Creepy Lobster and The Healthiest Halloween Snack

Happy Halloween everyone!! How about this for a creepy photo?! It looks like the lobster is staring you down, right? It also looks a bit drunk. Too much Blueberry Ale.


Nick and I had surf and turf on Friday night, but I didn't take any photos because it wasn't pretty. I need lessons on cracking open a lobster and extracting the meat. Despite the mess, the lobster was delicious. And even more delicious was our outstanding win against Wisconsin on Friday, GO BUCKS!



Did you know that a study from iVillage showed that 83% of parents buy Trick-Or-Treat candy that they like, so they can eat the leftovers?


Nick and I are part of that 83%, even though we're not parents. I do not buy my candy too early, as in September 1st when it first appears on shelves. If I did that it would be gone long before Halloween (I'll admit, we dipped into this bag on Friday night. Reece's were calling our names. Oh, and then again last night, we had some Snickers from another bag. Yeah, we're still children when it comes to candy).


Did you carve a pumpkin this year?


Nick and I bought one pumpkin and carved it together. Actually he scrapped all the guts out, and I did the carving. It was great team effort. Nick was also in charge of extracting the pumpkin seeds. Did you know that pumpkin seeds are one of the healthiest foods available this time of year (and all year, really)??



They are loaded with protein, monounsaturated fats, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, and so much more! Studies have shown they are good for men's bones, diabetes, lowering cholesterol, and arthritis. So, don't throw away those pumpkin seeds.

Baked Pumpkin Seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Clean and dry your pumpkin seeds
3. Add about 2 tsp. oil per 2 cups (I used garlic olive oil)
4. Add your seasonings (I used salt and pepper)
Bake for ~20 minutes, stirring half way in.
5. ENJOY!



QUESTION: Will you (or did you) be dressing up for Halloween this year? If so, what will you be (or what were you??). Are you handing out candy to kids tonight? We are, and I'm so excited!!

Roasted Carrots and...Celery?

Do you ever have food that you don't really know what to do with? I bought 2 large stalks of celery for a soup I was going to make, but never ended up making the soup. I'm not a huge fan of celery, but I'm too cheap to just toss it and let it go to waste. I was really in the mood for some roasted carrots, so I thought I'd try roasting the celery right along side the carrots, why not?!

Roasted Carrots and Celery with Garlic and Curry

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds carrots
2 large stalks of celery
2 T garlic oil
2 tsp. curry powder

** If you want to make them sweet, take away one T olive oil and add 1-2 T maple syrup **
** If you want to use regular olive oil, that's fine, just use a few cloves of chopped fresh garlic instead **

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you want, shred the carrot's outer layer (this is not necessary but some people like their carrots shredded). Rinse the carrots and celery well, then chop them into somewhat equal sized pieces.

2. Add all veggies to a large ziplock bag and add the oil and curry (and garlic if you choose). 3. Zip the bag, allowing some air to get in the bag. Shake the bag and get the ingredients evenly distributed among the veggies. 4. Dump the veggies onto a large baking pan and evenly distribute them on the pan. 5. Roast for ~20-30 minutes.

Once they cool down a bit (like in the photo below) they get all shriveled up and ugly. So yeah, they aren't as good as when they are straight out of the oven. But if you just pop them into the oven at 350 for ten minutes, they are good as new! If you don't want to do that, just zap them in the microwave, I promise they are still delicious.

I probably won't be going out of my way to buy celery for roasting again any time soon, but I'm officially addicted to roasted carrots. Nick and I can't get enough. No more baby carrots for us! I'm sticking to the larger carrots that aren't as processed and are much cheaper.

QUESTION: Do you like roasted carrots? Or, do you prefer your carrots cold, dipped in Ranch dressing? :) What do you do with celery, if you do in fact eat it? I'm curious, other than celery and PB I just don't understand the appeal of celery.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!! Are you going to be dressing up for Halloween?!

Fresh Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Now that I have discovered the amazingness of GARLIC OIL, I have attempted to make some of my favorite dishes again, incorporating the garlic oil. I still made this pumpkin chili without onion (I know, crazy) but used the garlic oil to add some much needed garlic flavor. Hey, it does the trick for an Italian like me who has lived without garlic for almost two years now (because of
FODMAPs, in case you are new to my blog)!

