Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Very Berry Pudding

Last Thanksgiving my Aunt Barbara and I came up with this pudding concoction and it was a big hit at our family dinner! We wanted a lighter alternative to the pies and cakes we were having, so this is what we came up with. It's simple, easy to make your own, and totally delicious.

Here's what you need:
3 boxes of Vanilla Jello powder boxes
2 containers of Cool-Whip
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup raspberries
Large serving bowl (I used two smaller ones)



Here's what you do:
1. Prepare the Jello according to the box. Make sure to be thawing the Cool-Whip.
2. Once the Jello has been chilled you can begin layering the pudding. First make a small layer of vanilla pudding. Then sprinkle the berries evenly across the layer.
3. Carefully spread the Cool-Whip across the berries.
4. Make another layer of Jello, except this time put a layer of Cool-Whip next and finish off with a layer of berries.
Originally, my Aunt and I only included the strawberries but I think the blackberries and raspberries were a nice touch. Blueberries also would've been tasty! I tried to arrange the berries nicely so it looked pretty! My teachers would be so proud :)
Make it healthier: opt for sugar free or low fat Jello and Cool-Whip! It'll taste nearly identical to the regular kind.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Fight the Flab

Whenever October and November roll around I put away the bathing suits, bring out the boots, and forget all about those crunches I've been doing all summer. I mean... it's cold outside and I'm constantly wearing layers so what's the point? Today I decided to start working on it again so it wouldn't be as hard when those New Year's resolutions rolled around. Seriously though, you can't be ready for spring break if you start two weeks before hand!

Naturally I went to Pinterest to start looking. Check out my "Circuits" board, it has a ton of good workouts!
These are the two I did today:
Try it out, they're super easy! Another thing I love to do is to go to YouTube and type is "Pilates Abs." So many videos pop up giving you step-by-step instruction. They only last around 10 minutes and then you're done for the day!
Ps. The "Pop and Hip Hop Workout" station on Pandora is amazing! :)

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Broccoli and Cheese Chicken Rolls

Another crescent creation was created in my apartment this week. This combination came about when my roommate was trying to fix herself some dinner but didn't have many options. She threw this together and it came out GREAT.

Here's what you need:
1 cup broccoli
1 cup grilled chicken
3/4 cup shredded cheddar (add to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise to make paste

Here's what you do:
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Cut up broccoli and chicken after cooking.
2. Mix broccoli, chicken, and cheese in a bowl.
3. Combine with mayonnaise to make a paste.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper for taste.
5. Spread on crescent rolls and fold ends of crescents up.
6. Bake until crescents are golden brown.
They were delicious!!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Ditch the Soda


Does this shock you? Because this photo sure surprised me when I first saw it!! I look at this and immediately cringe knowing that much sugar is in these drinks. After I thought about it though, these measurements aren't surprising.

Need the caffeine? Try a regular coffee with skim milk and artificial sweetener. It isn't near as much sugar and calories as the Red Bull, Mtn Dew, and Starbucks prepared drinks. I even make my own iced coffee at home if I don't want to drink it hot. The trick is to fill a cup with ice and pour the hot coffee directly into the cup. The ice "shocks" the coffee and doesn't melt as fast as when you put ice into a cup of hot coffee. 

Like the carbonation? Opt for diet sodas instead. I know many people don't think diet sodas taste similar to their regular versions, but consuming this much sugar isn't healthy for anybody.

Need something sweet? Try Crystal Light packets! They're low in calories, taste awesome, and are easy to have on the go.

No matter what though, water is always my go-to drink!!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Behavior Change Project

For one of my nutrition classes this semester, my class was assigned to do a "behavior change" project. We had to choose a behavior we wanted to change and change this behavior for two weeks, record our progress, and then write a two page paper on it. Doesn't sound that hard, right? I had been thinking about how often I go out to eat and decided to change that behavior. For those two weeks I was only going to go out to eat once a week. ONCE A WEEK.

