Playlist

Loving this video right now. Everything about it is simply

perfect.

Alex Winston and La Blogotheque : Choice Notes

Alex Winston | Choice Notes | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

♫ Cheers to your health ♪

New man in my life!!

Had to share that I have a handsome, new man in my life.

A little over a week ago I became a mother overnight to an 8-week old soft coated wheaten terrier fluff ball named Archie. He's a big-fuzzy-hunk-of-love but he's also TONS of work with a dash of mischief. His Dad and I love him to bits and pieces, even if we're sleep-deprived and a bit more irritable these days.

Archie perched on my mom's lap

I've been spending all my time with Archie working on house training (i.e. potty breaks outdoors every 1-2 hours, yes, 1-2 hours!), keeping Archie distracted from chewing on non-puppy things for MINUTES (yaaaa...minnnutes), massaging his supremely soft, brand-spanking new puppy paws, and watching him sleep either completely on his back or on his tummy with all four of his legs stretched out in what we like to call his "superman pose." Darling.

first bath

So, my lovely and loyal readers, if my blogging peters out for a while, I hope you'll understand it's because I haven't had time to wash my face, eat a proper meal or sleep for more than 3 hours at a time. Give me 6 months...

♥ Cheers to your health ♥

Product review

It's been awhile since I've done a product review post, but this review is loooong overdue. A favorite snack of mine over the last year or so, Yumnuts are simple and fabulously delicious flavor-roasted cashews that are a perfect for someone on the go. If you're used to eating greasy canned or bulk cashews, while they still may taste good, all those added bad-for-you oils aren't doing you, or your waistline, any favors.

So what does "flavor-roasted" mean? Yumnut's will have you think of it like this: you wouldn't make a chili and then add all the spices and seasonings once it was on the table, now would you? The same principle applies to how these nuts are cooked. They're flavored first and then slow roasted, without added oils in small batches. The outcome is a delicately, flavor-packed (not overpowering) nut with an authentic taste and a crunchy, dry texture.

What else do I love? Everything about Yumnuts is 100% au naturel. There's no artificial nasties, sodium or cholesterol to be found. They're also free from corn syrup, gluten and any other weird ingredient you can't pronounce. And did you know that cashews actually have a lower fat content compared to other nuts and are extremely high in heart-healthy antioxidants, copper and magnesium? Plus, we all know know by now that eating a handful of nuts daily lowers your risk of weight gain. All the more reason to go nuts.

My favorite flavors are Toasted Coconut, Touch of Honey and Chocolate. I must confess, I've never tried any of the savory flavors, which are Easy Cajun and Sea Salt.

Upon a quick glance at the Yumnut's website, I noticed they've added flavor-roasted almonds (flavors include cinnamon, ginger orange and dark chocolate) to their repertoire. Haven't seen these in stores yet, but I've got my eyes peeled.

♥ Cheers to your health ♥

The Smoothie Series

Creamy Vanilla Date & Banana Smoothie

Deliciously sweet, fleshy dates add a honeyed-flavor to this smoothie all while providing you with valuable dietary fiber, Vitamin-A, iron, potassium and the health-benefiting flavonoid antioxidants known as tannins (most commonly associated with red wine). The organic frozen banana makes it thick and creamy and also adds more potassium and dietary fiber as well as give you 20% of your RDA for Vitamin B-6. The raw vanilla bean just makes it tastes like a self-indulgent milkshake....SCORE.

• 1/3 cup dates (soaked in milk for 15 minutes to soften before blending)
• 1 small frozen organic banana
• 1 tsp raw vanilla powder
• 1 Tbsp flax seeds
• 3/4 cup almond milk (substitute rice, soy or organic cow's milk, if you prefer)

Blend, serve it up, and sip.

