Texas Veggie Fair 2014! The Good, the Bad, the Delicious!

Aaron and I headed to the Texas Veggie Fair today here in Dallas.  We were very pleased that there was $5 parking at one of the downtown American Airlines Center parking garages.  We walked the half mile to the Reverchon Park fairgrounds down the beautiful Katy Trail.  Aaron was so impressed with it's cleanliness and structure that he observed that it "felt like the zoo when you're walking in between exhibits," and I had to agree.

REVIEW: INBar Food Bars

Holy INbars, Batman!

Recently my friend Ashley sent me a box of INBar food bars.  I'm not talking like a handful of flavors to try either; my beloved sent me a handful of each flavor to try... about 30 bars in total.  As usual when I get mail, I was like a kid on Christmas, shoving my new gifts in Aaron's face and saying things like, "CHERRY CHOCOLATE?!  I bet that is so good!  Doesn't that sound good baby?!" to which he had to reply an enthusiastic and satisfactory yes to before I would go on to describing the next ultra exciting flavor... my poor boyfriend.  He is a good sport though and tried all of the flavors at least once.  Well, the exception that is the Chocolate Mint; he apparently doesn't care for "minty things" (which translates roughly to "more for me").

Vegan Cuts Box Review!

I recently received a Vegan Cuts Box to review the same weekend as my birthday.  I was super excited because I haven't gotten a Vegan Cuts Box in at least two years.

What was in my box?

TRAINING: My First 5k!

The title is kind of cheating.. yes it's a 5k, but like so many 5ks, it's a fun run.  We're doing the Neon Dash 5k on September 20th.  How do I feel about my upcoming first 5k?

I'm really excited!  I haven't been training the way I should, but I'm still guardedly optimistic.  Aaron and I have been adjusting to what my co-worker (and fellow runner) Rachael calls "married life".  We don't quite have a routine yet, so our gym visits have been sparse.  I haven't gone running in a couple of weeks and it scares me.  I still walk my usual 1.4 miles to work everyday, but Aaron has been picking me up in the evenings.  I would run to work, but it's simply been to hot.  On average, it's 86-90 degrees when I'm walking to work.  I live in Texas.

Am I worried?  Absolutely not.  I know I can run two miles solid at a good 10 minute pace.  Even if it takes me 30 minutes to run this thing, I know I have the endurance because I do at least that on the elliptical as a cardio warm up.  Should I be training more?  Yes.  Actual running, outside or on a treadmill would be ideal.  We all know that running and the elliptical aren't even comparable outside of the fact that both get your heart pumping.

Being completely honest, I'm most excited about decided what to wear race day!  I've never ran a 5k and I'm super excited to get out there, dress in all white, and get covered in Neon goo!  I own so many neon accessories from my goth/industrial club days that I'm excited to get them out and show them some love.  The main debate I'm having with myself is the consequences of running three miles in Chucks.  You know, Converse All Stars.. the flattest shoe ever?  I have some that are neon yellow, but it just seems like a terrible idea.

I'm also pretty excited about dressing Aaron up. *insert evil laughter here*

REVIEW: True Nutrition ModCarb™

This came in the mail the week before I left for Ohio.  It arrived with a few other items that I didn't get to try before I left, but this one couldn't wait.  I'd been looking at ModCarb™ for a possible pre-workout.  Since True Nutrition has a custom generator that allows you to make your perfect formula, I was looking to put together a pre-workout with 10% protein and around 90% carbohydrate.  I didn't just want something that would burn off fast or give me jitters (sugars).  ModCarb™ is fitting my needs perfectly.

Reviews coming soon of the other bags seen here!

I LOVE how this works as a pre-workout.  I use this in my morning coffee before work and I feel amazing until my break.  No crashing and no jitters, just pure energy.  It translates into my workouts too.  I love how it feels when this kick ins.  I don't feel shaky or jittery, just ready to do some work!  It's really perfect.  I've tried several pre-workouts that made me feel dizzy, jittery, or even like I was going to throw up.