Let me put this into perspective: I typically eat dinner out around 4-6 days a week. Its embarrassing and costs me a fortune. I never realized how much money I spent eating out until I stopped and counted it up. Our project included a reward of our choice. My reward was to buy decorations for my very bare apartment. After those two weeks I ended up with money for decorations, gas, and the weekend. Cha ching!

Back to the project though: throughout those two weeks I discovered an amazing thing. Tyson Frozen Grilled Chicken strips. It sounds questionable but just about saved my life. Being a nutrition major, I really should cook more but sometimes you just do not have the time (excuses, excuses I know). But this product by Tyson is amazing. I put the chicken strips on salads, in sandwiches, on pizzas, and even just ate them by themselves. Pop a few into the microwave for about 2 minutes and viola! Protein! I knew about frozen chicken fingers but I really did not want a bag of frozen fried chicken in my freezer. This way, I had healthy cooked chicken and it didn't take an hour to prepare. Tyson has a whole line of Grilled & Ready Products, be sure to check them out!
Confession: I went out to eat twice one of those two weeks. Embarrassing.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

The Color Run: Birmingham

I AM OFFICIALLY A COLOR RUNNER!!

On Labor Day I did the Color Run in Birmingham and it was a blast! The entire drive from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham my friend Riley and I were doing a bunch of different "anti-rain" things (you know... rain dances, praying to the rain gods, all that). It didn't work so well. That's when we decided to suck it up and have a great time. Despite the rain everyone I saw had a smile on their face and was ready to be doused in color. 
The costumes I saw were so great! Lots of wigs, socks, and tutus. The race was on a race track so you could see all of the other runners getting their color on. There were so many people that we had to start in waves. It was torture!! All I wanted to do was get out there and start my Color Run. Having signed up for the run back in April, the anticipation was getting a little out of hand.
I didn't even care about the fact that I resembled a wet dog because the WaterColor Run (props to Riley for coining such an awesome term) was amazing! I cannot wait to do another one!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Can chicken noodle soup cure a cold?

Waking up for class today was an absolute nightmare. My head hurt, my throat hurt, my nose was stuffy, and I was achy. Class only resumed last week so I do NOT want to already be missing class!! I hate being sick so on my way home from school I Googled the best things to eat while having a cold. I know drinking orange juice to consume Vitamin C, getting lots of rest, and eating chicken noodle soup are essential. It became my mission to find out if chicken noodle soup actually helps cure the common cold. It turns out that the combination of vegetables, broth, and chicken may contribute to the movement of neutrophils, a certain kind of white blood cells! One theory states that the steam coming from the broth is what helps because it helps clear the sinuses. Another says that the hot broth helps move the mucus.

After learning all this I decided to make a stop by Publix. I checked out with cough drops, 2 cans of chicken noodle soup, and a box of saltines. I'm sure the cashier knew exactly how I was feeling. Next time you're feeling a cold coming on be sure to stock up on some chicken noodle, it is starting to sound like more than an old wives tale!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Healthy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cutie Cookies

My dear pal Alana is famous for her healthy cookies. She makes different kinds all the time and they are amazing!! I always beg her to bring me some because I eat a handful and don't feel bad about it. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but they're just too delicious! Her latest concoction are these cutie cookies. Made with apple sauce and molasses instead of sugar, and whole wheat and oat meal flour instead of all-purpose, these cuties are an indulgence that won't make you feel guilty!

Here's what you need:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat meal flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter

Here's what you do:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ones.
3. Cook for 7 minutes or until they look golden brown.
4. These cookies have M&Ms baked on top but anything would taste delicious on these!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

I have a fantastic roommate that makes delicious dinners, so delicious I want share them with everybody! Her latest creation doesn't have a single difficult part about it. It is angel hair pasta with chicken, broccoli, parmesan, and olive oil. Pretty simple, right?

She pan-fried the chicken in some olive oil and cooked the angel hair pasta and frozen broccoli according to the directions.
After the pasta was cooked and drained, she added additional olive oil and then stirred in some shredded parmesan.
Once the chicken and broccoli were ready, she stirred those in too. 
Sometimes the easiest things are the best things. And sometimes, the easiest recipes aren't the ones that initially come to mind. Each ingredient was eye-balled, but I would recommend being conservative with the olive oil and load on the chicken and broccoli! 

