Healthy Inexpensive Dinner

Although I am a fan of cooking from scratch there are times when I just don't feel like it. I'm either too busy, too tired or just am being lazy. I've realized that I can still cook in a fairly healthy manner even if I am not utilizing all farm fresh ingredients. I was provided with a giftcard and challenged by Walmart to make an inexpensive meal.  I must say I knocked it out of the ballpark!

One of my favorite go to dishes is pasta and not only can it be healthy but it is also inexpensive! For $1 per person, I'm able to feed a family of 6! I'm mostly vegetarian so I don't use meat sauce but I love Morningstar Meal Starters, the griller crumbles replace the meat in my sauce. I also am a long time fan of Ragu, I use the Chunky Garden vegetable - two servings of veggies in each serving! And finally, I use pasta. Inexpensive. All together the meal is $6.00! Sometimes I'll add a bagged salad and that will bring the total to about $1.25 a person. 

And the best part? I used angel hair pasta and it took less than 10 minutes for me to prepare! Inexpensive, quick and easy. Just my type of dinner! 


Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was provided with a giftcard to shop for the items and compensated for my time. 

Travel Snacks

Once again I'm traveling and inevitably I'll get hungry. There is something about the airport that makes me want to eat sweets so today I decided to pack my own snacks. 

Freshly popped popcorn and 3 of the chickpea chocolate chip cookies Mekhi made over the weekend. This should hold me over until I reach NY and with my portion controlled it is impossible for me to over indulge! 

Funny: Balls I mean Testicles

Scenario: My son is lounging in the family room. I'm on the couch and he sits in his chair. NAKED. Cause that is how he rolls. 


Mekhi approaches me on the couch pointing to himself.


Mekhi: Mommy, what is this? (pointing to his lower regions)
Me: Balls. ahem. I mean testicles. 
Mekhi: Testicles?
Me: Yes, testicles.
Mekhi: What are testicles for? 
Me: Blank Stare


after a beat


Me: Ask your father! 


He leaves the room and returns in his underwear. 

Russell Brand and HOP!

Me and EB (Russell Brand incarnate) 

photos courtesy of Chris and Kristen photography

I admit that the things I have had the opportunity to experience as a blogger have truly been a blessing. This particular career is not one that I would have ever imagined for myself but I love it tremendously, not necessarily for the monetary compensation (although when it comes, it is welcome) but also for the experiences that I have been afforded.

Last week I participated in a media junket for the new movie, HOP! This live action and animated art film has a great line up of actors including James Madsen and the voices of superstars Russell Brand, Hank Azaria and Hugh Laurie. I’ll give you my thoughts about the movie later this week but today, I have to share the “experience” that is Russell Brand. Russell is the voice of the rabbit, EB who is next in line to become the Easter Bunny in the movie. EB would prefer to be a drummer and runs into Fred (played by James Madsen) an out of work slacker with his own set of lofty goals.

Needless to say, although we only hear his voice, the comedic timing of Russell Brand is impeccable and in person, let’s just say this man is not only a charmer but he is funny as hell! When asked about the experience of acting alone in a sound booth without co-stars he said:

“They stuck me in a booth and just left me in there! I was lonely. There were some carrots. They said it would help with the character. I don’t like carrots. I could see better though.”

And we learned that the recording of his voice took place before the animation and live action portion of the film which enabled him to have creative license:

“They animate to your voice, so that’s good because you can change things and make decisions. They show a script and then I always change it because then I feel that I have more ownership of it and I feel that it’s funnier. As a comedian, you have to be funny. Otherwise, they will take your card.”’

Apparently he loves mommy bloggers and wished that we were there - “What we should have had is we should have packed that booth with Mommy bloggers to give me something to do and an audience to play to.”

Russell was truly a joy to interview, we literally laughed the entire time we had with him and he clearly loved us. As we departed he gave us each a kiss. That sealed the deal. If I didn’t love Russell before the interview I certainly did at the end!  

Disclosure: My hotel, flight and meals for the media junket were provided by Universal. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Adult Acne - my little secret

I have a little secret. Well, depending on the time of the month it isn’t really a secret. I’m talking about adult acne. My acne flares up when I am under stress (like now) and during my normal hormonal fluctuations every month. At the end of last year and early this year it started to get worse and I finally decided to do something about it early in March. The reason why I’ve been hesitant about treating my acne is because I use Retin-A. The results are wonderful but it is not an overnight process. Things get worse before they get better. And right now? Well, let’s just say things are NOT better. It will take me probably about 6 weeks total for the breaking out to stop.



