never got hungry for dinner, but when 8 o’clock rolled around I finally decided to eat something. I threw together a salad [basically a repeat from last night plus a bit a creamy chevre]. I made a smart choice in eating dinner [like I would miss a meal!] because it was nothing short of scrumptious!

I have a quiet, yet BUSY weekend planned. I’m hoping to tackle a few lingering items on my to-do list, fit in a couple worthwhile workouts, and pick up the slack with my studies.

“See you” soon!

Hillary

Hello dearest readers. So close to Friday, aren’t we? I can almost taste it. Speaking of taste, let me share with you everything edible about my Thursday. I started my day with a bowl of pear-almond oatmeal — nothing you haven’t seen me eat before. I think I’m due for some new oatmeal combos [hint hint.]

1 cup water

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 d’anjou pear

1/2 T ground flax + cinnamon

almonds + agave

I had the house to myself again this a.m., so that meant blasting T.Swift and registering for Fall classes. I know…already? That’s college for you – ya never stop. Finally, after 6 semesters of registering for classes, it’s starting to get easier. I was able to get all the classes I needed; but, unfortunately, my schedule is all over the place. There’s always some bad with the good. Here’s what will be on my academic plate for Semester #7 [16 units in all].

1. Human Physiology + lab
2. Science of Food + lab
3. Human Nutrition
4. Foodservice Administration
5. Consumer Health [online]

Before catching the bus, I threw a bar and an orange in my backpack…which would later become my lunch. I got this Honest Bar while in Sonoma over the weekend. It was a first for me. Honestly, I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be. The almond extract was extremely overpowering and left quite the aftertaste. Yet, I’ll give it texture props. I’m hoping the PB + Chocolate flavor will get a better score from the Nutrition Nut.

My food lab was cancelled today, so I went to the gym during the time I would normally be cooking with my classmates. Working out in the middle of the day felt really off; as a result, my exercises weren’t all that energetic:

indoor track run – 1.5 mi.

30 min. Arc Trainer

wimpy abs + arms

***

A little bit of different schedule today meant that I didn’t have to make dinner in a hurry, or eat at a ridiculously late hour.

I made blog-inspired sweet potatoes:

1. Peel & cut sweet potatoes.
2. Toss in a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, baby drizzle of maple syrup, cinnamon, ground flax and sea salt. [I measured everything with my naked eye.]
3. Bake @ 325* for 20 minutes.
4. Flip flop.
5. Bake @ 350* for 10 minutes.

TJ’s Sorrento Arugula Mix, 1/2 Avocado, Red Onion, Pumpkin Seeds, Olive Oil + Balsamic 

This was a 10 star dinner : )

***

Alright, alright…to the GIVEAWAY already. If you read my most recent post, you know that Stonyfield sent me a handful of free coupons for their organic, Oikos Greek yogurt. Well, they have generously offered to sponsor a giveway for you all so you can enjoy the greatness of Greek too!

One lucky winner will receive:

1 free 16 oz. coupon

4 free 5.3 oz. coupons

1 blue reusable grocery tote bag

How To Enter!

There are 3 ways to enter to win this great Greek gift. Each way will give you an additional entry, so you can do one, two, or all three!

1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite way to eat Greek.

2. Tweet about this contest on Twitter. [include a link to this post + @HILLontherun]…and then leave another comment telling me you tweeted.

3. If you have a blog, mention the giveaway and link back to it in one of your posts…and then leave anot
her comment telling me you posted about it.

U.S. residents only please. The contest will run until Sunday, April 18 at 12:00 p.m. PST, when I’ll randomly select and announce the winner!

Hey Guys! I’ve got a little gift for you tonight: pictures! I know I’ve been a slacker lately – the photos I have taken are barely passing quality – but I think I deserve an A for effort today : )

Breakfast #1

3/4 cup Raisin Bran, 1/4 cup Cheery Cherry Almond Granola, 1/2 Banana & 3/4 cup Almond Milk

Breakfast #2

Whole Wheat Toast + PB + [other] 1/2 Banana

Snacks

I packed a couple snacks to eat after my 3 hour lab. I didn’t pack a whole lot since I planned to exercise post-class.

Back to Nature Multigrain Flax Seeded Flatbread Crackers [that’s a mouthful] + my daddy’s homemade hummus & a carrot

Dried Apricots + Dark Chocolate Almonds [6 ea.]

After 3 painful hours of Infrared Spectroscopy – don’t even ask me what that is – I sat outside in the sunshine and savored my snacks. I still had quite a bit of steam to burn off from my overwhelming class, so I threw my books into a locker at the gym and kicked up my heals. I didn’t run for very long [appox. 36 minutes], but I started to feel like my freckly face was getting pink from the radiant rays. It was just enough time to sweat out some of my stress. Running cures all. I finished up with a little conditioning…but should have done more.