The flavor on it is great and the texture is perfect.  It's totally soluble and the texture adds something to my coffee that I can't explain.  It definitely gives it more of that thick latte texture I was looking for.  It absorbed easily in water, coffee, and in soymilk.  I use a Blender Bottle™.  The flavor I got was the TrueFlavor™ Vanilla Cake Batter and it is delicious.  Nothing fake or synthetic tasting, it just tastes exactly like what you'd expect from a Vanilla Cake Batter.  Even though it's a dessert flavor by definition, it's not cloyingly sweet; for those of you who hate overly sweet powders, you'll love this flavor option.  It's sweetened with Stevia.

Nutritional Breakdown:
ModCarb™ TrueFlavor™ Vanilla Cake Batter
Serving Size: 30g
Calories: 125
Total Fat: 2g
Total Carbohydrate: 21.7g
Protein: 5g

Here it's mixed with 12 oz of coffee, 4 oz milk substitute
and gelatinized maca powder.

Want to get a discount on your order?  Use the coupon code "BBE100".

Disclaimer: I was sent these items to try by True Nutrition.  This does not effect my opinion, and I am encouraged to share an honest review.  Big thanks to Carl & True Nutrition!

True Nutrition's Custom Oatmeal Generator is the Best!

Carl from True Nutrition recently asked me to try out the new Custom Oatmeal Generator (use code BBE100 for a discount).  As a huge fan of the Custom Mix Generators, I was stoked.  True Nutrition is already one of my favorite companies for their wide range of vegan proteins and supplements, friendly and helpful staff, and unique Custom Mix Generator.  I use their Custom Mix Generator to create my preworkout/postworkout as well as my protein shakes.  I love the versatility of the brand and how many options there are, even as a vegan.

The Custom Oatmeal Generator is honestly just as awesome to use.  I played with it a little before deciding what I wanted to try, and spoke with Carl for his suggestions.  Carl is always full of helpful information and has more than once steered me in the right direction when I wasn't sure what to do (and even a few times when I thought I knew what I was doing...)

Aaron Visits Dallas

NOTE:  Want to see this in photo form?  Check out my instagram.

What a week of eating, sleeping and love.  Aaron came to visit me in Dallas for 8 days.  I'm trying to sell him on Texas and he's wooing me.  Those two things lead to a very wonderful week together.

SATURDAY, MAY 24TH:

He arrived on Saturday, May 24th.  Before he came to me, Dimple took me to Ascension Coffee in the Arts District.  It was a true Chai and a little bitter for my tastes, but definitely the most authentic Chai I have every tasted.  I drank it, but I wish I had added a little sweetener.  If you've ever met me, you know I love sweet.

We met him at the airport and then did a little shopping.  Dimple is my favorite shopping partner, hands down.  She's the friend that will tell you something looks awful, and encourage you to try on a fluffy homecoming dress for fun.  She's the best.  From there, Aaron and I got Taco Cabana as a snack because neither of us had eaten that day, but we were getting food later that night.  We went home and got ready, and headed out to meet Paul for sushi at Sushi Zushi under Dimple's recommendation.  Again, have I mentioned that Dimple is the best?

Sushi Zushi was delicious.  Aaron and I split some vegan sushi; a Tropical Roll, an avocado roll and one other roll that I can't remember the name of.  We also ordered Tofu Yakiudon.. Aaron loves udon.  It was delicious and even Paul said he would come back.  Paul rarely visits the same sushi place twice, so that is a huge compliment.

We attempted to go to Bowl Lounge, but they said it would be an hour and a half wait, and it was already 11pm.

SUNDAY, MAY 25TH:

We started our morning by sleeping way, way in.  It was wonderful.  Around 3pm we found ourselves at Cici's pizza, starving.  We inhaled some food and headed to Half Price Books so Aaron could see the flagship store.  I picked up a Cortana Pop! figure for my love, Lisa.  We went out that evening with Paul and saw X-Men: Days of Future Past at Studio Movie Grill on Royal.  The movie was great and the black bean burger at Studio Movie Grill was delicous.  I loved the sweet potato fries.