Fall Harvest Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

2 T garlic olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1.5 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce cans)
1/2 can black beans, strained
2 cups pumpkin puree
1.5 T chili powder
1 t cinnamon
1.2 t ground black pepper
Dash of salt

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

*** If you would like to use garlic and onion, use plain olive oil instead of garlic oil, and add 1 clove minced garlic and 1 cup chopped onion ***

Directions

1. Cook the pumpkin in the oven for about an hour at 375 degrees. Half way into the cooking process pierce some slits into the sides of pumpkin (it will be soft enough to pierce at this point). Once it's cooked, scrape out the seeds, discard, then scrape out the flesh. ** You could also choose to use canned pumpkin puree **


The pumpkin "shell" was very sturdy and thick. It would make a nice bowl if you want to serve your chili in the bowl. I had to serve five people and only had two pumpkin shells, so I wasn't able to be so creative.


2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the bell peppers (and garlic and onion, if you are using them).

3. Stir in the turkey and cook until browned.

4. Transfer vegetables and turkey into a slow cooker or a Le Crueset skillet (I used the latter). Mix in tomatoes, beans, and pumpkin, then add seasonings.

5. Cover and cook on a very low setting for about 2 hours (possibly longer if using a slow cooker).


This chili was very, very thick. I like my chili thick, but on this particular day Nick and I were having my parents and brother over for dinner.....


If I would have kept the chili as is, it would not have served all 5 of us, so I thinned the chili with some low sodium chicken broth (~ 2 cups).


I served it with cheddar cheese and plain Greek yogurt. My dad, who "hates yogurt" had no idea this was Greek yogurt and not sour cream. Nick noticed, but thankfully he didn't say anything or else my dad would have been PISSED! The only reason Nick knew it was Greek yogurt was because, as he said, "We don't have sour cream, so I knew it was yogurt!".



Everyone enjoyed this chili, even my picky brother.

QUESTION: Do you ever add cinnamon to your chili? Do you have an ingredient that you always add to recipes? I add cinnamon to just about every recipe I make! Growing up my grandma also added it to her lasagna and I swear it "made" the lasagna. I'm obsessed.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Gluten Free)

My friend Dasi recently informed me that she is on a gluten free diet and that she would like to see more gluten free recipes on my blog. I don't think she realizes that most of my recipes are gluten free, I just don't normally call them "gluten free". Even my recipes that aren't gluten free can typically be made with gluten free ingredients. I'll try to indicate that more often because I know many people are gluten free these days. That brings me to today's recipe, which was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Andrea of Andrea's Wellness Notes. A few weeks ago Andrea posted her rendition of a spaghetti squash casserole. I loved her idea so I came up with a casserole of my own. Thanks for the inspiration, Andrea!

Savory Spaghetti Squash Casserole
(Makes 2 giant servings!)

Ingredients
1-15.5 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 medium-sized spaghetti squash, cooked**
2 cups fresh mushrooms
1 cup raw broccoli
1 tsp. olive oil
3 T fresh parmesan cheese
Creamy Greek yogurt (amount varies)


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a saute pan to medium and add the olive oil, then the fresh (cleaned!) mushrooms. Saute until they are nice and soft. In a 9 x 5 x 3baking dish (or similar size) spread an even layer of the canned tomatoes on the bottom. Next, spread a layer of the sauteed mushrooms and fresh broccoli (~1 half of the total amount of each). Next, spread a thick layer of the spaghetti squash, followed by 1 T parmesan cheese. Repeat these steps until all of the ingredients are gone! Bake for ~ 55 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Plate your casserole and add a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt.

** Cook spaghetti squash by baking it in an oven set to 400 degrees, for about an hour. Be sure to poke holes in it before you start to bake it, and cut it in half halfway into the baking process. You could also microwave it for about 12-15 minutes, if you'd prefer a faster method. Again, poke holes in it before putting it in the microwave **

Nutrition Facts
(For 1 large serving)

You can't beat this! I mean, a tasty meal that scores an "A" and that is only 180 calories?! Yeah, amazing, I know. Check out all of that vitamin C and vitamin A (all thanks to the nutrient dense spaghetti squash). When people come into the store asking me for vitamin C supplements, I always want to run to the produce section and grab them; 1 squash, 1 bell pepper, and an orange. More than enough vitamin C for the day! And of course getting nutrients from food is a far more effective way to prevent disease and flu/colds.

