How was your Super Bowl Sunday? Did you watch the game? I’ve never been a Super Bowl fanatic and typically pay more attention to the commercials than the game, but we had a few friends drop by our place yesterday and it was one of my favorite Super Bowls. The game didn’t really excite me, but the company and snacks (including Liz’s Creamy Hummus and Stephanie’s pimento cheese dip) were amazing!

popchips made an appearance! I love these because they’re baked and not greasy, but still crunchy and flavorful like regular chips. Bbq is my favorite flavor, then the salt & vinegar.

I also tried out the Eat Clean Vegetarian Chili. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great It will definitely be my new go-to veggie chili recipe.

We “watched” the Super Bowl, snacked, took shots of Jesse’s homemade kombucha and then had a hot sauce tasting. Totally normal Super Bowl activities.

Moving on, have you seen the new Chobani flavors?

2% Passion Fruit, 0% Blood Orange and 0% Apple Cinnamon. <– All are delicious!

I’ve always loved Chobani but now that they’ve come out with an Apple Cinnamon flavor I love them even more – it’s like appie pie yogurt and it’s definitely my new favorite! As for the other new flavors, the blood orange is next on my list, then the passion fruit. The passion fruit it the most interesting because it has the little seeds in it for a fun crunch.

I’ve been eating the yogurt on it’s own, topped with granola or in recipes like Janetha’s Apple Pie A La Mode Smoothie.

I’ve also been making fruity overnight oats.

This little combo of Apple Pie Overnight Oats is a winner:

• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 container of Chobani’s Apple Cinnamon yogurt
• 1 T chia seeds
• sprinkle of cinnamon

I mixed everything together in a bowl and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I topped the oats with a little Love Grown Foods Apple Walnut Delight for a delicious breakfast. Chobani + Love Grown Foods granola = match made in heaven.

I was sent a case of the new flavors to review from Chobani, but per the usual the review is my honest opinion. And, despite being sent the case I’ve already gone to Kroger twice to buy more of the Apple Cinnamon. It’s that good.

The best part is that Chobani has also offered to giveaway a case of the new flavors to one EBF reader. Just leave a comment with which flavor you’re most excited to try to win. I’ll announce the winner this Friday.

How has your weekend been thus far?

Mine has been busy but that’s been a good thing. We started things out by relaxing on Friday evening after work.

Wine and cheese with Isaac after a long week = perfection!

On Saturday we woke up early to tour The Mill at Fine Creek, a potential spot to have our wedding ceremony and reception. The Mill came highly recommended by a couple friends of ours and we knew as soon as we we drove up that we were going to love the place.

It’s about 30 minutes from out house (downtown richmond) in a rural area of Powattan surrounded by gorgeous scenery including the creek. The area around the Mill used to be an old village so there are several small buildings that were shops or houses. The old miller’s cottage is still on the property (now a guesthouse) and there are remnants of the mill left on the property as well. We want to hold our ceremony outdoors so it could take place out by the old mill if we have it here.

The building for indoor wedding ceremonies and receptions is only 8 years old but it was built to look older and it’s beautiful.

My photos don’t really do the place justice. They have much better ones on their website.

I didn’t get photos inside, but the place is well decorated and spotlessly clean – you’d think this is a given when you’re touring venus but we’ve actually toured a few that haven’t been very clean. The funny thing is that The Mill is actually going through some renovations right now and it was still the cleanest venue we visited. You can tell the owners and their team really take care of the place.

As soon as we walked into the bar area Isaac got excited because they had a nice selection of beers include several microbrews. This is a plus because most venues have the same ol’ same ol’ when it comes to beer options and Isaac is a bit of beer lover. I also noticed that they serve wines from Veritas, a local winery we visited a few months ago for our 7 year anniversary.

Lisa, the owner of The Mill, was the one that gave us the tour of the place and she is great – very knowledgeable and informative. She is also the chef/caterer and would be the person we’d work with to set our menu for the reception. Lisa let us know that she likes people to leave remembering how good the food was. <-- Obviously a lady after my own heart. We talked about how important healthy, real food is to me and how we could potentially work together on the menu. She had some really fun ideas including using local foods when possible for the items served at the reception. All super exciting stuff!