MONDAY, MAY 26TH THROUGH THURSDAY, MAY 29TH:

I had to work long shifts these days, so Aaron was very patient with my schedule and did some independent exploring, and hung out with Paul.  He also visited me on my lunches at work.  We ate the delicious Greenhouse Market at the mall, had Puciago for dessert, and a few times after work, we went to late night food options.  One night we visted Velvet Taco, which again, Dimple had told me about.  As always, it was amazing.  Another night, we visited a place he and Paul had found called Trinity Hall.  It was an Irish pub with vegan options.. heaven.  We even had vegan brownie cheesecake for dessert.  It was amazing.  Thursday, we got a vegan pizza from Whole Foods and I ate half of it and went into a carb coma.  Yes.. it was good.

FRIDAY, MAY 30TH:

Friday I was off!  We woke up late and went to work out.  We also wondered around looking for food, and ended up giving up and decided to see an earlier showing of Maleficent instead.  Paul joined us at Studio Movie Grill on Technology Blvd.  The theater was better, but the service was considerably worse.  It took us over an hour to get drinks.. that was after food, and with us asking three different servers to please bring them to us.  It was disappointing, but the movie was great.  Second Disney movie I've seen recently where the Princess isn't saved by a Prince.  I am loving the direction Disney has been going... exploring that there is more than the love between a man and a woman.

We went to Half Price Books again, but this time, Aaron and Paul wondered off to look at nerdy things while I looked at skincare books.  We got chai teas and Aaron was impressed.  I love their chai so much.

We came back to the house and opened the Cards Against Humanity and played that for a while before we headed to Lower Greeneville.  Caroline joined us just before leaving.  We went to Truck Yard for a few minutes, but it was honestly too packed to be pleasant, and we left as soon as Aaron finished his beer.  Paige and Prem met us at Truck Yard.  We headed to the Libertine and got food.  I had their seitan tacos in the past and they were great.. they've since changed them and they're just bland now.  They're served with just cabbage and hot sauce, and in order to get enough flavor and cut the dryness, you have to use too much hot sauce and the heat is too much.  I was disappointed, but Aaron liked them.  We bounced around Lower Greeneville a little longer, but then we decided to head back to the house and play more Cards.

SATURDAY, MAY 31ST:

Aaron deemed Saturday lazy day.  We slept in, ran a few errands, and got groceries for the day.  Paul joined us to play Cards, watch anime, and generally nerd out.  I made curry with cauliflower rice and it was delicious.  I also tried Nada Moo for the first time in the Chai flavor and it reminded me of Half Price Books / Black Forest Cafe's Chai.  So delicous!!  It was, overall, just a nice preview of the days to come when Aaron really gets to move here.

SUNDAY, JUNE 1ST:

We slept in, we cuddled, and we said good bye.  I don't want to say goodbye.  Let's say.. see you soon.

REVIEW // GIVEAWAY: About Time

This came in the mail.  I was beyond excited.  Even when I opened it up and realized most of the items weren't vegan, I was still excited.  My friend Christopher agreed to try the non-vegan stuff for me and help me review the brand.

In this box:
Whey Protein Isolate in Banana, Chocolate, Cinnamon Swirl, Mocha Mint & Vanilla
Vegan Protein in Vanilla & Chocolate
Fruit, Nuts & Protein Bars in Dark Chocolate Brownie, Island Coconut & Pecan Pie
Granola Clusters
AUX Pre Workout in Passion Fruit & Watermelon

About Time also gave me a 25% off coupon code for you to use: betheats

REVIEW: True Nutrition

I recently spoke with a member of the True Nutrition staff about their vegan protein options.  If you want a super affordable, customizable option, this. is. it.  I can make it even more affordable; with code "BBE100", you'll receive 5% off of your order with True Nutrition.