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Dark Chocolate & Marshmallow Crescents

Yes, another crescent recipe, I just can't get enough of them!!! I've made meals, desserts, and snacks from these things. Seriously, it is the easiest thing and never fails to satisfy my cravings!

For my latest crescent creation I combined dark chocolate chips and marshmallows with the crescent dough. I placed the chocolate chips and a few mini marshmallows onto one end of the dough and rolled it up like a typical crescent. With the oven set to 375 degrees fahrenheit, I baked the rolls for around 10-12 minutes. SO yummy!!!
I ate these for both dessert and breakfast!! Do you have any creative crescent roll recipes?

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Double Chocolate Chip Waffle [with peanutbutter]

Recently I've been looking for a way to make my typical breakfast foods even better. I came up with a great idea the other morning! I used frozen chocolate chip waffles, dark chocolate chips, and peanut butter. I woke up early to go on a run and when I got back to my apartment, I had come up with this idea. Yes, it wasn't the most healthy breakfast, but it was absolutely delicious. It was so great and I was full the entire morning!

Here's what you do:
1. Defrost two waffles.
2. Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips onto the waffles.
3. Stack the waffles and spread peanut butter on top. TADA!!! Amazing breakfast time!
Do you have any colorful breakfast creations??

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Pizza Crescent Rolls

My latest obsession is seeing what all I can make from a package of crescent rolls. Turns out, quite a lot of delicious creations come from that small roll of dough. My newest concoction consists of reduced fat crescent rolls, reduced fat parmesan string cheese, and turkey pepperonis.
Here's what you do:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out the crescent rolls and place 6-7 pepperonis onto the dough. Next, cut the string cheese into halves and place a half on each roll.
2. Roll up the crescents and bake for 8-12 minutes, until golden brown.
Nutrition Facts: serving size 1 crescent
154 calories
7.6 grams of fat
12.5 grams of carbohydrates
Another super easy recipe and with each ingredient being reduced in fat, the nutrition facts aren't too shabby!! Side note: I ate mine with hummus and it was great! 

Friday, July 13, 2012

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Being a Friday night, I knew I needed to make myself something good to eat after a long week of class. My sister and I found this recipe on Pinterest (as usual) and decided to try it out. It is super easy and barely cost us anything!

Here's what you need:
12 oz bow-tie pasta
1 tsp butter
8 oz fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
10 oz shredded spinach
14 oz artichoke hearts (cut in halves)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Here's what you do:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Melt butter in sauce pan. Once the butter is melted, add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
2. Slowly stir in the milk, then the sour cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
3. Lastly, stir in the artichokes, spinach, and parmesan cheese.
4. Drain the pasta and add to spinach-artichoke mix. Toss the two until thoroughly mixed.
5. Serve with additional parmesan and lemon juice, as desired.
The pasta was full of flavor and definitely hit the spot! It would definitely taste good with some baked chicken too. If you like spinach-artichoke dip, be sure to try this out! Happy Friday!!

Friday, July 6, 2012

Blog Hop


Happy Friday everyone! 

Today marks a very first for me: my first blog hop! A blog hop allows you to find other blogs like yours and build your followers. Pretty cool, right? Just add your blog to the link below and visit the other blogs! When you stop by the other blogs, let them know you're a new follower and ask them to come visit your blog too!

