Things I LOVE Lately

Here's a quick list of some things I adore these days!

1. Polyvore

OMG. So, I thought I was obsessed with Pinterest, and then because of Pinterest, I became obsessed with this site! Basically, you create your own looks using tops, jeans, dresses, shoes, accessories etc. It's incredibly inspiring and fun! I wish I was like Alicia Silverstone in Clueless and had my closet in this system. Getting dressed would be WAY more fun and easy if I could plan my outfits like this! Here are some of the looks I've created:

So Fun!

2. Starbucks has Sugar-Free Peppermint Syrup!

As a sugar-free syrup devotee, I love when any company broadens their offering. I was so excited to see that Starbucks added this new flavor to their Holiday menu. I've tried adding it to my non-fat lattes, to a Mocha Frappuccino Light & to a Coffee Frappuccino Light... All of which were amazing!

3. Tasty Protein Bars

Well, I am a serious bar-lover when it comes to breakfast and snacks, so I'm always looking for new ways to spice up my fare. Lately, I've been loving Balance Bar's Cookie Dough bar for breakfast. It's pretty tasty and has a great texture (not chalky like a lot of other bars).

I've also been loving Snackwells' Protein Snack bars for an afternoon pick-me-up. They have 8 grams of protein and 140 calories. I particularly like the Peanut Butter Flavor, but all 3 varieties are great!

4. Nike Training App

So, I've had this app on my iPhone for a while, but I've just started using it recently and it ROCKS. My body has been consistently sore from it, but that's a good thing! I love that you can choose a workout based on your goals and level of ability. Each workout is 30 minutes, and a lot of the programs incorporate cardio into the interval training. It's seriously like boot-camp! The best part of all is that it is FREE. I seriously can't believe it. I'd highly recommend this one.

Hopefully some of my favorites can become yours as well. Let me know if you have anything that's tickling your fancy lately :)

Skinny Caramel Apple Cider

I love the Holiday Season and I love all of the food/drinks that come along with the cooler months! When I used to work at Starbucks, I fell victim to many Caramel Apple Ciders (SO good), so in a bout of nostalgia, I decided to make a healthier version tonight!

Skinny Caramel Apple Cider

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 Packet Sugar Free Apple Cider Mix

1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Caramel Syrup

8-10 Ounces Hot Water

2 Tablespoons Fat Free Redi-Whip

1/2 Tablespoon Caramel Sauce

Directions

Add the Apple Cider Packet & Caramel Syrup to a mug. Swirl to incorporate and add hot water. I used my Keurig Brewer to pour my hot water (the largest cup setting) and stirred as the water dispensed into my mug.

After the hot water is fully poured to the level of your liking, stir well. Add 2 Tablespoons of the Fat Free Redi-Whip & Drizzle with 1/3 Tablespoon of Caramel Sauce. There is a sugar-free version of the caramel sauce, but it had 90 calories per 2 Tablespoon Serving, so I went with the real deal at 100 Calories per 2 Tablespoon serving.

Ohhhh yes.

Nutritional Information

45 Calories

0g Fat

11g Carbohydrates

5g Sugar

Enjoy!

Holiday Inspiration

Why, hello! It's been a long blogging hiatus, but I'm back for a post due to some Merry creativity :)

I can thank Michael's, general Holiday excitement & Pinterest for the sudden urge to craft (mostly Pinterest). I had no idea how motivated I could get just by looking at pictures of other people's DIY talents! If you don't have Pinterest and feel like being inspired (and spending a LOT of time browsing the site), you should sign up! You should also follow me so we can share our Pins:

http://pinterest.com/lindseyhoag/

I have all kinds of plans for upcoming crafts. Some of them are a little bit to intense for my time/skill-level, but I can still hope for one day! The craft I'm going to try tonight is yarn trees. I'll definitely post later if they turn out.

In the meantime, I have a few simple Christmas ideas:

1. Large Vase + Branch elements + Ornaments

It's always great to have a staple vase to match your decor. I bought the vase below on Sale at Pier One about a month ago (I think it was $30), and I plan to trade out the contents of the vase per season.

When I went to Michael's tonight to pick out some Holiday craft supplies, I found some snowy/crystalline branches that I thought would be the perfect height for my vase, but I was wrong. I had to get a bit creative to give the branches some height. I just took an empty wrapping paper roll (pretty abundant around most houses this time of year) and stapled 3 times horizontally down the middle to create two small openings:

Once I inserted the branches, they had a stopping point around the crystal portion, so I was able to give them about a foot of extra height.

