First up: here are two breakfasts. Cheesy grits topped with leftover chicken (1/4 cup grits, cooked in water; cheese added at the end). There was a little bit of avocado on there too (avocado came with the chicken salad that this is leftover from).

Oat bran cooked with protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and a dash of salt. Topped with sesame seeds and maple syrup.

Have you tried Averie’s raw vegan cookie dough balls yet? Okay, mine are not balls (the first batch was), nor do they have chocolate chips. They are so simple to make.

Averie-inspired Raw Vegan Cookie Dough Yum

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• a little bit of water

Directions

Mix syrup and flour together. Add a few drops of water at a time until you get your desired consistency. I like mine a little bit too wet for balls (TWSS?).

Variations

• part wheat germ, part flour (my favorite)
• part wheat bran, part flour
• ground nuts for flour (Averie‘s original recipe)
• part oatmeal or oat bran, part flour
• grind oatmeal/oat bran in the blender and sub for flour

I also made bread the other day. I just took my Easy Peasy Pizza Dough recipe and subbed in a few things for the flour. Instead of 3.5 cups of flour, I used the dregs of a cornbread mix (maybe 1/4 cup – Jiffy brand), some Heart Smart Bisquick, and whole wheat flour. It came out well. It was a little dense, but yummy with soft butter.

I have 3 more pictures of healthy yums, but I’ll save them for when I’m on the road and lacking in delicious food.

I can’t wait to pick up Sophia tonight and go to the Foodbuzz Festival.

What are you doing this weekend? You know what I’m doing.

Like this post? Check out...

• February 24, 2008 -- Salmon bagel from Mate
• January 31, 2009 -- More Fun Free Yoga
• July 19, 2009 -- Healthy Fried Bulgur & raw musings
• November 10, 2010 -- Everything Is a Contradiction – Just Eat Food and Stop Thinking So Much.
• March 16, 2009 -- Quick Hip-Opener: Double Pigeon

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The nutritional info (in 1/4 cup serving): 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 31 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 4 grams protein. The cereal is wheat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Ingredients: whole grain brown rice, corn, white sorghum, buckwheat.

Neither of us have food allergies, but we love trying specialty foods. We’re both a little lactose intolerant, but we kind of ignore it. I love trying all kinds of foods though, and gluten free products are usually mighty tasty. This cereal is made of brown rice, corn, sorghum (?), and buckwheat.

It was great mighty tasty. I made 2 bowls of it this morning. I soaked each serving in water before cooking. I didn’t drain them; I just added the soaking cereal to boiling water. Bobby’s bowl was savory:

• 1/4 cup cereal soaked in 1/2 cup water + another boiling 1/2 cup water
• dash of salt
• 1/2 shredded string cheese
• 11 sauteed shrimp (olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, sesame seeds)

My bowl was sweet:

• 1/4 cup cereal soaked in 1/2 cup water + another boiling 1 cup water
• dash of salt
• 1/2 of a wallaby organic raspberry yogurt
• a few handfuls of nature’s path smart bran
• sesame seeds
• maple syrup (unpictured; added later)

You boil water and add the cereal. Then turn the heat to low and cook it (covered) for 5-10 minutes or until it’s the right consistency for you. You have to stir it occasionally. The more water you use, the bigger the cereal will be. Bobby doesn’t like volume foods for breakfast so I didn’t use as much water for his. I used lots of water for mine.

Mm, mm… mighty tasty. I feel like there might be this whole new world out there of amazing hot cereals that I didn’t even know existed. My staples have always been oat bran, oatmeal, and grits. What should I try next?

Like this post? Check out...

• March 18, 2009 -- Guest Post
• March 30, 2009 -- Guest Post – Mara!
• May 10, 2008 -- Asian Pear and Date Couscous Cake
• November 3, 2010 -- Highlights of the Fear and/or Sanity Weekend, and Guster
• March 6, 2010 -- Souen Again: The Best Dinner Ever

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 18 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

This challenge might be hard for a few reasons – 1) Bobby and I are driving across the country next week; 2) the holidays and lots of decadent foods are coming up; 3) due to the move, I don’t know what my new routine will be (we’re moving to Manhattan btw). But I’m going to try. I’m synthesizing their goals and mine, and this is what I came up with. I’m going to try to do this for as long as I can. These aren’t arbitrary; these goals are what my ideal lifestyle would be so I want to keep up with them.

1. Go to bed early (by 11:30pm) and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
2. Cut out artificial sweeteners. I’ve been on a diet coke kick recently and it’s time to stop.
3. More veggies, less fruit.
4. More cooked foods, fewer raw.
5. Lots of water and tea.
6. Cook and plan more (or at least eat out at cheap-yet-healthy places).
7. Sit down for every meal.
8. Do something relaxing for 30 minutes every day (yoga, a bath, these exercises).
9. 30+ minutes of cardio each day (walking, running, yoga).
10. Give myself credit. Even if I don’t do all of these things perfectly, I’m going to give myself credit for the attempts and partial successes.

