Slow-Cooker Apple Pie Quinoa

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I'm telling you, slow cookers are maybe the best thing since sliced bread.  After doing the Whole30 in May, I haven't craved oatmeal.  I used to eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast!  Crazy how your palate can change.  I decided I wanted to try out this quinoa recipe as it is similar to oatmeal's consistency, but it's loaded with more protein to stay fuller longer.  It was also just an excuse to try out another recipe in my new crock pot.

I found the recipe through a Google search after reading about quinoa bakes on the Greatist.  The only modifications I made was I did not include flax seeds and I used slivered almonds and dried cherries (not pictured) as my toppings. 

Beef Pot Roast

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I finally bought myself a slow cooker this past Sunday and I'm already obsessed.  Why I hadn't purchased one sooner, I don't know.  I enjoy cooking, but a slow cooker just makes meals thats much easier!  I love the idea of throwing in all the ingredients, setting the temperature and time, and then leaving it cooking for the day or overnight.  My pot roast I cooked overnight, so I was able to bring some to work for lunch.

There are tons of recipes out there for pot roasts.  Knowing this was my first recipe and my first pot roast ever made in my slow cooker, I wanted to keep it simple.  Next time I'll add a little more flare.

PS- I scored a great deal at Whole Foods with the majority of my ingredients.  They had a deal going that if you purchased the roast, you got the beef broth, a bag of rainbow potatoes and a loaf of ciabatta bread for free!  In addition, I purchased carrots, onion, garlic, and spices in order to follow the recipe.  The only thing I left out of the recipe was the red wine. 

MiO Hack

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I bring my lunch a lot to work and a lot of times I bring a salad.  I have always had a hard time remembering salad dressing.  Sure I can get some from the cafeteria at work, but this hack will finally save a trip downstairs and back.  Use an old bottle of MiO Liquid Water Enhancer for your salad dressing!  All you need to do is pop off the top, wash it out, and fill with the dressing of your choice.  Be sure to choose a pretty watery liquid as more viscous ones may not easily come out from the small hole on top of the MiO bottle.

Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake

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Healthier alternative to noodles, but still very tasty.  I was looking to spice up (literally) my spaghetti squash recipes.  I got this recipe from a friend who found it on Destination Delish.  It was easy to make, and even easier to devour.

The only modification I made was using fat free cream cheese which I don't think made much of a difference in terms of creaminess or taste.  I also used a casserole dish to bake it in as I don't own a skillet. 

Department of Donuts

Today my roommate and I went to a donut pop-up shop.  Washington, D.C. based pastry chef Naomi Gallego, came to Metier Cook's Supply and Lenoir for Austin to taste her delicious creations.  When we arrived we somehow got a front row parking spot; however, there was still a line about 30 people long.  I was already starved at this point, but knew the worth would be well worth it.  After roughly 20 minutes in line, Holland and I were finally at the bar to order.  We decided to order a few so we could taste test.  One PB&J brioche donut to split, one pumpkin spice cake donut to split, and then a blueberry coffee cake donut each.  These may have been the best donuts I have ever tasted (see picture below to drool over).  I haven't been to many different donut shops in Austin, but after our gourmet donut outing I had the idea of starting an instagram strictly for donut adventures.  Thoughts?

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Breakfast Hash or Scramble

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I'm a big fan of eggs in the morning.  Eggs are amazing little things.  In one medium-sized egg, there are 6 grams of protein, zero carbs, and only 70 calories.  I tend to make scrambles with ingredients I have on hand including sweet potato, deli turkey, chicken patties, spinach, cheese and seasonings.  Really you can add any ingredient you feel would be tasty with an egg - easy as that!  I have no real rhyme or reason to preparing my hashes or scrambles other than always using two eggs.  Just be sure you have all the ingredients you want to use cut up and ready to be added to the skillet with your eggs.  

Day of Birth

This past Sunday was my birthday and I celebrated by being surrounded by friends and live music - what's better than that?  The past three years my birthday has fallen on one of the two weekends of Austin City Limits.  It has been a lot of fun and an easy way to celebrate my birthday as most of my friends already have plans to go.  ACL is hosted in Zilker Park here in Austin every year for two weekends.  The festival usually falls on weekends late September and early October.  ACL attracts many out-of-towners.  This year the weather was warmer than the last couple of years, but nonetheless it was a treat spending all weekend outdoors with live music.  I could go on and on about how special my birthday weekend was, but I'm not one to boast.  Instead, here is a picture of the greatest birthday cake I've received to date.