To give a bit more holiday flair, I decided to add some small ornaments that I also purchased at Michael's. I didn't use ornament hooks; I just took the loop at the top of each ornament and pulled the branches through:

2. Ornament Stuffing!

My mom always used ornaments as a decorative element in her garland, and I am definitely following in her footsteps! Ornaments add a great dimension to garland. You simply remove the top of the bulb and stuff the garland branch into the opening:

This also works really well with wreaths. Michael's is a great place to find glittery decorations for a custom-wreath. It's much cheaper to make your own, and it's nice to be able to say you did it yourself:

3. Roasted Pecans

Nothing is better than roasted pecans still warm from the oven, especially in the cooler months. I was given some raw pecan halves recently, and I decided to roast them in the oven with the following additions:

Light Butter Spread distributed over all of the pecans (I left a tiny dollop on each half). You could absolutely use regular butter instead. I used the light spread because I had it on hand. If you do use something more solid, it would probably be best to melt and mix the nuts into the melted butter before pouring onto the baking sheet.

Garlic Salt distributed generously

Bake the pecans at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring twice while cooking

It's important to watch the pecans as they can burn easily. Just take a look at them every 5 minutes or so to see how they are browning. Once they are toasted, remove from the oven.

So good! 

I'm off to attempt some crafts. Let me know if you have any fun Holiday ideas!

Taste of Chico Review

As promised, I am offering my opinion about The Taste of Chico since it was my first time attending the event!

So, my review may not be the best depiction since I started off my day with Champagne Brunch at Bellas unexpectedly thanks to the boyfriend (side-note, you pay $5 over your meal price for champagne, and they are not stingy in ANY way with their bottles, so that was an awesome deal)!

After the champagne, I headed to the event with my friend and her boyfriend. For anyone who has never attended, you pay for different types of tickets. I, of course, bought the ticket that included the most alcohol and food tastings for a prime experience! My ticket included 8 food tastings, 9 alcohol tastings & I think 6 non-alcohol tastings, not like it mattered because I did not use the non-alcohol punches :) My ticket price was $34.

I had initially planned on being VERY choosy with my food punches, but I let go of that mindset once I hit the beer garden. I started off with Aca Taco, which was delightful as always and I got to say hi to my old friend Maritzi who is always a joy to see. We then stopped randomly at some casino stand (Feather Falls I think) and were given a really tasty Chicken Salad, which I proceeded to drop on the ground (NOOOOOOOOO!) fumbling for my camera.

After the salad fiasco, I grabbed a sandwich sample at Broadway Heights which made me feel a lot better. They were sampling their Pesto Chicken sandwich, which is awesome. With three punches down on my card, I decided to stop to grab a bite at Priya which was SO good. I really enjoy Indian food, but wasn't impressed when my bf and I dined there last, so I should definitely give it another go.

After the great food sampling, we decided it was time to head to the Beer/Wine Garden. We got a cute little commemorative cup to place our samples into and take home as a souvenir. 

I stopped to get some Stella Artois (my fave) first, and then tried some different brews that were new to my taste-buds (most of them were not to my liking). We soon found that many of the vendors were not remembering to take the alcohol tickets, so I had about 5 samples of Great White :) I think we were in the Beer Garden for at least an hour or more, which was plenty of time for us to get a good (major) buzz on. I ended up giving away a lot of my tickets in the end, so I definitely got my value out of that portion.

Once we left the Beer Garden, it was probably time to go home (reiterating Champagne consumption), but we had plenty of food punches remaining. I then had the chance to try what ended up being my favorite stop of the day: Upper Crust! 

I used two of my punches at Upper Crust and tried out their salad trio, which was fantastic, and a light berry dessert. After trying the salads, I have decided I must go there for lunch ASAP. I've heard they have an amazing lunch offering, but I've never been, so it is time to check it out!

After Upper Crust, it was time to retreat home for a nap. I neglected my lonely little punches, but I had a great time, a $34 well spent, and will definitely attend next year!

Live Fit Challenge Update, Easy Summer Recipes

I want to first give a little update on the Live Fit Challenge... So, my little tricep injury was a major set-back the first week that I started the program. I got to the point where I could not bend my left arm at all. That sucked. I had to majorly modify the plan and only do the ab and leg workouts. As far as cardio, I just stuck to the elliptical with my hands at my sides. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to regain my mobility and get back in the groove of things toward the end of last week!

On Saturday, I did a full upper body workout and did not have issues with pain. I now make sure I stretch majorly before and during my routine. I'm really enjoying incorporating weight training into my workout plan and I have noticed some small changes, which is nice.

