Kueurig K-Cup Brew Over Ice: Game Changer

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

What do you think the best K-Cup flavors to use in your Keurig are? Allow me to mix that up!

I moved back to Austin just over a month ago and I'm sure that everyone knows that I am ecstatic to be here!

The biggest adjustment is that it is HOT. and. HUMID. We're dealing with a hot at 8am type of situation.  When I get in my car in the morning the air is muggy and this may seem like a silly thing but I was starting to dislike my daily hot coffee because all it did was warm me up which is the last thing I wanted, naturally. But let's be honest, a morning without coffee? As if.

Thanks to #CollectiveBias, I discovered Keurig's brew over ice varieties. I am really glad that I decided to pick these babies up because they really are a game changer! It's probably the best thing to happen to the Keurig since the Keurig itself. Now my drives to work are refreshing rather than making me feel extra sluggish. I can look forward to my coffee again and that calls for a #BrewItUp!

But coffee doesn't get to have all the fun! Regardless of the mugginess and the heat, I love sitting outside and enjoying the backyard with my family. While looking for my iced coffee I also happened to see the Snapple K-Cups in Peach! My dad is a die hard peach tea fan so I thought it would be fun to have it on hand! I bought it and decided to save it for a warm night on the back porch. 

I had a great opportunity to share it with my parents and boyfriend when we all came together to hang out one evening. We grilled some burgers and sat outside while we played with the pups. Let me tell you, the peach tea was a hit! 

You can purchase your #BrewOverIce K-Cups at Wal-Mart and be sure to have a wide variety to choose from. I plan on trying the Raspberry and lemon tea flavors as well!

To get your best brew, brew your favorite and newfound Brew Over Ice flavors on the 6oz (small) or the 8oz (medium) setting for the best brewed taste.

Have you ever tried any of the Keurig Brew Over Ice varieties? What did you think?

My Favorite Green Smoothie / A Recipe

I've talked here and there about healthy eating but today I'd like to share one of my favorite ways to start my morning off on the right foot: a green smoothie.  It might sound a little over the top but I'll just say it: green smoothies are a game changer.

Since I've switched to having a green smoothie for breakfast I have noticed a huge difference in the amount of energy I have and I crave less bad, unhealthy food throughout the day.  I'll probably write a post about this later on but for now, just trust me, I used to be the queen of unhealthy eating and I never said no to a craving.  

Not only are they super healthy but they are actually yummy! And if you're the person that thinks a smoothie with spinach in it can't possibly taste good, no worries, I totally thought the same thing.  I promise though, it's not just "healthy" yummy, it's actually good.   

There's 1001+ ways to make a green smoothie but this is what has been working for me.  It's packed with nutrients but is still really simple and quick to make on a busy morning.  

I like knowing exactly how my food is benefiting my health so if any of you feel the same I've included some info on why these ingredients are so good for you...

• frozen strawberries and a banana - there are all sorts of good things in fruits!  I just chose strawberries and a banana because I like the taste.  You can substitute any berries, fruits, or veggies that you'd like.
• raw spinach - contains a good amount of fiber, vitamins A (good for your skin), C (antioxidants and keeps you healthy), and K (good for your bones)
• protein powder - I use this vanilla whey protein powder, but any will do.  Protein in the morning will help you to stay fuller, longer and help you to feel alert!
• almond milk - I use silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  It has more calcium and fewer calories than regular milk, it's heart healthy (no cholesterol or saturated fat), and contains vitamin E which is super good for your skin!
• flax seeds - contains omega-3s and fiber.  

Just take all these ingredients, throw them in a blender and voila!

What do you think?  Are you a green smoothie enthusiast too?

Home made Margherita Pizza

Last night I made margherita pizza for N and I and we both loved it.  I have been meaning to try my hand at it for some time but always put it off.  Probably because our local pizza place, West Crust, makes a really great one.  But still.

What tipped the scales yesterday is that West Crust was closed, sadly.  I went to the grocery store, armed with my craving, ready to resign myself to a heat up, frozen version because sometimes you've just got to do it, you guys.  But would you know that all the frozen "margherita" pizzas have red sauce?  I've never met a marg. with red sauce, personally.  

Last night, the craving was bad so I just decided to make one myself.  I was already at the store so half of my normal excuse was already null, so why not?

I did a quick google search and between that and my expert knowledge of chef-ery I got all my ingredients and ended up with a pretty awesome dinner.

It's super easy and making it involves chopping up vegetables and herbs,  ones that smell ahhh-mazing, so it was something that I could handle.

