Green Overnights

Photo source: Oh She Glows

Have you ever heard of vegan overnights for breakfast? Its kind of like a no cook oatmeal. I have made these before but they never turned out well, so when Oh She Glows posted a new recipe, I had try again. And the second time was a charm :)

The night before mix in a blender a handful of spinach or a small handful of kale, 1 large ripe banana, 1.5 TB chia seeds (these are necessary to make the recipe thicken) and 1 cup of almond milk. I also added some maple syrup to sweeten. You could also try honey or stevia.

In a separate bowl add 1/3 uncooked rolled oats and top with the smoothie mix (above). Stir together until combined and place in the frig (you do not need to cover).

When you wake up give the vegan overnights a stir and enjoy. Feel free to add granola or fruit too!

This recipe is perfect for the mornings that you need to rush out the door.

Abbey Burger Bistro

If I walked by Abbey Burger Bistro, or someone mentioned it in conversation, it would go in one ear and out the other. A burger joint?, not a place I would openly choose to dine at. Well this is a perfect example of the lesson to "never judge a book by its cover".

My husband ate here with friends a few weeks back and brought home a menu for me. They have a clipboard build-a-burger checklist that even has vegetarian options! I love all the choices from lettuce wrap to English muffin and they even mention locally where they get their meat. So of course after seeing this, I had to go.

It was awesome! I ordered a veggie burger (made with shredded carrots, zucchini, squash etc) on an English muffin with cucumber, lettuce, roasted red pepper aioli and a side of pickles.

This is a great place to grab a drink and enjoy a meal with friends. Definitely check it out next time you are in Baltimore.

Super Easy Kale Chips

Kale chips are really easy to make and are a great snack to enjoy!

How to:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper
• Take a bunch of Kale and remove the center stem
• You can do this by holding the bottom stem in one hand and sliding the other hand up the stem. The leaves will easily fall off and you can tear them in small "chip sized" pieces. You can also use scissors
• Place kale "chips" on baking sheet and toss with 1 TB olive oil
• Try to spread out the kale so they are laying flat
• Sprinkle with sea salt and ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• Bake for 10 minutes but at 8 minutes check the kale to prevent burning (you can also toss them at this point so they evenly cook)

Cleaning Eating Magazine April 2012

All natural, non-toxic cleaning supplies

As we know, cleaning supplies are some of the most toxic products in our home. More and more we find ourselves shifting towards eco-friendly products, but there are so many choices out there with false advertising its hard to know which products are the best.

"Santa Claus" introduced me to Mrs. Jone's soapbox which is all natural, non toxic cleaning supplies and they are great! They work well, smell wonderful and will make your home sparkle. All of the products are made up of natural minerals and vegetable based soaps. The prices are very reasonable and the bottles can be refilled to prevent waste.

Perfect for your home or even as a house warming gift!

Crunchy Snack

I made this recipe from Oh She Glows yesterday, and I was addicted!

Salt & Vinegar Chick Peas

Ingredients

• 2 cups of chickpeas (I used canned)
• 3-4 cups of white vinegar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp EVOO

Directions

1. Bring vinegar and chickpeas to a boil. Cover and remove from heat for 30 mins
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Preheat oven to 425
4. Drain chickpeas and place on baking sheet. Toss with sea salt and EVOO.
5. Bake for 15 mins then toss chickpeas, bake for another 15-20 mins (Please watch as they will burn quickly).

Enjoy!

How to stay healthy while traveling

I travel a lot with work and its definitly a challenge to keep up my healthy routine. Here are a few travel tips that work for me.


1. Choose whole foods closest to their natural state (fruits, vegs, lean meats, eggs, whole grains etc)

2. Look for food with 5 ingredients or less (you can usually find pumpkin seeds at a gas station and they are a great snack)

3. I pack oatmeal preportioned in Ziploc bags with sliced almonds, date sugar, and raisins then add hot water from my coffee maker in the hotel room.
4. If you eat at the hotel for breakfast load up on fruit, and choose oatmeal or egg omelets with tons of veggies. Just ask the chef to cook it dry without oil or butter.

