Friday Favorites December 8, 2012

TGIF! Look where “Peanut” was this morning…sitting on top of our Advent Calendar! Keenan was very happy that she was not playing with his toys and back by the couch!

Enjoying the view from the Advent Calendar!

Anyhow, I’m glad it is Friday, but anxious about tomorrow: my first real CrossFit competition! I didn’t sleep well last night in anticipation for it and I know tonight isn’t going to be any different. I am going to go there tomorrow and do my best, give it 100% and have fun (at least try to!) At the end of the day, I know I will be glad that I competed, but I will also be VERY relieved! My husband and I are planning a special “at home date night” tomorrow night with a truffle brie cheese that we picked up at Costco, as a little reward for competing; I can’t wait!

On Sunday, I’m looking forward to a nice relaxing family day of finishing up our homemade Christmas gifts, baking and looking at Christmas lights in the Fab 40’s neighborhood of Sacramento (such a great place to look at lights!). I can’t wait to see Keenan’s reaction to all of the lights!

Since it is Friday, it is time for “Friday Favorites!” I love Fridays, because it is nice to look back on the week and think about all of the great things that happened and great things we ate! Don’t get me wrong, I love that Fridays also equal the end of a long week and the start of the weekend, too!

Favorite Moments:

• Singing with Keenan in the car to the song, “Someone I Used to Know” at the top of our lungs! He loves that song so much that we have to play it at least twice when we are driving (if he had his way all the time, we would ONLY listen to that song!).

• Baking Paleo Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies with Keenan. As I was adding the chocolate chips, he was taking them out and shoveling them into his mouth!
  

  My little “Baking Assistant!”

• Watching Keenan find “Peanut” every morning and trying not to laugh when he gets so irritated that she is playing with his toys.

• Playing with the box of baby wipes!
  

  Having fun with his empty box of wipes!

• Dancing with my husband and Keenan to Christmas songs and playing “Ring Around the Roses!”

Favorite Eats:

• No Oat Oatmeal with spinach and topped with Coconut Whipped Cream
  
  

  So good!

Serious about his No Oat Oats and Coconut Whipped Cream!

• Paleo Pancakes topped with Coconut Whipped Cream
  

  Such a yummy breakfast!

• Cauliflower Rice (Mediterranean Style)
  

  Such a hearty one-pot meal!

• Turkey Wraps
  

  Still one of my favorite things to have for lunch!

• Slow-Cooker Eggplant Caponata with Chicken
  

  Delicious one-pot meal!

Keenan is waking up, so it is time to head outside for a walk while Keenan rides his trike and then some piano time playing Christmas songs! Have a great evening and weekend!

Questions: What were your favorite moments and/or eats from this week? Do you ever get so nervous for an event/race that you wonder why you signed up in the first place? How do you calm your nervous energy and tell yourself you will be fine prior to an event and/or race? I am a competitive person and have always loved competition, but every time before an event, I get SO nervous! Even though I know things will be okay in the end, I can’t stop feeling anxious.

REMINDER: There is still time to win a box of the BEST popcorn EVER!! Angie’s Popcorn giveaway ends next Tuesday, December 11th at 8 p.m. PST!! Click here to enter!

What I Ate Wednesday + Coconut Whipped Cream and A New Slow-Cooker Recipe! December 5, 2012

Peanut got into Keenan’s legos this morning! Again, Keenan wasn’t pleased with her playing with his legos and immediately asked me to put them away, since he couldn’t reach them (she was sitting on the ledge of our china hutch)!

On another note, I can’t believe it is already Wednesday! This week is flying by (which is a good thing, because I can’t wait to get my CrossFit competition over with!). I’m excited for the competition, but already nervous…UGH! Since it is Wednesday, I am linking up with Jenn again at Peas and Crayons for her fun What I Ate Wednesday link-up!

Before I talk about my eats from the past couple of days, I want to tell you about a new recipe experiment that my husband and I tried this morning: coconut whipped cream! I have been seeing more recipes and uses for coconut whipped cream on other blogs, so I thought I would give it a try, especially since coconut is loaded with healthy fats and is SO good for you, compared to regular cream. We made it to add to our coffee this morning, which I have to say was REALLY good! We used a can of coconut milk (all natural, no additives in it), Xylitol and vanilla. We whipped everything in the mixer until we had some resemblance of stiff peaks, but after mixing everything for several minutes, it didn’t have the consistency we were hoping for (what you see on the internet). Don’t get me wrong, it was still thick and lofty and had a great flavor when added to my coffee. The only thing I can think of as to why it didn’t form stiff peaks was there were no additives, thus no emulsifiers in the coconut milk. I’m going to get a can of regular coconut milk with additives to see if it makes a difference. Either way, the cream was still tasty! Here is the recipe, if you are interested!

