Shop local and SAVE BIG!

If you haven't heard yet, buying fresh fruits and vegetables locally is the in thing to do. You have probably been told  at least once you should be buying locally grown produce. Chances are, you probably have even been seeing local farmers markets (like the one in the picture below) sprouting up around your neighborhood! But why should you buy local? What's the benefit to you, your community, and the environment? For starters, here are a few reasons to dump the big-name grocery stores, and stick to your local farmers markets:

1. Local food is cheaper.
   According to How Stuff Works, buying local can save you money with fewer hands that are involved. Unlike chain supermarkets, the farmer doesn't have to split up the profits between the packer, the transporter, and the store employees. The savings goes right back into the consumers pocket.

Today, I hopped on the long-board and took a quick ride up to the local farmers market, and picked up all these fruits and vegetables for a whopping $10.61! Not only did I save on a good deal, but look at the vibrant colors on the tomato, bell pepper, and mango- that's when you know they're going to be deliciously full of nutrients.

2. Locally grown food tastes better and is more nutritious.
    Once harvested, produce quickly loses nutrients. Produce that is flash-frozen just after harvest is often more nutritious than "fresh" produce that's on the supermarket shelf for a week. Since local produce is sold right after it's picked, it retains more nutrients. When local produce is picked in the last couple of days, it makes for crisp and flavorful fruits and veggies. Produce that travels long distances are days older, which allows the sugars to turn to starches, plant cells to shrink, and produce loses it's vitality and flavor.

3. Buying local boosts the economy.

    Buying local is more than just a feel-good notion. Many communities around the nation and the world are increasingly dependent upon consumers buying local. When that happens, "those purchases are twice as efficient in terms of keeping the local economy alive," according to an interview with David Boyle, author and researcher for NEF (New Economics Foundation) in an article in Times magazine.It's no wonder why farming is becoming a vanishing occupation- it can't be easy making a living which requires so much overhead cost when you're getting less than 10 cents to every retail food dollar. By buying locally, the middleman disappears and the farmer gets full retail price, in turn helping farmers to continue farming.

Orange you hungry?

Last week, we were able to make time for so many other, more important things on our ever expanding to-do list without having to worry about dinner plans. I must say we were definitely on top of our 'A' game preparing for our weekly freezer to crockpot cooking. We prepared five meals, but only had a couple of hectic days last week where we actually needed to turn to the crockpot method.

Tuesdays are my longest days, usually beginning with homework in the mornings, followed by a full 8 hours on campus going from class to library. By the time I arrive home at almost 10 p.m., the last thing I want to do is cook. This past Tuesday, I threw one of the prepackaged meals in the crockpot sometime in the morning and let it cook all day. The cleanup was as easy as preparing dinner- using the crockpot eliminates mounds of pots, pans, and other cooking utensils. Some readers may suggest this is a lazy way of cooking, and I would reply that this isn't lazy, it's smart and revolutionary! Why work harder, when you can work smarter?

Spending a couple hours one afternoon grocery shopping and prepping the food, allowed me more time for studying, wedding planning, and for quality time with family and friends. On top of that, we still have three nights of dinner in the freezer! What has been so great about all of this, is that the other half is actually getting involved with all the cooking I have been doing. He usually likes being in the kitchen anyway, so cooking together has always been something we love to do.

Not only were these meals so helpful in keeping me organized, but my Fiance agreed that these mouth-watering recipes definitely made the list of favorites into our personal cookbook. The first recipe we put to the test was packed with vitamin C; we cooked up some juicy Orange Chicken.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 4-6 hours on low

Difficulty: Easy

Serves 2

In the bag: Combine 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 onion, 1/2 red pepper, 1-1/2 cups carrots, 2 trimmed boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 cloves chopped garlic, salt & pepper (to taste).

To cook: Add bagged ingredients to crockpot. Then add 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 cup of water. Cook with fresh orange, halved. Can serve over rice, or with fresh stir fry veggies as a side. 

We served our take of Orange Chicken with a house side salad that included a variety of unsalted nuts, fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, and a light italian dressing.

Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Modified Breakfast Cookies

Last week I posted about finding the recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies. These healthy little "cookies" turned out to be surprisingly better than the expectation I had for them! I'm a huge fan of peanut butter cookies, my other half, however, is not. In an attempt to keep him happy, I decided to exchange the peanut butter for Nutella, whey protein for soy protein, and I also added raisins to the ingredients.

Benefits of raisins:
After doing a little research for adding something that could boost my energy level, I came across this helpful website dedicated to raisins. The natural sugars of raisins are a great source of energy, and they also contain potassium to help maintain proper blood pressure. Tartaric acid is found in raisins and benefits colon health. This acid works together with fiber to help maintain elimination for digestive health. Who knew raisins could be packed with so many health benefits!

