Day in SB

I can't say enough how much I enjoy spending time in Santa Barbara. I did get married there, after all! It's such a wonderful place to visit, there is always something to do or see.

Today, the occasion to visit was the Santa Barbara Home & Garden Show. My husband and I have some friends who had a booth for their business. We went down for the day to support them and to have lunch and do some shopping.

The show wasn't all that exciting. I didn't take any photos. We got there early so there weren't that many other attendees. As a result, the vendors were very aggressive in trying to get our attention as we walked around. I even got an offer to model a hot tub in the nude. Wow.

So, after leaving our friends and the show, my husband and I went to the Sojourner Cafe for another fabulous lunch. Our first trip here was back in December: First Visit to Sojourner Cafe

Today I had the Chile Relleno Casserole (yum!):

And shared a piece of Chocolate Macaroon Torte (!!!):

And...I'm not finished...a Brownie Bite:

Love that place. Afterwards, we hit up Peet's Coffee & Tea on State Street for some, ahem, coffee and tea. I then hit up Anthropologie, Gap, Sephora and Lululemon. Good thing I only found a sports bra on sale so the damage wasn't too bad.

I think I FINALLY turned the corner on my cold although I can't say I'm back to normal. A few days off from the gym seems to have helped.

What did you do this weekend that was fun?

Friday Stuff

I started off today with my Green Machine Smoothie:

As someone who doesn't necessarily like vegetables, especially greens, it gives me great satisfaction to get a full serving at breakfast. I'm telling you, you cannot taste the greens in it.

Then, I went to a yoga class which was surprisingly nice. I'm not getting that much more flexible, but my focus seems to be getting better during class. The hour goes by pretty quickly. I also position myself so I can look out the window during class and I find it very relaxing. 

This afternoon I stopped by the farm stand to pick up some more tangerines, carrots and butternut squash. The tangerines right now are so sweet and make a great dessert since I'm trying to cut back on refined sugar for a few weeks. That being said, I have a trip planned to Santa Barbara on Sunday and I fully intend to have dessert at my new favorite vegetarian restaurant (they make amazing desserts).

Here's a photo I took at the farm stand of the clouds. We are supposed to get a lot of rain tonight!

Busy Bee

I have been a busy bee these past 2 days. My cold is still with me, unfortunately. I went to the gym yesterday and did 35 minutes on the elliptical machine and about 15 minutes of weights. This morning I just wasn't up to the gym so I went on a walk for about 45 minutes. I also did a ton of errands this afternoon. I bought myself a treat at Costco, the new Everyday Food book, called "Fresh Flavor Fast."

I can't wait to make some of the recipes from this book. All of the recipes have pictures which makes it that much more enticing.

It was an absolutely beautiful day today on the Central Coast of California, here's a photo I took while I was doing my errands:

The recent rains have turned our hills green. We have more rain coming tomorrow so I certainly enjoyed the sunshine today.

The Way Home

My husband, our two cats and I made the journey home yesterday. We beat a small rainstorm that is hitting the central coast today. We are supposed to get much more rain later this week. I caught some photos of the snow-capped mountains driving through Los Angeles yesterday. Aren't they pretty? Who said it doesn't snow in Southern California?

We got home around 2 p.m. and I had time to visit the local farm stand, Trader Joe's and the library. Alan had to stay home and wait for the cable guy to repair our cable box that died while we were gone. It's so nice to be home! Isn't one of the best parts of a vacation coming home?

When's your next vacation and where will you be going (or wish to go)?

Too Much Fun

I think I had too much fun this past weekend so I had a small relapse in my cold today. I was very tired and congested. Today is day 8 and, according to the Mayo Clinic website, most colds average about 10 days. I'll be sure to try and get good sleep tonight since I'm headed back to the coast tomorrow and it's a 300-mile drive. I'll split the driving with my husband but it's still a long trip.

I made a big, fresh salad for lunch today with sunflower seeds, tuna, dried cranberries and chopped red bell pepper. I don't think I dried the lettuce leaves enough so the dressing didn't stick very well and the salad was bland. Or, maybe my taste buds were depressed. The avocado tasted great though. It was a Fuerte type as opposed to the normal Haas you see in the stores. The flesh was buttery and delicious!

Finished off my lunch with a piece of See's candy. Mmmmm.