So creamy and rich!

Coconut Whipped Cream:

Ingredients:

– Solidified fat of 1 can of coconut milk (refrigerated for 24 hours)

– 3 tbsp Xylitol

– 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Open can and scoop out all of the fat at the top (save the liquid for Asian inspired dishes such as curries or even add to smoothies) and place into mixer bowl.

2. Add Xylitol and vanilla and mix on high with wish attachment until stiff peaks form.

3. Add prepared whipped cream to your morning coffee, hot chocolate, on top of muffins, baked goods or even No Oat Oatmeal and enjoy!

*Notes: You can store the leftover whipped cream in a container in the fridge and use the next day.

Before mixing it all together.

Onto the past couple of days of eats:

Breakfasts:

– Paleo Pumpkin Pie Muffins with strawberries

So yummy and such a great pumpkin pie flavor!

– No Oat Oatmeal with leftover butternut squash

Such a good combo!

– Cheesy eggs

Enjoying his cheesy eggs!

Lunches:

– Turkey wraps

Perfectly balanced lunch!

– Egg whites in a mug over a bed of spinach, topped with tomato, avocado, roasted pumpkin seeds and pasta sauce

This is still one of my favorite things to eat for lunch!

-For Keenan: Homemade mini pizzas on a sandwich thin with pasta sauce, chopped chicken and cheddar cheese

Keenan loved his pizza!

Snacks:

–Paleo Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies

A new batch that Keenan and I made yesterday!

Dinners:

– Crock Pot Pork and Apples with roasted butternut squash (sorry, I forgot to snap a picture!)

– Green beans sauteed with Italian sausage

So good, thanks to my husband for preparing!

– Slow-Cooker Eggplant Caponata with Chicken (see recipe below!)

Should be good!

Slow-Cooker Eggplant Caponata with Chicken: (serves 3)

Ingredients:

– 3 frozen chicken thighs or breasts

– 3 medium size eggplant (cut into small/medium size cubes)

– 1 large yellow onion (chopped)

– 2 cans no-salt added chopped tomatoes

– 1/2 cup pasta sauce

– 1 clove garlic (minced)

– 2 tsp Italian seasoning

– 2 tsp garlic no-salt seasoning

– pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Place frozen chicken at the bottom of your crock pot. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

2. Add eggplant, onion, garlic, tomatoes, sauce and seasoning on top of chicken and mix.

3. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Serve on top of a bed of fresh spinach, pasta or whole wheat couscous topped with a sprinkle of feta or Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Today has been a fun today. We met a friend and her son (Keenan’s best buddy!) at The Bounce Spot in West Sacramento this morning for some play time, since it was raining. The boys had so much fun bouncing, climbing and going down the slides. It was the perfect activity for a rainy day, and it only cost $5.00, not too bad! Though it was a little far out, it was well worth it and something we will definitely do again. Keenan definitely burned off some energy this morning, because by the time we got home, he was tired (rather, cranky) and quickly ate his lunch and went down for a nap (a successful morning in my book!).

It is time to get ready for CrossFit, for my last WOD before my competition on Saturday. Tomorrow, I’m just doing a little bit of cardio and then I’m off on Friday. So far (keeping my fingers crossed), my piriformis and rhomboids are feeling good!

Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday!

Questions: What have you eaten today? What is your favorite slow-cooker/crock pot recipe? I’m looking for some new ideas!

What I Ate Wednesday + New Crock Pot Recipe! November 22, 2012

Happy Hump Day! I still can’t believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Since we are barely settling into fall weather here in California, it doesn’t feel like the start of the holiday season. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for all of the yummy goodies and spending time with family, but it just crept up so fast. Does anyone else feel that way?

Keenan is SO excited to see Nonna and Avo (and eat yummy food!) for Thanksgiving!

In addition, I wish I felt a little better. My eyes are slowly clearing up, but I still have to wear glasses instead of contacts, in addition to not wearing eye makeup. By the way, I don’t know how people workout and wear glasses! The past two days my glasses have slid down my nose due to sweat and have been uncomfortable while wearing a Sweaty Band! I guess you get used to it, but I just can’t stand having anything on or around my face while working out! Also, while I was doing heavy deadlifts in our partner WOD last night, I strained my piriformis and back, again (left side of glute/lower back). The weight was heavy, and I was rushing to get done as fast as possible and I irritated it again. Ugh! So, the next four days is full of rest, ice and icy hot for me! I’m hoping to feel better by Monday, especially since I have two weeks left until my competition. My plan of attack once I feel better is working on good technique/form at lighter weights to stay healthy, before increasing the amount of weight. But, I really shouldn’t complain, as my eyes and piriformis are really minor things. Overall, I am thankful for having good health, the ability to move, and such a supportive and loving family. No complaining anymore!