Because we’re moving, I’m trying to use up the groceries we have and I don’t plan on buying more. This week I’ll be eating out a lot but I’m not too worried about that; I love eating out and I can always find something healthy on the menu. The only thing that worries me about eating out is the money issue. I wish I was less frugal

The other issue I might have is that this weekend is the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival. I plan on eating well, but I doubt that I’m going to get much sleep because two of my favorite bloggers are coming to stay with me and we’re all going together. I am so excited to meet them.

Some of the yummy dishes I plan on making and eating during this November challenge are…

a healthy Thanksgiving meal, like last year’s

fresh delicious salads

lots of squash fries…

this fun Indian mushroom recipe

… and lots more. You should check out my recipes page for more inspiration. This bread recipe was one of the first things I ever posted (December 2007).

Anyway, back to the “back on track” plan. Today has been a good day so far. I did a yoga class this morning at my studio and I went to bed early last night (crashed on the couch at 9:30pm). I wanted to go to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner, but Bobby has band practice… so maybe not.

And now this post is getting epic. Happy November! Are you challenging yourself this month?

Like this post? Check out...

• October 11, 2010 -- Recipe: Maggie’s Macro Plate
• March 15, 2009 -- Tips for Awkward Social Situations
• April 6, 2008 -- Rice dessert
• February 3, 2009 -- Snappy Vietnamese Vegetable Soup
• May 11, 2009 -- Treadmill kick-butt workout

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 23 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Raw Zucchini Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini
• 3/4 cup tahini (raw)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil (cold pressed, if you want it to be truly raw)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2.5 teaspoons salt (I would cut down on this)
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin

Directions

Chop the zucchini and blend everything in the blender. Add the lemon juice and garlic (and salt) a little bit at a time to get the flavor that you want.

I thought this was really yummy. I might use a little less garlic and salt. I few other substitution ideas might be…

• nut butter instead of tahini (like a yummy Thai peanut sauce)
• experiment with other oils – sesame oil would give it a nice Asian flavor
• other spices instead (or in addition to) cumin – chili powder, Asian 5-spice, cinnamon
• add in some herbs – oregano, basil, dill, etc…
• vinegar in place of lemon juice
• add some Bragg’s liquid aminos (cut out salt, cut down on lemon juice)

Of course you could do beans instead of the tahini, but then it would be a more standard hummus.

What’s your favorite hummus? I really like Tribe’s Olive Hummus. So good. I know Sabra is a popular one as well. I love putting hummus on crispy fruit like apples. I don’t know if that’s common or not…

HERE is my recipe for simple homemade hummus.

Like this post? Check out...

• October 13, 2009 -- Recipe: Goji Nut Biscotti
• September 30, 2008 -- Okra Squash Shrimp “Gumbo”
• November 21, 2010 -- Weekend Link Love – 11.21.2010
• March 20, 2009 -- Calling guest posters!
• January 27, 2008 -- Dutch Baby Recipe (Regular and Diet Dutch Babies)

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 22 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Raw Energy Balls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup carob powder
• 3 cups shredded unsweetened raw coconut
• 3/4 cup coconut butter/oil
• 1/2 cup raw agave nectar

Directions

Mush everything together by hand. Shape into balls and freeze before eating.

Substitution ideas (not all raw)

• honey or maple syrup in place of agave
• oatmeal in place of some shredded coconut
• nut butter in place of coconut butter/oil
• cut down on oil; add more sweetener
• replace half the oil with a super-ripe mashed banana
• cocoa powder in place of carob powder
• ground flax in place of some shredded coconut

These were good, but a little bit too heavy for me. I find that many raw food desserts do not sit well with my temperamental stomach. The recipes with a lot of oil or sweet ingredients are especially tough for me to eat. These were really delicious though, and I would make them with a few modifications. I would cut down on the oil and Jill suggested maybe subbing some of the coconut for oatmeal (like no-bake cookies).

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I watched The Biggest Loser last night. I’ve been enjoying this season (“Second Chances”) mainly due to the fact that Jillian is digging up the contestants’ issues and forcing them (the contestants) to deal with the issues head on instead of hiding them as the contestants get healthy. The theme with all of the contestants is self-forgiveness. We can all relate to this on some level; I certainly have (more than) one experience in my life that I just can’t seem to let go of. Watching the contestants grow and change and evolve into these new and inspiring people is motivating. I suppose that’s why the show is so popular.

While I’m on the topic of growth and change, I wanted to say again how excited I am to be moving (to New York) in less than 2 short weeks. Thank you for your ideas and positive comments. I can’t wait to begin this next phase of my life. It’s bittersweet to be packing up my things and making preparations to move back “home”. I will certainly miss some of the people I’ve met here and I’ll always remember the fun times I had in California. Now I think it’s time to let it go and move on.

