I guess I know my ABC's

ABC’s of Food!

A is for Apple: What’s your favorite variety?

Honeycrisp (what up MN!!)


B is for Bread: Regardless of nutrition, what is your favorite type?

I have two answers: For regular bread, a great crusty roll with a tender inside.  But, this local orchard makes the most amazing apple-raisin bread.  Ever.


C is for Cereal: What is your favorite kind currently? (just one!)

LOVE Barbara's PB Puffins!!!!!


D is for Donuts: You might not currently eat them, but what kind do you fancy?

Glazed sour cream (especially in the fall, with cider!)


E is for Eggs: How would you like yours prepared?

Sunny-side up; the runnier, the better! 


F is for Fat Free: What is your favorite fat free product?

Plain Yogurt


G is for Groceries: Where do you purchase yours?
Randazzo, and Eastern Market


H: is for Hot Beverages: What is your favorite hot drink?
Mint tea


I is for Ice Cream: Pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping.
SoDelicious Pomegranate Chip (as far as ice cream goes, dairy and I have parted ways...)


J is for Jams or Jellies: Do you eat them? If so, what kind and flavor?
Peach Melba from a local farm


K is for Kashi: Name your favorite Kashi product?
GoLean Crunch

L is for Lunch: What was yours today?
A cuban sandwich from a local restaurant, fries, and avocado.  I splurged on lunch today :)


M is for microwave: What is your favorite microwave meal/snack?
I like pizza rolls.  Whatever, don't judge me.  You like them too :)


N is for nutrients: Do you likes carbs, fats, or proteins best?
Uh, can I like them all??


O is for oil: What kind do you like to use?
Olive.  


P is for protein: How do you get yours?
Meat and legumes :)


Q is for Quaker: How do you like your oats?
Steel-cut, with milk, a banana, and walnuts

R is for roasting: What is your favorite thing to roast?
Green beans.


S is for sandwich: What’s your favorite kind?
Chicken, apple, honey, s&p, mustard, swiss.


T is for travel: How do you handle eating while traveling?
I snack.  I don't like figuring out where to eat, so I'd rather just accommodate myself and not bother.


U is for unique: What is one of your weirdest food combos?
I make some ridiculous salads, but they're never the same twice.

 
V is for vitamins: What kind do you take?
I have a stock of Emergen-C...


W is for wasabi: Yay or nay?
Always!


X is XRAY: If we xrayed your belly right now, what food would we see?
The rest of my lunch, haha.  Plus a diet coke.....


Y is for youth: What food reminds you of your childhood?
Chili. 


Z is for zucchini: How do you prepare it?

Roasted in spears, topped with parmesan.




 

ABCs of FOOD!

* a post HotBox me. glamorous, i know.

ABCs of Food

A is for Apple: What’s your favorite variety?

I like any apple. Pink ladies are good.

B is for Bread: Regardless of nutrition, what is your favorite type?

I am gluten-free…so I like the gf bread from Fiddle Cakes, a Nashville bakery.

C is for Cereal: What is your favorite kind currently? (just one!)

Chocolate or Honey Nut Chex

D is for Donuts: You might not currently eat them, but what kind do you fancy?

I don’t like donuts. My high school was behind a krispy kreme bakery..I can’t stand donuts.

E is for Eggs: How would you like yours prepared?

Scrambled or over easy.

F is for Fat Free: What is your favorite fat free product?

That’s a hard one. I can name a lot of calorie free stuff I love, but fat free..maybe get back to me on that.

G is for Groceries: Where do you purchase yours?

Depends on my menu for the week. Usually, Whole Foods, Kroger, Publix or Trader Joe’s

H: is for Hot Beverages: What is your favorite hot drink?


Chai and Coffee

I is for Ice Cream: Pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping.

I love Bourbon Ice Cream, neat.

J is for Jams or Jellies: Do you eat them? If so, what kind and flavor?