Since it is Wednesday, you know the drill; it is time to link up with Jenn at Peas and Crayons for What I Ate Wednesday!

Here is a roundup of what I ate the past few days:

Breakfasts:

• Paleo Pumpkin Pie Muffinswith strawberries
  

  So yummy and such a great pumpkin pie flavor!

• No Oat Oatmealwith spinach and topped with strawberries and almond butter
  

  Becoming my new favorite and “usual” breakfast!

• My “usual” (which isn’t much of a usual anymore, since I mainly eat No Oat Oatmeal for breakfast now)
  

  Not as satisfying as it used to be. I feel so much better when I start my day off with eggs or egg whites now!

Lunches:

• Egg whites in a mug over a bed of spinach, tomato and avocado topped with pasta sauce and roasted pumpkin  seeds (I have been craving this for lunch almost everyday; I just can’t get enough!)
  

  I just love having this for lunch!

• Salad with egg whites in a mug, cherry tomatoes, avocado, raw sprouted pumpkin seeds and feta cheese with balsamic vinegar and olive oil
  

  So satisfying!

• Turkey roll-ups stuffed with spinach, avocado and pepperoncinis (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture!)

Post-Workout Snack:

• Arbonne Chocolate protein shake (review coming soon!)
  

  Keenan loved having some of my protein shake, as you can see from his mustache!

Dinners:

• Roasted broccoli with cherry tomatoes, red onion and roasted pine nuts drizzled with balsamic vinegar and grilled country style boneless pork ribs
  

  One of my favorite dinners!

• Crock Pot Italian Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup (new recipe creation below!)
  

  Such a hearty and simple one-pot meal!

Crock Pot Italian Sausage, Kale and White bean Soup (serves 3-4):

Ingredients:

– 32 oz. chicken broth (low sodium)

– 2 bunches kale washed and chopped

– 1 onion (large dice)

– 1 can chopped tomatoes

– 1 can white cannelloni beans (low sodium)

– 3 pre-cooked Italian sausages (sliced and quartered)

– 1 tsp Italian seasoning

– 1 clove of garlic (minced)

– pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to crock pot and stir, making sure Kale is thoroughly mixed in.

2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top, if desired. Enjoy!

It is time to load up the car so we are ready to go to my parents’ house once Keenan wakes up from his nap. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Questions: What are you looking forward to the most, tomorrow? Are there any particular dishes or desserts that you can’t wait to eat? I can’t wait to eat my husband’s famous butternut squash risotto and my mom’s homemade pies!

The Very Inspiring Blog Award November 9, 2012

I can’t believe that this is the first time all day that I have had a chance to sit down in front of my computer (now 10 p.m.!). It was a long day, but very productive! Today was my not-so favorite day in our household…cleaning day. Even though I always feel a million times better after my house is cleaned, I don’t enjoy doing it. Who does? Thankfully my mom came over this morning to play with Keenan while I cleaned, which made things so much easier. Though Keenan loves to help, I can go so much faster when he isn’t around.

Before I forget, I have to share a couple of creative ways I used leftovers from last night’s dinner. Since I am usually not the best for coming up with different ways to use leftovers, I was excited about today’s creations!

Breakfast: I added leftover roasted butternut squash to scrambled eggs. Since I made the squash sweet, I whisked in a little vanilla, cinnamon, honey and flaxseed to the eggs, making semi-sweet scrambled eggs with butternut squash. I know it doesn’t sound good, but it worked and was really tasty! The base was like No Oat Oatmeal, except scrambled.

So good and so satisfying!

Even Keenan enjoyed his scrambled eggs with butternut squash!

Dinner: Since it was a cold day, a turkey meatloaf melt sounded good. We added a little pasta sauce to the whole wheat bread and then topped it with a slice of a tomato, leftover meatloaf and Gouda cheese. We placed the melts under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese was bubbly and golden brown. They turned out so good! On the side, we had a pear and walnut salad mixed with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Perfect for a cold night!

One of the reasons as to why I am writing this so late is that I helped coach the beginner’s CrossFit class tonight. It was my first opportunity to take the lead and coach most of the class. I was extremely excited, but also a little nervous, especially since there were 30 people in class! Even though I have taught health education classes to 20-25 people and led meetings with several audience members in the past, I still had a few nerves. Overall, it went okay, a little chaotic, but not too bad. I definitely have some areas that I need to work on, especially being louder and loosening up a bit, but with time, they should come (I hope!).

Now, onto The Very Inspiring Blog Award!

A couple of weeks ago, I was nominated by Diana, at Food n Thought Peddler and a couple of days ago, by Giselle, at A Healthy Happy Home. Thank you ladies; you both are so sweet!