True Nutrition allows you the freedom to mix your own protein powders.  I don't just mean pick a base and a flavor.. I mean, you can pick percentages of various powders, carb and fat mix ins, flavors, sweeteners, and you can do this in any size from 1 to 100 pound quantities.  The custom mix generator is super easy to use.  As you change your options, it shows you how it effects your nutritional breakdown per scoop so you can make your mix exactly to your specific needs.  There is literally nothing else like this on the market that I am aware of, and more importantly, they have several vegan options.  The mixes come in your choice of a resealable bag with a plastic scoop, or a plastic tub with a plastic scoop.  I love that you have the option.

Day 11 (and beyond): Challenge Conquered!

I had a few weaknesses during this challenge.  I struggled with my personal protein goals during this challenge.  I thought I would be hitting them consistently since I'm usually good at getting my protein, but going from a goal of 45g of protein a day to 135g, I suddenly found myself struggling.  Even eating two protein based meal shakes a day couldn't save me.  My other weakness during this challenge was getting my butt kicked by my allergies and having to living on Benedryl several days.. which knocks me out.

I also had  a few successes during this challenge!  Despite struggling with eating more lean macros and not working out much more than usual, I still lost weight consistently during this challenge.  I definitely think eating higher protein, and taking fucoTHIN Green three times a day definitely made the difference.  However, not once did I feel like I was depriving myself or surviving on diet pills.

On day 9, I weighed in at 125.something.  I was shocked and impressed.  Today, after a night of not sleeping and in general definitely retaining water weight (I feel very bloated and just not good today), I weighed in at 130 pounds.  I am putting off weighing in for a few days.  Yesterday, I could see new bone definition on my hips and was in general very pleased with how I looked and felt.  It's amazing how one bad night of sleep can wreck how you feel.

I know it's been a few days since this challenge ended.  It's been insanely cold and I've been working nonstop.  I will get some updated photos for your soon.  I'm very happy with the results of the challenge and wouldn't mind doing it again!

Day Five Update!

The scale is moving!  Nothing drastic, down to 127.0, which is 1.4 pounds lost in five days, and isn't bad.  I'm off the next two days and have a lot planned in the way of catching up on workouts because work has been wearing me out (excuses!!).  The simple fact of the matter is I haven't really changed anything about my lifestyle outside of the fucoTHIN Green & the meal shakes and have lost weight, which is the point.  If anything, I may be working out slightly less (but will make up for that the next two days, while I'm off and it's finally not -3 degrees out).

Overall?  The challenge is a success so far.  I'm seeing a difference, and I see and feel a difference in my body.  I'm excited to amp it up for the last half of the challenge and see what happens!

Also, I've felt hungrier, but I've only found myself craving good food, which is a great thing!  Love this!!  I have a feeling that when I finish this bottle of fucoTHIN, I will order another!

Day One: Success!

Day one went well.  I am combining the Lorna Jane 30 day ab challenge with what I already had planned (Insanity 3-5xs a week) and that went well.  I did the day one challenge a couple of times yesterday just because.  I don't know if I'm supposed to be doing a certain amount of sets, and if I'm supposed to repeat it throughout the day, but I'm just going to do it anytime I think about it.

I weighed in at 128.2 pounds yesterday.  I know some of this is water weight from impending shark week, but I'm still disappointed.  I did go on a bit of a pizza bender when I was dating a boy recently though, so I'm actually happy that I only gained three pounds, and not like fifteen.  We ate a lot of pizza... no joke.

I need to make a trip to the grocery but they're calling for freezing rain and I walk everywhere so I have to weigh my options.. I'm about to hop in the shower now and decide what I'm going to do.  If I don't go to the store, you guys are going to see me eating a lot of plain lentils and frozen fruit smoothies, haha.