I love Jam! I make my own. Peach, strawberry, blackberry.

K is for Kashi: Name your favorite Kashi product?


They don’t make gluten free products. But I loved their cereals. They had tons of protein.

L is for Lunch: What was yours today?

Tons of veggies.

M is for microwave: What is your favorite microwave meal/snack?


Morning Star Farms Maple Flavored Sausage Patties.

N is for nutrients: Do you likes carbs, fats, or proteins best?

Protein! Protein! Protein!

O is for oil: What kind do you like to use?

Olive.  Usually extra virgin.

P is for protein: How do you get yours?

Diary, Beans, Powder, Peanut Butter, that kind of stuff.

Q is for Quaker: How do you like your oats?

I love plain oatmeal (gluten free oats!!) with a banana and cinnamon.

R is for roasting: What is your favorite thing to roast?

Um, I guess potatoes.

S is for sandwich: What’s your favorite kind?

Grilled Cheese with onions, avocado and mustard.

T is for travel: How do you handle eating while traveling?

I look up restaurants and cafes to see the menu, and plan ahead. My points app helps a lot. It’s easy to plan out my meals. I also pack breakfasts and snacks.

U is for unique: What is one of your weirdest food combos?

I don’t really have any. I’m pretty normal with food. I do put ketchup in mac-n-cheese.

V is for vitamins: What kind do you take?

I take a pre-natal (I’m not planning on baby-making, I was told it’s the best for women), Vitamin B and Magnesium.

W is for wasabi: Yay or nay?

Yay!

X is XRAY: If we xrayed your belly right now, what food would we see?

Honey Nut chex, a bananda, 3 clementines, a peach, milk and orange juice.

Y is for youth: What food reminds you of your childhood?

Doritos. I used to down those things like it was vital to living. Also warm chocolate chip cookies. My mom can bake like no one’s business. And homemade pizza. My dad’s is the best. Whenever he was in town, we got to indulge.

Z is for zucchini: How do you prepare it?

I like it fresh.

Peace, Love and Full Bellies-Amos

It's 100 degrees and I'm thinking about spicy food.

Michigan has been insane this week, and quite frankly I think we need to get it together (by "we" I mean the weather).  Funny thing, all I can seem to think about this week is baking and cooking things in the oven.

"Well Rita," you say, "that's not so ridiculous.  You obviously have air conditioning, right?"

Wrong.  So. Very. Wrong.

I survive in what I lovingly call 'the cave'.  We don't open windows, blinds are like barriers from the demon-heat, and I try to move as little as possible when I'm home.  Amy has her "hot-box" workouts, but I live in a hot box.  I'm getting sweaty just thinking about working out...

But all that being said, I've occupied my time with writing and creating recipes, and also hunting for some delicious dinner ideas I can long for while I wait for the summer of death to end.

So for those of you who have sweet, sweet, air-conditioning, check out this amazing recipe from America's Test Kitchen (probably my favorite cooking show).  They've tested and re-tested this recipe, and now those of us who can't afford a ridiculously expensive and highly impractical Tandoor oven can still make Tandoori chicken!  I would suggest a healthy serving of brown basmati rice on the side, along with some crisp steamed green beans, or quickly steamed cauliflower (I don't overcook cauliflower, mostly to keep it's nutrients, and because a mushy veg just isn't my thing)!

Tandoori Chicken

2tbsp vegetable oil
6 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
2tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
2tsp chili powder
2tsp cumin
1tbsp garam masala   **see note**
4tbsp lime juice, divided
1c yogurt (I splurge and use whole milk plain yogurt, but feel free to try light, or fat-free.  And for heaven sakes, don't use vanilla!)
2tsp salt
3lbs chicken

• Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  
• Add the garlic and ginger.  Cook them until you can smell them, but make sure they don't caramelize, or get any "color" on them.
• Add the cumin, chili powder, and garam masala.  "Bloom" the spices, which is to say, cook them with the onion and ginger until you can smell them as well.  Take the mixture off the heat and split in 1/2.
• Place one half the mix into a large bowl, and the other into a smaller bowl.  Beginning with the small bowl, mix the spice paste with 2tbsp of lime juice and the yogurt.  Set aside.
• In the big bowl, add the remaining 2tbsp of lime juice and salt to the spice paste.  
• Take the chicken pieces and slice gashes into the meat.  This is going to allow the rub to penetrate into the meat, giving it amazing flavor!
• Add chicken pieces to the big bowl and generously coat all the pieces in the paste.  Marinate at room temperature for 30+ min.
• In the meantime, preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and prepare your baking sheet.  Take one baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil (to help with your clean-up) and place a cooling rack on top of the foil covered sheet.  This will keep the hot air in the oven circulating around all sides of the chicken, giving it a nice crust
• Once the chicken has marinated, pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken pieces and evenly coat.  Place each piece on your prepared baking sheet.
• Cook chicken until the breast (white meat) reaches 125 degrees, and the thigh (dark meat) reaches 130 degrees. 
• Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and get your oven ready for broiling.  Once your oven is preheated, place the chicken under the broiler for 6-8min, or until the breast reaches 160 degrees and the thigh hits about 175 degrees.  

 Now you have delicious, crispy (and fairly healthy), Tandoori Chicken (without the Tandoor oven)!

--Rita

 *a note on garam masala*

**DO NOT skip this ingredient!  You can find garam masala at almost every grocery store that exists.  Kroger has it.  I'm positive.  You mustn't avoid this amazingly pungent spice because it's what makes Indian food so amazing.  Garam Masala literally translates as "Hot Mixture", but don't worry, it's not spicy.  It's intense.  Things like pepper, clove, malabar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and coriander are just a few of the common spices found in garam masala.  Each chef has his own mixture.  Visit a local spice store, if one is available to you.  Smell things.  Ask if you can taste the spices.  See what you like, and buy that!  And when in doubt and you're at a loss, make your own!!!!

Breakfast-The Most Important Meal O' The Day

I know you've probably heard that everywhere. Let me just tell you, people who skip breakfast are more likely to overeat throughout the day. So get your morning meal in.

I, myself, LOVE breakfast food. I will eat it at anytime of day. My mornings are super busy, like everyone else's. My breakfasts are usually quick and easy.

You can ask my roommates, I have a relationship with my blender. I toss a bunch of stuff in, power up and then enjoy. Plus, they are pretty great after my morning workouts. I joined a boxing gym, HotBox, in Nashville. Thai boxing on the heavy bag in a hot (HOT) room. The smoothies are refreshing and filling.

My base recipe is a cup of yogurt, I use Yoplait Light or Dannon Light & Fit. Use whatever flavor you like, I primarily use berry.  I chop up a banana and add that. Next add all the extra fixins' you want. Add anything from peanut butter, other berries, spinach (yum) and other goodies. Sometimes I use Trop50 orange juice and vanilla yogurt. Just whatever you fancy. I don't measure, I just check with my points.

So tomorrow when you're rushing out the door, don't forget breakfast. You need it and there are tons of fast easy and refreshing ways to get in that morning meal. 

~Amos

We're getting creative people!

c/o Old School Value 

We are embarking on something cool.

We have been neglecting our duties as bloggers.

We realize this. 

But on the horizon, there is something a-brewin'.  A new weekly segment will soon be in full bloom.

 (wrong kind of Bloom)

This is more like it...

  

Except it has nothing to do with flowers.  Or Orlando Bloom.  But I'd bet he's fully behind our brilliant blog decision*.  So stay tuned for what's coming up in the next week.  