It is a fun award to get to know fellow bloggers!

Here is how the award works:

1.  Thank the person who nominated you.

2.  List 7 things about yourself.

3.  Nominate 15 bloggers and inform them.

7 Things About Myself:

1. I raised sheep and showed them competitively for 4-H and FFA from the ages of 9 to 18 years old. My oldest brother started the breeding project, so I literally grew up with sheep. In fact, I was so close to all of our ewes, that my brothers would send me in to get them (as little as 2 years old!)  for vaccinations or trimming their hooves! The sheep loved me!

2. I absolutely LOVE Lucille Ball and the “I love Lucy” show. My grandmother introduced me to the show when I was 8 years old and I haven’t stopped watching it, in fact. When I am sick or feeling down, I watch a couple episodes and I always feel better. I used to collect the show’s memorabilia, in fact in our first home, our guest room was the “Lucy” room with all things “I Love Lucy,” including the bedding!

3. I am the youngest in my family with a 10 year age gap between my oldest brother, Chris and me. My middle brother and I are 5 years a part. It was great growing-up with two older brothers. They were my protectors, but also taught me to be tough, to stand my ground and be myself. I loved wrestling and playing football with them. They were the best big brothers a girl could have!

4. My husband and I were the choreographers for my high school’s show choir during our first year of marriage. I was in show choir and danced throughout high school and my husband used to teach swing dancing, so the choral director at the time, asked us to help. We had so much fun, especially choreographing, “Proud Mary.”

5. I met my husband on the doorstep of my apartment my second year of college. Even though we had a couple of classes together a few semesters prior (he saw me in class, I didn’t know him at the time), he was too shy to talk to me. One night, he and his friends (who lived in the apartment across from mine) were having a little get-together. They parked their car in front of my apartment and saw me studying on the couch through the window. His friend wanted to invite me to their party, so he knocked on the door. My husband immediately spewed out the classes that we had been in together, as well as stating what I used to wear, so I immediately declined their party invitation and locked the door (stalker!). A little while later, my now-husband knocked on the door holding a special Belgian cherry beer, called Kriek, that he felt I absolutely had to taste. My roommate, who had just gotten home and didn’t know what had happened, earlier, immediately let him in. We have been together ever since! We actually used Kriek (instead of champagne) for our toast at our wedding.

6. One of my favorite places to shop is Nordstrom. Their customer service is awesome and you can literally return anything at anytime (with or without receipt) and still get your money back. Though, I am on a budget, I can’t always shop there as much as I like. When they have crazy sales, like their Anniversary or Half-Yearly ones, I always try to go, because their deals are hard to miss!

7. Playing the piano and singing are two hobbies/passions of mine. I took piano lessons when I was little (4 years old) and vocal lessons in high school. I try to play the piano as often as I can, but I don’t always have the time. One of my goals is to truly sing and play the piano at the same time. For some pieces that I have mostly memorized, it is easier, but sight reading both piano and vocals is something I’ve yet to master.

15 Bloggers:

Jessie Loves to Run

Mommy Run Fast

Stuft Mama

Clean Food Creative Fitness

Say What You Need to Say

Our Best Bites

Fitnessista

A Healthy Slice of Life

Peas and Thank You

Healthy Diva Eats

Steph’s Bite By Bite

Whipped

Another Jennifer

Frugal Foodie Mama

Sunday Baker

Question: What are some of your favorite things or things people don’t know about you?

*REMINDER: There is still time to enter a chance to win a sampler pack of pasta or a case of crackers from Fiber Gourmet! Giveaway ends Nov. 13th at 8 p.m. PST!! To enter, click here!

WIAW and Fiber Gourmet Giveaway!! November 8, 2012

Happy Hump Day! Since it is Wednesday, it is time to link up with Jenn for What I Ate Wednesday!

Today, I was on a cooking roll…

For breakfast, Keenan and I had No Oat Oatmeal with chopped spinach added, sliced strawberries and a dollop of almond butter on top. I accidentally cooked it a little too long, so the consistency wasn’t as smooth as I like, but it still tasted good! Keenan liked it because he finished his in a matter of minutes! It was funny, he kept saying, “Mommy put salad in it!”

For lunch, I made Keenan some pasta using Fiber Gourmet elbow noodles with pasta sauce and leftover chicken from our dinner last night. He also had some Italian Carrots and a few slices of a pluot that he and I shared.

For my lunch, I made an open-faced turkey sandwich with tomato, half of an avocado and some pasta sauce. It was tasty!

In addition, I made another batch of Italian Carrots for Keenan this morning, as well as preparing tonight’s dinner.