Had to post this picture of my cat Xena. She dragged her bed off the  ottoman and chose to sleep on it upside down.

See you from the coast!

Fun Weekend

I got to spend the weekend with my best friends from high school. I realized that we've known each other for, oh let's see...20 years!!! Sheesh.

I documented this veggie/quinoa/seitan bowl I had at Native Foods last night for dinner. It's an all-vegan restaurant and it's so yummy.

Sorry the photo is blurry. We spent this morning dancing our ittle hearts out to the Wii Just Dance game. Very fun even though I got 3rd on most of the rounds. I rocked in Wii tennis though.

Other events of the weekend included: brunch at Cheesecake Factory, lots of chocolate (when I say lots, I mean lots), vegan ice cream homemade by moi, a vintage Airstream trailer show, shopping, grapefruit picking and a little Sex & The City movie. We are such girls!

What was the most fun thing you did this weekend?

Lingering Cold

My cold is slowly but surely getting better. But, I'm still having to medicate with Dayquil/Nyquil and nose spray. I'm one of those people who hates admitting I need drugs, but I would be so miserable right now if I wasn't taking anything. I was able to do a real workout at the community center yesterday and today and that helped me feel better overall.

On a more "natural" note, I'm using the Neti pot to irrigate my nose (sounds gross but it really helps), drinking lots of tea and resting to help get better. This weekend my two best friends from high school are visiting me in Palm Desert. We have some fun activities planned so hopefully I'll be feeling better.

Last night for dinner I heated up some leftover crock-pot chicken and rice with some coconut milk. Can I just say that coconut milk makes everything taste better? It doesn't look so appetizing but it was delicious. I served it with a small green salad.

Remember when I said the other day that I wanted to cut back on sugar? I just finished reading an awesome book called "The End of Overeating" and it was all about how our bodies are wired to crave sugar, fat and salt and some strategies to overcome these cravings. It wasn't a diet book, it was more about the brain and how evil food companies and restaurants are serving us food that we can't resist.

I have a million errands to run so I'm off!

Feeling Better

I am feeling better today but I definitely have a cold. I have to keep reminding myself to rest and not do too much. I've been taking some over-the-counter medication so I'm not completely miserable and worthless. :)

Last night I made some chicken soup, or, as my husband calls it, "Jewish penicillin." I used chopped fresh veggies, chicken stock, and leftover roast chicken.

I served it with some cornbread and honey (for my throat, ha ha).

Today the hubby went to lunch with his brother so I was on my own. I used this avocado that I got at the farmer's market in a tortilla with some mayo and a slice of leftover turkey.

I think I need to cut back on the added sugars in my diet (a chocolate hiatus perhaps?) so I had this leftover green smoothie for dessert.

Do you like my artistic photo? I'm trying to improve my skills in this department.

Anywho, I'm working like mad on some reports for my classes. I've been putting together research on the nutrition needs of California. Did you know that 2/3 of Californians are overweight or obese? Our numbers are pretty close to those of the rest of the nation. That just blows my mind. How do we fix it? That's the big question!

Cold Remedy?

Aren't you glad you can't get my germs through the Internet? I had a mild sore throat last night which turned into a "throat on fire" situation this morning. Darn!

Unfortunately, there's nothing one can really do to speed up the healing from a cold except rest and drink plenty of fluids. I upped my vitamin C intake with a green smoothie (spinach and frozen fruit) this morning for breakfast.

I'm about to plug in the humidifier and put myself down for a nap. Then, I will likely spend the afternoon on my tookus on the couch watching tv and reading. Doesn't sound too bad, right? The hubby will pick me up some cold medicine at the store so at least I can rest a little more comfortably. I can't believe how quickly this cold came on and stopped me short in my tracks.

Any other helpful advice for dealing with a cold?

For My Cold-Weather Friends

Here are a few photos from a walk I took this morning in Palm Desert. It felt so nice to have the warm sun on my arms. In the last photo you can see the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Came home and had a simple turkey panini with a small salad. I couldn't resist a little chocolate with my tea post-lunch.

So today is Valentine's day in the U.S. I'm not even really sure what the significance of this "holiday" is except for telling your significant other that you love them (shouldn't we do this every day?). I hate the aisles of sugar and fat-laden "treats" at the store. As if we should be giving our loved ones that crap.

