Colour

have read that the best way to ensure proper nutrition, is to eat as much colour as possible, and mostly plants.

My snack last night fits with this advice.



This morning I was up bright and early for a conference. I chugged a Green Monster before I left (3 cups spinach, 1 cup Almond Breeze, 1 T almond butter, 1 pack Amazing Grass, 1 scoop Power Twister).

I had about 3/4 of this breakfast at the conference:



Along with 150 cups of coffee.

Mid-morning I had a cookie that didn't want its picture taken.

The lunch they served at the hotel was pretty good. I had some lentil soup, a wrap, some veggies, and a mini peanut butter marshmallow dessert:





In the late afternoon I snacked on half of this bar (thanks to Jessica for sending me this!):



The hubby and I went for dinner to one of our favourite places, 13th Avenue Coffee House. It has a full menu, and all the options are fresh, healthy and delicious. I had the Jivin Jerk Bowl which had tempeh, brown rice, veggies, and a tangy jerk sauce. It also had a couple plantain chips sticking out of it :-)









No big plans for me this Friday night ... just a quiet evening in.

My snack tonight was a grapefruit, and some crackers with goat cheese:





What do you have planned for the weekend?

Don't forget to enter my STARBUCKS giveaway!!

Exciting News, Travel, and Sex in A Pan

n exactly 18 days the hubby and I will be headed to NY for a week vacation! We have never been, and I have only been to 6 states in my life (Nevada, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Hawaii). NY has been on the top of my travel list for as long as I can remember. Other places on my list include: Egypt, India, Iceland, Samoa, Tonga, and many places in Europe.

What places are on your travel list?

On to food ...

Breakfast today was a smoothie made with 1 cup almond breeze, 1/2 banana, 1 T almond butter, 1 scoop chia seeds, Hemp/Cacao/ Maca Twister Powder, and 2 packs of Amazing Grass.





It was very protein, nutrient and antioxidant rich, and it kept me full all morning.

For lunch I ran out to Extreme Pita and got a vegetarian pita pizza:



I most definitely inhaled every last bite.

In the afternoon I had a glo-bar and a piece of cheese.

I went to the new organic grocery store in town after work today. It is my new favourite place. The customer service is exceptional. The food (including the produce) is of very high quality, and the prices are reasonable. I bought all of our groceries for the week from there. One thing I bought was organic sausage (4 large in-store made sausages for $4.49). We had the sausage for dinner tonight with rice and an avocado/ tomato salad. I topped my rice with green salsa.



I realized after your comments on yesterday's post that I cannot throw around phrases like "Sex in a Pan" and not provide a recipe. Here you go:

Sex in a Pan

Crust:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup flour
2 T sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

Filling:
250 g softened cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 pack instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pack instant butterscotch pudding
1 1/2 cups milk

Crust Directions:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan
- Stir in the flour, sugar, and nuts
- Press into 9x13 pan
- Bake @ 325 F for 15 minutes

Filling Directions:
- Blend cream cheese and icing sugar and spread over the crust
- Whip the cream, and then spread 1/2 on the cream cheese layer
- Mix the chocolate pudding and milk for 2 minutes and pour over the cream layer
- Mix the butterscotch pudding and milk for 2 minutes and pour over the chocolate layer
- Top with the rest of the whip cream

Chill over night. Top with shaved chocolate before serving (optional).

I have had this dessert made numerous ways, and this is the BEST in my opinion!

Very exciting news!!!!!!!
As a Featured Publisher of FoodBuzz I had the opportunity to enter a contest called 24, 24, 24. To enter, one must submit a proposal for a dining experience that they want to partake in, and want FoodBuzz to fund. Twenty-four people were chosen, and all must make their meal happen within the same 24 hour period (March 27th) and blog about it the next day (24 blog posts). I was one of the winners, and will be given the cash to make the meal/ and evening come to life.

You will have to wait and see ...

In light of my BIG trip in 18 days, I am going to do a giveaway.
See my post tomorrow for details!!

How many US States have you visited? Which ones?

Java

he hubby always has coffee ready for me in the morning. I love the smell of fresh brewed coffee. I also love the sound of the coffee machine working it's magic.

I can't leave for work in the morning without my trusty coffee cup and water bottle.



Coffee out of a regular mug just doesn't work for me, as I find that it gets cold too quickly.

The one cup in the morning is typically all I have, unless I am out for breakfast, or we have friends over to our place. Then I drink a pot ... or eight.

Breakfast this morning was a Green Monster (1 cup almond breeze, 3 cups raw spinach, 1 banana, 1 T almond butter, 1 pack Amazing Grass Wheat Grass).



For any skeptics out there, you CANNOT taste the spinach. Not even a little bit.

I also had a piece of toast:



I went out for lunch with people from work to a Thai restaurant called Angkor. I was super original and ordered the Pad Thai :-)



I devoured most of it.