For dinner, we had Turkey Meat Loaf in the Crock Pot, with roasted butternut squash and an apple walnut salad. Since I had some leftover salsa, I made the meat loaf Mexican inspired, using cumin, oregano, a little chili powder, fresh garlic and salsa (omitting the feta cheese, basil Italian seasoning and sun dried tomatoes).  We added a little chili garlic sauce on top for some added zip. It was delish!

For our salads, I used romaine lettuce, a fresh gala apple (diced), crumbled apple chips, roasted walnuts and feta cheese. For the dressing, I mixed a little champagne and balsamic vinegars with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Overall, dinner was tasty and everyone enjoyed it! Also, as an added bonus to tonight’s dinner, everything was done as soon as we got home from CrossFit. I just love crock-pot/make ahead meals!

At CrossFit tonight, we had a great gymnastics WOD of pullups, handstand pushups (HSPU) and wall walks: 10 HSPU, 25 pullups, 5 wall walks, 25 pullups, 7 wall walks, 25 pullups, 9 wall walks and 10 HSPU. Though my shoulders will probably feel it tomorrow, it was a good WOD. I finished in 16 minutes and 8 seconds, not too bad.

Before I talk about Fiber Gourmet, I have to say my son is officially into bugs! As we were playing outside this morning, he found a couple of beetles and was fascinated by them! He just picked them up, held them in his hand and walked around with them. He kept saying, “Holding the beetles!” So, needless to say (no matter if I like it or not), I guess this is the beginning to the lovely world of collecting bugs….

Now onto Fiber Gourmet!

A couple of weeks ago, I received a package from the very generous folks at Fiber Gourmet. They sent a box of their half-calorie everything crackers and a box of their light elbow noodles. I was so excited to try their products, because I had heard so many good things about them. They are a food technology company based in Miami Beach, Florida. Their focus is on making low-calorie, high-fiber foods that not only taste good, but are good for you. They make pasta, crackers and cake taste like the “regular versions,” but with ten times the amount of fiber and much lower in calories! They use their own unique technology to add large amounts of insoluble fiber, called “resistant starch” (which is calorie free) to increase the fiber content, while lowering the calories by 40%. The “resistant starch” tastes like starch, but works like fiber in our bodies.

With that said, the nutrition labels for their products are so different than regular pasta, even whole wheat. For their pasta, a 2 oz. cooked portion contains 130 calories, 18 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein! In contrast, whole wheat pasta contains on average, 200 calories and only 4-5 grams of fiber with barely any protein. Their crackers contain 70 calories in each 30 gram pouch with 12 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. Also, the ingredient lists for all of their products are pretty minimal: Durum semolina flour, modified wheat starch, and wheat gluten for their pasta. For their crackers, the ingredients are: Modified Wheat Starch (resistant starch), flour, vital wheat gluten, palm and/or canola oil, wheat germ, sugar, salt, honey, molasses, baking powder, guar gum and any spices.

When my husband and I tried the crackers for our “at home date night” a couple of weeks ago with some Gouda cheese as our appetizer, we were both impressed. He was definitely not looking forward to trying the “healthy crackers,” as he called them, but was pleasantly surprised! The crackers were light and crispy and definitely did not taste like a “healthy” cracker. They sure did not taste like you were consuming 12 grams of fiber! My husband liked them so much, that he practically finished the entire box of crackers that night!

When we made the elbow noodles, we were once again impressed. The noodles looked and cooked like regular pasta (not requiring a longer amount of time like whole wheat pasta), and the best part of all, they tasted great! My husband and Keenan loved them! We will definitely eat these noodles again. Since I’m half Italian, I grew-up on fresh pasta, so I have to say, I’m thrilled to see pasta that tastes pretty darn close to the real thing, but contains far less calories and is loaded with fiber! All, in all, I highly recommend Fiber Gourmet and I can’t wait to try more of their products! You can find some of their products in specialty grocery stores, or you can buy directly from them online, or through amazon.

Since Fiber Gourmet was so generous, they offered to send one lucky reader a box of their choice: a sampler pack of pasta or a case of crackers!

To enter the giveaway, please follow the steps below:

1. Leave a comment on this post stating which product you would like to try: a sampler pack of pasta or a case of crackers.

(Optional) Earn an extra entry by:

1. Like Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy’s Facebook page

2. Follow Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy on Twitter: @FitNWellMommy

3. Post on YOUR Facebook page or Tweet, “I want to win a sampler pack of pasta or a case of crackers from Fiber Gourmet and Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy!”

4. Follow Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy by email

*Make sure to leave a second comment on this post with your Facebook post, Tweet, like or following, in order for your extra entry/entries to be counted!

The giveaway ends Tuesday, November 13th at 8 p.m. PST!! Good luck!

