Fast Food Alert! Yo Quiero Taco Bell

After hearing via commercial or a billboard on the road that Taco Bell had a new Doritos Locos taco, with my favorite flavor (Cooler Ranch), I had to try it out. Even though we eat relatively healthy and stay away from most fast food, we don’t mind cheating, if you want to call it that. So, late night one night last week, we drove to the Taco Bell in town for some treats. It’s challenging for Alana because she has a sensitive stomach for low quality and greasy food… and she’s a vegetarian. But she’s a good trooper and more or less went to make me happy.

So I splurged a little and got a Doritos Locos Taco Cooler Ranch, one normal and one supreme, a half a pound chicken and potato burrito, a bean and cheese burrito, and a churro. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any churros so they gave us a marshmallow cookie sandwich and two apple empanadas. By the way, we asked for some hot sauces and they gave us about 10 of each. Let me say that I have no idea what the macros were on this meal, but the amount of fat must have been through the roof.

Our feast

Here is the review. The tacos were a guilty pleasure that I would get again, over and over. I probably prefer the non-supreme version. The chicken burrito was one of the least healthy pieces of food, if you call it that, that I have ever eaten. It was a struggle to finish. Alana ate most of her bean and cheese burrito but I finished it. She enjoyed the cookie sandwich, but I thought that the apple empanadas were absolutely disgusting.

All in all, us being hungry and fit, don’t be afraid to cheat from time to time. If you count cheat meals go for that, but feel free to indulge in a guilty pleasure from time to time. Otherwise you’ll go insane and once you have it, you’ll realize it’s not that great anyways. I don’t want Taco Bell for a while, but I was happy that we went. You can see the receipt below, it was cheap.

You can eat fast food and still stay hungry and fit!

Mar252013

The Easiest Healthiest Dessert Recipe Ever: Sweet Baked Pears

I really need to cut down on these title lengths. Anyways, to the recipe. I discovered this recipe through a program I work with at the YMCA, called MEND. It’s a free program to fight childhood obesity and change the lifestyle to a healthy one at home. It’s been very successful! During each session, the participants get a MEND “cookbook”–a compilation of MEND-friendly (aka HEALTHY) recipes. This is from there. This is a guilt-free recipe. It’s basically fruit, cheese, and cinnamon. ENJOY!

Finished product

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients [serves 6-8 people]

6 pears (if you’re less-hungry people, you can use less)
1 1/3 cup ricotta
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp agave nectar (or honey)
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
Wash the pears and cut them into halves

Scoop out the seeds and most of the middle

Put the pears on a baking sheet (no oil required) and put in the oven for 20 minutes
Let’s now turn our focus to the mixture. Put all the other ingredients (ricotta, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and agave/honey) into a small-medium bowl and mix! Feel free to taste

Put the mixture into the fridge to chill until you serve.
Take out the pears from the oven after 20 minutes
When ready to serve, put dollops of mixture in the hollowed part of the pears!

And that’s IT! Seriously amazing, delicious, and you don’t feel bad eating it because there isn’t any crap in it. This is a recipe I will be frequenting. I whipped it up very quickly after a gym session before we went to a friend’s house for dinner–it’s amazingly simple for how delicious it is. Enjoy!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Someone’s sleepy…

Mar222013

Eatery Review: Piece, Love, & Chocolate

We came across this adorable Boulder eatery while enjoying a nice warm night (compared to the winter we’ve been getting). We were actually strolling around after a dinner, wanting more food (the name is HUNGRY and Fit, remember?) and we stumbled upon this cute joint. I’ve passed it before and always wanted to step in. So we did.

The outside of this adorable place…hard to see but they have little tables and chairs to sit at

As soon as I stepped in, I was reminded of my friend, Mary Kate, and her mom who owned a candy shop. Same smell, but instead of being Irish themed, this was allllll about chocolate. They had some chocolate brownie samples out (I am the absolutely sucker for samples of any kind, it’s a problem), which were delectable! I may or may not of had more than one–oops. While Chris looked over the goodies, I looked around the rest of the shop–there was so much going on.