Running Exercises

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I came across this wonderful article just as I was worrying about training for my upcoming half marathon.  I tried these exercises and they really do help warm up your body and prepare your muscles for a long (or short) run!  Whether you are training for a race, run a few times a week, or are just easing into becoming a runner, these exercises will benefit you.  

Smooth Like Butter

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...nut squash.  So I bought a butternut squash the other day at Trader Joe's.  There were a pile of them along with acorn squash and delicata squash.  I hadn't purchased or cooked any of the three before, but feeling adventurous, I grabbed the butternut squash and proceeded to the checkout.  This was about a week ago.  So for about a week, it was sitting on my countertop staring at me.  This evening, I finally looked up a few recipes and decided the simpler the better.  The only necessary ingredient is the olive oil to prevent the squash from drying out too much in the oven, so really you can get pretty creative with this recipe and season the veggie however you want.

Fall Equinox

Happy first day of Fall!  The days will be getting shorter.  Sunsets earlier and earlier each evening, but conversely, sunrises earlier and earlier each morning.  I love the Fall season partly because my birthday is included, but also because it means cooler weather.  And cooler weather is always something to look forward to in Texas.  Fall also means changing colors in foliage, Halloween, pumpkin flavored everything, Wurstfest, and Thanksgiving.  All of which are things I am thrilled about.  Below is a photo of this evening's sunset for your eyes' pleasure.  

Donut Fear

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I am always craving donuts.  Whether that means I eat donuts all the time is up to your discretion.  Earlier today I was craving a donut, naturally, so I did a quick Google search.  Behold, healthy donuts (...as healthy as they can be).  These recipes look fairly easy.  I cannot wait to make and try the chai spice ones.  Required baking tool is either a donut maker or a donut pan which is similar to a muffin pan.  Enjoy!

This Little Piggy

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At work my team and I have "Breakfast Fridays" in which every Friday it is someone else's turn to bring in breakfast for the whole team.  We have had breakfast tacos, bagels, parfaits, Chick fil A chicken minis, egg casserole, and even waffles.  Today I was helping my teammate brainstorm something different and we landed on pigs in a blanket.  I came across this recipe that sounds absolutely delicious.  Not exactly sure the difficulty level considering the various blanket toppings, but I'll definitely be trying it out soon!  Stay tuned for an update.

#health

I sometimes joke with friends over Snapchat with photos of vegetable-heavy meals after a long weekend of junk food with the caption "#health", but health is not a joke.  At least not to me.  I can hear my dad's voice now.  He always says to my siblings and I, "Take good care of yourself."  He has said this so many times in my life as a part of a 'see you later' over the phone or after a long bear hug; however, it was only recently that I began to really hear it.  Taking care of myself by being safe in my everyday, but also taking care of myself by maintaining my health and well being.  Earlier this week I was sick and it put a lot into perspective for me.  Two days of feeling horrible, but it was only two days.  It could have been much longer and tougher.  Having excellent health is something not everyone can say they have.  Occasionally I catch myself thinking I experienced the worst day and that my life could be significantly better if it had gone differently, but I have to remind myself that I have a lot to be thankful for in this life.

"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver." - Gandhi 

Weekend Getaway

This past weekend a few friends of mine and I road-tripped to Dallas from Austin.  We had plans to go to a hot air balloon festival, camp at a nearby lake, and then visit a large water slide park on the way back home.  It was a spontaneous weekend trip in the sense that we hit the road with no camp site reserved and no tickets purchased, but life takes spontaneity...right?  