Overall, we were very impressed and The Mill is now our first choice. If cost wasn’t a big deal to us, we probably would have signed the contract yesterday, Isaac and I haven’t been saving for a wedding and honestly didn’t know that they were this costly until we started exploring venues. We still have a few more venues to tour over the next couple weeks and in the meantime we really need to sit down and figure out our budget.

My friend Lauren, who just recently signed a contract for her wedding venue, sent me a tweet yesterday that said finding the perfect venue is like a marathon. She is so right! I’m just hoping that by this point we’re at least around mile 20.

If you’re married, were you able to get married/hold your reception at the place that was your top choice or did you have to compromise for some reason or another?

Happy Saturday morning to ya.

My last post gave quite a few healthy snack ideas for Super Bowl Sunday and I’m back today with a couple more. One is for an eggplant dip called baba ghanoush and the other is for a veggie chili. Both recipes (and the photos that accompany them) are Eat Clean originals created by Tosca Reno. As you all know, I think Tosca is awesome and love the Eat Clean principles. Needless to say, I’m excited to share these two recipes along with a few of Tosca’s tips for Super Bowl parties.

I haven’t tried the chili or dip yet, but I wanted to post them before the Super Bowl (just in case you’ve waited until the last minute like to me decide what you’re going to make.) I’m planning to try my hand at both recipes this weekend so I’ll report back with how they turn out.

I’ve had baba ghanoush plenty of times but I’ve never made it at home so this one is going to be fun to test out!

Baba Ghanoush

By Tosca Reno

Baba ghanoush is an eggplant-based dish that originated in the Middle East. In North America, it’s used as a dip for pita and vegetables, but in Egypt it’s a side dish. Grilling the eggplant before peeling the skin gives it a delightful, smoky flavor.

Servings: 12 x ¼ cup,

 Prep time: 5 minutes,

 Cooking time:

 25-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant (1½ to 2 lbs)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup / 60 ml tahini
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml ground cumin
• ¾ tsp / 3.75 ml sea salt
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Using a fork, prick eggplant six to eight times. (This will keep the eggplant from exploding when it cooks.) Place eggplant on grill to char skin, turning two or three times, 10 to 15 minutes. When skin starts to easily peel away, it is charred well.
2. Using tongs, transfer eggplant to a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. To test doneness, stick a bamboo skewer into center of widest part of eggplant and if it easily slides in without resistance, it is cooked through. Remove eggplant and let sit at room temperature until cool enough to handle. Peel away skin and discard.
3. Cut peeled eggplant into pieces to fit into a food processor or blender. Add garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and salt, and blend until smooth. Scrape baba ghanoush into a shallow serving bowl and using a spoon, make a well in center. Drizzle olive oil over top and in center well. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with warm pita wedges or veggies, or use on a sprouted Ezekial tortilla to make a wrap.

Nutritional Value

Per serving: Calories: 105 | Calories from Fat: 72 | Protein: 3 g | Carbs: 8 g | Total Fat: 8 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Fiber: 4 g | Sodium: 200 mg | Cholesterol: 0 mg

And, it wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without a big ol’ pot of chili! Hopefully my looks this pretty.

Vegetarian Chili

By Tosca Reno

Servings: 6, Prep time: 25 minutes, Cooking time: 35 minutes

Beans are an ideal source of Clean-Eating protein and even those who aren’t vegetarian love this “meaty” meatless chili recipe. It is still a satisfying version of chili without losing out on hearty flavor. Use leftovers in a wrap for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml cumin seeds, toasted*
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 head roasted garlic
• 3 Tbsp / 45 ml chili powder
• ¼ tsp / 1.25 ml red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup / 240 ml canned white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup / 240 ml canned great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup / 240 ml canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup / 240 ml canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup / 240 ml canned corn kernels, rinsed and drained
• 2½ cups / 600 ml water or low-sodium vegetable stock (gluten free if necessary)
• 2 tsp / 10 ml crumbled, dried oregano
• 2 tsp / 10 ml crumbled, dried basil
• 4 squares dark (75% or more cocoa) organic chocolate
• 28 oz / 784 g canned tomatoes
• Juice of one fresh lime
• Juice of one fresh lemon