As far as weight loss goes, I think most of the weight I thought I had gained was water weight. Word to the wise: Don't weigh yourself the morning after a weekend long vacation laden with wine and tasty (but unhealthy) food choices! Although I was pretty let down the first morning of this program when I weighed in, it was also kind of nice to lose 5 pounds in 4 days! Geeze. You know it's too awesome to be true. Good 'ole water retention. I'll have a more realistic weigh in tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. I don't expect a lot of change since I'm likely building muscle mass. I'm more interested in toning than anything else, so I'm okay with that.

Lately I've been trying to get more creative in the kitchen, and I've gotten into a Roasted Red Bell Pepper kick. I don't like roasted peppers out of a jar (they're gross and taste too burnt half of the time). You can easily roast your own peppers by setting your oven to 400 degrees, cutting a bell pepper in half and de-seeding, spraying a cookie sheet with Pam, and letting the peppers cook for about 8-10 minutes (keep an eye on them!). Once you take the peppers out of the oven and let them cool off a bit, make sure to peel off the skin that has hardened and lifted.

Roasted Red Bell Peppers are great on their own in salads and sandwiches, but I've been food processing them up with other pre-prepared items to add some freshness.

I have been loving adding peppers to store-bought jarred marinara (with extra garlic of course). For dinner the other night, I made some whole wheat pasta with chicken meatballs and doctored up marinara sauce:

Last week I made a plain hummus into something homemade (deceivingly) for guests. I took a store-bought Red Pepper Tapenade and food processed with the roasted peppers. The consistency came out like this:

You'll have quite a bit to save for later, but you can place a generous dollop on some store-bought hummus. It was tasty!

On this particular night, I had my best friend over and we were set on making Blackberry Mojitos! On a summer night, there's nothing better, really!

For our Mojitos we used:

1 Shot Premium Silver Rum

4 Mint Leaves

3 Lime Wedges

4-5 Blackberries

Sugar Free Sierra Mist

Crushed Ice

Basically you throw all of the fresh ingredients into the bottom of the glass and mull them together. I don't have any fancy bar tools, so I just used the back of a wooden spoon. The drinks were super refreshing and also really healthy (Approx. 100 Calories each, 115 if you were to eat the berries).

You can substitute blueberries or strawberries and the drink would be just as tasty. It was nice to change things up a bit. 

Lastly, I made a batch of tasty salsa! I love homemade salsa during August-September when the tomatoes are in top condition. My salsa this time consisted of:

1 Garden Tomato

10 Grape Tomatoes

Handful Cilantro

4 Cloves Garlic

1 Garden Bell Pepper

1 Jalapeno

1 Anaheim Pepper

1/2 Medium Red Onion

Juice of 2 Limes

1 Ripe Medium Plum

I processed all of the above ingredients in the food processor until everything was chopped finely. I then coarsely chopped about 7 more Grape tomatoes for extra texture and added salt and pepper to taste.

Pardon the dorky Instagram picture, I guess that's the only one I took. The plum balanced out the spiciness really well and the salsa was very tasty!

For a quick/healthy dinner to go with the salsa, I made quick Enchiladas for dinner:

2 Servings

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

2 Frozen Burritos (I used Amy's Organic)

3/4 Small Can Enchilada Sauce

1/2 Cup Fat Free Shredded Cheddar (1/4 cup per burrito)

Add all ingredients in a baking dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 55-60 Minutes or as instructed on Frozen Burrito packaging.

The finished product looks kind of like a blob, but trust me, it's very tasty!

I rambled on sufficiently for tonight, but it is seldom these days that I get the chance to sit down to blog, so I may as well make it count!

This Sunday I am going to The Taste of Chico event and I am SO excited since it's the first time I've been able to go. I'll try to post a review about the value of the event for the cost of the ticket I purchased next week :)

Food Planning (sort of) and the Live Fit Challenge

Hello Blog World! It has been a long while since I've posted much of anything, but it's mostly due to the fact that I've been busy and doing a lot of fun things! The summer has been filled with boat trips, camping, vacations and also many hours on the clock at work. I'll share about some of the fun things in another post :)

Even though I've been out of college for over a year now, I still get a sense of motivation when the school year begins. I'm not sure why this occurs or if it will ever go away, but I like it!

Along with the summer fun came a little neglect for the gym and eating habits. I've definitely packed on a couple of pounds (especially after going to Wine Country last weekend!) over the summer months, but I think I kind of always do that.