Be sure to check out these lovely host blogs:
ABpetite
Laurie's Cravings
Real Food Runner
Ape's Eats
Skinny and Delicious
Bargain Bites


You are next... Click here to enter
This list will close in 18 hrs, 8 min (7/6/2012 11:59 PM North America - Mountain Standard Time)

Also, add the Blog Hop button to your blog and be sure to leave a comment while you're here!
ABpetite
<a href="http://abpetite.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t463/achristo6/flower-1.jpg" alt="ABpetite" width="125" height="125" /></a>


If you have any questions, or want to host a blog hop yourself, ask ABpetite for details! :) 
Keep Hoppin!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Peanut Butter Smoothie

Happy 4th of July from Denny and me!!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic Independence Day! I sure did, despite the mild sunburn I managed to achieve. The two hot dogs, patriotic bathing suit, and my pup sporting a bandana definitely made up for it -- how American of me. After a long month of Anatomy and Physiology Part 1, I was relieved to have a few days break before Part 2 began. I went home for about a week, read a pleasure book (whoa), and got to see some friends. A much needed vacation for sure. While home, my sister introduced me to this smoothie she has been making. She eats it just about everyday and can't seem to get enough of it. Loaded with protein, it is perfect for a post-workout drink and is refreshing as a mid-afternoon snack.

Here's what you need:
2 handfuls of ice
2 big spoonfuls of peanut butter
1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp honey
1/4 C milk
All you need to do is combine these ingredients in a blender and blend until you reach a nice, even consistency. The smoothie is very rich and will definitely fill you up! Not to mention it is perfect for this crazy heat we're having here in Alabama!! 
Stay cool and Happy 4th! :)

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Circuit Motivation

I found this awesome idea on Pinterest and knew I needed to share it with everybody. If anyone is like me, it is hard to motivate myself to go workout. This would definitely make it easier and is also a little fun.
Photo from Pinterest.
Here's what you do:
Get 2 cups and a handful of popsicle sticks (they can be purchased in a craft aisle). On one cup write "Daily Workout" and on the other write "Done!" Write different workouts on the popsicle sticks and stick them into the "Daily Workout" cup. When the time comes to do a circuit, grab 10 or so popsicle sticks and do what's written on them! Put them into the "Done!" cup when you've completed it. This keeps things fun because you rarely do the same thing twice! That way you'll be sure to work different muscles and you won't get bored of your workout.

Some Ideas:
50 Crunches
50 Jumping Jacks
25 Leg lifts
15 Push-ups
30 Weight-less squats
15 Chair dips
40 Side bends (20 on each side)
30 Lunges (15 on each leg)
50 Sit-ups
30 Bicycles

These are just a few circuit things that I do at home. If you google circuits for more ideas you will find TONS of workouts!
What circuits do you do? What motivates you to work out??

Dark Chocolate-Banana Greek Yogurt Combo

Last night I had a dream that completely revolved around bagels. Yes, bagels. In my dream I was out to dinner (?) with my family and was helping my grandmother (LaLa) pick out her bagel and cream cheese. Because, apparently, this restaurant was full of such a variety of bagels that she just couldn't decide alone. I woke up and immediately wanted to go buy bagels but told myself I wasn't going to make a meal out of bread and to go find something I already had in the kitchen. What a fantastic idea because what I came up with was delicious! 

I combined vanilla non-fat Chobani Greek yogurt, mini dark chocolate chips, a sliced banana, and I crumbled a Nature Valley "oats 'n dark chocolate" granola bar. What a great decision. Packed with protein, potassium, and antioxidants - I am sure to be full long beyond lunch. 
I mean... breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Might as well make it delicious!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Spinach and Feta Crescent Rolls

Happy Father's Day! I'm sad I couldn't be home to be with my Dad on this special day, lots and lots of studying to do up here in Tuscaloosa :( I wish I could've been with my family at the beach, I am so jealous they got to have such a fun day! I hope everyone had a great Father's day, love you Dad!!
I had a roll of Pillsbury crescent lefts over from my Nutella pillows and decided I needed to put them to use! I spotted a recipe for these spinach and feta rolls and looked into my fridge. What did I have? Spinach and feta. What needed to get eaten ASAP? Spinach and feta. Cha Chinggg! These are super easy and tasted amazing!

Here's what you need:
chopped baby spinach
feta cheese
mozzarella cheese

Here's what you do:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I used about 1/2 cup of each ingredient and mixed them into a large bowl.
2. Place small spoonfuls onto the crescents and roll up the dough.
3. Place onto greased cookie sheet and cook for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
I made a dinner out of them but they would make such a great party appetizer!
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