For my first post back I am going to share an ad from the NYC Health Department.

Not only is this ad very factual, it is somewhat disturbing. I am all for the running of this advertisement, but others feel it is too much. Click on the link to watch it and let me know what you think by commenting below.

Man Drinking Fat. NYC Health Anti-Soda Ad. Are You Pouring on the Pounds?

Also, if anyone can help me figure out why I can’t upload a youtube video into my post that would be great. I have been able to put them in previous posts but apparently not today!

I hope I can eventually manage my time well enough to be able to run the blog along with my school work, but at this time it is just not possible.I have a new layout in mind and want to do an overhaul to the blog appearance, so I am going to have to step away from writing until I have the time and energy to create worthy posts.

Thanks for understanding!

This week it was two big ole broccoli heads and half a bag of brussel sprouts.

The best way to ensure that I eat greens like these is to throw em in to be lightly steamed. As I mentioned in a previous post, my super cheap basket steamer is bomb and always saves the day.

Chop off the broccoli florets…. rinse both sprouts & broccoli….

STEAM.

Pretty flippin easy if you ask me. I had leftover broth needing to be used up as well, so I used a mixture of broth/water to steam with. Once steamed I store them in an airtight container in the fridge to keep on hand for meals.

For me they are staples in most of my meals.  (and even Ryan’s when he dines with me)

For example;  lunch yesterday consisted of large spinach salads with steamed vegetables.  To make it more hearty, Ryan and I split an avocado, each taking half, and cooked up some burgers to crumble over top. Ryan had the Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon Burgers (which are so tasty!) and tried out a Sunshine Burger for the first time. OMG. Talk about YUM!!!

I think I may have found a new obsession. The Sunshine Burger was amazing…… highly recommend trying them out if you like burger substitutes. Simple ingredients, unlike Boca & Gardenburger brands, and gluten free!

Another tasty creation I whipped up for lunch using the same steamed broc + brus. sprouts was this simple marinara dish. With it being so cold outside, I tend to crave comforting foods.

Using what I had on hand, I tossed a warmed another Sunshine burger in a skillet pan with a touch of organic butter + tore it apart into pieces + added the veggies + smothered in leftover Muir Glen Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce + threw in a few pinches of nutritional yeast (to give it a little cheesy flavor).

Maybe not the most aesthetically pleasing… but my taste buds were in love!

So the point of this post….

It is so easy to whip up quick meals that are vegetable based… and steamed veggies make it even easier. If you want something even simpler, you can reheat your steamed treasures and top with a small amount of butter and enjoy. Yum!

What are some of your staples you keep on hand for quick, simple meals?

]]> http://boulderbite.com/2009/10/yo-mama-called-she-said-eat-more-greens/feed/ 1 http://boulderbite.com/2009/10/white-cold/ http://boulderbite.com/2009/10/white-cold/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:32:54 +0000 Andrea http://boulderbite.com/?p=1076 Because of the snow!!

Can you believe we had our first bout of snow here in Boulder?

Gorgeous!

So I mentioned I came down with the flu. It was pretty crappy. Luckily none of your “typical” flu symptoms (stomach and *ugh um* bathroom issues) struck me. It was serious headaches, fatigue and fever. I stayed in bed for three days and it helped a TON.

Few things that kept me alive:

1) Broth and Soups

It’s best to keep your diet simple when sick. Soups and liquids are ideal because it takes less energy for your body to digest. We want to devote as much energy in our body to our immune system. Another immune inhibitor is sugar — so try to avoid this when feeling icky.

2) Lotsa Wata

This is probably the most annoying thing to hear when you feel sick, but this time it really helped me out. I tried super hard to push the fluids and it helped! So chug it. It helps to have water bottles filled and ready to grab out of the fridge.

3) Supplements

I am not a fan of antibiotics or vaccines.. or most medicines (unless it’s absolutely necessary), but I do like natural approaches. I took a quick trip out to my doctor, who is a naturopath, and she hooked me up with these (and a note for the professors!) 

Buffered Vitamin C + Virus Killer If anyone is interested in the treatment plan my doc gave me I would be more than happy to email you the Flu Protocol she gave me.

Last but not least. SLEEP.  Do it. Just let yourself lay in bed all day. It will do wonders.

If you have yet to get the flu, keep up the good work!

Here are a few preventative suggestions for this winter:

• 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, 80% vegetables and 20% fruits. — >  One serving is ½ cup

• Avoid excess sugar

• Get 8-10 hours of sleep a night

• Drink 8 glasses of water a day

• Wash hands often

• Gargle with plain water 3 times a day to remove bacteria and viruses.

Those were my instructions I hope they can benefit you as well!

Sleep tight!

I have the flu.

ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!

Back to bed I go.

Yeah a little on the weird side, but that is how I feel right now and you have to express your emotions somehow! On another note, I am learning to enjoy the simplicity of life. Extravagant meals are always lovely, but simple dinners have grown on me. And this leads me to our simple dining experience at ModMarket.

Ryan and I both noticed this new little eatery and so we gave’r a shot. MODMarket is a simple place to enjoy a salad or flatbread (pizza). I was a little surprised by the menu – definitely only salad and flatbread – don’t expect anything but.

I chose the Build Your Own Salad and Ryan went with a half order of Goat Cheese Flatbread One thing I did notice is they offered gluten-free flatbread. Ryan’s portion was small and he wished he would have ordered the regular size. Inelaborate and tasty.

I would go back and enjoy another meal from there. The build your own salad was priced extremely well. A great lunch + family + reasonably priced restaurant. I will be interested to see if this place gains popularity. If you have a chance stop on in for a simple meal.