In all seriousness, Amy and I are really dedicated to providing a space for people to interact with each other, to get tips and advice from regular people, and to foster a community that is encouraging and uplifting to everyone.  This is the next step in the conversation.  We want to make sure your mind is fed with good, solid information, your soul is fed with encouraging stories of struggle and success, and your body is fed with workout tips, and delicious treats!  So there's a hint as to what's coming up.  If you have any suggestions, questions, ANYTHING, let us know!  We want to know.  Really :)

--Rita

*this blog is Orlando Bloom approved (pending actual confirmation from the star himself)

Accountability

Dieting and exercising are fairly simple steps to weight loss...and frankly the most common sense. I think something I've forgotten about is the accountability.

When I started losing weight in college, I had my roommates and friends that watched me at every meal and knew when I disappeared for time at the gym. Coming out of that had made keeping myself accountable more and more difficult. It became easy to give myself permission to not go to the gym, or have food I knew I shouldn't.

Then I joined Team Haycraft and was working with my personal trainer, Garrett Watson. Dozens of food journals later, I lost another 75 pounds. Then my schedule filled up again, and I became less and less accountable to them.

Lately, I've given myself the excuse to not be accountable. Yes, I still workout. Yes, I joined weight watchers, however no one is holding me to that. So the last two weeks, I have only gone to the gym about six times and last week I ate over my points everyday. I'm not proud of this. I gave myself the "this week has been crazy" excuse..or you know the list. We all have it and my list made me gain a couple pounds.

The other night, Rita texted me and said she was going to start getting up at 5am everyday to do workouts. A light bulb went off. Rita and I keep this blog together, why not keep each other accountable? So we'll text every day when we leave the gym (time difference..she better not text me at 4am because it's 5am her time). Confession...I went at 5:30am instead of 5am.

I actually really like getting up that early to work out. No one was at the gym and plus my workout is over and I don't have to worry about getting to the gym on time after work. Gives me at least a hour of quiet time by myself and I've been craving that more than usual lately.

I'm trying out HotBox Nashville on Friday morning at 7:30 am. If their membership fees work with my budget, I'll join on Friday.  I'm sure with HotBox and Hot Yoga, I'll be in shape in no time. I'm on track with points and I even had a mojito yesterday. I have to learn to budget more time for me (and financially..but that's another blog).

Keep it up.

God must love calories, because he made so many of them!

These are one of my favorite foods of all time.  So, how about we not get into nutritional facts just yet.  They're terrible for me.  I get that.  Leave it be.

But in all seriousness, I love food.  I'll try almost anything, and I'll attempt to cook it at least once.  I love the idea of cooking, the process, the chemistry and the creativity of it all.  Good food is my inspiration to eat.

Finding motivation to work out, and get healthy however, is slightly more difficult than finding a reason to eat a corn dog.  I know I need to work out because my body will be healthier for it, my mind will be stimulated, and more practically, I can bust through a few really great movies while I knock out a few miles on the treadmill.  I know I need to eat healthy because my entire body will thank me, my community will benefit from me purchasing locally, and my exercise will be all the better for it. But I'm just not that awesome at self-motivation.  I want to be healthy for myself, but I need a shove; a deadline, if you will.

That is why, I am setting my sights on January.  One of my dearest friends, my favorite little cat lady, is getting married in less than 7 months.   I

t's a little ridiculous to think that I've known her since she was 14, and now she's gone and got herself engaged :) So here lies my "up'n at 'em" for a new workout plan.  I want to look beautiful in at least one wedding I participate in.  Maybe I'm being vain, but no matter what anyone says, every girl wants to feel gorgeous, with her hair done, and amazing make-up, while wearing a flowing dress.  You're a liar if you say otherwise.   

I think we need practice setting goals more often.  How proactive are you with reaching the results you want?  Are you a go-getter, or a patient waiter?  I could sit on the sidelines, and wait for something to happen to me forever.  But having this wedding goal has set just the right amount of fire under my bum to get me moving.  I have a new renewed purpose.  I'm excited.  And if all it takes is a wedding and a little vanity, then so be it.

--Rita