While I waited for the bus, I grabbed a smoothie from Jamba. I tried one of their new all-fruit creations: the Five Fruit Frenzy. It was tasty, but nothing I’m anxious to have again. I’d much rather make my own mix…with spinach!

Appetizer

Buttery Smooth Heart-Healthy Monounsaturated Fat [a.k.a. 1/2 Avocado]

Dinner

I traded in my boring plain penne rigate for a more exciting option:

The garlic and basil flavors add a lot to a simple dish. I sautéed a few cherry tomatoes in olive oil with garlic and red onion, tossed the al dente pasta in the skillet with the tomatoes, sprinkled in a little chevre & parm, and poured all that over fresh baby spinach – voila…dinner.

Dessert

…fooled ya! I actually did not eat any Chocolove today, but wanted to show you my new finds:

1. Coffee Crunch! My mom brought their new flavor to my attention as she knows coffee/espresso & dark chocolate sits high on my totem pole of favorite flavors – yummm.

2. MINI Chocolove Bars! How cute, right?

***

There ya have it…I finally managed to show you a day of all my eats…well, 90% of them. What can I say, this girl can eat! I have my very important ServSafe Certification Exam tomorrow. I am actually being recertified. I will be disappointed if I receive a lower score the second time around. [I dominated the test in 2007 with a 95%]. The pressure is on!

Hope you have a happy Hump Day tomorrow!

Hillary

Happy MARCH!

Wow, Spring is just around the corner…20 days away, in fact! I think Spring is actually my least favorite of the four seasons, but if it means I am getting closer to completing another semester of college and never having to open my Organic Chemistry book again, then it couldn’t come sooner.

I always love it when the first day of month falls on a Monday because I use it as a marker to set new goals for myself. I already have a list of 10 goals I am aiming to accomplish in 2010, but I figured adding an extra challenge couldn’t hurt.

For the month of March, I want to challenge myself to MOVE as much as possible! I know I am already pretty good at fitting in my physical activity, but I think there is room for more. I’m young, healthy, and injury-free…why not? I will be recording my workouts – including the distance & duration – on my Running Page. Feel free to join me by moving your muscles more this month too!

My Monday schedule is tight – leaving very little time to exercise – but I did want to publicize that I had a glorious 50-minute run in the sunshine yesterday afternoon. I must get moving; after all, my race is two weeks away!

***

Monday’s Munches

Breakfast was cold cereal.

Raisin Bran, Humboldt Honey Granola, Banana & Organic Almond Milk in every bite!

Today’s school snacks reminded me of a Harry & David Box:

raw veggies + dried apricots & dark chocolate almonds + 1/2 of a d’anjou pear

Annie’s Whole Wheat Shells (a first for me) & White Cheddar…with peas and real buttah.

Organic Romaine, Avocado, Cucumber, Carrot, Red Onion & Low-Fat Parmesan Ranch

It was a perfect medley. I’m a fan of the whole wheat pasta, too : )

[No, I didn't eat in bed in case you were curious. It was just for photography sake.]

***

Alright, well I bet 96% of you can guess where I’m rushing off to next: The Bachelor Finale – hello! Hope your month began on a bright note!

Hasta la proxima,

~ Hillary

If you missed the memo, my recipe is featured on Green Monster Movement!

Evening Readers!

Hope you had a refreshing Saturday. I sure did. I whizzed through my to-do list, and somehow skimmed over my homework ; ) After our last “chat”, I got to baking — my favorite way to procrastinate. I asked my mom to send me her recipe for Cappuccino Chip Muffins that I’ve grown up on. She started making these in 1992! This is the first time I’ve actually made them; they are super simple and definitely a crowd pleaser.

espresso

semisweet chocolate morsels

a hint of cinnamon

I most certainly ate not one, but two warm muffins & a homemade iced latte for an afternoon snack…you betcha! Not long after, I was back in the kitchen attacking the monster of a butternut squash that I brought home in my backpack Thursday. This is what it turned into:

Not bad, eh? It was scrumptious with a capital S.

I roasted the squash with olive oil, real maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt & pepper at 400* for approximately 30 minutes, until the edges were caramelized and the house was saturated with sweet air. Then baby spinach was washed, creamy avocado was chopped, chevre was crumbled, and pepitas were sprinkled on top…a drizzle of balsamic was the finishing touch. I definitely need to thank my teacher for this one.

Overall, I had a very scrumptious Saturday! I am so thankful to be able to fill my belly with nutritious and delicious eats. I really, really am.

Check It Out: My Green Monster recipe is featured on Green Monster Movement. Thanks, Angela!

Take it easy,

~ Hillary