Ten Day Challenge with Garden of Life!! [Starting March 1st]

I really love Garden of Life.  They are hands down the number one purchased brand in my home, with So Delicous Almond Plus milk being a close second.  I have bought their protein and meal powders for a while now, and repurchase them time and time again.  I am the type of consumer that doesn't care what you buy, necessarily, but what you keep buying.  For me, Garden of Life is that brand that I keep coming back to.

Garden of Life recently sent me their RAW Fit Protein in Marley Coffee and Original, as well as their fucoTHIN Green for a ten day challenge.  I would love to get more people on board with it!  There is a $5 off coupon in the Whole Foods book right now, and they carry several of the Garden of Life products (including their vitamins and supplements).

What will this challenge entail?  Starting March 1st, I will be replacing my breakfast and lunch time smoothies with RAW Fit Protein.  I will be drinking the Marley Coffee flavor for breakfast, and the original flavor for lunch.  Because the Fit protein powder is so low carb, I will probably pair it with some fruit at breakfast and probably nuts or fruit at lunch as well.  I will be keeping my calorie intake at 1200 calories, per usual, focusing on eating high protein and keep my carbs at or below 75g.  For those who follow macronutriet guidelines, I will be shooting for 75g of carbs (25%), 135g of protein (45%) and 40g of fat (35%).  For those of you who do want to follow macronutrient guidelines, I highly suggest the myfitnesspal app for calorie trackings, and really like this site for figuring out your macro needs.

I will be pairing these two meals with a wisely picked dinner and regular exercise.  I love the Insanity workouts.  I don't do them as consistently as I should, but I will be doing the workouts at least three times a week.  I will be trying to do it more often, as work allows.

I will also be taking their fucoTHIN Green supplement.  fucoTHIN has two active ingredients, Fucoxanthin and Green Coffee Bean Extract, both in their raw forms.  The coffee bean is decaffinated to prevent jitters, which makes me extremely happy.  Anyone who has had caffeine jitters knows what a nightmare that is.. now imagine being a makeup artist and trying to do liquid liner on a client.  I would also be scared to mix this with the Marley Coffee Fit protein if the supplement wasn't decaffeinated.  I've had large portions of caffeine, but that's during the holidays and I really don't feel well doing it.

As a precursor to this challenge, I want to give a brief description of both key players in this challenge, the Fit protein and the fucoTHIN.  I plan on doing an in depth review of both following the challenge, but I'd like to give you guys a little information now so that you understand why I chose them.

RAW Fit Protein:  RAW Fit protein is a hybrid of a meal powder and a protein powder.  It has an impressive macronutrient profile (28/5/67 on my 1200 calorie plan; I'm shooting for 25/35/45).  This means I have room for healthy fats, and means I will probably be eating a lot of avocados.  Avocados have been found to help suppress hunger, so they will be a great addition to the challenge.  That, and they're just damn delicious.  My favorite thing about the RAW Fit is that it is still a raw food, and that the protein blend is about twenty different things for a complete and rounded amino acid profile.  Also fantastic?  It's vegan, gluten free, dairy free and soy free!

fucoTHIN Green:  The active ingredients in this weight loss supplement are Xanthigen® (raw, concentrated Fucoxanthin) and Svetol® (raw, naturally decaffeinated green coffee bean extract).  These are both non-stimulant natural fat burners.  We've all heard of green coffee bean (it came to the market in 2002), but I'd never heard of Fucoxanthin prior to this supplement.  A little research taught me that it was a not so new ingredient used in weight loss that had recently gained popularity thanks to celebrity doctor Dr. Oz.  It's derived from a brown algae and is an accessory pigment in the chloroplasts responsible for their brown and olive color.  Scientists in Japan did a study with mice and rats and found that it increased thermogenin which lead to weight loss.  A later double blind study with a placebo in women found that when it was blended with pomegranate oil, the subjects taking the fuxocanthin lost weight.  I found this information with a google search and I recommend you do the same before you start any supplements with unfamiliar ingredients.

So who's ready to accept my challenge?  Who's in it to win it!!?  Let's do this!!