They had every kind of chocolate you could imagine (some of it pricey, but probably because it’s all homemade) and the whole theme was centralized around the Southern Americas where cocoa comes from. Really a great experience. Eventually, after exploring the little shop (when you walk in, you can see the kitchen in the back), we decided on a hot chocolate for me and two cookies for Chris.

The hot chocolate was a mild flavor, free of any added sugars or nonsense–perfect for keeping me warm on the walk ten blocks home. The cookies were also good, we got a regular and a gluten-free, both tasted homemade. We would love to come there when they bake them fresh!

So if you’re in Boulder, and you’re out to town on Pearl St. or Spruce, stop by this adorable candy, chocolate, and goodies shop. I know we will again. I’m eager to try more treats!

Cheers! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Cuddle monsters

Mar202013

Jodi Boylan’s Amazing Irish Soda Bread

So, yes, this is going to come back to Mary Kate again. You probably think I’m obsessed with her…which I kinda am, but it’s cool. Mary Kate and her family really brought me into the Irish culture which I am now in love with so I’m very thankful to her for that. But I’m here to present Mary Kate’s mother’s (Jodi) amazing soda bread recipe. Last year I baked a soda bread (not her recipe) and it came out botched, so I was so so happy with this recipe and it came out beautifully this past Sunday. I take absolutely zero credit for this one, it is all Mary Kate’s mom. Try it out–you will definitely want to save this one!

Jodi (or Joj) with Packie, one of her five children

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Bake Time: 50-55 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups flour [I used 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup regular–Mary Kate’s idea, came out wonderfully]
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter [softened]
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup raisins, craisins, chocolate chips [any of the extras you want to throw in]

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Grease up a bread pan
Mix the two flours, the sugar, and the butter together in a medium or large-sized bowl

Beat the egg and then put it into the flour/sugar/butter mixture

Pour in the buttermilk
Add the baking soda

Now fold or throw in any of the additives that you want. For my case, I just used raisins. I didn’t exactly just to 1/4 cup, I just sprinkled them on as I folded them in so that there were plenty spread out

Gently pour and spread into the bread pan, making sure it is even so it rises properly

Pop it into the oven (remember 350 degrees) and wait a dreadful tantalizing 50-55 minutes for it to bake.

And there you have it. A simple recipe, but an absolutely scrumptious one. I found myself wanting more after Chris and I finished the leftover loaf that Monday. This delicious soda bread does not require St. Patty’s Day for it to be made, make it any day for a delicious, semi-healthy treat! Give your thanks to the wonderful, beautiful Jodi!! Cheers!

Yummm

Mar182013

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!

Alana getting into cooking/cleaning mode

Yesterday we had the privilege of celebrating one of our favorite Americanized and distorted holidays. This year we were lucky enough to have it fall on a Sunday, so we decided to hold a little celebration since we are so far from our homes. I’ll try to make this brief because I’m still pretty full.

Kittens hoping for some scraps

We woke up early and headed to do a few chores. Target for prescriptions, King Soopers for groceries, Marshall’s for another large pot, and Sprouts for produce. We already had corned beef from the day before. Five pounds of it… for three omnivores and four vegetarians. Whoops.

Our grocery trip

We cleaned the house and I threw the mixture of corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes (not telling you the secret recipe) around 11:00 a.m. We started eating at 3:30 p.m. Alana made a very good Irish soda bread with her friend’s mom’s authentic recipe AND a spinach-feta pie-like dish. We also had some good Irish cheddar cheese, jack, and cranberry goat cheese with matzoh. That’s right… straight from Jerusalem.

Our tunes for the day…

For drink, we were provided with George Killian’s irish Red, a nice refreshing light tasting beer to compliment the dishes. (I know nothing about beer.) Afterwards, I made vanilla Bailey’s milkshakes for dessert. We Skyped with family, chatted and caught up with one another, and gave the kittens tons of attention. All in all it was a very fun time together. Thanks to everyone for coming and everyone that celebrated this holiday the right way!

remnants of milkshake

Kitchen hit by tornado

Even after a feast like this one, stay hungry and fit!