5. Snacks- I pack apples when I travel and trail mix but I also look for a local whole foods and try to pick up some items for my hotel room.

6. Lunch/Dinner- are more challenging but panera has great soups and salads, sushi, subway, grocery store salad bars, naked tacos/naked burittos at chipotle are great (organic too)

7. Drinks- I pack a glass water bottle to refill throughout the trip and pack a bottle of liquid stevia. A few drops sweeten anything (ice tea,coffee, hot tea etc) and it fits right in your laptop bag.

8. Use the pool or the hotel gym if you can. Last resort you can pack resistant bands.

**I have also been known to pack a jar of natural peanut butter and a loaf of bread but I didn't want you to think I was too crazy :)

As you can see its all about PLANNING! Map the location of your hotel and check ahead of time for local healthy vegetarian restaurants, a whole foods etc. Also pack as much as you can! I ususally pack breakfast and lunch, not only does it save money but also helps keep me on track.

What are your healthy travel tips?

Guest Blogger- Celiac Disease

I am so excited to share this guest post with everyone! A good friend of mine, has celiac disease and when I think back, I still remember her talking about the diagnosis back in high school. At that time this disease was uncommon and hard to comprehend but she has learned a great deal about celiac over the years and I wanted to share her story.

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease almost a decade ago. At that point, I’d never even heard of gluten nor did I have any idea what foods it was in. I remember the exact moment I learned of my diagnosis; I was cutting a slice of my mother’s ridiculously good lasagna. "What the hell is a gluten intolerance???" was my first response. After finding out that gluten was found in wheat, rye and barley, I wished I had found out 15 minutes later so I could have at least enjoyed lasagna one last time.


I panicked. What was I going to eat?? I was 19 so my diet consisted of bagels, burritos and pizza. No mac' n cheese?? How does one live?? To add insult to injury I was leaving in 10 days to study abroad in Europe for three months. Goodbye schnitzel and Sachertorte. I would never get to enjoy the delicious sausage and mustard baguettes that I’d daydreamed of so many times. No Nutella crepes and baguettes in France? I might cry! The dream of pasta and pizza in Italy, gone! I went to Europe having just been robbed of my possessions and now my ability to eat. I was the only girl on the trip to lose weight! Can you imagine gallivanting around Europe for three months and LOSING weight???

When I returned to the States, I learned more about Celiac, but this was before the allergen info was found on nutrition labels and waaaaaaaay before everyone had advertised their food as Gluten Free with big, inviting letters. If I asked for a gluten free menu I’d be given a look as if I had six heads and referred to the manager. Grocery shopping was a nightmare and I had to settle for sandwiches that were gritty and dry and crumbled in my hands. I am a lover of food and am willing to try anything (within reason, no grilled tarantula for this girl!), but this was a huge challenge that took much of the joy out of eating.

That was 2002; this is 2012 and man, times have changed! Almost every restaurant I go to has at least a few gluten free options. Chefs can make gluten free foods because they are educated on what it is and what to avoid. Want a cupcake? No problem, Whole Foods, CakeLove and Sweetest Sin are just a few places that sell gluten free versions. Craving pizza? Mama Lucia's, Z Pizza and Lilit Cafe in Bethesda will be happy to serve one up. Pretzels? Just go to Giant. Pancakes? Grab a box of gluten free Bisquick and a cup of berries and you’ll have some delicious pancakes in just a few minutes!

Going out of town and nervous about eating out? Download the FindMeGlutenFree app, which gives you the gluten-free menus for chains as well as finds places that exclusively cater to a gluten free clientele. Craving cheese sticks? Just google it and the hardest part will be to figure out which recipe to use. Gone are the days of eating dry, gritty bread now that I have Sami Bakery! They provide me with delicious breads without the ridiculous calorie content of some earlier gluten free options out there. My point, my fellow glutards, is that we don't have to give up food or flavor these days; just alter the ingredients a little. I hope this helps anyone who is recently diagnosed- happy eating!

Thank you again Arielle for sharing! These are great tips for anyone with a Gluten Intolerance.