Artisana Giveaway!! October 25, 2012

Well, it is cleaning day over here, not something I am looking forward to (as usual!). Since my goals today are to get the entire house cleaned, laundry done and dinner prepped, I’m going to keep today’s post short. There is just too much to do! In addition, I’m heading to another blogging event tonight, so I definitely have to get all of my things done. I’m excited about tonight’s blogging event; it is sponsored by the SITS Girls, an online blogging community of more than 40,000 women bloggers. I look forward to meeting other local bloggers and learning more about the SITS community. I’ll fill you in tomorrow with how it went!

Onto today: I tried out a new breakfast of paleo pancakes, inspired by Danielle. I used 2 eggs, 2 egg whites, 2 bananas, 1 Tbsp flaxseed, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, a drop of milk and 1 tsp of baking powder, to make enough for Keenan and I (with some leftover to freeze for later!). They turned out great and were so simple to make (very similar to my No Oat Oatmeal). I’ll definitely be making these again!

Soooo good topped with a dollop of Fage Greek yogurt, honey and berries!

Look who was excited to have pancakes this morning! He ate three whole pancakes!

Now, onto Artisana!

They are a small organic food company based in Oakland and specialize in making raw nut and seed butters, with some super food products, such as acai berry, goji berry and blue green algae. They are committed to sustainable living and support the organic and living foods movement. They focus on purchasing foods as locally as possible, buying directly from organic farmers. All of their products contain lots of vitamins and minerals, non-animal proteins, essential fatty-acids and fiber, as well as being certified kosher.

The goodies that Artisana sent!

Artisana was very kind and sent me a box of their goodies last week to try. They sent some coconut butter, raw walnut, almond, cashew, pecan and macadamia nut butters, along with their cacao bliss (coconut butter mixed with cocoa). I had only tried raw almond butter prior to trying Artisan’s products (which was okay, I prefer roasted), so I was excited to try other raw butters, along with coconut butter. I first tried their raw walnut butter on top of my Pumpkin Almond Flour Muffins and it was really creamy and rich. I was quite surprised at how good it was! The next day, I added a dollop of cashew butter to my No Oat Oatmeal and again, I was pleasantly surprised at how creamy and tasty it was. Since I hadn’t been a fan of raw almond butter in the past, I was surprised at how much I liked Artisana’s butters! Last weekend, we all topped our pancakes with coconut butter and the cacao bliss.! The two together were heavenly! Overall, all of their butters were excellent and I will definitely be adding their coconut and walnut butter to our list of “nut butter staples” that we keep in our cabinet. If you haven’t tried Artisan’s products, I highly recommend trying them. You won’t be disappointed!

Very tasty!

Coconut and cashew butter!

Since Artisana was so generous, they offered to send one lucky a reader a box of their goodies!

To enter the giveaway, please follow the steps below:

1. Leave a comment on this post stating how you would use your raw nut butter.

(Optional) Earn an extra entry by:

1. Like Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy’s Facebook page

2. Follow Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy on Twitter: @FitNWellMommy

3. Like Artisana’s Facebook page

Post on YOUR Facebook page or Tweet, “I want to win a box of goodies from Artisana and Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy at http://www.fitnwellmommy.com.”

*Make sure to leave a second comment on this post with your Facebook post, Tweet or Like, in order for your extra entry to be counted!

The giveaway ends next Wednesday, Oct. 31st at 8 p.m. PST!! Good luck!

Crafty Tuesday and Quest Bars October 16, 2012

Since Keenan and I didn’t have to be anywhere today, it was a perfect day to do some painting! Giselle inspired me to do something with our little pumpkins (we are saving our larger pumpkins for carving!) that we picked-up at the pumpkin patch this weekend.

After a lazy morning of reading and cuddling in bed (Keenan woke up at 8:00 a.m.!), we had some No Oat Oatmeal with pumpkin (which tasted so much like warm pumpkin pie!) and then started our painting project!

Before painting, I used tape to make a K for Keenan’s initial and then had him add the rest of the tape. After we were all done taping, I peeled the rest of the tape away around the K and we headed outside to paint! Keenan had fun mixing all of the colors together and painting away! I had him wear his bib, so there was much less mess/paint to clean-up this time. Once the paint dries, we will peel off all of the tape and the pumpkins should have some pretty good designs (I’ll be sure to post some pictures!). Since there was leftover paint, Keenan also painted a picture. Slinky sat right next to us the whole time, but she managed to get away before Keenan could paint her (like he did last time)!

All taped!

Our almost finished project (once the pumpkins dry, we’ll peel off the tape).