Mar132013

Post-Workout Protein Oatmeal

So I came back from my workout at an odd time, around 11 in the morning. Hmm, I want something to sustain me for a bit, and smoothies never do. Wait, didn’t my protein powder bin say to try it in cereal? Well, oatmeal is a cereal…hmmm. And here we are with a oatmeal recipe loaded with protein. It was actually really good, once you got used to the texture. Really delicious and healthy. Try it out!

Prep Time: 7 minutes?

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 scoop flavor-less whey protein [I use Jarrow’s]
4 strawberries
6 dates
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp agave nectar

Directions

Get cup of water to boiling
In advance, cut up dates and strawberries

Add in oatmeal and turn down to simmer
Once oatmeal is starting to cook, put in some cinnamon
After you stir in the oatmeal, pour in the whey protein powder and stir. By this point, you definitely want to keep an eye on it because it will stick much easier

Once you stir in the protein powder, pour in some of the agave nectar in for a touch of sweetness

Throw in a few dates and strawberries in (but not all of them) to heat into the oatmeal
After a minute, take out and serve into bowl

Put the rest of the fruit on top and you’re done!

I think this took me about 7 minutes total and it filled me up with excellent nutrients: fiber, protein, and carbs! If you want, you could even try putting in a flavored protein powder, up to you!

Cheers!

Mar122013

Grandma Powell’s Iowa Casserole

I prompted my Grandma, who lives in Iowa, for a recipe called “Iowa Surprise.” However, she returned with a delicious, simple, very Iowan casserole recipe. I was definitely game to try it! I had most ingredients and the others I needed to buy only cost me $5. What a deal for a full casserole that is plenty to fill both of us! I made a few alterations, some by mistake and some on purpose. Big Note: I made half of this vegetarian for me, and half with meat. Check it out and enjoy.

The Powell Family at our last reunion…you can find Grandma Powell sitting front and center

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 50-75 minutes

Ingredients

1#bulk pork sausage
1 cup cheese [only for vegetarian edition]
1 (16oz.) can cream-style corn
3 eggs
1 cup panko [I used panko instead of said recipe’s bread crumbs because all the others had high fructose corn syrup in it]
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 white onion
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
red pepper

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Okay so I think I got this part wrong, but what I did is get raw pork sausage and just browned it, when I think I was supposed to get already-cooked pork sausage. Either cook the pork sausage, or start putting the cooked sausage in large mixing bowl. [Note: If you’re doing the vegetarian step, ignore the meat and put 1 cup shredded cheese in, instead]

Chop 1/2 white onion into finely diced pieces and throw them in with the meat.
Combine the salt + pepper, canned corn, panko bread crumbs, milk and eggs into the large bowl
Put mixture into casserole dish

half veggie/half meat. Doesn’t look too appetizing at this point

Cut the red pepper into rings and place upon half the casserole. At the same time, smear the ketchup across the other half

Put into oven! Mine took about 65 minutes, just keep an eye on it after 50 minutes and test it for sturdiness

Hot n ready

It was very filling and very enjoyable, and we have leftovers for tomorrow too! Thank you, Grandma!! Hopefully next she will send me her pie recipes…probably wishful thinking.

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sniper shot of Sajah asleep

Mar112013

Peanut Butter Oat Bars

This is such an easy delicious recipe. Mary Kate sent this recipe to me–I altered it a little bit and boy is it goooooood. And it’s such an easy recipe, I whipped it up extremely fast. And there’s no added sugar that you have to pour in, making them healthy little things full of protein. Look below for the recipe and directions. This is one you won’t want to pass up and you only need about 25 minutes to do it.

Prep Time: 7 minutes
Bake Time: 18 minutes

Ingredients

1.5 cups of oats
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of agave nectar
1 egg
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
small handful of chocolate chips

Directions

Grease a baking sheet and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Mix the flour and oats together

Go ahead and put the wet ingredients in (the egg, peanut butter, and agave nectar) and mix
Fold in some chocolate chips

Spread out on the baking sheet

Ready to bake

Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes (mine took 18). You want it to bake until it starts to brown slightly

Wait until completely cool to cut and serve.