Benefits of adding soy/whey protein:
If you're trying to decide if soy or whey protein is more efficient for you in your diet/exercise goals, first consider what you're trying to accomplish with your specific diet plan. If your goal is to bulk up and gain muscle, then try incorporating the right amount of whey protein according to your exercise levels. Soy protein is used more when your diet and exercise goal is to slim down and obtain leaner muscle. According to Top Form Nutrition Supplement, soy protein comes from soybeans, while whey protein comes from milk as a diluted by-product of the cheese making process.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 16

Ingredients:

• 2 whole ripe bananas, mashed until creamy
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup vanilla soy protein powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cup quick oatmeal, uncooked (I used maple and brown sugar)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (or whatever nut you desire)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preparation Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed banana and Nutella until completely combined.
3. Add in the applesauce, vanilla protein powder and vanilla extract; mix again until completely combined.
4. Add in the oatmeal, pecans, and raisins to the banana mixture and combine. If you want the chocolate chips mixed in, now would be the time to do so.
5. Let "dough" rest for 10 minutes
6. Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls, and if you want the chocolate chips on top of the cookie, press them into the cookie now.
7. Bake cookies for 35 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
8. After letting the cookies cool, serve and enjoy!

Crossing the Finish Line

All the preparation of eating healthier, and daily cardio I have been doing is leading up to this... I'm finally signing up for my first 5k, and I could not be more excited about it! With the exception of the month of September, I have been regularly rotating my mornings with either an hour run or an hour walk since my engagement in November, and I actually have been able to keep off 8 pounds since. Somehow, September flew right by me without sticking to regular exercise. Although, I have been staying on track with healthier eating habits, so as long as I get back into my work out routine, I should be fine to run the race in December.

Since it's the beginning of a new month, I've decided to find the time again around school and work to get back into the right mind frame of no excuses, and just making the time to incorporate daily exercise. Especially since my good friend just invited me to join her in December for this race to be held at the beautiful Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, Fl, close to where she lives.

This course isn't your typical Florida flat-ground run. No, Clermont is surrounded by rolling hills. Which is sure to make this course just a tad bit more difficult. The course I will be registering to run includes 3.1 miles of rolling hills, paved roads, and trail running. For the more experienced runners, you also have the option to run a 10k or a half marathon. Since this is my first run, I will be starting with the 5k, and maybe one day soon I'll be able to work up to the half marathon.

Deena Kastor, long-distance Olympic medalist, holds the American record in the marathon and half marathon, and knows a thing or two about race day. Kastor says, "No matter the sport, the best thing you can do to have peace of mind on race day, is to really put the work in with proper training," she continues, "I'm never really nervous because I know I've optimized every day leading up to the race and have the training behind me."

As a first time race participant, of course I'm feeling a little nervous- I think that's probably natural. As a race newbie, stepping up to the starting line can definitely be intimidating. But as long as I stick to my guns, take advantage of the Weight Watchers running for fitness tips and techniques, while taking advice from Deena Kastor and keep training, I'm sure I'll do just fine.

If you're interested in participating in this race you can find more information here regarding registration, pricing, time and date of the race.

Joining Weight Watchers

The commercials got me! I gave in and purchased a subscription to Weight Watchers Online a couple of days ago. To be completely honest, I haven't even taken advantage of what it has to offer. Weight Watchers does have a mobile app for iPhone users, so I downloaded it, and now I can keep track of what I'm eating on-the-go.

With this program I can keep track of my food in-take, activity level, weight, and view my progress. They also provide helpful tips for food and recipes, even budget friendly planning and shopping, cheat sheets for eating out and restaurant tips. Now that I've taken some time to explore the website, I can't wait to get started!

Stay tuned for healthy tips provided by Weight Watchers!

A great way to push through your day!

For my breakfast routine, I usually have a protein shake which keeps me full for a few hours. Lately, I've been getting a little hungry in-between breakfast and lunch. I'm a server at a Cuban restaurant that makes really delicious empanadas, and most days that I work I find myself snacking on...you guessed it- empanadas!

Although they are so yummy, I need to find a substitute for my mid-morning snack. Thanks to Pinterest, I found some really healthy (and yummy looking) Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies that I can't wait to try!

These morning cookies are flower, sugar, and egg free. While still containing the sweetness through the applesauce and chocolate chips. I'm sure I'll even be finding myself snacking on these as a dessert replacement too!

Revolutionary Freezer to Crock-pot Meals

If you're anything like me, then I'm sure you can relate to just how difficult it can be to be a full-time student, work a full-time job, land an internship, plan a wedding, maintain somewhat of an exercise routine, and keep up with family and friends, and things at home- which is why at this juncture of my life, I couldn't even imagine throwing kids into the routine! I have a hard enough time answering that dreaded question: What's for dinner?

While doing some research and reading up on some blogs for freezer to crock-pot cooking, I stumbled upon Kirstin from kojo-designs which has this really great post that includes a variety of meals, recipes, and grocery lists for freezer to crock-pot cooking to free up some of your time in the evenings, help stay organized, and cross off that daily question "What's for dinner?". I must say, Kirstin sure does have a valid point when she says this freezer to crock-pot dinner plan is "revolutionary"!

Below is a sneak peek to the recipe for orange chicken from Kirstin, that I can not wait to try! They all sound so yummy!

Orange Chicken

IN THE BAG- 2 cups carrots, 2 cups bell peppers, 1 lb cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3 cloves garlic, 1 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, 8 oz. orange juice concentrate (orange pineapple will work as well)

TO COOK- Cook on low in crock pot, 4 to 6 hours

TO SERVE- Garnish with clementine slices (use 4 clementines) or mandarin oranges (two cans) and green onions (two, chopped). Serve on rice. Stir fried veggies make a great side.

Stay tuned--We'll be starting this week with this line-up of 5 crock-pot dinners: 

• Coconut Curry Chicken 
• BBQ Chicken
• Orange Chicken
• Lime Salsa Chicken
• Santa Fe Chicken