And I have to admit that the poor dietary choices I’ve been making are not helping things along. I am extremely happy that I’ve been given the opportunity to try out the Olay Pro-X advanced cleaning system because the brush helps get rid of the pesky dry skin that occurs when I’m treating my acne. At $29.99 it is a good alternative to the more expensive models that run anywhere from $100-200 dollars. Here is my video so you can see the Pro-X in action.








Overall I have to say the Pro-X has been helpful in getting rid of the dry skin and removing my makeup. Yes, I continue to wear makeup, I know I shouldn’t but I just can’t take my face right now.  I’ll give you another report on the state of my skin a month from now. I figure by that time I’ll have my diet in check and my face will be acclimated to the medication. And in the meantime, if you are looking for a good cleansing system for your face and don’t have $100 to spare, you might like the Pro-X. I know that I do!

Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was provided with the Pro-X and compensated for my time to make the video. All opinions are my own and unfortunately, the acne is too!

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies -Cooking with my Son!

My son enjoys cooking with me in the kitchen. Since he is a picky eater, his participation in the preparation process increases the likelihood that he will actually eat the food we prepare. I know that he is a big fan of chocolate chip cookies (what kid isn’t?) so I decided to make a batch with him. My secret? Adding some ingredients that will provide increased nutritional value - chickpeas and oatmeal! Now my son will get both protein and fiber when he gobbles up the cookies.

He had a ball adding all of the ingredients and mixing. The last time I made these cookies on my own and he refused to eat them. I think the chickpeas and oatmeal (whole oats) added an unfamiliar texture so he didn’t like them. This time we did the final mixing in the Vitamix to ensure that they were ground up a bit more. Next time I plan on mixing them before adding them to the batter because it was difficult maintaining the texture I wanted for the batter and getting the chickpeas and oatmeal fairly smooth.

Our final step was to add the chocolate chips. 

We added an entire 12 ounce bag which makes the cookies especially gooey. I also thing the additional chips help to disguise the consistancy of the cookies. Mekhi enjoyed dropping the cookies onto the cookie sheet 

and waited patiently for them to cook.

Once they were done we allowed them to briefly cool and I served them up. He took one look and said, “these don’t look right”. Ha! I admit that these cookies do not have the smooth appearance of classic cookies but I’m willing to lose some visual appeal for the added nutrition. To detract from the appearance of the cookies, I broke one, showed him the gooey chewy chocolate and with one taste, he forget about how they looked.

His final verdict? “The cookies are scrumptious!” ( I am constantly amazed by what comes out of the mouth of my almost 4 year old!)

If you have a picky eater too you might want to give the recipe a try! 


Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfield


Makes 24-26 cookies


* 1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
* 3/4 cup trans fat free soft tub margarine spread or butter (I used I can’t believe it’s not Butter!)
* 2 large egg whites
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 15oz/450g can chickpeas drained and rinsed
* 2 cups (12 ozs) semisweet chocolate chips (I used a mixture of white, milk and dark chips)
* 2 cups all purpose flour ( I used Jules Wheat Free/Gluten Free flour)
* 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (I used organic oats from my local farmers market)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt (I omitted the salt)


1. Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line 2 baking trays with non stick parchment


2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon or on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites or egg and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.


3. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, spacing hte cookies about 1 inch apart. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 11-13 minutes, do not overbake. Leave on cookie sheet to cool and then transfer onto wire rack until completely cool. Do try one in the process of cooling as the gooey chocolate is wonderful in the cookie.


4. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days.


If you like to spend time with your kids in the kitchen you should check out Clorox Cook Up a Mess contest. You can win a trip to NYC for four to New York just by uploading a photo of the mess your kids make in the kitchen. But get a move on it! The last day for submissions is March 29th! I also have to mention that Clorox Clean-Ups are a staple in my kitchen, especially since they kill germs from things like raw eggs (this came in handy when I was removing the yolk from my eggwhites!).


And if you’d like some kitchen inspiration check out the bottom of the Clorox facebook page there is a link to three attachments that include: ‘Messy Must-Haves, ‘Creative Messy Play’ and ’365 Days of Creativity’.