♥ Cheers to your health ♥

Oatcakes and Strawberries

Some mornings I want to chew instead of sip. Today was one of them, so I pushed aside the blender and heated up my skillet - who says pancakes are only for the weekends, anyway?! What follows is a toasty twist on your standard bowl of oatmeal. The B-vitamins from the oats serve to trigger production of mood-sweetening serotonin and will keep you full until lunch. Seasonal and delicious strawberries deliver 13% of your RDA of dietary fiber, keep digestion regular, curbs overeating and contain loads of vitamin C and antioxidants. Added cinnamon and flax give you boosted cognitive function and improved memory (thanks cinna-minna-min) and good for you fats (that's the flax).

freshly ground flax

organic rolled oats

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
• vegetable oil cooking spray
• sliced strawberries to top
• optional: unsweetened applesauce, honey, or maple syrup to top your cakes

Directions: In a bowl, mix oats, egg whites, cinnamon and flax together. Spread your "batter" evenly in a coated skillet and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes (flip them once). Enjoy topped with berries and whatever else you'd like!

finished product!

♥ Cheers to your health ♥

Playlist

My worlds have magically collided - smooth, soulfull motown and lyrical hip hop. Hova and Kayne featuring Mr. Redding himself. If only this could happen live... I think my head would explode.

Jay Z & Kanye West (feat. Otis Redding) : Otis

♫ Cheers to your health ♪

The Smoothie Series

Chocolate-Cherry Smoothie

I came across a version of this recipe in this month's SELF magazine. Actress Poppy Montgomery drinks it regularly for breakfast (the recipe was created by the renowned celebrity trainer, Valerie Waters). I tweaked it by omitting the Muscle Milk and substituting plain water for mineral-rich coconut water . It turned out great - luxuriously decadent yet guilt-free. Boasting 36% of your RDA for potassium, this fruity, chocolaty blend is a big-time bloat buster with about 250 calories per serving. By adding raw cocoa, a Mayan superfood, you'll score plenty of antioxidants, iron and magnesium.

• 1 cup of pitted organic cherries (I used fresh b/c they're in season, but you could use frozen too)
• 1 small frozen organic banana
• 1 acai berry frozen smoothie pack (such as Sambazon)
• 1 cup coconut water (you could also use plain water or a milk substitute)
• 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder (available at your local health food store)

Blend, serve it up, and sip.

♥ Cheers to your health ♥

Playlist

I love tasty music just as much as I love tasty, health-giving food.

Here's where I'll share what's currently on my playlist.

Dr. Dog : Heart it Races

song originally by Architecture in Helsinki

♫ Cheers to your health ♪

The Smoothie Series

Popeye Smoothie

It's no secret that the everyday foods we eat influences the way we feel and look. Think about how you would feel (and what you'd eat for the rest of the day) if you started off your morning with a soda, a fat-laden muffin or a heavy breakfast sandwich. Sometime around 10 am you'd probably start feeling tired, crabby and a bit moody. And it's all downhill from there...

But if you start your day off eating a balanced and nutrient-dense breakfast, you'll not only make better food choices for the rest of the day, you may even be able to manage, treat and reverse common health conditions (think: headaches, PMS symptoms, minor aches and pains). Consuming a diet rich in fruits in vegetables keeps your blood sugar stable, gives your body plenty of vitamins, minerals and water from food sources (which helps flush out your system naturally), and keeps you energized the whole day through.

My friends and family know that smoothies are my secret weapon when it comes to my own health. I find there's no better way to "sneak in" nutritious foods first thing in the morning without having to sit down to a big spinach salad, a bowl of fruit, a cup of nuts and a side of yogurt. In one cold velvety drink, you can get 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables....all before you even answer an email or brush your pearly whites. Plus, drinking blended foods aids in the digestion process, is gentle on your system in the morning, and makes it easier for your body to absorb all the vitamins and nutrients from your food. So why use only fruit in a smoothie when you can mix in greens, not notice any difference in the taste, but still get all the benefits of this nutritious powerhouse?

Note: this smoothie is healthy enough so I didn't fuss with any supplemental add-ins this morning. Also, because this smoothie combines green, red and blue colored fruits and veggies, the outcome is a brown smoothie. DON'T BE SCARED! It's sweet and delicious.

• 2 handfuls of organic spinach
• 1 frozen organic banana
• 1/4 cup of organic blueberries (fresh or frozen, whatever you have!)
• 3/4 cup fresh coconut water (I used Vita Coco today since I was out of Young Thai coconuts)
• 1/4 cup of organic plain yogurt (you could also use Greek or omit yogurt if your vegan or lactose intolerant)
• small handful of almonds

Blend, serve it up, and sip.

♥ Cheers to your health ♥