Where to follow me for this challenge?
this blog
my instagram
myfitnesspal
& facebook

What's In My Pantry: Recent Food Hauls

I've had these items for about two weeks and haven't made this post yet.  I've been a little busy with work and trying to get in three mile walks with my dog.

In this haul:
=> Spectrum Ground Flaxseed:  Got it on sale so it was pretty cheap.  I'm mostly excited that it's ground.  The pro to that is that it's much easier to absorb its nutrients.  The cons is that it can go bad more quickly.  It's an easy fix: store in the fridge after opening.
=> Nasoya Black Soybean Tofu Plus: this is my preferred tofu.  I feel like I compared the ratios and it was the best I could find for protein.  I'll have to check this again next tofu outing.  I got this for $2/5, with a $1 off coupon.
=> Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla and Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut:  These were on sale with a coupon so I grabbed a flavor I trusted, and something new to try.  I may have tried the Vanilla Coconut in the past, but I don't remember.
=> So Delicious Cashew Milk:  it was time to try a new "milk".  I've never had cashew milk.  These were on sale and had a coupon, so I jumped in; all or nothing.  Hopefully they're good.  I haven't gotten to them yet.
=> Dancing Star Chunks of Energy Chcolate Almond Chip: my local Whole Foods carries these in the bulk bins.  These are a great snack for prolonged activity.  I like to eat two of these before I leave for work in the morning.  Gets me through my morning walk and takes me into my day.
=> Roasted Unsalted Soybeans: these are a great high protein snack with good fats.  I like to munch on these when I'm craving something like potato chips.  It isn't the same texture or taste, but for some reason it works for me.  Much more protein than a potato chip.  These are also from the bulk bin at Whole Foods.

Garden of Life sent me these goodies.  There will be more about that tomorrow, actually.  Pictured here is their RAW Protein in Vanilla Chai and the RAW Fit powders in Original and Marley Coffee.  Also pictured is their Herbal D-Tox regimen, and their fucoTHIN Green weight loss supplement.  I'm so excited!!

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Plant Fusion Phood!

Plant Fusion makes a delicious meal replacement powder called Phood.  It is smooth, it is creamy, and it is tasty.

Mail Time: Graze Box #4

What's in my box?

LIGHTLY TOASTED PISTACHIOS:  These are pistachios, whole (in shell), lightly salted and lightly roasted.  These are delicious and flavorful, and a nice low calorie, low carbohydrate snack.  I liked these a lot, actually.  They weren't overly salty and didn't taste.. overprocessed.

Breakdown:
Calories: 104 kcal
Fat:  9.61g
Carbohydrates: 1.45g
Protein: 3.12g

GRAZE'S CHOCOLATE ORANGE:  This is a combination of dark chocolate, orange raisins and hazelnuts.  First and foremost; what a combination!  It's the highest calorie snack this time, but it's also rich in antioxidents, vitamins and minerals.  I love the combination of orange and chocolate, so I'm glad Graze keeps delivering on that.  I ate this faster than I'm proud to admit...

Breakdown:
Calories: 208 kcal
Fat: 13.4g
Carbohydrates: 19g
Protein: 2.98g

PINA COLADA:  This is dried pineapple, coconut and mango.  This was sweet and delicious, almost like eating candy.  This is definitely something to give to kids instead of junk food or candy when they want something sweet.  It's also rich in good carbohydrates so it'd be great in a packed lunch to get them through the day.  It's low calorie, too.

Breakdown:
Calories: 103kcal
Fat: 4.18g
Carbohydrates: 16.8g
Protein:  <1g

CHERRY PIE:  This is a combination of cherry raisins, almonds and cranberries.  I'm disappointed to not see actual cherries in this, but I'm sure they had their reasons.  Almonds are a super food in their own right, so this is a good little powerhouse of a snack.  This was just the right balance of sweet and tasty.