Dinner this evening was some fresh salmon, roasted zucchini and mushrooms, and bruschetta with yellow, orange, and red organic tomatoes.



Colourful Bruschetta

- 3 medium tomatoes (1 orange, 1 yellow, 1 red)
- 1-2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 T red wine vinegar
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 tsp basil
- sprinkle of salt and pepper
- 4 slices of French bread
- Cheese to top (I used gruyere)

Mix the first 6 ingredients and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minute or more (to let the flavours blend). Toast the bread. Top the bread with the tomato mixture and cheese, and broil until melted.

Do you drink coffee? How do you take it?

I like it black!

BIG Giveaway Announcement

elcome March!

I am declaring March "Get Back on Track Month."

I set some goals for 2010 and I haven't been paying much attention to them over the past couple of months. I was busy enjoying my new found freedom from school and forgot to workout, read books for fun, and do a lot of the other things that I had planned to do when I had more time.

January and February were for recuperating. March is for accomplishing.

Things I want to accomplish in March:

1) Start swimming (I know how to swim, but I want to become a better swimmer).
2) Do some sort of work out 4 - 5 days per week.
3) Try new recipes!
4) Read 2 books for fun (minimum).
5) MAJOR Spring Cleaning (and organize).

I started off this first day of March with a 4km (2.5 mile) jog/ walk DVD. I am registering for my first 5K race which will take place on May 30th!! I am very excited!!

Before I get to my eats, I wanted to let you all know that the winner for the Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion will be chosen tomorrow evening. If you haven't entered yet you still have time!

Breakfast this morning was a lovely bowl of oats:




(1/2 cup coffee, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup oats, 1 T almond butter, 1 T maple flakes, 1 scoop chia seeds).

I packed an Amy's tofu stirfry, an orange and some cheese for lunch:



Dinner was a salad with red peppers, mushrooms, goat cheese, and balsamic dressing:





And some spinach pizza:



GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT
(Open to Canada and US Residents)

I am very excited to be announcing a BIG giveaway, sponsored by CSN Stores. CSN Stores has a bunch of great sites that sell really high quality products ranging from kids furniture and modern home decor, to my favourite - cookware!

To enter the giveaway all you need to do is check out TWO of the sites above and leave me a comment letting me know your dream item from each of the 2 sites.

You can earn an extra entry by:

1) Tweeting about the giveaway with a link to this page (leave me a comment letting me know that you did).
2) Blogging about the giveaway with a link to this page (leave me a comment letting me know that you did).

The WINNER will get to choose a product from the site of their choice up to a value of $40!!

Once the winner is chosen (On March 8th) they will choose the product they want and email me their address with their selection. CSN Stores will mail the product directly to the winner!!!

Kids? A BIG Giveway? Coming Soon (Enough)!

n Monday I was contacted by Jason from CSN Stores.

CSN Stores has a number of websites with great products ranging from modern decor to kids furniture and cookware. Of course, I was instantly interested in the cookware, although maybe one of these days I will be thinking more about kids furniture - *Nudge nudge, wink, wink.* (Don't get too excited - see the Q and A below!!)

Jason presented me with the opportunity to either try and review a product from one of CSN Stores' sites myself, OR do a giveaway with my readers.

I decided that I would like to let you, my lovely readers, in on the action and do a giveaway instead of a product review.

The stuff on these sites is AMAZING, and I don't need to try it out to know that!

I am very excited that on Monday I will announcing another BIG giveaway!!
You won't want to miss out!!

Now for my eats ...

Breakfast was a smoothie.

Open up!


Mmmm, chocolate smoothie goodness. This was made with 1 cup unsweetened almond breeze, 1 T almond butter, 1 pack Chocolate Amazing Grass, 1 pack Kids Chocolate Amazing Grass, 1 scoop chia seeds, 1 scoop of the power blend that Navitas Naturals gave me to try.

This smoothie kept me full all morning.

I didn't have anything to take for lunch today, so I had to pick something up. I decided that Booster Juice would be the healthiest option. I had a vegetarian Greek wrap:



And some fresh juice (4 carrots, ginger, and apple) that I just about gagged on.
Too much ginger - blech!



The hubby and I were craving breakfast for dinner this evening. We made omelets and then put them on top of toasted whole wheat bagels, topped them with cheese, and broiled them for a couple minutes. I smothered mine in Sriracha. I have a problem.



Dessert was a grapefruit with a sprinkle of stevia (thanks to NuNaturals for the stevia).



I was recently asked this question as part of my "Ask Me Anything Feature":

It seems like you have a good career and a happy marriage. Are babies the next step?