Let me know if you’ve enjoyed a meal from there!

BuThey were gracious enough to send me a delicious sample pack! It was mailed to my parents home in Nebraska so it took a bit longer for me to get the package…. boy was I excited when I had them in hand…

I received a great variety of bars!

But the main reasons why I love these bars because:

–> Pure, simple ingredients!

–> Gluten-free

–> Raw + Vegan

–> No added sugars + no preservatives

I have been keeping these on hand in my purse + backpack and love them as snacks! They are the perfect addition to my snack list. Note: I am not a fan of typical “bars” because they usually have ingredient lists a mile long + high in sugars and calories + never satisfying

I highly suggest giving these brightly colored bars a chance

What great colors!

Rank of my favorite flavors in the sample pack:

1) Cashew Cookie

2) PB + J

3) Apple Pie

4) Cherry Pie

5) Tropical Fruit Tart
So go to your local grocer and look for Lara!

Here’s a tip for the Cherry Pie — a lot of people find this bar a bit tart so if I am not in the mood for tart-ness I pair the bar with a few peanuts! It reminds me of the PB + J bar….

I found a great Cherry Pie + Cashew Cookie + Apple Pie pack of 12 (I think?!) at the Superior Costco near Boulder!

THANKS LARABAR FOR THE SAMPLE PACK!  I LOVE THEM

I am debating on getting the Powershot G10. If I really like the G9 I imagine I will take the plunge and splurge on the camera… didn’t this picture turn out so beautiful?!

I made this delicious green juice this morning with my Breville:

• 8 organic kale leaves
• 1 head of organic romaine lettuce
• 2 organic (small) lemons
• 1 organic granny smith apple
• multiple drops of liquid stevia

I think I overdid it on the kale today because this was a bit too “green” tasting. BUT this is the juice that I make every morning, usually with only 4 kale leaves though!

I have grown to love it in the AM — it’s my breakfast lemonade!

What are some of your favorite juicing concoctions?

I want to share a brief summary of what attracted me towards this product:

“Ayala’s Herbal Water is the first nationally available organically certified enhanced flavored water made with all organic ingredients. Each Herbal Water blend is all-natural and sets a new standard for healthy beverages: zero calories, zero artificial sweeteners, flavors and colors, and zero chemical preservatives”

– copied from herbalwater.com

My favorite part is that there are no creepy, weird ingredients in this flavored water! I love love love flavored waters but I am always disappointed once I read the ingredient labels and find they are flavored with crap!

There are six flavors total:

• Lemongrass Mint Vanilla
• Lavender Mint
• Lemon Verbena Geranium
• Cloves Cardamom Cinnamon
• Cinnamon Orange Peel
• Ginger Lemon Peel

The Lemongrass Mint Vanilla & Ginger Lemon Peel were my absolute favorite flavors!

I really like these in place of water. In fact, I have been taking them to class with me to sip on during lecture and it is so refreshing! The one thing I did notice is they are best served very chilled. There were a couple flavors that I was not 100% in love with, but I feel that is because I have never tasted those herbs before (like Verbena + Geranium!). And because I don’t like orange flavorings, I was not a fan of the Cinnamon Orange Peel.

My mom on the other hand loved the Lemon Verbena Geranium!

I also really liked the flavor pictured above. I have yet to try the Lavendar — I am saving it for a warmer day to have as a cool refreshment.

Would I buy Herbal Water if they sold it in Boulder?

Yes, I imagine I would!  I feel I would purchase them if they were sold in packs, more so than individually. I will typically buy a bottled unsweetened green tea if I have dinner at Whole Foods, so this would be a great tea replacement. As I strive to drink more water I believe the wonderful herbal flavors would encourage me to gulp down more H2o!

I will definitely ask my local Whole Foods to start carrying Dr. Ayala’s Herbal Water!

Have any other readers tried Herbal Water before?

]]> http://boulderbite.com/2009/09/dr-ayalas-herbal-water-review/feed/ 0 http://boulderbite.com/2009/09/my-all-time-favorite-kitchen-tool/ http://boulderbite.com/2009/09/my-all-time-favorite-kitchen-tool/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:54:47 +0000 Andrea http://boulderbite.com/?p=1023 Hey folks! I hope your Monday had gone well. It was a rainy one here in Boulder – so much for sun on the last day of summer!

While I have plenty of studying to get done this evening, I thought I’d take a quick break and do a post on my all time favorite kitchen gadget. Thanks mom for introducing me to it!

It’s hard to believe I went so long without knowing what this was. A vegetable steamer! Place it in a pot with water or a water-broth mixture underneath (not overflowing into the steamer intself) and throw your veggies in. Wait a few minutes and enjoy!

I truly believe this is one of the simplest tools to use to incorporate more vegetable into your diet. I get sick of eating raw veggies! So I steam!

Here are few quick rules that I abide by when steaming:

1) Do not overcook the vegetables. This means making sure you cut them into similar sizes.

2) Make sure they stay vibrantly colored. If they start to look like mush you have cooked them too long.

3) Add veggies that steam the longest first (carrots, potatoes) and then add ones that steam quickly last (mushrooms, broccoli etc)

4) Sprinkle with sea salt and add a small amount of butter and enjoy!

I really will steam just about anything… asparagus, spinach, onions, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, collard greens, cauliflower, mushrooms…. and the list goes on!

I bought my steamer at Target for $3!  Cheap and easy way to add more vegetables to your life! Enjoy.