QUESTION: Do you like spaghetti squash? What's your favorite way to consume spaghetti squash?

Before I end this post, I want to thank you for all of your wedding vow and centerpiece tips/ideas you provided on my last post. If you have any others, I'm all ears!

Wedding Recap, Wedding Tips Needed, and The X Factor

Nick and I just got back from my cousin's wedding. We always have such a good time when we get to leave Columbus for a while, even if just for a day.

I gave the camera to my mom to take a picture of us before we left the hotel, but she seems to have trouble with cameras that are six years old...



I'm no fasionista, but I do know that animal prints are "in", so I thought I'd show off my tight snake skin skirt on my blog. It was a score at Kohl's. The shirt is from White House Black Market. The wedding was pretty casual so I thought this outfit worked out well. It was perfect for dancing.....

We will not be playing the Electric Slide at our wedding, but I'm always down for it at other people's wedding (I guess).

If you read my blog regularly, you know I'm obsessed with wedding cake. I was slightly sad to see that the wedding "cake" was cupcakes, however, these were AMAZING. They were moist and the butter cream frosting was some of the best I've ever had. It had that very defined almond extract taste, which I love. Two things I will not having at my wedding; fondant and cupcakes (I'm a cake snob, what can I say?!).


I haven't talked about my own wedding plans on the blog yet, but today I'm going to give a little insight. Basically Nick and I are doing a destination wedding sometime in Fall of next year (I don't want to give the date on my blog because of those weirdos who read blogs for information like this!). We are going to Bald Head Island, North Carolina and I couldn't be more excited. So far I have;

• Bought my dress
• Chosen my bridesmaids
• Picked a florist
• Picked a photographer
• Picked an officiant on the island
• Chosen the caterer
• Chosen the location of the ceremony and reception
• Created a list of the people we are inviting
• Created the invitations
  

Still left to do is;

• Send the invites
• Register for gifts (FUN!)
• Pick out bridesmaid dresses
  
• Create the programs
• Write the vows
• Create centerpieces

This is where I need your help! Do you have any tips for writing vows? Do you have any ideas for beach wedding centerpieces? I love the simple idea that they used at last night's wedding (below). I want to choose something that can be made by my crafty aunts, or that really doesn't cost a whole lot.

Last but not least, have you been watching The X Factor?. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the show, however, one of the final contestants, Josh Krajcik, used to work at the burrito shop that Nick manages!! Yep, Nick comes home every day with a new story of a newspaper or TMZ having called the store and interviewed him, or come in with cameras to tape "Josh's previous place of employment". It's AWESOME! And, if you haven't heard Josh sing, you're missing out. Check out his first audition video here (it's the third one to the right). And of course, VOTE FOR JOSH!!!!


QUESTION: What are your tips for writing wedding vows? Any ideas for beach/fall themed centerpieces?

No-Bake Tuna Noona Casserole (Gluten Free)

When I was young I called tuna noodle casserole Tuna NOONA Casserole. For many years of my life I truly believe that was what it was called. It was actually one of my favorite meals as a child, but until recently I hadn't tasted it in years. Grace of Food Fitness FreshAir, posted this recipe for tuna casserole on Mother's Day of this year. I thought it was pretty neat that this recipe didn't require any baking, and therefore took much less time to prepare than most casseroles. Below is my version of Grace's recipe, which I modified to make gluten free

Gluten Free Tuna "Noona" Casserole

Ingredients

-1 onion, chopped
-3 Tbsp. oil
-3 1/2 Tbsp. brown rice flour
-2 1/2 cups almond milk
-1 large can tuna in spring water or 2 small cans, drained
-Salt to taste (start with 3/4 tsp)
-Pepper to taste ( start with 1/4 tsp)
-1 lb. brown rice penne pasta

(** There are many different varieties of gluten free pastas, so you can choose whichever you'd like. You can also choose a gluten-containing variety. Egg noodles were used in the original recipe. **)

- Dried basil to garnish

Directions

Saute onion in the oil until onions are translucent. Add flour and mix. Gradually add almond milk stirring to incorporate and to break up lumps. Continue to cook on low heat, stirring, until sauce thickens. Then add tuna, salt and pepper. Gently mix, trying to maintain some of the tuna chunks. Stir in noodles. Serve, garnishing with dried basil.

