Almond Joy Smoothie

This flavor-combo reminds me of my Mom. She loves coconut, which means I love coconut. Every since I was a little girl, I have been trying to be just like her…Isn’t she fabulous? 

….And she is every bit as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside…and that’s pretty damn beautiful! 

This smoothie is every bit as delicious as the candy bar without all the added sugar and fat.

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To make:

  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened, raw cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp sweetener (I used organic sucanat)  
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
  • 1/4 cup oats (for thickness and added fiber, optional)
  • 1 cup ice
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency. 

Back to the books…only 2 finals and a paper stand between me and 10 days of freedom!

Smart Snacking: Frozen Fruit

My favorite it’s-finally-starting-to-feel-like-spring snack….frozen grapes!

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Try freezing fruit for a sweet treat that will tide you over, satisfy your cravings, or, if you’re like me, help keep you focused while you study—-yes, I am a study snacker..snacking studier…any ways, you get it. 

Fruit that is frozen also forces you to sloooow down when you’re eating it…win! 

Frozen is pretty much my favorite way to add any fruit to smoothies…you already know my love for frozen bananas, but also berries, peaches, and mango are best frozen for a smooth, thick, cold smoothie…double win!

Yesterday I made this delicious green smoothie with orange juice, frozen grapes, kale, oats, and peanut butter.

 

Easiest Rice Pudding

It must be impossible for me to post a recipe that doesn’t look completely grotesque. 

I promise this tastes nothing like it looks. 

Last night I was in the mood for something savory and sweet, so I got creative with ingredients that I already had and whipped up some delicious rice pudding. Since it’s rice, I considered this dinner and dessert…along with the huge plate of brussels spouts that I ate standing in my kitchen while stirring and impatiently waiting for this to finish cooking. 

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Overnight Oats

On mornings when I am out the door in a hurry and especially now that it is (finally) warming up in the city and I crave something cool instead of hot, I’ll have overnight oats. 

For something that is so yummy, it couldn’t be more visually unappetizing. Just trust me…

By now you probably know that I love oats…I like them hot, cold, in a smoothie, sweet, savory…I’ll stop for the sake of sounding like Dr. Seuss, but you get the picture.

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A few weeks of city life….a non-nutritional post

Phew….it’s been a while blog world. Sorry for the dead air space recently.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind; last exams before finals, wrapping up project after project, internship hours with B-Nutritious (follow her on Facebook and twitter to check out my contribution everyday to her social media pages), and assisting with research at the NYU Langone Medical Center a few days a week. I’m tired just thinking about it. 3 more weeks of this semester and then I’m home-free…until the summer semester starts 10 days later. Yah! Kinda, but not really…

Don’t worry—it hasn’t been all work and no play…I’ve also had company in town the past 3 weekends in row. First, my parents and brother came in town for his high school choral competition. The day my parents arrived we went to Extra Virgin in the West Village for lunch where I had the most incredible Shrimp Cobb salad. I can’t wait to recreate it myself—shrimp, avocado, tofu, corn, asparagus, tomatoes, bacon, and picked onions…Ahh-mazing! Ps. aren’t my parents adorable?

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The next weekend Whitney, one of my best friends from home, came in town to stay with me for a long weekend. She won tickets to go see “Live with Kelly and Michael” so on Friday morning we woke up super early and trekked up to the Upper West Side to attend the show. Michael wasn’t there, so Kelly’s (<—-girl crush) co-host was Carson Kressley (<—hilarious). The guest was Susan Sarandon (<—-love her) and the performer was Cher Lloyd!

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After the show, we met our newly engaged best friend, Kristen, at Kleinfeld to help her shop for her wedding dress. No, they weren’t filming that day, but yes, some of the consultants you see on TV were there! Dianne from the show was Kristen’s consultant. This all-day extravaganza was so much fun. After 3 boutiques and about 12 gorgeous gowns, Kristen did “say yes to the dress.” I can’t share much, but I can say that Kristen is going to be the most beautiful bride! 