Okay, I'm done with my rant. Have a great day, Valentine's or not!

Inspiration

Jamie Oliver is so inspirational in this speech he gave at the TED conference recently. He talks about how we can all work to fight childhood obesity.

The speech is 20+ minutes but totally worth it. I guess he has a new tv show coming out in March about how he has worked with a town in West Virginia to help get people healthier there. Can't wait to see the show!

http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

Thoughts on Wordpress?

I'm considering changing my blog format from Blogger to Wordpress. Any comments out there on this topic? I'm not very good with software-type issues so I'm a little nervous to do a user-hosted system. But, I also want more freedom in my format. I have a vision for a comprehensive website with all kinds of information about healthy living!

Yesterday was a long day on the road as my husband, our two cats and I made the 5 1/2-hour trek from the Central Coast to Palm Desert. We made it though and went to Trader Joe's last night to stock up on essentials. 

Today for lunch I made the same chickpea burgers from last week with a few changes. I'm trying to come up with my own recipe but it's a work in progress. Today's burgers fell apart in the skillet so I might need to add another egg for some "glue."

Like my Foodbuzz spatula? The super cool folks gave it to me when I visited them in December.

The burgers were really tasty and filling when I put them in a pita pocket with some tahini-yogurt topping. I also split a yummy kiwi with my hubby.

Today was spent with a workout at the community center, some reading and research at the library, some school work and a few other random errands. Tomorrow we have guests coming to visit including 2 kidlets aged 8 and 10.

Please let me know if you have any comments regarding Wordpress as I'm starting to figure out what I have to do to switch my blog to that format.

Cleaning Out the Fridge

Tomorrow I'll be on the road as I head to Palm Desert in Southern California for two weeks. Don't worry, I'll still be blogging! I'm hoping for warmer weather since it's been cool and rainy here in San Luis Obispo County for the past several weeks.

Today I worked on cleaning out the fridge. I used the rest of the eggs in a scramble. I added some red bell pepper and goat cheese to the mix with some toast and jam on the side. Couldn't help but have a few pieces of chocolate with my tea, too.

Tonight the hubby and I are having dinner with some friends and then we'll hit the road tomorrow bright and early. I made some pita sandwiches with the last of the hummus for the road. Maybe I should slip some chocolate into my lunch bag too?

Hummus Fan

Are you a fan of hummus? I am! It's so easy to make, too.

Homemade Hummus
1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (I prefer Eden Foods brand)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove

Combine ingredients in a food processor and whirl it up until smooth but still a little chunky. Slather on a tortilla, fresh veggies or whatever else your heart desires.

Here's what it looks like:

For my lunch yesterday I put some hummus on a tortilla and added some lettuce, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese and a splash of balsamic vinegar. It was really good. I topped off my lunch with some tangerines and chocolate.

What's your favorite flavor of hummus and what do you put it on?

Pancakes? Yes, Please!

Every couple of weeks or so I'll whip up a batch of pancakes. This is probably one of my husband's favorite meals EVER and he gets so excited when I tell him it's time for pancakes. We've visited a restaurant in the Bay Area that serves pancakes with blueberries and wheat germ. The restaurant calls them Blue Germs.

Here's my version. Oh yes, and they're vegan, too! You gotta serve them with something sweet though because they aren't made with any sugar.

Vegan Blue Germ Pancakes - Serves 2 Hungry People
1 1/2 cups of unsweetened soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 teaspoons toasted wheat germ

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Stir in blueberries so they don't clump. Mix in soy milk and vanilla. Let batter sit for 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat up the griddle. Use a ladle to pour batter onto griddle. Sprinkle wheat germ on pancakes before flipping. Cook on each side about 4-5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy the deliciousness.

The Cost of Health?

I do most of my grocery shopping at Trader Joe's or the farmer's market. About once a month, I visit my local health food store to stock up on essentials I can't get elsewhere. I keep a list for several weeks until it gets big enough to warrant a trip there. I usually budget to spend over $100 on these trips. Yesterday was no exception. Here's most of what I got:

Not pictured was some wheatgrass for the cats, more soymilk, some white wine vinegar and more cans of beans. It doesn't seem like much for $100, but I did buy a supplement that cost $25 so I guess that's why. I'm pretty good about not buying things on impulse, I pretty much stick to my list.