The picture below isn't the best. I still have not mastered the art of taking good pictures at 8pm, with no natural light.


Despite the not-so-good picture, this casserole was fantastic. Nick, the "tuna hater" even loved it! He took a bite and had a huge smile on his face, but then he still insisted on adding Red Hot..... gross. I think I would have been happier had he just added a bit of parmesan and maybe some cayenne pepper. I mean, I love Red Hot, but not on this!

QUESTION: Do you like tuna noodle casserole?? Have you ever seen a no-bake version of this casserole?

And now for this week's health and nutrition news;

Institute of Medicine Recommends "Energy Star" For Food Labels

(What are your thoughts on the Institute of Medicine's label proposal? I think it sounds simple enough, and it sure beats the current and very confusing food/nutrition labels!)

The Anti-Bloat Garlic and Blue Cheese Turkey Burger!

I can't believe it's taken me this long to discover the joy of garlic oil. Over a year ago I actually made my own garlic oil, but after that I never really thought about it again. I've now gone two years making recipes for which I've had to find substitutes for garlic and onion (are there really any equal substitutes for garlic and onion? Not so much.) I finally got fed up with it and realized that rather than making my own garlic oil, which takes some time, I should buy it at the store.


You see, I can still get the garlic flavor if the garlic has been sitting in the oil and the flavors have been infused into the oil, just as long as I don't eat any of the actual garlic. Garlic contains something called fructans, which are short chains of fructose linked together. Our bodies do not produce the enzyme to break these down, and in some individuals (me!) it can cause upset stomach and bloating (read more about FODMAPs here).


Poor Nick, who used to sweat garlic, now eats most of his meals garlic-free. But alas, we can now both enjoy the taste of garlic!

The Garlic-Loaded, IBS-Friendly Turkey and Blue Cheese Burger

Ingredients
(Makes about 6-7 burgers)

1 pound ground turkey (94% lean)
2 T blue cheese crumbles
1 T garlic oil

Directions
1. Mix everything together in a medium bowl.
2. Form ~6 patties
3. Heat on medium for about 4 minutes on each side (or until cooked all the way through and internal temp. reaches 165)
4. Serve on your favorite bread, with your favorite toppings.

Both Nick and I agreed that these burgers were fabulous. Both the garlic and the blue cheese flavors came through and neither flavor overpowered the other. It was so nice to finally taste garlic in a burger again!

And what do you do with your leftover turkey burgers? How about add them to pasta sauce! I had some pasta and some pasta sauce, so I crumbled the turkey burgers into the sauce and made a meaty sauce for the pasta. I served the pasta over some vegetables so I could make half of my plate vegetables (yes, I do practice what I preach). Voila! For more tips and ideas on how to use leftovers, checkout Andrea's post.

QUESTION: What would you make with leftover burgers? Have you ever tried garlic oil?

Don't Pay For Peanut Butter, Make and Flavor Your Own!

Have you noticed that peanut butter prices have soared? And apparently they are going to start increasing even more pretty soon. Strangely, I haven't heard anything about actual peanut prices going up (have you?) so why not make your own peanut butter?! If you have a food processor it's much easier, but I'd be willing to bet (although I've never tried) that a Magic Bullet or blender would work just as well, it may just take longer.

Gina's Spicy Peanut Butter

Ingredients

16 ounces roasted, unsalted peanuts
2 tsp. cayenne pepper



Directions

Pour peanuts into food processor. Use the large chopping blade and turn the food processor on. Keep the processor running for about a minute, then turn off, take off the lid, and scrape the edges. Do this all again about 4-5 times, or until you have a peanut buttery consistency.

At this point you can add:

- Cayenne
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin spice
- Chocolate powder
- Vanilla
- Any other ideas?

I chose to add cayenne (2 tsp);


Mix well to allow the cayenne to evenly distribute throughout the peanut butter.

And now we have some spicy peanut butter in our fridge! We've been adding it to PB&Js, granola, and I'm hoping to make some spicy peanut sauces with it soon.

I'm pretty sure cayenne has been shown to speed up metabolism. Who knows by how much, but hey, any help we can get is good (I should say natural help we can get)!