My high school reunion (5 years) is at the end of November. I’m going to go since I’ll be back in the area. Did you go to your high school reunion?

Like this post? Check out...

• August 11, 2009 -- Guest Post – Val & Yoga
• November 12, 2009 -- Thanksgiving?
• November 20, 2008 -- Almost TGIF
• May 14, 2010 -- Friday Fix: I’m out of here!
• August 9, 2009 -- Chipless Nachos

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 20 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Dad’s was topped with granola and maple syrup; mine with sesame seeds and maple syrup. (My dad did the Amazon deal already – what are you waiting for?) He wasn’t too impressed with oat bran, but he did admit that it was a brick-in-the-belly breakfast.

After packing some snacks (bars and fruit) we headed down to Monterey. We wandered around Cannery Row and Fisherman’s wharf…

Then we headed out to a park in Monterey for a short (but hilly) hike. We hit up Trader Joe’s for lunch before proceeding on to another state park on the way home – Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. This place was amazing. This tree was around before Jesus was even born. It was 2200+ years old when it fell back in 1934 and had been around for the signing of the Magna Carta, the Revolutionary War, and even when the Normans conquered England (1066).

These trees are huge.

As is this "banana slug".

When we got home it was time for drinks. I had a glass of wine – Murphy Goode’s Fume – and dad had more beers. I cooked up a quick and easy frittata for dinner using 6 eggs, zucchini, red pepper, red onion, and goat + parmesan cheeses.

On the side I made broiled tomatoes (idea from Whole Foods) – tomatoes cut in half, topped with olive oil, salt + pepper, oregano, and parmesan; bake at 400F for 10 minutes; broil for another 5.

And because I can’t go another night without kabocha, I made a big batch and ate it all myself.

I’m now munching on grapes and cursing Qumana for deleting the post that I just wrote (it looked pretty much the same as this one – I hope, anyway). Now I have to study like a mad woman for my anthropology midterm tomorrow.

Are you good at studying/preparing in advance for tests/whatever? Or do you procrastinate? For me it all depends on my other time commitments, my mood, and the class/work itself.

Like this post? Check out...

• August 3, 2009 -- Banana-Avocado-Chocolate Pudding
• October 7, 2009 -- Photoshoot: Hug your carbs!
• June 29, 2009 -- A break from…
• April 24, 2009 -- Hormones? What?
• July 16, 2009 -- Some favorites

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

This was one of the demo recipes that Jill and I saw on Monday. Jill made it that very night and raved about it so I knew I needed to make it to. I had this last night for dinner. Yum. I also had a crazy cool dessert but I will share that later. I’ll give you a hint – it has something to do with chocolate.

Goat Cheese Zucchini Onion Red Pepper Frittata

Ingredients

• 3 whole eggs
• oregano, salt & pepper, to taste
• 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small zucchini, sliced thinly (I cut it in half and did half-moon shapes)
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/2 medium red pepper, sliced up
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• a few scallions, sliced

Directions

1. Beat the eggs together with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a metal pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and red pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
3. Add the eggs (do not mix it up). Cook it for another 3-4 minutes, or until the eggs start to firm up.
4. Turn the broiler on high. Sprinkle goat cheese and scallions on the frittata and put it under the broiler (in the pan – make sure you don’t use one with a plastic handle) for another 2-4 minutes, or until it starts to brown.
5. Serve plain, with a salad, or of course organic ketchup (click for my recipe).

I had half of this guy for part of my dinner and Bobby had the other half when he got home from band practice. Silly boy decides to tell me now that he doesn’t like goat cheese. What is up with that? I love goat cheese. You could have this for leftovers and I think it would also make a wonderful breakfast.

What is your favorite cheese? I think mine might be raw blue cheese, but this goat cheese is a close second.

Like this post? Check out...

• June 14, 2011 -- On Waking Up Early & Summer Challenge
• March 15, 2010 -- How to Cook Sardines
• April 4, 2008 -- Healthy Caesar Salad
• November 25, 2009 -- Thanks!
• February 4, 2009 -- You know you’re an addict when…

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 15 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Allison made…

• One Pot Chili Casserole
• Goat Cheese and Zucchini Frittata
• Fusilli Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and "Hidden" Zucchini

Jill and I both agree that the frittata was the best (probably because of the goat cheese). The pasta was pretty good (for being pasta), and neither of us cared for the chili that much. The roasted tomato on the pasta was especially delicious. I’ll post the recipes later, or you can look for them on the Whole Foods website. I bought the ingredients for the frittata and I’m going to make it either tonight or tomorrow – or maybe when my dad comes on Thursday.

I was really impressed that everything she made was vegetarian (vegetarian is very budget friendly!) and super simple. The demo was really well done.