Breakdown:
Calories: 158 kcal
Fat: 8.29g
Carbohydrates: 18.3g
Protein: 3.39g

What's In My Pantry: Food Haul!

Got some items in from Amazon.com and from Whole Foods, so I just wanted to share a food haul with you guys.

My pantry is happy now.  =]

Mail Time: Graze Box #3

What's in my box this time?

This time I got My Thai, Seedsational, Chocolate Orange Flapjack & Trail Mix.

MY THAI: These are soy bites with sweet chili sauce.  There's only 84 calories in the little package, which is always a plus.  I am, however, a little disappointed to see that the protein content is so low for a snack containing soy.  They were, however, very tasty and savory, and there was plenty of sauce in the container, so I finished it with some mini pretzels I had.

Breakdown:
Calories: 84 k
Fat: 1.18g
Carbohydrates: 17.6g
Protein: 0.605g (>1g)

SEEDSATIONAL:  This is a mix of pumpkin and sunflower seeds that have been tossed in a soy sauce blend.  I am excited about this blend, because both pumpkin & sunflower seeds are incredibly nutritient dense and rich in things like b vitamins, vitamin e, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, iron, zinc, and omega fatty acids.

Breakdown:
Calories: 202k
Fat:  16.1g
Carbohydrates: 7.07g
Protein: 6.97g

CHOCOLATE ORANGE FLAPJACK: This is an oat flapjack with orange and chocolate.  These are amazing flavor profiles to mix, and can lend themselves to both savory and sweet.  This, however, was definitely a sweet treat.  It was so tasty I found myself very sad when it was all gone.  This is something I would definitely buy at the store to keep in the pantry to satisfy cookie cravings.

Breakdown:
Calories: 244k
Fat:  12.9g
Carbohydrates:  29.2g
Protein: 2.7g

TRAIL MIX: This was a fun combination of peanuts, hazelnuts, cranberries and jumbo raisins.  It was a tasty little snack and the flavors complimented each other perfectly.  This would definitely be a great boost during a hike or a busy day, but not a stationary snack.  I was happy that it had 4g of protein, though.

Breakdown:
Calories: 177k
Fat: 11.2g
Carbohydrates: 15.3g
Protein: 4.02g

Want to try Graze?  Here's a friend code here, here, and if those are gone, they created a unique code for my readers; BETHSNACK.

Breakfast Smoothie: Chocolate Banana

I love making this for breakfast. It's super fast & easy, and I know I'm getting a nice boost of protein, simple carbohydrates, and some good fat from the hemp to start my day.

Ingredients:

• 1 c almond milk* (vanilla, unsweetened)
• 1 tbsp raw agave nectar
• 1 tbsp raw cacao nibs (could also use cacao powder)
• 1 tbsp raw supergreens
• 4 tbsp raw hemp protein powder
• 1 medium-large banana (frozen is best)
• 1 c spinach (also best frozen)

Directions:
With my Ninja, I prefer to use the small blending cup when I'm doing single servings (this is about 2 cups blended).  I put in my milk first, followed by my banana, my powders & cacao nibs, and top everything with the spinach.  I start off using the dough button (#1) for about 5-10 seconds, then bump it up to blend (#2) for 10-20 seconds, followed by about 10 seconds on crush (#3) to break down the cacao nibs.

Pour into a glass & enjoy!

*not a raw food, though you could make it yourself!

In My Pantry: Raw Vegan Protein & Meal Replacer

I'm presently still stuck on the Garden of Life RAW Meal, this time in Vanilla.  I'm having a hard time switching to another brand because I know I like the taste and for the price, it's scary to jump into something new.  Also, it's raw.  Most of the other meal replacers are not a raw food.  For my protein, I just switched to the Hemp Pro 70 from Manitoba Harvest.

Why did I choose these two?  Keep reading!

Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes!

I love pancakes.  Like.. writing this blog post makes me want to get up and make more now.  I'm not even hungry.  I was thinking about having an apple.  Now I want pancakes..