QUESTION: Have you ever made your own peanut butter? Will you stock up on peanut butter before the prices go even higher in November? Will you visit all local grocery stores and buy all the post-Halloween Reece's Peanut Butter Cups like Nick and I do every year? :)

Butternut Squash Pizza (Gluten Free)

One of our favorite pizza toppings is the humble banana pepper. They are packed full of tart and pungent flavors (and yes, loaded with sodium). For me tomatoes and spinach are another favorite topping, but Nick isn't a fan of whole tomatoes on pizza, so we typically just stick with spinach. On this particular day, we added pureed butternut squash too, because, why not?! What's your favorite pizza topping?

Whole Grain Butternut Squash Pizza

Ingredients
3 cups brown rice flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t oil (for your fingers when spreading the dough)
1 t salt
1.5 T sugar
1 cup warm water

~ 1 cup pureed butternut squash
~ 1 cup pizza sauce
~ 2 cups cheese of your choice

(I added 1 t. cinnamon, 1 t. basil, and 1/4 t. cayenne to my sauce. Then I added some banana peppers and spinach as pizza toppings. For the cheese I used cheddar and freshly grated parmesan.)

Possible Modifications

• Use whole wheat flour, or all purpose flour (less nutritious if you use the latter)
• Use canola oil or just regular olive oil instead of EVOO
  

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) Combine and mix the flour, salt, sugar, and the yeast in a medium sized bowl. Next, add the EVOO and water.

3) Coat your hands with some oil, or non-stick spray. Use your hands to spread the dough evenly on a large pizza pan, the larger the better (you want the crust to be nice and thin).

4) Evenly coat the dough with pizza sauce and pureed butternut squash. Add toppings and spices as desired. Cook for 45-50 minutes minutes (depending on your oven and how crispy you like your pizza!)

ENJOY!

The great thing about brown rice flour is that it's 100% whole grain, yet it mimics white flour in terms of texture (so it doesn't get hard and chewy like whole wheat flour can).

Nutrition Facts
(1/12 of pizza)

Look, it's a "good source" of fiber! Anything with 10% of the Daily Value, or more, is considered a good source of a certain nutrient. This is also an "excellent source" of vitamin A. Anything with 20% of the Daily Value, or more, is considered an excellent source of a certain nutrient. We can thank the butternut squash and the spinach for that.


And now for this week's news;

Can Supplements Increase a Women's Chances of Dying?
(I hate to say "I told you so", but "I told you so!". Countless times I have told friends and family that taking too many supplements, especially certain minerals like Zinc and vitamins like Folic Acid, can be dangerous. You can get too much of a good thing, and there is a reason we have Upper Limits).


Vitamin E Pills May Raise, Not Lower, Prostate Risk
(I hate to say "I told you so" but for years I've been telling people to stay away from antioxidant supplements. The best place to get vitamin E, and any antioxidant, is from food. It's safe, and effective).

Artists Cereal Box Stunt Makes a Real Point About Sugary Cereals

(This is pretty funny, I have to say. However, I do think cereal companies are doing a better job at reducing sugar. In fact, many of the cereals in this photo have 12 grams of less sugar, per serving, which isn't bad in my opinion. The real problem, in my opinion, is the cereal's lack of whole grains, fiber, and protein, all three important components in breakfast).

QUESTION: What's your favorite pizza topping? On another note, have you ever taken an antioxidant in the form of a pill? After reading the articles above, would you still? I think the only one I would say might possibly be more safe is vitamin C.

Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas (Part Two)

I hope you enjoyed part one of my "Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas" posts, which focused on what to pack in lunches. Today, for part two, I will discuss some of my favorite tips for packing lunches, but first.....


In my last post I asked you for some of your favorite foods to pack in lunches. Here are some of your responses;

Caitlin said; "My favorite is a grain salad (quinoa or brown rice) with a bunch of veggies thrown over lettuce or arugula." ---- YUM!


Julie said; "You need to get your paws on some bumblebee honey dijon or deli dijon BOTH (are) staples in my office" ----- Ok, so not necessarily a lunch idea, but a great condiment suggestion!


Andrea said; "I always make sure to rotate fruits, veggies, and crackers so that there is always something new and different" ---- Yes, I do this too, and it's a great way to prevent getting bored! For example, I pack kiwi sometimes, then oranges other times, or I'll pack quinoa salad one week, and brown rice with chicken another week.


Tami had a ton of great ideas; " I make huge batches of soup with tons of veggies that can be reheated and packed in a thermos to stay hot for hours. Also, chicken fried rice made healthy at home and packed in a thermos, or cheese and Akmak crackers with fruit, or cottage cheese with pineapple also packed in a thermos, or rolls ups made on flat bread, or PBJ on whole wheat bread is a great last minute item that assembles quickly." ---- Thanks Tami! I think these all sound wonderful, especially the cottage cheese and pineapple.


Kati said; I think portable is key! I always have a bar or a baggie of (high fiber) cereal packed away in my lunch because they are easy to toss in and help ensure that I get my daily fiber per serving. ---- I agree. Lunch is a perfect time to load up on some good sources of fiber!


Mimi said; "My general rule of thumb is that anything I cook has to taste good on top of greens or spaghetti squash. Lunch solved! Sometimes I prefer a more platter-style lunch though. A few dips, lots of sliced veggies, and sliced meat." ----I love the platter-style idea! Laughing Cow cheese and turkey slices maybe? Yum!


Kelly said; "My favorite lunch ideas include homemade pizza with veggies and black beans, plus pasta loaded with veggies, veggie soup and many more, I almost always put an apple with whatever I bring for "dessert" (sometimes there is also a real dessert, some chocolate)". ---- I'm a big fan of packing black beans in my lunch. And....a Beano.


Ok, now it's time for some more of my person tips!

• Think outside of the lunch box. Does it have to be a "meal"? Or can it be a bunch of components (snacks) added together to form a meal?

Sometimes I pack leftovers or large salads, but a majority of the time my packed lunches are made of multiple "snacks", such as bags of carrots with dip, granola to put on top of yogurt, clementines, kiwi, or apples, sweet potato chips, walnuts, string cheese, etc.

• Take advantage of leftovers. Obviously it's easy to pack up the leftovers from the night before, but what if you have leftover scrambled eggs (they make a good dinner, by the way)? Don't just pack a bowl of eggs, grab a bagel and make an egg sandwich! Get creative.
  

• Do you have food that's going to go bad soon? Create a lunch from those foods. For example, I had some leafy greens in the fridge the other day, which I knew were starting to go bad, so I tossed them in a bowl with some dressing and added a pouch of tuna to my lunch box. Voila, a garden salad with tuna!
  

• Make sure you pack at least one thing you are really looking forward to. Every day I look forward to my Greek yogurt with pumpkin pie spice and granola to pour on top. I have had this every day for about a year now and I still look forward to it every day. Sometimes I even throw in a piece of chocolate :) Lately I've also been looking forward to my raw fruit and nut balls.
  

• Use plastic containers for easy portability, and always keep spoons, forks, napkins in the car or your office.
  

Some companies make containers with lids that you can put in the freezer to freeze. This way, after you put the lid on your food, your food stays cold for a longer period of time. The bowl below even has a little compartment for salad dressing. These containers are from Fit & Fresh (and I did not get paid to put them on my blog!).

• Take ten minutes the night before to prepare lunch for the next day. Many people say they don't have time to prepare lunch every day. But, you do have ten minutes. Or, better yet, take an hour on one of your days off and prepare your lunch components for the week. Another option is to just write out a list of what you plan on having in your lunch each day for the upcoming week, and hang it on your fridge or put it in your planner. Sometimes if it's written on paper and planned out, you are more likely to actually pack it.

On my days off I take about 45-60 minutes to prepare components for my lunches for the next week. In the picture above you'll see my bags of carrots and containers of yogurt. I also prepare containers with some type of cooked vegetable.

QUESTION: What's your one best tip for preparing a tasty, portable, healthy lunch?

Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas (PART ONE!)

Several weeks ago my cousin Cheryl asked me for some ideas on easy, portable, high protein/low carb/high fiber lunches that she could pack for her lunches. I'm someone who packs a lunch every single day so I knew I could help!

The first thing I suggest is to picture the new logo from ChooseMyPlate.gov. It doesn't have to be laid out exactly like the actual plate in the logo, but you should try to include each of these components in your lunch.

Source: ChooseMyPlate.gov

Ok, so now you have that picture in mind, now it's time to pack a lunch!