After we finished painting, we played in the sandbox for a while making “sand drinks” and “sand cakes.” Keenan was pretending our drinks and cakes were all kinds of flavors, such as chocolate, peanut butter, vanilla, strawberry, etc. To decorate our cakes, we picked-up leaves from the ground and added them to the top. It was a lot of fun! Since I haven’t pruned or weeded in a while, Keenan was my “Gardening Helper.”  He helped me “prune,” by holding the branches/areas that needed a trim, picking them up and putting them in piles. As a team, we got everything trimmed and picked-up before lunch!

Fun in the sandbox!

Speaking of help, Keenan is all about helping these days. He loves to get his little step stool and help us cook, bake, wash dishes and make the coffee. In the last two weeks, he has taken more of an interest in helping us with daily tasks. It is so cute, because he always says, “Keenan help Mommy do dishes”, or “Keenan help Daddy make coffee.” I hope it continues!

After we finished painting and cleaning-up our back yard, we had lunch. Instead of going on and on about our lunch (since I want to keep things fresh and “mix things up a bit“), here is a picture of Keenan’s (leftover quesadilla from yesterday) and I forgot to take a picture of mine (a loaded turkey sandwich with spinach, lettuce, tomato, avocado and carrots), sorry!

Keenan’s lunch!

Of course, lunch wouldn’t be complete without a cheesy smile!

Now, onto Quest Bars:

The box of samples!

Quest Bars are protein bars that are different than most nutrition bars out there. They are made with wholesome ingredients and very few of them, at that! The ingredients are whey protein, milk protein isolate, almond butter or peanut butter (depending on the bar), dry roasted almonds or peanuts (depending on the bar), cocoa, sea salt, stevia and any other natural flavors. In addition, they are packed with protein (20 grams per bar) and fiber (17-18 grams per bar)! Also, they are pretty low in calories considering how much nutrition you are getting. Each bar is roughly 160-200 calories. It is definitely a lot of bang for your calorie buck!

Good nutrition!

The kind folks at Quest Nutrition generously sent me a sample pack of their bars to try. Of course, I had to try the chocolate peanut butter bar first and WOW, it was good! I ate it after my workout last Friday and shared some with Keenan. I have to say, I’m pretty critical when it comes to nutrition bars. They have to be loaded with nutrition, low on calories, and full of flavor for me to really like them and even buy them. If I am going to eat something processed, it better be worth it! I have to say Quest has done a really good job, because the flavor was great, definitely very chocolatey with hints of peanut butter. The one downside was the bar was pretty hard, thus making it a little difficult to chew. Quest does recommend microwaving the bar for a few seconds, in order for it to soften like a cookie. I haven’t tried that, but I plan to with the next bar that I eat. I also tried the coconut cashew (sharing it with my husband) and it was good, too! If you don’t like chocolate peanut butter or coconut cashew, there are many other flavors to choose from, such as: vanilla almond crunch, peanut butter and jelly, chocolate brownie, mixed berry, cheesecake, apple pie and cinnamon roll. All, in all, I definitely recommend Quest Bars, because they not only taste good, but they are one of the only bars that I have seen that are packed with good nutrition and wholesome ingredients. They are a perfect meal replacement, if you are on the go and don’t have time to prepare breakfast or lunch, or they are great for a post-workout snack. You can buy them directly from their website, Amazon or even in some local stores.

The lineup of flavors!

Since Keenan just woke up, it is time for a little fun with play doh, before heading to CrossFit. I’m helping to teach the beginners class tonight, so I’m going later. As for dinner, we are having chicken fajitas, since we have been craving Mexican food!

Questions: Do your children like to help you with daily tasks? If so, what kinds of things do they like to help with?

Round and Round and Two New Recipes! October 9, 2012

My husband and I were talking over dinner last night about routines and how they are important, but also how it is good to venture away from them from time to time.  I am a person of routine, thus Keenan is definitely a child of routine. As we were talking last night, I realized how so much of my day–including what I eat and when I workout–is a part of my routine. i.e. my “usual” breakfast and going to CrossFit every afternoon. Having a routine in my life is just who I am, though it may seem mundane to others, I thrive by it! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to travel, experience new things and see what the world has to offer (all while throwing the routine out the window!), but I enjoy coming home and getting back into my daily routine (I’m sure my husband’s eyes will roll as he reads this!). Having a routine makes me appreciate new things and experiences. It also helps me maintain a healthy lifestyle for myself and for my family. Without my routine of eating healthy and going to the gym every afternoon, I don’t know where I would be. A routine is vital for establishing healthy habits, such as going to the gym at a set time everyday, packing your gym bag and setting it by the door every night before you go to bed, packing healthy lunches for you and your family the night before, or planning your family’s meals for the week every Sunday. All, in all, routines help you adhere to a healthy lifestyle that last a lifetime. But (a BIG BUT), it is important to try new things and break out of your routine every once in a while. You need change in order to grow.