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The highlight of the day was when Kristen asked me to be her co-Maid of Honor along with her sister. Since her fiance proposed in Napa Valley, she asked the girls to be in her wedding party with a mini bottle of Napa Valley sparkling wine.

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Whitney, me, and Kristen at Eataly that night celebrating finding “the” dress and 20+ years of friendship! My friends are gorgeous!

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And finally bringing us up to date, last weekend my friend Meg came in town to stay with me. We had a non-stop weekend filled with brunch, the Highline, mani and pedi’s, shopping, and hours of laying on my building’s rooftop taking in the sun and drinking mimosas! On Sunday, I went to my first Yankees game. I can’t say I pay much attention to baseball (although I do know we won), but I do love an outdoor sporting event combined with beer & friends…and guys in baseball pants. 

Yankee Stadium is pretty awesome!

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Me and Meg!

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Whitney, me and Meg…3 happy girls! 

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 So now you know where I’ve been hiding. I promise nutrition related posts and recipes are on their way! 

Probiotics, Prebiotics…What’s what?

There are those products you see on the shelves that you know you’ve heard about, you think you should be using, but you aren’t really sure why. 

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This is how I felt about probiotics and prebiotics until about a week ago when I learned about them in class and was tested on my knowledge of them this week. 

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“Just like Whole Foods” Garlicky Kale

I’m pretty much obsessed with the salad bar at Whole Food’s, but more specifically, with their Garlicky Kale. After I had it just once, I researched some recipes on how to recreate it, invested in a jar of tahini, figured out what the heck nutritional yeast was and have been making my own ever since.

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Easy Homemade Granola

Here is a really simple recipe for granola that will leave you wondering why you ever paid 6 dollars a bag at the store. Plus, you control the ingredients! You don’t like nuts? Don’t add nuts! You don’t like raisins? Don’t add raisins! Best of all: no preservatives, added chemicals, or artificial flavors! 

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How Many Calories Do YOU Actually Need Everyday?

Nutrition fact labels, low-calorie diets, nutrient dense foods vs. calorie dense foods….this is all great if you know how to apply them to your personal diet. Most people think that they should be getting 2,000 calories every day because that’s what’s seen on the bottom of food labels and heard in the media. 

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“A Place at the Table” Documentary Review

About a month ago I attended a screening of the documentary A Place at the Table. This film, by the same producers behind Food, Inc., reveals the incidence of hunger in America. Yep, in the land of the plenty, the overfed, and the overweight, more than 50 million Americans are hungry and food insecure. 

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Grilled Flatbread with Greek Peasant Salad

In “lab” last semester, we learned how to make a variety of breads; biscuits, flatbread, brioche, quick bread, yeast bread, ect. And what I learned is that most breads are incredibly easy to make, they only require a few ingredients, and they are much cheaper to prepare homemade than to buy. 

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Product Praise: Bragg Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

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Although I hate to use the term “superfood” (there is no legal or medical definition for the term - it’s just part of clever marketing from the food industry), this product is as close to “super” as you can get. Before hopping on the “Bragg Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar” bandwagon a few years ago, I did some research to make sure I wasn’t wasting my money. 

The list of health benefits from adding Bragg’s Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) into your diet is endless! Here are a few of the highlights:

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Better-than-Progresso Lentil Soup

You know that moment you have when you’re sick and you suddenly realize how much you took for granted feeling “good?” You promise yourself when you feel better you are going to appreciate your illness-free self and do all the things that you didn’t feel like doing when you were sick…you know, the finer things in life; run, smile, socialize, laugh, eat something other than saltines and ginger ale, actually get out of bed….

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Cabbage-Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts

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If you had a weekend like I had, and I hope that you didn’t, it means your system might need a re-boot. I am in the midst of mid-terms which means from about Saturday afternoon until Monday morning I only left my apartment once to get groceries. It was depressing as it sounds, especially since we had the first over 50 degree day here in what feels like eons. 2 exams this week stand between me and a week back home in SC with my family and friends. Spring Break really isn’t what it used to be. Like in 2008, when I took a cruise with 3 of my best friends….

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