Disclosure: I was compensated for my time by The Motherhood for helping to spread the word about Clorox.

Pole Dancing for Jesus?

As you know, I enjoy fitness and I especially enjoy trying out new things. I'll do just about any exercise as long as I'm guaranteed to break a sweat and have fun. Pole Dancing for fitness is one of the things I've tried. It works the core and if done on a regular basis I know my body would be in wonderful shape. 


But today I saw a slightly different spin on pole dancing. Pole Dancing for Jesus. Check out the video and let me know what you think! 

Pole Dancing for Jesus: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Healthy Cooking Class

A few weeks ago I had the honor of co-hosting a Healthy Meal Makeover Virtual Cooking Class on The Motherhood. I can't tell you how many great ideas and tips for healthy eating came out of the class. And because I'm sure many of you were unable to make it, here are a few of the great tips related to healthy snacks for kids:


Healthier kids’ snacks
 
It can be tough to convince kids to align with your healthier habits, but there are ways to work healthy eating into their diets.
 
“My 7 and 5 year old sons love food they can dip and spread. I make edamame hummus and eggplant dips that they love to put on pita chips or just dip carrots into,” said co-host Ilina Ewen, Dirt and Noise. “And don't underestimate a salad with every meal. I use spinach or arugula with a lemony vinaigrette or homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.”
 
“My younger daughter loves starchy white foods - pastas, breads, rice, crackers, etc.,” said Emily McKhann.  She increases the health factor by using “whole grain versions often.”
 
A few good healthy snack options for kids:
 
Popcorn trail mix: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/12/popcorn-trail-mix.html
 
Homemade granola bars: http://onceamonthmom.com/diet-oamm-nutrient-packed-breakfast-bars-healthy-recipe/
 

This is just a small excerpt from the class and you can find the entire transcript on The Motherhood
There are links to recipes for healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizer and even desert options. If you haven't had a chance to do it, I highly recommend checking it out! 




Disclosure: As a host of the show I was compensated for my time. 

Sporty, Stinky and Stained!

As long as I can remember Tide has been a part of my life. I am a huge fan of Tide Sport with Febreeze (it truly helps keep my stinky running and workout clothes fresh) and I use it for all my laundry, not just clothes I work out in. When I was contacted to be a brand ambassador for Tide Stain Release I immediately said yes because, duh, I use the product and know it works! Although I only use stain release occasionally, at $3.99 for a ten pak it is a great product to have around to help combat stains like blood, chocolate sauce (not for me, I mean really, me and chocolate syrup? I’m the fitness lover! Ha!), grass stains and things like soy sauce.  If you are anything like me I’m sure you are a skeptic but seeing is believing so here is a video I made to demonstrate the power of Tide Stain Release.

It worked amazingly well! And although I did not think it was appropriate for a video for all the world to see, I have to tell you that I used it to get some special stains out of a pair of undies after a long run when my “special” monthly friend visited and it worked like a charm! Still not convinced? Well, you can test it out too!

On March 28th  the Tide Stain Release Challenge goes live and fans can receive samples of the product and be entered to win giveaways which include:

Weekly giveaways of 1 year of Tide Stain Release and Laundry Detergent

and

Ten Grand Prizes: Washer & Dryer set given away at the end of the challenge!

Now I know you are asking, how do I participate?
There are three easy ways and each one earns its own entry. Fans can:

1. Visit the Tide Stain Release Challenge tab on Tide’s Facebook page and click the “Take the Challenge” button. The first 100,000 registered participants will get a free sample for themselves, as well as three extras to share with Facebook friends, so they too can take the Challenge. Any registrants thereafter will receive a coupon for Tide Stain Release  

2. Increase their odds by sharing feedback (good or bad) about Tide Stain Release on the Challenge page, once they’ve tried it. Here, there’s also a chance to have feedback included in a Tide Stain Release advertisement!

3. Increase their chances of winning even more by taking a poll about Tide Stain Release on the Challenge page.

For more information visit facebook.com/Tide and become a fan!

Disclosure: I am a Tide Ambassador and was material and/or payment for my participation. But all opinions are still 100% mine and I've been a loyal customer of Tide Sport since it has been on the market and it isn't part of this campaign. LOVE IT!