This is the least sexy picture I could have gotten.

Tofu & Broccoli with Peanut Sauce on Wilted Greens

Let's face it.  I worked ten hours today.  The last thing I want to do is come home and get fancy in the kitchen.  This is the great thing about living with a dog; he won't be critiquing my food.  I gambled with this one in my haste, and I got lucky.

This is so freaking good.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 block of tofu (about 7ounces)
• 1.5-2 c broccoli, chopped in bite size pieces
• 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• & to taste (and feel free to omit/replace these):
• ginger
• cumin
• garlic salt
• smoked paprika
• 2 c greens (I used 50/50 spinach & arugula)
• 1/2 c water (as needed)

Directions:
Warm up oil in your pan over medium heat.  When it's hot, toss in your tofu and season with the hot sauce and spices.  Saute your tofu until it is browned on all sides.  Add in your broccoli and peanut butter.  Add enough water to keep it from sticking.  Toss gently until it's all coated.  Leave on heat until broccoli is desired tenderness.  Remove from heat.  And allow to cool for a few minutes.

Put two cups of greens on a plate.  Spoon tofu and broccoli over top of the greens evenly.  This will wilt your greens.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Breakdown:
Total Calories: 539
Total Fat: 39g
Total Carbohydrates: 26g
Total Protein: 32g
Vitamin A: 71%
Vitamin C: 208%
Calcium: 26%
Iron: 32%

Immunity Boosting Low Calorie Snack!

Keeping on with this immunity boosting trend I so desperately need, let's talk about a quick and easy snack I can make even when I barely feel like I can stand up... like now.

By the way: spicy is good, but if your throat is too raw,
feel free to eat mild guacamole, or just mashed avocado.

What do we need?

• One Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Mini Packs of Guacamole in Spicy
• One Red Bell Pepper, small to medium in size
• A cutting board, a bowl & a good knife

Directions?  What directions?  Peel the lid off of the guacamole.  Cut the bell pepper into some kind of strips or pieces.  Done.

Get Well Smoothie!

The food supply in my house is running dangerously low now that I've been sick for well over a week.  I have a lot of cereal, oatmeal, and dried psuedograins.  I've been making a lot of overnight oats and surviving off of that, and the bag of potatoes that is very nearly spent.  The situation is dire, haha.  I certainly don't live in a food dessert, but it feels like it right now.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when you live alone and don't have friends outside of work in a new state.  You will starve, haha.

So today, I accessed what I had in the house.  Sadly, my frozen bananas never made it into a container, so they are beyond freezer burnt.  There's still a quarter of a tub of frozen spinach though!  All of my dried goods for smoothies are there.. and I still have some Silk Protein Smoothie in Strawberry Banana.  I have no idea when I opened it, but it still smells and tastes good..

This is what I came up with:

Also pictured?  My daily vitamins (Deva Vegan Multivitamin) & an Iron/Zinc tablet.
I've also been drinking a lot of Throat Comfort & Sinus Soother teas.

Ingredients:
1.5 c Silk Fruit & Protein in Strawberry Banana
2 tbsp Amazing Grass Raw Reserve Supergreens
2 tbsp Navitas Naturals Raw Cacao Nibs
1 c raw frozen Spinach
1 tbsp Whole Foods 365 Organic Raw Agave Nectar
2 tbsp Jarrow Formulas Rice Protein Powder

Place all ingredients in the blender.  I have found it's easiest to do liquids, powders, then top with leafy greens to keep your powders off the sides of the blender.  I started on dough and once it was just mixed, bumped it up to blend for a good 30 seconds to break down those nibs.

Nutrition breakdown:
Total Calories: 383
Total Fat: 5g
Total Carbohydrates: 63g
Total Protein: 22g
Total Iron: 38g
Total Vitamin C: 187%

If you have kale, please use it.  Basically, add any cruciferous greens you have!  Dried chili pepper would be a good additional to this as well for it's immunity boosting properties, though it may clash just a touch.