I used a pre-made pizza crust this time around because it was already 9pm but I have used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen when making pizza in the past and it's pretty good.

Ingredients

1 Pizza Crust (or make your own)

2 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1 roma tomato, thinly sliced

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (fresh is best but shredded is good too)

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Use 1 tsp. of olive oil and brush on a thin layer on the crust.

Arrange the basil, tomato slices and mozzarella cheese on top.

Combine 1 tsp. of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and drizzle over the pizza.  

Spread the parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake 10 minutes (or until cheese is melted).

Like I said, crazysuper easy.  

Now enjoy with wine and a few episodes of Revolution.  That show, you guys.

A Top Notch Date Night with Healthy, Frozen Meals

For a quick surprise date night as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®  I put together a restaurant themed meal in less than an hour.

Hey guys! If any of you follow me on twitter then you'll know that last night I planned a quick, fun date night for N and I! What I didn't mention is that I used frozen meals, so I didn't even have to cook! Things have been a little hectic here lately and I thought that we could both use a night to unwind, relax, and generally just be together.  

N works 9 or 10 hour days during the week so I knew he would especially appreciate a date night that didn't involve leaving the house. I have been working like crazy trying to get everything running smoothly with school, our house, and all that entails. It's just a busy, busy time for both of us.

So while date night is important (and literally one of my favorite nights of the week) sometimes I am just tired and don't have the energy to get all dolled up to go out or put in hours in the kitchen making a special meal. But like I said, date nights are a priority around here. So, we got creative. The result? A fun, romantic, restaurant themed date night in less than an hour.

While perusing through Walmart, as I do, I stumbled across something that caught my eye. Lean Cuisine Honestly Good frozen meals. The two thing that really got me were these: they were very fancy sounding, ya know, like something that you would be proud to tell someone you made for dinner, and they are made with all natural ingredients which I loved because we have been making an effort to eat healthy meals around here.

This sounded like solid date night food, of course! So my gears started turning and the idea was born, and I ran with it. I picked up one for each of us and proceeded to rush around and snag a few other goodies that would be a part of this here date night.

Once I got it all home, I got to work setting everything up. I grabbed a basket for bread, a carafe for ice water, a random tin bucket that I had never had a use for until now (for fancy wine chilling!), some cloth napkins and my chalkboard, because there needs to be a menu!

Preparing the frozen meals was a breeze! I took them out of the package, thawed out the little packets of sauce and popped the meals in the microwave. Literally, it couldn't have been easier. I arranged them on the plate in a "restaurant-y way by laying down the veggies and noodles, putting the meat on top and then drizzling the sauce over the whole thing.

I heated up some bread, set the table and lit some candles, and voila.

When I told N that dinner was ready, he walked into the kitchen to find a candlelit table already set with dinner and drinks.

This resulted in an "Aww, baby" and a little kiss. And let me tell you, we absolutely loved it!  It was so nice to just sit and talk, relaxing and laughing. And the food! I was impressed. The Lean Cuisine frozen meals were a hit.  I am a long time lover of Lean Cuisine meals and these did not disappoint.  The flavors were wonderful and everything mixed so nicely together.  Nick mentioned how great his tasted and couldn't believe that I had actually cooked it in the microwave. That's the mark of the best frozen meal. I feel like that is the final seal of approval, right?  A man approved meal is a home run success in my book.

So all in all, a very successful, easy date night!  We will definitely be keeping this in mind for future nights :)

If you're looking to try the Lean Cuisine Honestly Good frozen meals then pop over to their website for  a coupon and visit them on facebook.

To see all the photos, check out the Google+ story.

My Case for Healthy Eating

I have been eating healthier lately.  And by lately I mean that for the past few months I have made an effort to pass on the donuts and opt for the strawberries.  I've made the conscious decision to go for the salad when I really wanted a hamburger.  And don't go thinking that I am just eating healthy all the time, just like that because really, it is a struggle sometimes. 

During those times when I am going back and forth between wanting that that unhealthy yet oh-so-delicious piece of pizza and wanting to stick with it I try to bring to mind why I am doing this.  So, I thought I'd get a little serious on here and talk about why I really want it and why I am doing my best to eat healthy.

For N.  I love this new role I have.  I love being the one who makes us dinner.  I love being the person who takes care of that sort of thing.  I'm a nurturer at heart and so when I get the chance to take care of someone I love, I jump on it.  I feel like I owe it to N to make things that are healthy for the both of us.