We’ve been joking that we’re Whole Foods groupies now. I had no idea that Whole Foods had so many cool (FREE) classes. Tonight we have Get Fit with Catra again.

Have you ever taken a cooking class? What was it like?

Like this post? Check out...

• March 20, 2009 -- Sleeping in again, apartment, yummy yoga, & oats
• May 27, 2009 -- Raspberry Rubbed Pork with Apples and Berries
• September 9, 2010 -- NuNaturals Coupon & Thursday Wrapup!
• August 21, 2009 -- Kabocha Pie!
• July 15, 2009 -- Sunnybowl Dinner

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and mozzarella + parmesan.

Beef (free range, organic, grass fed), mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and cheddar + parmesan.

Veggie – mushrooms, olives, cheddar + parmesan.

Unpictured veggie – mushrooms, red peppers, olives, mozzarella + parm. I’m sure you can guess which pizzas I had.

But we didn’t just have pizza. I made a nice veggie stir fry as well (Brussels sprouts, collard greens, red pepper, onions, burdock, and various sauces).

And our friends made this yummy bread topped with crab + mayo + curry dip. They baked it for a few minutes and it was delicious.

Dessert was ice cream for me, and another slice of pizza when we got home.

This morning I woke up to a nice bowl of oat bran. I loved that grilled cheese yesterday, but it was not filling at all. (For me. Bobby claims his was very filling.) A heart healthy serving of oat bran is my favorite breakfast. This one had some protein powder, flax seeds, and sesame seeds for crunch.

I also did a little raw experiment this morning. I made Averie’s Raw Donut Holes – so simple. Mine were kind of crumbly, because I am impatient and my food processor is getting old.

Ingredients – 1/2 cup flax seeds + 1 tablespoon maple syrup + 1 tablespoon flax seeds mixed in at the end.

Directions – grind the 1/2 cup of flax seeds. Add the maple syrup and blend some more. Add the last bit of flax seeds, mix some more, and shape into balls. Mine made about 20 balls (teaspoon size).

Haven’t figured out lunch yet. Tonight we are heading up to San Francisco to celebrate our friend’s birthday. We’re going to this Italian place and I’m trying to figure out what to get. What do you get when you eat Italian? What would you order from Amarena?

Oh yeah… we are moving. I’ve kept it a semi-secret for a while. We’ll be heading back east to New York city in a few weeks. I’m happy More deets to come.

Like this post? Check out...

• February 22, 2008 -- More stir-fry ideas
• March 7, 2009 -- YogaFit Day 1 Update
• April 30, 2010 -- Recipe: Cold Vietnamese Soba
• November 19, 2010 -- New York Foodie Adventures and Schtuff
• October 12, 2009 -- Day of Eats & TOMATOES. TWSS.

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 24 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I say this about a lot of things, but you *must* make these. You will not be disappointed!

Goji Nut Biscotti

Ingredients (makes ~12 small biscotti)

• 1 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup quick cooking oats (instant) (can sub with flour or oat bran)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 dashes of salt
• 1 teaspoon spice (cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice)
• 1 egg + 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup sweetener (I used Trader Joe’s stevia)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup goji berries
• 1/4 chopped nuts of choice (see notes below)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Soak the goji berries in hot water.
3. Mix together the oat bran, oats, baking soda, salt, and spices.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Beat this pretty well.
5. Slowly add the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Drain the berries and add them, and then add the nuts. The dough should be dry enough so that you can work with it. If it’s not, add a bit more oat bran (or don’t add all of the egg mixture).
6. Spray a cooking pan with non-stick spray and shape the dough into a long log shape, about 1/2 – 3/4 of an inch high. You can top with extra nuts or oats. Bake this for 20 minutes.
7. Remove the log from the oven and reduce heat to 300F. Cut the log into pieces and bake them on one side for 15 minutes. Take them out, turn them over, and bake them for another 15 minutes. If they are still not hard, turn them again and cook for 10 more minutes.
8. Enjoy dipped in coffee, tea, peanut butter, or plain.

For the nuts I used these things I found in the Asian grocery store called “olive kernels” (seen above). I recognize the flavor, but I have no idea what they really are, or if maybe they have another name. The nut is definitely used in a Christmas cookie that I have every year, but I cannot remember which cookie and I have been unable to find out anything online.

Help! Do you know what these nuts might be?

Like this post? Check out...

• April 28, 2010 -- New Jersey: Trail Making & Wedding Planning
• June 1, 2010 -- Make A Meal With Side Dishes (Korean)
• November 3, 2010 -- CSN Giveaway Winner
• May 21, 2011 -- We’re Going to Paris! (Travel Links & Ideas)
• September 12, 2010 -- What’s Up Sunday – 9.12.10

© Maggie for Say Yes to Salad, 2009. | Permalink | 20 comments |
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh