Slaw

I'm grilling with my friends Jon, Sarah, and Steph tonight and was charged with bringing a salad. I decided to try out NOJuju's Cilantro Lime Slaw. It is so good! The only changes I made were to buy a bag of pre-cut cabbage (because I am lazy) and to add a generous squirt of Sriracha (hot sauce).
So everyone, seriously, try out this recipe. I love how fresh tasting and crunchy it is. Plus, it's both delicious and healthy!

Foodie Week and a Great Weekend

I wanted to share a few recipes I tried out this week that were really good. I mixed things up for breakfast by replacing my standard Greek yogurt/honey/fruit/and granola with baked oatmeal. I made a big casserole dish of baked oatmeal with blueberries, almonds, coconut, cinnamon and vanilla and it lasted me for 3 days. It was really good- my advice is to use a lot of spice because otherwise it can end up tasting a little bland.
My dinners this week have been especially tasty. I tried out this recipe for spaghetti with Kale and my dear boyfriend and I both loved it! I also adapted this recipe for shrimp scampi by using scallops and adding broccoli. (I've also actually used it to make some fantastic shrimp scampi too.)
I also made a couple recipe free dishes that turned out very well. I made artichoke hummus by combining 1 can of chick peas and 2 cans of artichoke bottoms (drained) in my food processor with a couple of cloves of garlic, a little lemon juice, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
For lunch, I made a baked bean bowl by putting a can of baked beans over brown rice and topping it with chopped tomato, chopped green onion, cilantro, sprouts, and a little BBQ sauce. It was really good! I find beans and rice to be very filling, but you can always beef it up with some shredded cooked chicken if you want more protein.
This weekend has been absolutely wonderful. Friday night, my dear boyfriend and I saw Opus at the Southern Rep Theater. We both thought it was a great play. The tagline is "Sex, Drugs, and Chamber Music." It's about the dynamic between the members of a string quartet as they get ready to play Beethoven's Opus 131 at the White House shortly after adding a new member (a young woman) to their group of middle aged men.
Before the play, we went to Iris and had drinks and appetizers. Iris is officially my favorite place to go before a play because it is within walking distance of both the Southern Rep and Le Petite Theaters. The bartender is also known for amazing, creative cocktails. My first cocktail, for example, contained elderflower liqueur, basil, and a pineapple balsamic reduction. My second one contained bourbon, vanilla, ginger liqueur, and Thai tea. My dear boyfriend had one drink that contained scotch, gin, and a plum/cardomom syrup. His other cocktail contained Rye, bitters, beet juice and apple juice. They were all amazing. As for food- we split a cheese plate, 1/2 a dozen oysters, and some short rib rolls that were wrapped in lettuce. It was all delicious!
I also got to wear the purple ruffled shirt that I bought last week. I paired it with black pumps and a pencil skirt. I'm glad I got to wear it because a cold front finally rolled in on Saturday.
On Saturday, I started the day off in a terrible mood because the chance of rain was 75% on and off all day. However, it never really rained! I really wanted to go for a run, but was convinced that the second I got out there, the bottom would fall out. Finally, I decided to just go for it. (I brought my phone with me so I could call home for a ride if I got trapped by rain.) I am so glad I did because I had the best run ever! I was a little nervous because of my horrible 8 mile run, but I shouldn't have been. Clearly, the 78 degree weather played a big part- but I had tons of energy and had a great time! I was also thrilled with my pace. I ran a 9 minute mile pace all the way through mile 6 (54 minutes, compared, for example, to my Crescent City Classic time of 62 minutes), and didn't slow up very much for my last 3 miles. I finished the run in 84:16!
On Saturday evening, we were supposed to have a picnic in the park and listen to the LPO, but that got cancelled due to rain (although it never rained!), so instead my dear boyfriend and I grilled out. We had chicken kabobs, mango chili chicken sausage, and sweet Italian turkey sausage (we cooked a ton of meat so we'd have leftovers to eat this week) along with a side salad. I had blue cheese on multi-grain bread for dessert as well. I really love the amablu Gorgonzola. It is a fairly mild blue cheese that is really creamy. It's great spread on bread or alongside a sliced pear.
Today I have been being pretty lazy. I am about to get up, clean the kitchen, and wash the dogs. Later, I am going to go over to Sarah's house to carve pumpkins, eat pizza, and watch Hocus Pocus. I loved that movie when I was a kid!
All in all this weekend has been just what I needed. It's been so nice to relax and spend some quality time with my dear boyfriend. :)

Banana-Fana

Last night, I finally got around to trying the Banana Soft Serve recipe I've seen making it's way around the net. It's ridiculously simple- you put 2 frozen bananas in a food processor and blend for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides frequently, until it's the texture of soft serve ice cream. I wanted to add some vanilla to mine but I am out of vanilla, so I added a little cinnamon instead. It was really good! My dear boyfriend thought that it tasted like frozen bananas, but I thought it tasted like banana flavored frozen yogurt. The one thing I didn't like was that you need to use two bananas (I think this is so the food processor will have enough to work with), which is more than I wanted to eat. I froze half of mine. The best part was the texture- it was incredibly smooth and creamy, especially when it got a little melty. (I guess if I don't like the texture of the half I froze, I can always throw it into a smoothie or try putting it back into the food processor.) All in all, if you have a food processor, you should definitely give this a try!
Three cheers for a 100% healthy dessert!!

Pumpkin Muffins

My friend Heather just reminded me of a recipe I used to make all the time that is delicious and fairly healthy. It's also as simple as can be!

Pumpkin Muffins:

1 can 100% pure pumpkin (not the pie filling)
1 box duncan heinz spice cake mix
1/2 cup of water

Mix together, which may take a while b/c of the thickness of the pumpkin. Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350 F.

Thursday Already?

Wow. It seems like time has just flown by since Sunday!
I had a fun day off on Monday that started off with me eating delicious steak and salad for lunch, then taking down two cookie-bars and a small serving of blueberry cobbler with ice cream at lunch. Somehow that degenerated into me having a daiquiri, beer, and potato chips for dinner. Zapp's Tobasco flavored chips will be the end of me. :)
Tuesday was notable because I went to Phiddippides during my lunch break and got new shoes, body glide, and some goo. Three cheers for new running accessories! I was, in all honesty, still sore as heck from the race on Sunday (I was actually still sore yesterday too, but I'm fine today!), but I couldn't resist going for a run to try my new shoes out. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty brutal because I'd had a long day at work (work has been insane this week for various reason- not bad, but busy busy) and in addition to my soreness, I had very little energy. Nonetheless, I'm happy that I went because it kept me on schedule and helped me maintain my good running habit.
I got two different brands of goo at the running store: Power Bar Gel (Rasberry and Apple flavors) and Gu (Margee gave me an espresso gu for my birthday, and I also picked up strawberry bananna, berry, and chocolate flavors). I look forward to comparing the brands and flavors to see which tastes the best and to see how they affect my energy levels during my long (over 6 miles) runs.
A really funny thing happened after I went to bed on Tues. My dear boyfriend woke me up around 4am saying "I think the dog is under the bed." When I asked, still mostly asleep, why he thought that, he replied "Because I hear scratching and whining." I got down on the floor to look under our very low platform bed. Sure enough, Bernie, the larger of my two miniature shcnauzers (who technically needs to lose weight b/c he gained a pound this past year) had somehow gotten under the bed and was too big to get out! I kind of suspect that Hereaux had a hand in putting him under there because when we went to bed, Bernie was in his spot on a blanket on the floor next to my side of the bed. When I looked under the bed, Bernie was basically scooted over about a foot from where he was before, and Hereaux was in his rightful spot, trying to look innocent. I had to tug Bernie out from under there! Fortunately, my tubby little pup was just fine and hopefully he won't go under the bed again.
I've eaten a lot of delicious food that is considerably healthier than my Monday night dinner this week. Highlights include Cornish game hens stuffed with dried figs, onion, and garlic and baked in a cast iron dutch oven with dried rosemary, red wine, worchestershire sauce and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar for 40 minutes at 425 F (so easy!) for dinner (along with mashed sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts); my attempt at this pasta dish from the blog TravelEatLove (I used feta instead of mozarella- also so easy!) for lunch; and a really yummy snack bar called Bumble Bar. I've had the chai and chocolate flavors and both are super tasty. I like them b/c they have rice crisps and lots of sesame seeds so the texture is really crunchy and satisfying- sort of like a really dense rice crispy treat. (The packaging is really cute too!)
So that's how my week's been going!
Also, congratulations are in order to my friend Amanda, who gave birth to baby Liam on Sept.1 (I'm so negligent for not posting this sooner- please forgive me!) and Amy, who gave birth to baby Josiah this morning! I also just found out that my friend Janette is expecting baby #2! Congratulations, girls!

Buffalo Shrimp

Last night, I tried my hand at a meal that my dear boyfriend usually cooks and I am proud to say that it turned out very well. It is a quick, tasty meal for a busy weeknight- so I'm posting it.

Buffalo Shrimp

* 1/2 bag of frozen shrimp, shelled and de-headed (not the most precise of measurements, I know, but it doesn't really matter b/c you can make as much or as little as you like)
* Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce
* 1 Cup chopped onions
* 1 Tbsp butter

Defrost shrimp, then add enough Tabasco sauce to generously coat all of the shrimp. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, but longer is better. Cook chopped onion over medium heat in butter, stirring frequently, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add shrimp and sauce and cook until shrimp is done, about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp and reduce sauce until it is very thick. Drizzle sauce over shrimp.

Since this is ends up being nice and spicy, I like to serve this with something cool and creamy. I especially enjoy it on top of a Caesar salad (I just buy the kind you can get in a bag at the grocery store). The Tabasco garlic pepper sauce really tastes exactly like buffalo sauce, so this is a quick way to satisfy a craving for hot wings too. :)

Green Acres

I had a really good time on the farm this weekend. We relaxed, grilled, swam (in both a pool and a creek that we hiked to), rode 4 -wheelers, played Bocce Ball and Apples to Apples, watched movies, and shot empty cans and skeet (clay pigeons). It was definitely nice to get away from the city for a little while and hang out with my friends.
Jon's family's farm is so nice. It's in McComb, Ms, which isn't that far from my old home town- that part of the state is really pretty and quite rural. The property used to be an old town and it was very interesting to have Jon show us around saying "This building used to be a school house, and this used to be the general store." Now there is a big house, a pool, several fields for cows (which you can see in the picture of my dear boyfriend), horses, ponies, and mule; and a pecan orchard. The property is also home to at least 4 dogs and 4 cats. My favorite was a little Brussels Griphon named Sammy who was the friendliest little guy ever. He also looked like a gremlin and we all wanted to take him home with us.
Of course we brought lots of tasty food with us. Some of the highlights for me were the big boule of roasted garlic bread that Sarah picked up, and some pineapple mint juice she got from Beaucoup Nola. I'm officially adding Beaucoup Nola to my list of delicious healthy things b/c they specialize in making snowballs using fresh fruit juice rather than sugary syrup. Their juices are so fresh and delicious! I particularly like the pineapple mint and the mango chile. For this trip, we paired the pineapple mint with some Costa Rican rum (that Steph and my friend Shelby brought me when they went to Costa Rica this spring) which was incredibly refreshing.
All in all it was a wonderful weekend getaway!

Petit Dessert

Tonight I used my new Petit Pear Casserole Dish (a birthday present from my dear boyfriend's brother and brother's girlfriend) to make a peach crumble. I followed the same recipe as my semi-healthy blackberry crumble, but substituted frozen peach slices for the blackberries. I also topped it with Hagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream. It was divine! And of course, the dish is so cute that I had to take pictures. (You can also see my pretty table mats that my parents got me for my birthday in these pics.)

Insalata

I think Oprah's salad spreadsheet is awesome. :)

Turkey Lurkey

Okay, last post for today, I promise. :)
I made some awesome turkey meatloaf last night and wanted to post the recipe because it was so healthy, easy, and delicious. All measurements are pretty approximate because, of course, I just threw stuff together in what seemed to be the right proportion at the time.

Turkey Meatloaf

1/2 lb ground 99% fat free turkey
1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 small can diced green
3 sliced green onions
1/4 cup salsa (this is our secret family ingredient for awesome meatloaf)
2 eggs
1/2-1 cup uncooked oatmeal (add 1/2 a cup, then more if the mixture is too moist)
Ketchup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together first 8 ingredients. Add 1/2 cup of oatmeal and stir. If meat mixture is too moist, add more oatmeal, until the mixture can be formed into a loaf. Place meat mixture into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with a thin layer of Ketchup. Bake for 30 minutes.
I served my meatloaf with the last of the new potatoes from Mom's garden (I boiled them, cut them in half and tossed them with a little butter and garlic salt) and green peas. Total comfort food!

Cyclops

Yesterday, I went grocery shopping at the Rouse's near my work in Metairie. Usually, the healthfood pickings are pretty slim at this particular store (case in point, they didn't have my greek yogurt or my 0% organic milk, which are always available at the Uptown Rouses) but it is really close to my work and I can still get all the meat and veggies I need for the week- so I go there for the convenience factor.
I've been craving ice cream for the past couple of weeks, so I decided to see what they had in the freezer section. First I noticed that Kemp's is making little single servings of probiotic frozen yogurt. I picked one up, planning to try it but I wasn't thrilled with the ingredients- high fructose corn syrup and all that jazz. Nonetheless, it's dessert, so that wasn't a complete deal breaker. I put the white chocolate raspberry cup in my buggy and continued looking. Kemp's also makes 100 calorie ice cream sandwhiches that looked tempting, but I thought that I would try those next time.
Finally, on the other side of the freezer section, next to the pies (and Italian ice cream, oddly enough- I guess they have more ice cream than they do space), I found containers of Cyclops Organic Greek Style Frozen Yogurt. Frozen Greek yogurt! The Kemp's immediately went back in the freezer and I chose the raspberry flavored Cyclops (It also comes in coffee, mango, strawberry, and bananna). The stats were definitely not bad. It has 150 calories in a 1/2 cup serving, it is probiotic, and all the ingredients are natural (yogurt, sugar, cream, rasberries, boysenberries, skim milk powder, pastuerized egg yolk, guar, carageenan, and locust bean gums).
I was pretty eager to try it out, so I tried a little spoonful when I got home. It tastes exactly like rasberry cheesecake!!! I am insanely thrilled about this. :)

Yum!

A couple new delicious healthy things for today!
I just tried an almond & coconut Kind Bar and it was fantastic. Super coconut-y (with really big flakes so you don't have to endure the easter basket grass texture of shredded coconut), crunchy, sweet (but not too sweet), and filling. The nutritional stats are good as well: 190 Calories, 4 g of protein, and 4 g of fiber. I only bought 1 at the store to try them out, but I will definitely be going back for more!
Also, I don't think I've written about my new favorite lunch- spicy sabra hummus, bbq sauce, fresh baby spinach (I've graduated from the plastic bags to the big plastic boxes of spinach in the produce section- and go through about a box a week!) and a slice of cheese (I prefer swiss or pepper jack) in a whole wheat wrap. The combination of hummus & BBQ sauce (Humbeque) is particularly delish! I usually make my wrap in the morning then nuke it for a minute and a half around lunch time. It is spicy, cheesy and wonderful!

Another Delicious Healthy Thing

A good experience at the Subaru dealership (no pushy "what number do you need to see to buy a car today?" nonsense) plus pizza and wine for dinner is making me feel much more relaxed.
The best part about my pizza is that it is pretty healthy. We got the Sonoran (with artichokes instead of mushrooms) and some cheese sticks from Naked Pizza. I haven't had Naked Pizza before, but I am pleasantly surprised. The crust has all sorts of whole grains, fiber, and probiotics and the nutritional information isn't too shabby. 161 calories and 7 grams of protein per large slice is better than some protein bars! :) The crust definitely had a whole wheat taste, but I really like whole wheat pizza, so it was fine by me. Not only did I have pizza for dinner, I had guilt free pizza. Yum!

Relatively Healthy Dessert

My dear boyfriend recently informed me that he owns a set of ramekins. I've always wanted some ramekins, so I was very happy to find this out!
Tonight, I was craving a baked dessert, so I decided to use a ramekin to make a single serving. I adapted a blackberry crumble recipe to make it tiny and as healthy as possible. It turned out lovely, so here is my recipe!

1/4 Cup Frozen Blackberries (Thawed- I stuck them in the microwave for 2 minutes, actually)
1 drizzle of Agave Nectar (or a little sprinkle of sugar if you don't have this)
1/8 cup oats
1/8 cup whole wheat flour (or regular flour if that's what you have on hand)
1/8 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp of cinnamon (this is approximate, I just added this to taste)
1/2 tbsp of butter (putting the "relatively" in "relatively healthy," haha)
1 tsp ground flax seeds (omit this if you don't have it)

Placed thawed blackberries in the bottom of the ramekin. Add a drizzle of agave nectar and stir. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl until the mixture is crumbly. Add to ramekin, on top of blackberries. Bake at 350 for 13 minutes.
I enjoyed my blackberry crumble topped with a little cream. Ice cream would have been tasty as well.

Not Without My Notebook

I had a wonderful weekend! Kristi's wedding was, of course, a huge part of that. Not only was she a stunningly beautiful bride, she was an organized one! Her wedding was amazing, especially considering the amount of work that she and her friends did themselves. At one point, when we were heading out to the limo she exclaimed "Not without my notebook!!!" I told her that would be the title of the Lifetime Movie about her life.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Thursday night, my dear boyfriend and I flew to Seattle. Due to a flight delay in Denver, we didn't arrive until 2am. We stayed at his parents' house Thurs. night and spent an enjoyable Friday morning having brunch and wandering around downtown Seattle with his mom. Brunch was at Le Pichet, and it was wonderful. I had a bowl of homemade yogurt with walnuts and honey, and Le Tartines- two slices of bread with pate on top. So good!
We had lunch at Whole Foods. I am so jealous of the Seattle Whole Foods because they have a noodle/satay bar. After my rich brunch, I was happy to chow down on some tofu and veggie satay. I also picked up some goodies- some Larabar flavors I haven't found in NOLA, a couple packets of Justin's Almond Butter (I love all the flavors they offer and they make a great on the go snack!), and a bag of Chocolate Covered Cocoa Nibs.
Kristi later told me she heard that the nibs were supposed to be strong, bitter and savory. I put some nibs in my yogurt and fruit this morning and didn't think they were too bad at all. I wouldn't eat them alone by the handful (I'd say they are about as sweet as baking chocolate), but I thought that they were a tasty addition to my yogurt. I'm eager to try them in oatmeal with a banana mixed in. Maybe the chocolate coating is the only thing making them sweet, but I like the strong cocoa flavor as well.
Friday afternoon, we went to Kristi's rehearsal dinner. It was at a park in Renton, Wa that was right next to a lake. It was a beautiful setting for a cookout, and happily, I didn't get too cold! After that, my dear boyfriend went back to Seattle to stay with his parents, and my hotel suite became the bridal headquarters. Kristi, the other two bridesmaids, and I stayed up chatting, snacking, drinking wine, and doing our nails until our friend Janette (who was also sharing the suite but had a late flight) got to the hotel.
We woke up pretty early Saturday morning so we could all get ready to take pictures. Once we were ready we rode to Tacoma in a limo to take pictures in a pretty park. Riding in the limo was really fun- I've actually never been in one before!
After the pictures, we went to the Renton Community center and set up for the wedding. Let's just say that I ended up dreaming about setting tables later that night! We did a lot of work, but everything went really smoothly and the end result was beautiful. I am so proud of how much work Kristi did in advance to prepare for such a gorgeous wedding and am thrilled that it turned out so well. If she gets tired of being a Chemist, she has a promising career as a wedding planner to fall back on!
Finally, we went back to the hotel so Kristi could change back into her dress. A highlight of the day for me was when we all left the hotel singing "Going to the Chapel." It's fun to be so silly with my friends. :)
The wedding ceremony was beautiful. Kristi and her husband Colin read a heartfelt statement to each other before they said their vows and I thought it was really beautiful. I cried because I have known Kristi and Colin for so long and I am so happy for them!
The reception was really great. Kristi made all of the food herself, and it was excellent. The main course was pulled pork, coleslaw, biscuits, macaroni and cheese, and salad- to honor her Southern heritage. Yum!
Another highlight of the reception was the wedding cake. It was a 3 layer cake that featured a candy river and a model of Kristi and Colin kayaking in their wedding attire. One of Kristi's friends (who is defending her PHD next week!) made the cake, and Kari, one of the bridesmaids, made the topper. It was amazing. It was also tasty- the layers were champagne cake with mango curd, and almond cake with strawberry filling.
On Sunday, my dear boyfriend and I woke up early to head back to the city to have brunch with his parents. As we were leaving, we actually got to see the newlyweds, which was a pleasant surprise. I didn't think they'd be up that early. Anyway, Kristi gave me a big hug and informed me that if I get married again, I should have a destination wedding. Haha!! I can't argue with that. :)
Brunch this time was at Cafe Campagne. It was amazing as well. I had the Oeufs en Meurette, which was two poached eggs served on garlic croutons with pearl onions, bacon and champignons in a red wine and foie gras sauce served with pommes frîtes. My morning of insanely rich food continued with a stop for gelato. I split a cup of panna cotta and tiramisu gelato drowned in espresso with my dear boyfriend. I was stuffed!!
We flew home yesterday afternoon and other than being long, the flight was pretty uneventful. I've been pretty tired today because we didn't get home until 11:30, but I am glad to be home and happy to be back to my schedule. I am also looking forward to going on a nice run after work. I need to stretch my legs out after so much flying.

Determination and patience

I've literally eaten every last bit of my dark chocolate peanut butter. Now I have to decide whether to get more of the same, some almond butter, or both. Such difficult decisions. :)

Shrek

I read a lot of blogs that pertain to nutrition and fitness, and I get a lot of good ideas for things to incorporate into my own life. I also read a lot of stuff that I think "not in a million years would I try that." I feel that way about raw food and veganism, for example. It's great for some people, but not something I'm interested in.
The Green Monster was something I also put in the "more power to ya" category. I'm not 100% sure what blogger started the Green Monster trend, I think it was Angela from Oh She Glows, but most of the bloggers I read drink them now. Generally, they consist of spinach or kale blended with almond milk and fruit (like a banana or frozen berries). I had no intention of ever making one, but for some reason, this evening I did.
I wanted a smoothie and had all the ingredients, so I thought "Why not?"
My first green monster contains 1/2 a bananna, a few frozen strawberries, 2/3 cup almond milk, 3 big handfuls of baby spinach, and 1 teaspoon of my dear boyfriend's spirulina powder.
Surprisingly, it is really good!!! It's super refreshing, and very healthy. It isn't too sweet, but it doesn't taste vegetal, it just has a mild earthiness from the spinach. I'm a fan!
I've also included a picture for your amusement.

Another Delicious Healthy Thing

This one may actually be a little too delicious- I am going through my jar way too quickly!
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter!!! I got a jar of this a couple of weeks ago and lately I have been eating it with a banana for most of my afternoon snacks. It is bliss.
I also bought a cupcake for my friend's birthday yesterday called a "fat Elvis." It was a banana flavored cake with peanut butter frosting. I am hereby mentally referring to my afternoon snack as a "fat Elvis" because that cracks me up. :)
But I digress....
One of the many nice things about the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter is that its nutrition information fares pretty well in comparison to regular peanut butter. A serving size is 2 Tbsp. and has 170 calories and 6 grams of protein. You get a couple more grams of protein out of Extra Crunchy Jif (Which is what I would normally use to satisfy my peanut butter needs), but there are actually 20 fewer calories in a serving of the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter. Nutella, in contrast, (divine chocolate nut butter that it is) has all the calories of the Extra Crunchy Jif, but only 3 grams of protein in the same 2 Tbsp. serving size.
The problem is that this stuff is almost too good! Sometimes it is really hard to stick to a single serving. On the plus side, nothing breaks up a long day at work like knowing you have a really decadent snack to look forward to in the afternoon!

More Delicious Healthy Things

Let me just say how much I love the combination of yogurt and granola. Love love love love love. However, I tend to find granola a bit too calorie dense to justify eating it very often. 150 calories for 1/4 cup and I still have to add stuff to it like yogurt or milk? That puts it in the special treat category for me.
Happily, I've found some granola that is cooked with fruit instead of oil! They only carry two flavors of Galaxy Granola at my local Whole Foods (Vanilla Almond Munch and Not Sweet Vanilla Munch), but fortunately I LOVE vanilla almond granola. Calorie wise, the Vanilla Almond Munch is 165 calories for half a cup. Not bad! And I usually only use a quarter of a cup on top of my yogurt in the morning anyway. This granola is delicious. If I think about it, I can maybe taste a bit of a fruity tang to it, but to me, that just adds to the flavor. Its tasty and nice and crunchy.

Another delicious healthy thing I tried yesterday was a chocolate brownie Pure Bar. I went for a long run yesterday morning and ate this bar when I got done. My dear boyfriend walked in, saw me eating it and asked "So are you justifying eating that brownie with the fact that you ran?" Haha! It doesn't have the texture of a brownie, but it is dense, chewy, not too sweet, and has an intense chocolate flavor. I liked it more than a Larabar (which I also enjoy). This bar was a little larger, the chocolate flavor was stronger, and it had nice big chunks of nuts in it. I'll definitely be eating more of these energy bars in the future.

Something I recently tried that was healthy, but sadly, not so delicious, was coconut water. I had high hopes for this stuff b/c it is very low calorie and packed with electrolytes. When I work out a lot, I have a big problem with muscle cramps in my feet, legs, abdomen, and back, and I think it has a lot to do with my electrolyte balance. Gatorade helps, but I don't like it. I don't really like the way it tastes and I'd rather not take in that many calories from something I don't enjoy.
So obviously, I had high hopes for coconut water. Sadly, it is not to be. I don't think its disgusting, but the taste reminds me A LOT of sake (minus the alcohol of course)- which I don't like. So if you like Sake and are looking for an alternative to energy drinks, you can certainly give it a try. :) I find it to be more palatable when I mix it with some Perrier too, so that may be how I get through my little bottle of the stuff.