Cha-Cha-Cha Chia!

Ever since I joined the blogging community dedicated to health / nutrition / fitness, I have heard gobs of bloggers refer to the amazing taste and benefits of the infamous Chia Seeds. 2 TBS of Chia seeds are jam packed with 7g fiber, 2g protein, 205mg calcium, more Omega-3 than atlantic salmon, more antioxidants than blueberries, and more protein/fiber/calcium than flax seeds (whoo!).
I have looked far and wide for them in my neighborhood and can't.find.them.anywhere. Apart from ordering them online, I thought that I was going to have to suffer without ever trying some straight from the grocery.
To my great shock I finally!! found them at the Organic Market near by - still not plain and packed on their own, but chia seeds none the less. Enter:


I thought the flavor "Cranberry ginger" sounded delicious as an oatmeal and maybe even I could throw a few goodies on top.
Overall, the oatmeal had a great taste - especially the cranberries! However, the directions left little to be desired. Instructions read:
1. Pour 2 Tbs of chia seeds in bowl
2. Add 1/3 C of water (hot - cold) whatever your preference.
3. Let sit about 3-5 minutes

Mmm I did as the recipe instructed and still 15 minutes later there was a liquidy mess. So I packaged them up and took them too work and popped them in the microwave for about 40 seconds - that did the trick. I guess you just have to experiment!

Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I could do to cook these guys??

Have an amazing Friiday! Weather in NYC is b-e-a-utiful so if you have sunshine, use it!!

Hangover Bfast?

I woke up this morning with a huge hankering (sp?) for a bacon egg and cheese sandwich - the go to hangover breakfast. Ironically, I did not drink at all last night. hmmm strange how these cravings work...

Instead of running down to the Bagel Shop underneath my apartment, I decided to run to the grocery store and make one of my own by making a few modifications to "The Breakfast Sandwich" from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch. If you haven't read the predecessor to this book, Skinny Bitch, I definitely recommend it. The two authors take a no-joke approach to getting healthy [and skinny] by following a vegan diet and give you recommendations and recipes along the way. While I do not follow a vegan diet by any means, I hardly would consider myself even a pescatarian, I think there are some interesting concepts in terms of animal treatment and what you are putting into your body that I don't mind incorporating into my diet. So for breakfast I made a pot of coffee in my fav mug:

For The Breakfast Sandwich itself, I used some leftover NAAN bread for an open faced sandwich which I toasted in the oven (oh the joys of a nyc kitchen sans a toaster). I topped that with some melted Veggie Mozzarella Cheese (my vegan addition), Turkey Bacon, tomato slices, two eggs over easy, and sea salt and pepper. On the side, I had some fruit and yogurt too!
This hit the spot and was soooo gooood. I then headed to the park for photo ops! coming up next...

Back on Track Month

Since my post on monday declaring November "Back on Track" Month, I think I've been doing an alright job :)

Monday was a little tricky as I was super tired that day. And when I'm tired, I tend to snack, alot. But instead of snacking meaninglessly, I tried to think about what I was reaaaly craving and ate that instead. i.e. nachos for dinner. As anyone who lived with me throughout college knows, I ABSOLUTELY cannot have tostitos in the house becuase I will continue to make plate after plate of chips and cheese. they are just too good to not go back for.

To make this guilty pleasure of mine a little bit healthier, I opted for Stacy's multi-grain pita chips with some spicy jack cheese, black beans and a crumbled veggie burger on top. So good and hit the craving on the spot!

Yesterday I had one of my bootcamp classes in central park with Ariane Hundt. The woman kicked my butt, and it was great. For breakfast I tried this new thing that is apparently taking the blogging/health world by storm, the Fitnessista Cookie.


This cookie included 1/3 cup oats, 1/2 scoop of Soy Chocolate Protein Powder, 1 Tbls Almond butter, 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup organic raisins. I mixed everything together and added some cinnamon to taste. Then just formed it into a cookie shape and stuffed it in the fridge the night before. It served as a great breakfast and kept me full the rest of the day!

I've realized that getting my morning off to a good start definitely sets the tone that I keep for the rest of the day. Does this happen to anyone else?



Also, to add to my back on track month plan, I purchased another groupon for 10 pilates classes for only $45! Seriously, this website is gold for someone looking to get back in shape and stay healthy, on a budget.

Until later :)