Kale Chips - A St. Paddy's Day Treat!

Honestly, I don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day and when I look at recipes for the occasion nothing really appeals to  me. Cabbage? Meh. Corned Beef? I don't eat meat. So I wondered what do vegetarians that DO celebrate St. Paddy's Day do? 

Well, I've been hearing about the wonders of Kale chips and thought - green, crispy, salty, could be a nice compliment to beer/ale if you are into that sort of thing, St Paddy's Day treat! So, I tried my hand a Kale Chips and I have to say I was impressed with the outcome! 


I started with a small bunch of kale that I purchased for $1.00 at Walmart. I cut the rib out and then cut the kale into chip sized pieces. I then added about a tablespoon of olive oil and rice wine vinegar and mixed well.

 and then placed on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. 

I turned the oven up to 400 degrees and baked them for 7 minutes. I took them out immediately, sprinkled lightly with Sea Salt and had a crunchy treat for St. Paddy's Day. A great substitute for regular chips and they taste delicious! Let me know if you try to make kale chips, these chips are good on any day, not just St. Paddy's Day! 




Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was compensated for my participation in this promotion and for my time. 

Disney Princess Half-Marathon 2011 Race Recap

I had to start this post with the photo of my finish because I just love it! Although this was not my personal best time (I finished the race in 2:39) minutes I was ecstatic. I actually did not have a goal because honestly, I did not train for this race. Before the Disney Princess Half-Marathon on February 27th, I'd run a total of 23 miles this year. I don't suggest that you follow in my footsteps but I realize I am NOT a cold weather runner. So, it is highly unlikely that you will hear about me running any winter races! 

The Disney Princess was special because in February of last year I saw my friends run the race and my initial thought was I'll never do that and then I said, well, why not? I made a vow with my friends to run together and life happened, Christine is expecting her baby any day now and Emily is growing an empire!  Although I ran my first half-marathon in October. Running Disney was special. So, let me give you the run down on the race. 

We had to board a bus to Epcot at 4 am. This was easy, no lines and quite low-key. I'd had a very good night's rest. I'd set all of my clothing out on the bed and was ready in record time. I met up with my group in the lobby and we were off. As a guest of Disney we were able to relax and drop our things off in the media/VIP tent. 

Check out my sparkle skirt. Go Team SPARKLE! 

The walk to the start was pretty long. But with the blessing of the fairy Godmother, our start was accented by fireworks and we were off. 

I spent the first few miles of the race running with my new friend Monique. She gave me so much encouragement around mile 3.5 when I wanted to walk she made me push it to the water station at mile 4. Thanks Mo! 

We stayed together for another mile or so and my adrenaline kicked in and I ran the race solo for the rest of the way. It was great seeing her at Mile 12 or so when I was running on top of the overpass and she ran beneath! 

I stopped to take photos at various mile markers and with some of the characters and of course at the castle. Running Magic Kingdom was awesome! There were so many people cheering us on and we ran in the castle!

I stopped to take a photo with Princess Tiana and of course at mile marker 12 which was dedicated to her story.

I have to admit that the last miles of the race were extraordinarily challenging. I have no idea why but the only two hills in the entire race were at the end. Ugh. And the last mile was particularly boring, very few spectators and the ones that were there kept saying almost finished. But it seemed like the never ending mile! But when I finally saw the finish line I picked up my pace and the joy you see on my face is a result of me being done but also they called my name as I crossed the finish line! AWESOME! 

This was such a fun race and I've been inspired to keep running. On April 2nd, I'll be running the NYC 13.1 half marathon and I am committed to running another Disney race too. In September I'll run the Disneyland half-marathon, I'm going for my Coast 2 Coast medal! Wanna join me? Running Disney is an experience that you will never forget! 

Disclosure: My travel, accommodations and meals were provided by Disney but as usual, the opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Rocking the Red Pumps!

I fully support the Red Pump Project and every year have rocked my red pumps in honor of National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I along with 1000 other bloggers are rocking our red pumps to raise awareness. Although you may not hear about it often in the news, HIV/AIDS is still alive and well in the United States and is affecting communities of color and women at alarming rates. Please take the time today to stop by the Red Pump Project website, get some up-to-date info about this epidemic and maybe you will be convinced to join me and rock your red pumps! 