I don't keep a real close count on my food budget, except for eating out at restaurants which I really try not to do because it's so expensive (among other reasons). From what I can tell from studying public health nutrition so far though, food costs are a big, big concern for many Americans.

I was just doing some research this morning for a project on how to get Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables. The number one reason in one study I found was the prohibitive cost of produce. I didn't start eating fruits and vegetables until I understood how beneficial for my health they are. While the cost and availability isn't a barrier for me, I still struggle with taking the time to prepare vegetables and making them taste good.

If you aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables or haven't in the past, what are or were some of your reasons?

A Good Sign

It has to be a good sign that Michelle Obama is committing herself to fighting childhood obesity, right? I'm hopeful she can make some important changes. She said she wants to use a "ground up" approach and will release details of her plan next week.

Last night for dinner I was craving pizza. I made some whole wheat pizza dough in my bread maker and then made an easy pizza sauce using these ingredients:

2 cans of tomato sauces, 3 cloves garlic, 1 onion, dried oregano, salt and pepper and olive oil (not pictured). I simmered it all together for about 15 minutes and had a really easy, yummy sauce. This recipe made enough sauce for about 6-8 pizzas so I froze the rest for use in the future.

I topped my pizza with the sauce, some parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and thin slices of 1 tomato. Here it is!

The hubby and I were both hungry so we split the pizza with a side salad and called it a night.

What are your favorite non-meat pizza toppings?

Childhood Obesity Summit

I attended a Childhood Obesity Summit in my community yesterday. The focus of the event was to help educate practitioners about what we can do about this problem. It was really informative and furthered my interest in this topic. I didn't take any photos of the event, mainly because I didn't want to draw attention to myself. :)

I did come away with some good factoids about childhood obesity. It's such a complex issue with so many causes, but here's what I learned:

• 44% of adolescents in California are overweight or obese.
• From 2006-2009, the rate of children from ages 3-5 who are overweight increased by 30%.
• In California, 56% of adults are overweight or obese.
• In my county, 67% of adolescents and 42% of children drink one or more sodas a day.
• Soda is the number one source of added sugar in the American diet.

The research on soda was presented as part of a new campaign in my area called "Re-Think Your Drink." It's about educating people about the amount of sugar in sodas, fruit drinks and sports drinks.

Obviously, limiting sugar-sweetened beverages is just one tactic to try and address childhood obesity. There are so many other issues including: physical activity, socioeconomic status, culture, genetics, environment, etc. It's easy to get overwhelmed.

One of the registered dietitians who spoke at the event noted how important it is for adults to model healthy behavior for kids. That includes things like: eating fruits and vegetable, not watching too much tv, exercising, not drinking sodas, etc.

I don't have kids so I'm not around them that much. What are your thoughts on how we can help save our children from this epidemic?

Welcome New Readers!

Just wanted to welcome any new readers from my guest post over at Finding Radiance. You can see it here: Finding Radiance guest post. I really like Lori's blog, she's funny and smart and has great input about living a healthy lifestyle.

So in case anyone thought I was a total earth mama from all of my posts about eating organic and all that, you'll be relieved to know that I spent 3 hours last week at the hair salon getting chemicalized (not a real word). In other words, the grey is gone. I spent another hour the next day getting my face peeled and all that good girl stuff.

I snapped this photo yesterday on my way out to a movie. I usually like my hair blonder, but this is closer to my natural color. I love having short hair, it's so easy to maintain!

After the movie yesterday, I hoofed my way to the chocolate store in San Luis Obispo. This particular store makes and sells organic and fair-trade chocolate. I love this place!!! It's called Sweet Earth Chocolates: Sweet Earth Chocolates. And, no, I'm not sponsored by them; I would eat them out of house and home if you know what I mean.

I bought 3 chocolate bars and this bag of chocolate nibs:

I had some nibs after lunch today and they were okay, not super duper. I guess I really just like the straight chocolate.

In case you're a new reader, rest assured that I don't normally just talk about my looks and my chocolate. If you come back to my blog, you'll (hopefully) find healthy recipes and other ideas I have about healthy living. I also love to get other people's input.

Tomorrow I'm attending a local summit on childhood obesity, I am very excited and hope to learn a lot there.