So with my school year motivation and summer coat (haha) I've decided to take on a plan I read about in a fellow blogger's post. This Plan (follow link) centers around weight training, which is always something I've been interested in and even participated in, but have never picked up on a regular basis. I started Phase 1 on Monday, so I'm only on Day 2 so far, but I really like it!

The Diet is kind of labor intensive for someone like me who doesn't plan ahead or take an entire day to cook meals for the week (who does that?!). I have been cutting up veggies and bagging them for an easy raw snack or a ready to microwave/sautee pouch. I've also made a couple of Jamie's recipes (creator of the plan) including Carrot Cake Protein Bars and Ground Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (recipes/pictures below). Along with the slight planning, I've also been cooking my lunches rather than making an easy turkey sandwich so that I can acquire a plethora of nutrients for the same caloric value (and with a tasty result).

The things I'm not doing:

Eating the Egg White Breakfast - I don't have time in the morning, so I've been eating high protein bars with an equal or lesser value of carbohydrates)

Eating the Egg White After-Dinner Meal - I am not hungry after dinner and if I were, I would want dessert, not Egg Whites!

Following the "no starches after 7pm" rule - I don't cook dinner until 7:30 or 8pm due to my work schedule/gym schedule

Taking Fish Oil/Flax Oil - I despise Fish Oil. It's gross. Even the "No Burps" pills are gross and make me burp fishiness. I've never tried Flax, so I plan to, but I haven't gotten there quite yet.

Following the workout plan exactly - I slightly injured my elbow joint on Monday and my triceps (which made the bending of the elbow motion IMPOSSIBLE) so I didn't do the workouts scheduled for Day 2 (involved curls which I could not do). I did the Leg workout from Day 3 instead. Also, the plan says you do not have to do Cardio, but I actually enjoy it as a part of my routine, so I've been doing 20-60 minutes per day. I may as well if I'm in the gym anyway :)

Other than that, I've been doing really well eating every few hours (5-6 meals a day) and following the plan as instructed.

Here is an example of a typical Dinner:

Blackened Teriyaki Tilapia Filet over Brown Rice & Mixed Grilled Vegetables with a Side Salad tossed in Goddess Balsamic Vinaigrette

Here are some other pictures and links to recipes for the items I mentioned earlier:

Homemade Carrot Cake Protein Bars

(Follow Link above for recipe) I made exactly as instructed but forgot to add water. They are tasty, but a little dry. The Protein Powder I used was Pro5 Vanilla (which is AMAZING)

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

(Follow link above) I made this recipe exactly as instructed, but forgot the egg whites! ahhhh! I realized this at minute 39 of cooking (out of 40), but they still came out fine.

Well, that's all I've got for now. I'm not too far into this plan, so let me know if you'd like to join! I will keep my blog updated each week with tips/experiences, so it would be great to have buddies to share/compare.

Have a wonderful week!

Best Summer Dinner Ever.

It's not hard to impress a girl like me on a Summer night after a long day at work. I typically yearn for a cocktail (if I'm going out to dinner) & some fresh fare after a hot day, but on this particular night, I was satisfied beyond my expectations...

Perhaps it was the company. I met up with two of my dearest, most genuine, wonderful friends at Crush and I ordered a Blueberry Vodka/Soda to warm my palate. I enjoyed some wonderful conversation, ignoring the menu in favor of a catch-up session on life. When I did take a glance at the menu, I was immediately drawn to the "Summer" Salad. Heirloom Tomatoes, Fresh Corn, Avocado, Burrata Cheese, Micro Greens & Balsamic Vinegar.... Yes please! I have had yet to try a garden fresh tomato this summer that really made me realize that it is "Tomato Season", so I was intrigued. I was first torn between this plate and a run of the mill Spring Mix salad, but opted for the Summer Salad, and boy am I happy I did!

The girls and I split the "Luca" Pizza along with our salad choices, which is equally delicious (how could it not be delicious with Chicken, Pesto & Artichoke Hearts?!), but the salad was the shining star of the meal. The corn and burrata cheese (a softer, more delicate version of mozzarella) really balanced out the acidity of the tomatoes, which were AWESOME. Avocado is naturally amazing with anything, but all of the ingredients worked together beautifully. I was in love... With a salad. It wouldn't be the first time :)

The best thing about all of this is that I can make a salad like this at home, and I'm absolutely planning on doing so. I am loving finding such inspirational Summer activities/foods/clothing all around me and applying these things to my life! Here's to a great work week and making it to the Farmer's Market for some of these ingredients ASAP!