Enjoy! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Mar082013

Using Other Cultures: Being Smart with Food

I’m going to draw upon two cultures to make up a smart food philosophy. They can either be put together or separately, whichever you choose. I simply think it is good to keep an open mind to other cultures to see how they deal with food and use the opportunity to look at our own food habits. The two cultures I will focus on are Spanish (as in from Spain) and Japanese (as in from…Japan). Let’s look.

Spanish

The Spanish have many different eating habits, including a tiny breakfast, but I’m going to focus on their lunch. The Spaniards have a time called a “siesta” around noon or a little later. This means lunch time. And lunch time is a big deal in Spain. Shops will close down for a few hours and many Spaniards will go out to restaurants for a few hours for up to three courses. I’m not saying–ditch your work for three hours and go get a five-course meal for lunch, no! You can pack a big lunch, I know that I sure do.

And this more so points to the focus around the middle of the day when our metabolism is in full gear, ripping and roaring through the food we give it. In America, most of us have our biggest meal at the end of the day, when our metabolism is starting to slow down and our body is beginning to tire. This is what I want to adopt from the Spaniards. Move the biggest meal of the day to LUNCH where your metabolism has plenty of time to break everything down rather than waiting until dinner to stuff your face and leave yourself overnight to try to digest it all. The Spanish may be wild party-ers, but they sure do know how to eat.

Japanese

Another polar opposite of the typical United States eating culture, however instead of time of eating it is PORTION CONTROL AND SIZE. If you don’t know, Chris and I have a big love for the Japanese culture and plan to live in Japan for a period of time pretty soon. And that means a big love for Japanese food. Now, of course, the United States has turned small Japanese portions into all-you-can-eat sushi (opposite of portion control), and we are lovers of that too. But for everyday life, everyday eating, the Japanese set a beautiful example of eating the right nutrients in the right portion size. Why do you think the Japanese obesity percentage is so much lower than the United States’?

Protein. Vegetable. Carb. Have you heard of the bento box? Click here for an excellent blog with tons of creative bento boxes. A bento box is basically a Japanese lunch box, usually packing in rice, some kind of vegetable, and some kind of protein (usually fish or tofu). It isn’t very big, and has no high fructose corn syrup packed into it. So instead of jumping to the supersize (a beloved American meal size), let’s try the “Bento” size. It has all the nutrients we need without stuffing ourselves to the brim. And maybe we’ll just drop the obesity rate to a more reasonable number for the US.

So let’s open our minds and our mouths and try different habits from different cultures. Who knows–it could be your next favorite thing. I sure know that I’m transfixed by the bento box. I love eating, but I love eating without feeling extremely full afterwards as well. So try it out! Cheers! Salud! 万歳 !

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah’s first fire

Mar072013

Alana’s Almost-Tropical Smoothie

Since Chris got me some flavorless protein powder for V-Day, I was ready to hit up the smoothie-making business. One day after a workout, I decided I wanted to break the seal and use the new protein powder, instead of a new expensive gross (in my opinion) one that Chris got. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a ton of smoothie fruit in the house (I mean strawberries, bananas, blueberries, etc.), but we still had some of our staples. So I whipped this together, giving Nymeria and Sajah scraps of fruit along the way.

Ingredients

1 scoop Jarrow’s whey protein
1/2 cup milk (I really didn’t measure this)
1 banana
4 clementines
ice

Directions

Put ice and milk in blender, ice crush!
Put in the scoop of protein powder
Break the banana and half and add in. Peel the clementines and add in, whole or cut
Blend until smooth!

blending blending blending

And enjoy! Makes about two servings, I couldn’t finish all by myself so I saved it for later. I call it almost-tropical because we didn’t quite have the pineapple or guava or passionfruit to kick it into tropical gear. But this tastes great anyhow. Feel free to mix and match with whatever fruit or protein you have. Cheers!