International Women's Day and a talk about cancer

Today is International Women's Day. A day to focus on social and political issue that affect women globally. In honor of this day, as a member of the American Cancer Society Bloggers Council I will be joining a discussion about women and cancer. The talk will be held today at 12 pm EST on The Motherhood



Representatives from the American Cancer Society and bloggers concerned about this issue will lead the discussion. Please join us as we discuss women and cancer today.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Disney Princess Half-Marathon - Happy Birthday to Me!

Over the weekend of February 26th (my birthday) I had the most remarkable celebration. As most of you know, over the last 18 months I’ve been on a journey to healthy living, lost 50 pounds and have become something of a fitness fanatic. I decided to celebrate myself by taking a trip to the most magical place on Earth, Walt Disney World to run the Disney Princess Half-Marathon for my birthday. When I initially registered for the race I had no idea that I’d have the opportunity to cover it as media and have my lodging, transportation and meals taken care of by Disney. Can we say Best. Birthday. Gift. Ever! So, here is the story of a princess celebrating her birthday in Walt Disney World!

I started my birthday with an early morning flight to Orlando. I wore my tiara because I was celebrating of course! I received so  many compliments about my tiara most of the ladies on the flight were actually going to Orlando to run the Disney Princess Half-Marathon and figured I started celebrating early.

Once I arrived in Orlando, I boarded the Disney Magical Express for the Polynesian Hotel.

If you’ve never been, it is lovely. It has a South Seas theme and everyone greets you by saying “aloha” and you are given a lei at check-in. My room was not ready so I stopped by my friend Amy’s room for a quick change (it was hot in Florida) and boarded the bus for Animal Kingdom before my official Princess Media activities began.

I was given a Happy Birthday button at the Polynesian so all of the Disney cast members wished me happy birthday and also gave me tips as a solo traveler.

My first stop was Expedition Everest, a rollercoaster and I was told to be sure to go to the single rider line which was considerably shorter than the normal line. I had a great time chatting with folks and the ride was so much fun! If you are a fan of rollercoasters this is one not to be missed!

Next I traveled to Dinosaurs.  I loved this attraction. I wanted to check it out before my trip next month because my son loves dinos and I wasn’t sure if it was age appropriate. After taking the ride I think it might be a bit too much for him there was one point when the very lifelike Carnotaur actually scared me and the 10 year old in my car cried the entire time. I think I’ll wait for Mekhi to be a bit older before we go on this ride. Luckily there is an entire dinosaur section of the park that I know he will enjoy and we will be back to check out in April.





On the way out of the park I checked out the Bug Life exhibit in the Tree of Life. It was a great multimedia 5D experience that I highly recommend!

I returned to the hotel, dropped my things off in my room and headed out to meet the group. We were transported to the ESPN Wide World of Sports where we took a tour of the facilities. 

Got to see a real live cheerleading competition “Bring It On”! And learned that my hometown team, the Atlanta Braves conduct spring training here. After the tour we went to the Disney Princess Half-Marathon Expo. There were so many different things, official merchandise, this great sneaker slipper and I met up with my girlfriend Dawn. 

She inspired me instructing a spinning class 9 months pregnant and now a little over a year later, I inspired her to run the Disney Princess Half-Marathon. Way to go Dawn - she is the top fundraiser for Team in Training too!



After the Expo we went to a reception where the food was delicious! We also met Ethan Zohn and Jenna winners of Survivor and they were running their first half-marathon too! Additionally, they were there in support of Ethan’s charity Grassroots Soccer helping educate people in Africa about HIV/AIDS by using soccer. I am all aboard with this charity given my background in HIV/AIDS and hope to support Ethan’s efforts in the near future.



We also met with Jeff Galloway, the Run Disney official coach and inventor of the Galloway run/walk method for running. He was a wealth of information and just an overall nice guy. 

The reception was topped off by a visit from Minnie. Isn’t she cute?

After the reception we headed to dinner at Mama for carb loading. We all had pasta and it was absolutely delicious.

In true Disney fashion we were never hungry and by the time dinner came around we were all so full we could barely eat our food but we managed! I was surprised with a birthday cake and a phone call from Goofy! 

It was a wonderful ending to a Magical Birthday and I haven’t even told you about the half-marathon yet!


Disclosure: My transportation, accommodations and meals were all provided to me by Disney as a member of the media. All opinions are 100% my own.