Light & Tasty Summer Garden Salad and Random Funnies

I've been doing a lot of garden salads with dinner lately, and I've really mastered what is probably my favorite salad ever, with ultimate credit going to a dressing mix I've created...

The salad itself is pretty basic:

6-8 Green Leaf Lettuce Leaves (or Romaine)
1/2 Medium Heirloom Tomato
1/8 of a Large Red Onion
1/4 of a Medium Avocado
1 Light String Cheese, cut into small chunks
3 Slices Light Salami, cut into small strips

Basically, I chop all of the veggies & cheese, and I slice the salami and microwave it for 30 seconds until crispy.

Then, the best part happens!

Dressing:

1 1/2 Tablespoons Trader Joe's (or Annie's) Goddess Dressing
1 1/2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Mix equal parts of the two above ingredients together and you get a ton of dressing without all of the calories. The Goddess dressing that I have is 120 calories for 2 Tablespoons. The mixture above is a generous amount to dress the entire salad and serves 2 people.

Sorry I don't have a pretty picture. I always eat the salad too fast to take photo ops. Yum, yum, yum! You know it's good when your non-veggie fan BF says, "Nice salad, Babe!"

Another thing I wanted to do today was share some things that make me smile, even when I'm having a crummy day:

Dogs giving high fives

Babies wearing sunglasses

Going shopping after an 11 Hour Work Day and finding $140 Designer Capris for $50 (pardon the poor imagery)

Going to Group Pilates 3 times, memorizing the moves, and being able to do it at home! BUT, still knowing I will never be able to do this:

And last, but certainly not least, this video (Bryce and I spent about an hour one night watching Baby dancing videos and came across this gem) - 

I like to keep in light with my salads and my mood during the Summer Time :)

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Let's Do Something AMAZING

Well, the things that we choose to do may not always be "amazing" by all definitions, but that's all about perception anyway, right? I'm trying to view things in bolder colors and appreciate all of the time I have at my disposal these days (as you may have noticed from previous posts, or perhaps a lack of posts!). 

So, how do you do "amazing" things, you ask? Well, you take advantage of time and see the beauty in whatever it is that you decide to do.

For me, lately, it's been the little things like taking a 15 minute walk 1-2 times a day on the breaks I'm supposed to take, but usually ignore due to a heavy workload. That may seem like a small thing to do, but it really helps to clear my mind and let my eyes rest after staring at two screens and typing for entirely too long. 

While the walks are nice, I generally was neglecting the fact that MOVING is therapeutic. By moving, I mean working out. After some VERY long work weeks, and frankly putting too much of myself into my job, I was making excuses not to go to the gym or MOVE. Since the walks have started to take place, I've been much more willing to drive my tired bum to the gym to fire up the cylinders for a good hour or two. It feels good to move. It feels "amazing". :)

I've also noticed that the time I spend with my loved ones is not always time well spent. For example, while my boyfriend and I live together, we don't always DO things together. After this last weekend of family fun, kicking his ass in Rummy (twice), taking mountain walks, having nice talks and going boating together on Monday, I really felt closer to him and to us. 

I had the same feeling of closeness with my two best friends after a night of drinking wine and truly catching up last week. It's so important to have time with your friends outside of a public place, fearing judgement, or an accidental bout of emotion, over being open and honest. I love them so much and I was so thankful for having that uncensored time with them to realize again that I know them and they know me on a deeper level than few other people in this whole world. 

I found that it is easy to think that being around someone is enough, but what you do, and whether you making it "Amazing", even if it's just a perception, really makes all the difference.

As far as Meals & Steals, I've gotten some great ones lately, like a Navy Vera Wang Dress from Kohl's for $48, which was well-received when I wore it to a wedding:

I've also found a new love in Trident's Salmon Burgers from Costco (thanks to Don & Karen for the tip!). I cooked them in the oven last night, squeezed some fresh lemon juice onto them once they were cooked, and served them on an Earthgrains Thin Bun (I used a Whole Wheat larger bun for the bf) with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado & pickles. I also served them with some cooked zucchini & low-cal coleslaw (mixed 1 Tablespoon Coleslaw Dressing from Litehouse with 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar, poured onto about 2 cups of slaw and incorporated). SO good. Even, "Amazing" perhaps. Also, and most importantly, the boyfriend approved and the meal was very healthy. Each patty has 150 calories, 20 grams of Protein & only 2-3 grams of Carbohydrates. Here's a really bad picture I took with my phone after it was almost gone:

I hope that all of you are finding ways to make life AMAZING. Feel free to talk about how you've been doing things to spice up your life lately. I'd love to hear all about it <3