We arrived in Dallas safely, set up camp and made our way to "Balloonapolooza".  Upon arrival we became wary of our decision because all we could see beyond the entrance were small carnival rides and tents for food and beer.  At nightfall, the hot air balloons were inflated and glowed with beauty.  Our worries faded away as we stood staring at the bright, beautiful, big balloons.  Back to camp, after a quick stop at Super Target for some campsite essentials, Dylan started the fire.  The fire's smoke floating low in front of Jake's headlights initiated the night's photo shoot.  Caroline took out her camera and started snapping pictures.  Soon her tripod was set up for more stable photos of the campsite activity.  Sam, Dylan and Jake purchased light sabers leaving the carnival that gave Caroline the idea of taking long exposure shots.  We spent almost two hours experimenting with different movements and poses.  Nature, friends, plastic glowing sticks, and a camera is all we needed to have a blast.  Alarms were set to catch the sunrise and sheep started jumping over our heads upon making contact with our sleeping bags.  

The next day we packed up the campsite and hit the road with all eyes set on Waco.  This was our third and final stop.  BSR Cable Park where wake boarders practice also has a giant slide with three different inclines you can choose from.  The key to being successful on the slides and not belly flopping is to be able to control your body weight in midair.  I have to say the boys were better than Caroline and I, although we did not belly flop or face plant (thankfully).  After watching the more experienced sliders, flipping seemed to also help to control your body after launching off the end of the slide.  Volleyball, watching the wake boarders practice, and dinner at the park ended our weekend getaway.  Today was a rude awakening to such a fun weekend, but Labor Day weekend is just 4 days away!

Banana Pancakes: Easy as 1, 2, 3

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When I did the Whole30 back in May, my coworker told me about this very simple banana pancake recipe that is Whole30 compliant and Paleo.  I never was able to try out the recipe during my thirty days, but the other day I finally did.  It is the easiest banana recipe you will ever encounter – just two ingredients (or three if you want a little extra flavor).  
Ingredients:
-1 very ripe banana
-2 large eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
-1 tbsp coconut oil (or whatever oil you prefer)
Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the banana, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until the batter is smooth
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet on low heat
3. Pour half the batter into the skillet.  With a spatula scrape around the edges to pull in the runny batter to create a circle.  Continue this motion until the batter cooks through enough to flip the pancake.  Cook about 2 minutes on each side.
4. Repeat step 3 to make your second pancake (batter makes about two cakes)
5. Top with melted almond butter, fruit of your choosing, honey or maple syrup!  

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Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

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Chicken salad with Greek yogurt?!  Yup.  This recipe is a healthy alternative that is heavier in flavor but lighter in calories.  I owe credit to my friend, Mishka, who gave me this recipe for a refreshing and satisfying lunch!  If you follow the recipe below, you can easily stretch it to make it last at least 4 of the 5 lunches for the work week.
Ingredients:
-Trader Joe's 12.5 oz. canned chunk chicken (or any brand will do, but be sure to buy the large can)
-Trader Joe's plain Greek yogurt 5.3 oz. 
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup red grapes, sliced in half
-1 tsp. raw honey
Method:
-Drain and empty the canned chicken into a large mixing bowl
-Mix in the Greek Yogurt
-Add salt, pepper, red grapes, and honey and mix well
-Devour with a spoon or on top of sweet potato toast! (see "Sweet Potato Heaven" post)

Stronger Abs without Crunches

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Who really enjoys doing crunches?  I know I don't.  I came across these moves for a stronger core through my subscription to the Greatist daily newsletter.  What piqued my interest is that these moves add variety to any workout.  They not only work your core but also your arms and legs depending which ones you choose.  Sayonara to crunches and sit-ups. 

 

"Everything is going to be OK"

I moved apartments the past couple of days and with moving always comes stress.  Moving creates a fresh start, but before this clean slate comes chaos.  As I was driving to my new apartment with the last few things packed in my Honda, I came to an intersection and read a banner along a fence that said "Everything is going to be OK".  It was fate.  Really, truly, honestly - as lame as that sounds.  As I read the banner a sense of relief came over me.  Only at this point did I realize I was filled with anxiety.  I've come to learn a lot about myself over the past year, one of which is that I know I become easily stressed by things completely out of my control or by things that will work themselves out all in good time.  I read the banner a few times through, took a deep breath, and proceeded driving as it was my turn at the four-way stop.  I smiled as I kept driving to my destination because the message could not have had better timing.  My roommate and I encountered a couple issues at our new place that I was fixated on and the message was loud and clear - stop worrying Adrien, it said, and so I did.

"No need, no need to worry.  Just take it slow." - Mishka