Preparation

1. In a Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and grated carrot and sauté until onion becomes soft and translucent. Stir in chili powder, toasted cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add all remaining ingredients. Blend well. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately. This recipe can be served over brown rice for a hearty variation. Leftovers are perfect in a wrap.

*To toast cumin seeds: place seeds in a skillet and warm over medium heat until you begin to smell the spices. Shake the pan vigorously so the seeds don’t stick and burn. Remove from heat and set aside.

Nutritional Value

Calories: 329 | Calories from Fat: 72 | Protein: 15g | Carbs: 56g Dietary Fiber: 15g | Sugars: 9g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 1190mg

Last but not least, here are a few of Tosca’s “rules” from her latest book, Just the Rules, that apply to Super Bowl Sunday. Use these tips and you’ll feel awesome after the Super Bowl instead of stuffed.

Color Up: Super Bowl junk is often a sea of fatty beige foods. Colorful foods are filled with more nutrients and flavor than bland, monotonous, processed foods. Opt for a rainbow of colors on your plate, which offers numerous health benefits.

Smaller Portions, Smaller Pants: A festive atmosphere can often create an eating frenzy, which leaves you feeling blah. It’s okay to enjoy an array of foods, just eat smaller portions. Remember one serving of lean protein is the size of your palm; one serving of complex carbohydrates from whole grain is the size of your cupped hand; and one serving of complex carbs from fruit and vegetables is two hands cupped together.

Fletcherize and Swallow: Do you ever fill your plate, only for the food to disappear moments later? Gobbling food is a common disorder in our fast-paced society. Remind yourself to sloooooooow down, eating is not a race. Eating slowly will not only allow you to enjoy your food, but will help you determine when you’re full and help aid in digestion.

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs: Carbs can be confusing, and are often given a bad rap! Stay away from ‘bad’ grocery store, processed carbs and stick to ‘good’ carbs like fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

I hope you enjoy these two recipes. Have a great day! We’re touring another wedding ceremony/reception venue this morning (The Mill at Fine Creek), going to the grocery store and then I have a photography workshop all afternoon – it’s going to be a busy one.

I seriously can’t believe it’s already February! I also can’t believe it was 70° here in Richmond yesterday. I’m not sure what’s going on with our weather, but I’m loving it! We have a lot of fun things to celebrate this month at Casa EBF including Isaac’s birthday (next week), my b-day/Valentine’s Day (in two weeks) and the Super Bowl this weekend!!

I’m sure you’ve seen a million posts with game day recipes for the Super Bowl but I’m going to go ahead and give you another one. Hopefully you don’t mind.

The Super Bowl is all about the dips so here are four nutritious dips to snack on during the game. Pair these with fresh chopped veggies or baked chips (my favorites are Guiltless-Gourmet tortilla chips and popchips!)

Healthy Guac There’s a secret ingredient in this guac recipe that no one will ever guess.

Beet Hummus

Smooth Hummus featuring a little trick I learned that makes the smoothest hummus.

Black Bean Dip

Sweet Potato Lentil Chili On of my favorite chili recipes from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burgers (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Sweet Potato Fries from Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Stripped Plan. They’re cripsy and healthy – touchdown!

Greek Quinoa with Avocados <– One of my favorite quinoa recipes!

Even if you’re not watching the Super Bowl, these recipes would be great to make on Sunday.