Yes, the hubby and I are happily married (nearly 6 years now!!) and we both have our careers in full swing. We own our own home, have two cars, and a landscaped yard. I'd say babies are the next step :-) But we might sneak another trip or two in first! I think 28 would be a good age to get pregnant. I would also like to try and convince some of our couple friends that they should have a baby around the same time!! None of our couple friends have kids yet!! Crazy hey!!

So, tell me about your thoughts on kids.
Do you have them? Want them? When? How many?

Giveaway Announcement!!!!

If you missed Q and A Part 1 (Exercise, Diet, Weight) look here.
If you missed Q and A Part 2 (Hubby, Education, Life) look here.

If you have a question ask me here!

I am so glad Monday is done. Mondays and I don't get along very well.
Going back to real life after a weekend is TOUGH!

Last night I enjoyed a grapefruit, my favourite winter fruit:

I have noticed lately that people either love or hate grapefruits ... what about you? Do you love them or hate them? Or are you in between?

My siblings and I have always loved pink grapefruit juice. We would fight over the last glass when we were kids. We also got it in our stockings. Sick, I know.

Breakfast this morning was one of the best bowls of oatmeal I have had in a long time. I made it with 1 cup of Almond Breeze and 1/2 cup quick oats. I topped it with 1 scoop of chia seeds, 1 t maple flakes, 1T almond butter, and 5 yogurt covered raisins. The yogurt covered raisins got all melty, and it was perfect!

Lunch was leftover veggie pizza (a couple slices) and an orange:

For dinner I made fajitas! I had 2 and dipped them in green salsa:

This evening I made an amazing tropical smoothie.

Tropical Smoothie
(Reminds me of an Orange Julius!)

- Juice 5 pineapple rings, 2 pears, 1 mango
- Throw the juice into a blender with 1/2 cup Coconut Flavoured Coconut Bliss (Ice cream made with coconut milk instead of dairy) and 1/2 a frozen banana.
- Press the smoothie button and blend until smooth!





Wow! It was sunshine yellow, and tasted like I was on a beach in Hawaii.

GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT
(Open to readers in the US and Canada)

I was fortunate enough to receive an email from Cat who is a PR Rep for Skin MD Natural. She offered to send me a bottle of Skin MD Shielding Lotion to try and review. She also offered to sponsor a giveaway in which one of my lucky readers will win a bottle themselves!

I am VERY picky when it comes to lotions. I refuse to put anything on my skin that has chemicals in it, and ingredients that are in any way unnatural. Our skin is our largest organ, and what we put onto it should be as high of quality as what we put into it.

I wash my hands a lot, as I spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen. I also use drying hand sanitizer at work. I wash my hands at work, or use hand sanitizer 10-20 times a day. I also live in windy, cold Saskatchewan, where my hands literally take a beating.

I have VERY dry hands in the winter. It gets especially bad when the seasons change, which they do so drastically in Saskatchewan.

I was very pleased when I read this information about Skin MD Natural's Shielding Lotion:

"Made in the US using high quality natural ingredients, making it over 90%
all natural. All ingredients are considered to be of food grade and are also
on the FDA's most safe list. It is free of harmful fragrances, parabens, and
colorants making it hypoallergenic. We don't participate in animal testing
nor does the lotion contain any animal products. Our lotion is also
vegan-friendly and gluten-free."

"A shielding lotion is unlike any other conventional, artificial moisturizers
because it works with the skin to naturally moisturize and heal. Most
conventional, artificial moisturizers only add moisture to the surface of
the skin, but do little to repair the skin's natural barrier against
moisture robbing irritants. Continued use of artificial moisturizers can
cause the skin to actually begin producing less of its own natural oils,
thinking that the skin has enough moisture. This can cause skin to form a
dependence on the moisturizer for hydration. Skin MD Natural breaks the dry
skin cycle by working to help restore skin's natural protective abilities by
bonding to the outer layer of skin, strengthening skins natural barrier
against toxins and irritants that can dry the skin, while locking in the
skin's natural oils."

When I received this lotion in the mail last week I tried it right away.

It absorbs instantly, and leaves no sticky or greasy feeling.
You can't even tell you have lotion on after about 10 seconds.
My hands felt instantly softer, and they were noticeably less dry after 2 applications.
There is no smell to the lotion like there are to some other lotions.

I love that you can use it on your face, hands or body!

You only need a VERY small amount, as it goes a LONG way! I like that because I want this lotion to last me a very long time. I will definitely buy some when my free sample runs out.

Want to win your own Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion?
(120 ml bottle, $18 dollar value)

I will be holding a giveaway that will close Tuesday March 2nd.

To enter:

1) Leave me a comment telling me what kind of lotion you currently use!

For Extra Entries:

2) Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know.
3) Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know.
4) Become a follower, and leave me a comment letting me know.

The winner will be chosen randomly and Skin MD Natural will send the lotion directly to you!