For my vain side.  Yeah, this one has to be in here.  I want to look good, ya know?  I used to be able to eat hamburgers every day but that ship has sailed and we are now working with a grow up lady body.  The kind that decides that my metabolism was working way too efficiently in the past.  So yep, gotta keep up with this.

For my noggin.  I haven't talked about this a lot on here but sometimes anxiety really takes a hold of me.  My mind just rans rampant with petty worry and once it's gone there, it's a knock down drag out fight to bring it back.  But.  But.  Eating well, cleanly, makes a huge difference.  I didn't really believe this before I experienced it but it is true you guys.  Eating healthy really makes a huge difference.

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For my Future Kids.  I want my kids to grow up in the same atmosphere I had when I was a kid.  A big part of this (something I didn't realize until I moved out) centered around the way we ate as a family.  My mom made a nice, healthy, family meal each night and it was something that we all enjoyed and I want that for my kids.  I won't have that, genuinely, if I don't create those habits now. 

For my peace of mind.  I want what I eat to always be something that benefits me as a whole.  I don't want it to just satisfy a certain craving, or just be a typical healthy food, or .  I like eating healthy because it makes me feel good.  Like all around good.  It makes me feel good in the ways I mentioned above, yeah, but it also makes me feel grounded, well-adjusted, more adult-like, if you will.  Eating healthy will make you feel good but the idea of eating healthy will make you feel good too. It's nice to have both :)

So.  What are your thoughts?  Does anyone else out there feel the same?  Different?  I'd love to hear :)

 

A Little Healthier Eating

Hello guys :)  Today I come to you with a little healthy eating post.  This has become more and more important to me in the past year or so because I have realized that it is all up to me.  I'm not living at home and there is no one making me my dinners at night, except myself.  I could eat fast food everyday.  I could do that so easily because I do love food.  But I have become more and more aware of how I feel in relation to what I eat.  And this is actually fun for me.

You're all probably like, yes, duh.  I know I know.  It's not a huge revelation or anything but it's become something that I like to think about and stuff, so I thought I'd share.  

Here are some little changes that I like to make day to day.

• When baking a cake or brownies I like to substitute apple sauce for the oil.  It cuts way down on the calories and you can't even tell, taste wise.
• Quinoa tortillas.  Oh my!  If you haven't had these then you should definitely give them a try.  
• When I have a sweet tooth, I eat watermelon.  I don't know what watermelon has that grapes and strawberries don't, but it really stomps out my sweets craving.
• Instead of eating my sandwich on bread, I put all my meat, vegetables, and dressing in a pita.
• Stevia in my coffee
• Using bananas to make pancakes (also super yummy as waffles.)

What do you use day to day to eat a little healthier?

 

Why I'm Doing the Whole 30

So there's this book that many of you have probably heard about called It Starts With Food and the Whole30 program it outlines - I am naturally late to this party.  I first heard about this via What I Wore and was intrigued.  What struck me was that while this may seem new-agey at first, it really is just down to basics, back to goodness, whole eating.  Which I liked.  I am fairly traditional and don't like things that are gimmicky or are unsustainable for any length of time.

Even before reading this book I knew about the surface benefits of whole eating.  Of course it is healthier, eating veggies and real meat trumps greasy mexican food any day of the week - nutrition wise that is.  Upon reading though I got to understand what I thought might be the case - eating well can help cure a multitude of ails.

While weight loss is a positive side effect, that wasn't my primary goal in considering this new style of eating.  When it really got down to it, I was most impressed with the psychological benefits.  (I won't get all into the nuts and bolts of it but if you are even a bit interested, I recommend the book, even just for an enlightening read.)

I am not overweight but I am none too versed in resisting cravings.  I will almost always give in to sweets and greasy food.  What has started to plague me lately was how intense these cravings could be and how powerless I felt against them - this worried me.  I wanted the mental veracity to tackle these bad boys - if you will.

Additionally, coming from a background where I can understand the effects of depression and anxiety, I was intrigued by how a change of diet could improve one's mental health.  Could simple, good, whole foods really help to tackle something that can be so debilitating?  Something that is so often treated with prescriptions?  I was impressed.

After reading the book front to back in a day (okay, I did skip the few mildly science heavy pages) I was highly interested in trying this out for myself.  After all, it couldn't be worse than I am eating now, right?

So this is what Nick and I are doing for the next 30 days.  It'll be tough considering our work schedules but we have worked hard and developed a plan and we're gunning to get started.  And naturally, I will keep you updated.

Have any of y'all tried this?  How did it go for you?  I'd absolutely love to hear all about it.

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