Moving right along…

As most of you probably know I have been doing the Eat Clean Stripped Challenge and it just ended last weekend. Well, to be blunt, I didn’t do so hot. A friend and I were keeping each other accountable by using a Google Doc to track our food and exercise for the first two weeks and things were going awesome. Around the third week my friend decided she couldn’t continue the challenge for a number of reasons so I was on my own. I did fine for the first few days and but the lack of accountability lead to cheats almost everyday. It wasn’t that I was eating awfully, but I certainly wasn’t following the plan. Hence the reason I didn’t see any real results. I’m not upset about it because I know that if I stick my mind to something and really want it, I can do it, but I just didn’t have my heart in it this time around.

I’m okay with that especially since I did do really well in some areas. For instance, I stayed away from alcohol the entire 28 days (!!), worked out almost every day, limited my packaged food intake, and got completely addicted to having my apple cider vinegar drink each morning. The apple cider vinegar (ACV) drink recipe is something I’ve picked up from the Tone It Up nutrition plan, but Tosca recommends 2 Tablespoons of ACV a day as well. It’s great for balancing your PH levels, boosting your metabolism and cleansing the body.

Overall I’m glad I challenged myself by trying this plan and for now I’m still focused on eating clean (following the TIU plan), just not being as strict about it. This is what seems to work best for me.

Speaking of Tosca Reno, I will be back soon with her tips for a healthy Super Bowl Party and a recipe! Have a great day.

Oh and the Sparkly Soul headband winner has been announced! Click over and scroll to the bottom of the post to see if you’re the winner. If you’re not the winner, no worries because for the entire month of February Sparkly Soul is offering 15% off their headbands for EBF readers/followers/friends. Just enter in FITFLUENTIAL coupon code at checkout to receive a 15% discount on any Sparkly Soul order for the entire month of February at www.sparklysoul.com.

Ever since making Mama Pea’s Gingerbread “Cliff” Bars a few weeks ago, I have been hooked on making my own protein bars. Each Sunday for the past three weeks I’ve made a batch of some sort of protein bar and devoured them throughout the week. It’s been fun.

This week I was inspired by Jamie Eason’s LiveFit recipe for Pumpkin Protein Bars and decided to make pumpkin protein bars that are vegan. I used both recipes as a guide and came up for a finished product that makes me a happy camper so I thought I would share.

They look like brownies, taste like pumpkin spice and are much more nutritious!

I skipped the baby food that Jamie’s recipe calls for, added in some extra protein powder and used molasses as the sweetener. Molasses is great because it’s natural and has a ton of vitamins and minerals including a significant amount of iron.

Overall, I think they turned out to be really good – soft and moist like an undercooked brownie. They have a nice sweetness from the stevia and molasses making them the perfect mid-afternoon snack or after-dinner treat. Although, I’ve been eating them at any time of the day – including breakfast.

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Protein Bars

Adapted from Mama Pea’s Gingerbread “Cliff” Bars and Jamie Eason’s Pumpkin Protein Bars / Makes 24 squares

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup vanilla protein powder (I use brown rice protein powder, but others would work)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 10 drops of liquid stevia

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Spray a 9 X 13 glass Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.
3. Stir together the dry ingredients including flour, oats, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients including the molasses, pumpkin, applesauce, almond milk, vanilla and stevia.
5. Gently stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. The batter tends to be kind of thick by the end so stir hard. (If it’s too thick, you can add a splash more of the almond milk, but I didn’t need to.)
6. Spread batter evenly into the 9 X 13 dish and bake for about 20 minutes.

Let me know what you think if you try these bars! And , if you’re not in the mood for pumpkin this time of year, you can also try my Banana Carob Protein Bars or these Cherry Protein Pop’ems. <– Both recipes are tasty!

Oh and if you happen to have a smartphone and love to find new apps, check out my “Show Me Yours” feature over at appSmitten where I share my three favorite apps.

appSmitten is a website/service that helps people find cool and useful apps for their smart phone. I just got an iphone last summer and I always feel like the late bloomer in the app department because all my friends know about cool apps before I do. I recently subscribed to appSmitten (after they contacted me about sharing my favs) and now I just check my email and find out about cool apps that peek my interest – for free. If you’re an app geek like me, you’ll probably like appSmitten too.

Question of the day – What’s your favorite app at the moment?