Think portable fruits and vegetables (the more you eat, the better, especially non-starchy relish tray-type vegetables)

• Apples, oranges, pears, clementines, bananas, berries

• Cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, cucumbers

Source: iStockPhoto

Think about dips for your fruits and veggies (you can eat them raw, but dips may help entice you to actually eat them!)

• Hummus (savory, sweet ,or untraditional), bean dip (both have fiber and protein)

• Homemade ranch dressing (use a ranch dressing dry powder packet and mix it into some high protein plain Greek yogurt)

• Nut butters (have protein and fat to keep you full)

Think portable dairy or dairy alternatives (for some protein and calcium). They will last in your lunch box for about 4 hours, as long as it's insulated.

• Greek yogurt or regular yogurt (buy plain if you are watching your weight, then add fruit or unsweetened cocoa powder for flavor)

• Soy yogurt
• String cheese
• Low fat sliced cheese for a sandwich

Think portable grain

• Granola (make your own or buy it, look for 5-10 grams protein)

• Quinoa salad (for more great quinoa recipes, buy this book!)

• Whole wheat bread sandwiches (choose a higher protein bread, if you can, with more than 5 grams protein)

• Whole wheat tortilla roll-ups (use low-sodium deli meat, nut butters, hummus or other bean dips, refried beans, anything!)
• 
  

Think portable protein (always get some good protein in your lunch, about 20-30 grams. Keep in mind that some of your 20-30 grams protein can be found in the dairy and grain products listed above).

• Nutritional yeast (sprinkle it on vegetables, salads, tortilla wraps, soups, whatever!)

• Beef jerky (I know, loaded with sodium, but every once in a while it's ok to have some high protein jerky!)

• Hard-boiled eggs (one of my favorite lunch components. I'll admit, I like to eat them with mustard! You can also add these to salads, or mix them with Greek yogurt and some spices to make egg salad)

• Tuna (eat it out of a pouch, add it to a salad or wrap, or make it into tuna salad)

• Tempeh (the name might sound unfamiliar, but this cultured soybean is easy to use and quite tasty, especially when turned into sloppy joes)

• Edamame (such an easy source of healthy protein. I suggest the frozen kind. Just steam and eat! I put them in little containers and just eat them with a spoon, or my hand...)
  

• Walnuts and almonds (add them to tuna salad, or snack mixes with cereal and dried fruit, or just eat them by the handful).

• Protein bars are another option. You could could most bars as a grain and a protein, since many of them are more like meal replacements. Look for at least 10 grams of protein, and 12 grams or less sugar.

Want more ideas? Check out Susan's blog (another RD) to see what she packs in her lunch! And, stay tuned for part two of this post, which will discuss some more tips on packing healthy, portable lunches.

Question: What's your favorite thing to pack in your lunch? More ideas would be helpful!

Cinnamon Walnut Ice Cream

I had some cinnamon ice cream this weekend at Nick's mom's house, and fell in love. When I got home I set out to make my own, and must say I was pretty successful!

Cinnamon Walnut Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
(Makes about 12-half cup servings)

2 cups chilled half and half
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts


DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the milk and sugar together in a bowl until sugar is well blended. Add the half and half and the spices, mix well (I use a whisk).

2. Put in an ice cream maker (after it's been frozen according to directions) and churn for about 20 minutes.

** If you don't have an ice cream maker add it to a popsicle mold and make cinnamon popsicles! Or you could make this into a milkshake by adding some vanilla frozen yogurt, pre-made, and blending. Yum, right?!**

3. Once the ice cream is done, add the chopped walnuts and blend well.




Nutrition Facts
(Serving Size, 1/2 cup)


Ok, so it's loaded with calories, but you could lighten it up by doing the following;

• Use fat free half and half
• Use a calorie free sugar, such as NuNaturals
• Simple use a bit less sugar (maybe 2 T less)
  
• Omit the walnuts
  

Or you could just ENJOY! We all need a splurge every once in a while, and it's nice when your ice cream splurge is made with only seven ingredients, all of which you can pronounce :)

QUESTION: What's your favorite flavor of ice cream this time of year? Another of my favorites is this butternut squash ice cream, which can also be made with pumpkin.

Did you see my butternut squash fries I posted on Saturday? We just picked the last of the squash from our garden so I have 2 or 3 more recipes to post, including butternut squash pizza and butternut squash spoon bread. Enjoy your Monday!