With that being said, I am going to try my best to break out of my “routine” here and there, not always eat and/or post about my “usual” breakfast or that we always go to CrossFit after Keenan wakes up from his nap. I am going to do my best to mix it up a bit and keep things fresh for you and me!

Speaking of mixing things up, I made Keenan and I “No-Oat Oatmeal” for breakfast this morning. It was perfect for our Fall-like morning! By the way, I’m SO excited that Fall is finally here (or at least it is appearing to be!). I love anything pumpkin, so I can’t wait to make more pumpkin muffins, bread, pancakes, soups and lattes with pumpkin pie syrup! Look for some new Fall inspired recipes with pumpkin to come soon!

Back to our breakfast…I love “No Oat Oatmeal,” because it is loaded with protein (egg whites), so it keeps you full for a long time! You can pretty much add anything to it, as far as what kind of flavor you want and it still tastes great. Since I had a little bit of leftover pumpkin, I threw that in, along with a little pumpkin pie spice and topped it with sliced strawberries and a dollop of almond butter. It was yummy!

Perfect for a Fall morning!

No Oat Oatmeal (serves 1)

Ingredients:

– 3/4 cup egg whites

– 1 Tbsp flaxseed (ground)

– 1 Tbsp chia seeds

– 2 tsp vanilla

– 1 tsp cinnamon

– 1/4 cup milk (any kind, i.e. non-dairy is fine)

– 1 tsp honey

– 1 banana (mashed)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and transfer to a small sauce pot.

2. Cook on the stove on medium heat, constantly stirring, to make sure the bottom doesn’t burn.

3. Cook until it reaches a thick consistency like oatmeal.

4. Top with fresh berries, chopped walnuts, almonds, a scoop of almond butter or peanut butter and enjoy!

Cooking it on the stove.

*Notes: This usually cooks in 5 minutes, but if you want to save time, you could make this the night before, let cool and refrigerate. In the morning, just warm it up in the microwave for a couple of minutes and you are ready to go!

After breakfast, Keenan and I met Giselle and her little guy from A healthy Happy Home at our local park. It was so nice to meet her in person and talk “blog shop,” but also just to get to know each other. Her little guy is adorable and she is so nice. We have a lot of similarities, so it will be great to get together with them again!

Playing with the water fountain at the park (as always)!

For lunch, we ventured out of our routine and made egg sandwiches! I made Keenan an egg sandwich with cheese and tomato spread with Costco’s yogurt jalapeno dip and avocado pieces on the side. I made my egg sandwich with spinach, tomato and avocado, spread with the jalapeno dip, too. In addition, we shared a peach. It was a delicious lunch and something we will be doing again (see, it’s great to break our of our routine sometimes!).

Keenan’s lunch! Sorry for the poor picture quality, I’m not sure what happened.

My lunch! Again, sorry for the poor picture quality!

For today’s workout, we are doing one of the benchmark WODs, Fran: 21-15-9 of thrusters (65 lb) and pullups. The last time I did it was at my CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Cert and I was able to shave off 2 minutes and PR (my personal best) at 8 minutes and 12 seconds. I’m hoping to shave off another 2 minutes and finish in 6 minutes today. We’ll see! I’m a little nervous, but I’m excited to do it again. I just hope my left shoulder holds up, because it is still pretty sore, especially from yesterday’s workout.

Yesterday, we did another benchmark WOD, Elizabeth: 21-15-9 of squat cleans (95 lb) and ring dips. Since I don’t have full ring dips yet and my shoulder was sore, I used the band for them (the lightest band). I was able to finish in 9 minutes and 17 seconds! I was pretty pumped! We are going to do these benchmark WODs again in 6 weeks, so it will be great to compare and see how and if we improved!

On the menu for dinner tonight is Chinese long beans sautéed with onions, Italian sausages, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and sprinkled with feta cheese. I thought I posted a recipe for this a while ago, but apparently I didn’t, so look for this to come tomorrow!

Before I forget, here is the recipe for my roasted brussel sprouts that we had for dinner last night:

Soooo good!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Parmesan Cheese: (serves 3-4)

-2 lbs brussel sprouts (washed and trimmed)

– 1 large yellow or red onion (large dice)

– 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

– 2-3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (grated)

– 2-3 Tbsp olive oil

– 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

– 1 Tbsp Garlic no-salt seasoning

– 1 clove garlic (minced)

– pinch of salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to make sure the brussel sprouts and onion are well coated with olive oil and spices.

3. Place brussel sprouts and onion on a large cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.

4. Sprinkle roasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese on top of brussel sprouts when serving. Enjoy!

Ready to go in the oven!

Question: What do you do to maintain healthy routines? Does it work? Do you function better with routines or without them?

REMINDER: There is still time to enter the Drink Chia Giveaway!! To enter, click here!