Food and Cookbook Reviews

This is Kashi's Mushroom Trio and Spinach Pizza - Wood Fired Thin Crust. I had this one night last night for lunch in a hunch. It was really tasty! The mushrooms were yummy, they stood out the most. The cheese was decent, and there was minimal sauce - but it was good. It was crispy also. Here are the nutritional facts - my thoughts on that: I could have eaten the whole pizza for sure. It has a decent amount of sodium - so you have to watch! The protein is good and calories decent. Whenever I have a boxed pizza I wonder how bad real pizzeria pizza is for you.



It has a huge list of ingredients:


Cost: $4.99 - not bad, but a little pricey. What do you think? Have you tried Kashi pizza?

Next up: Vegan Cookies Invade your Cookie Jar - cookbook review

I checked out this cookbook from the library after really wanting some more Girl Scout Samoas and hearing about the Vegan Samoa recipe. For the vegan eater, this cookbook has loads of great recipes. Don't be fooled - they are not healthier than normal cookies, they just do not use dairy products. I think the recipes in there for vegan cookies are fantastic! I think I went in with the impression that the recipes would be somewhat healthy - use agave, flax, whole wheat flour... but for the most part, they do not. The key is that the recipes do not sacrifice taste and this is why!

I tried the Vegan Samoas but cooked them too long. It took alot of work, toasting the coconut, then dipping in chocolate... in the end they were so/so, I have to try them again and cook less for a softer cookie.

Vegan Samoas from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar
2 c unsweetened coconut
1/3 c coconut oil
3/4 c brown sugar
1/3 c milk (non dairy for vegan)
1 T ground flax
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 c chocolate chips + 2 T coconut oil

Oven to 350. Pour coconut onto a large skillet and toast over medium low heat. Stir and toast until light golden brown about 8-10 minutes, be careful not to burn.

In large mixing bowl combine coconut oil, brown sugar, milk, flax and vanilla till well blended. Sift in flour and baking soda to form a thick batter, then fold in coconut.

Scoop 1 T of dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheets - flatten and work a small hole into the center of each - a straw works well. Bake 8 minutes until edges are golden.

While cookies are cooling, melt chocolate chips with coconut oil, cool 5 minutes to thicken, then dip cookie bottoms in chocolate and drizzle the tops with the rest. Use wax paper for this part! Chill! 2 dozen cookies!


Then I tried the Vegan Brownies and holy cow - these will knock your socks off!
Vegan Brownies from Vegan Cookies Invade your Cookie Jar
3 oz firm silken tofu
1/4 c milk
1/2 c canola oil
1 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 c flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat)
1/2 c cocoa
1 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder


Oven to 325. Line/spray an 8 x 8 pan. Puree tofu, milk and oil in blender. Transfer to a mixing bowl then use a fork to mix in the sugar and add vanilla. Sift in the flour, cocoa, corn starch & powder. Fold and mix until smooth - transfer to pan. Bake 30-32 minutes.

TOTALLY WORTH IT!! :)

There are a few more that I want to try so stay tuned.

There was a point in my first pregnancy where my workouts switched from morning to afternoon. I needed the extra rest and mornings didn't seem to work out for me - I would not be warmed up, get side stitches and have a bad workout. I'm right in between 23-24 weeks and this is happening now. I have made it to swim only once per week. Getting up is brutal! The workout is great, but the rest of the day I am spent. Yesterday when I woke up to run, I was not feeling it, warming up took forever and it took me over an hour just to do 5.3 miles. I might try doing my workouts during Nick's afternoon nap but there are so many other things I want to do during that time!

OD 10 miler success

It was a cold and windy day for the Ocean Drive 10 miler today. I was definitely nervous and thinking I had no business doing this run today, but in the end it turned out fine! I finished just under 1:55 which is a high 11 minute mile pace - very slow! - but it was a nice day.

Nick all bundled pre-race

Bill and I pre-race

The crowd and my #1 fans:

With this morning's crowd and atmosphere, I was excited and ready to get in a run down the shore with a bunch of other people. The goal - finish! It was so cold though, all I could think about was that my boobs were killing me! I don't remember this with Nick in pregnancy, just after they hurt, but they have been hurting ALOT (and especially when it is cold!)

The first mile I felt like a normal runner. I started out with pants on. I can never be too cold so I couldn't start with the shorts! I had a bunch of new gear on - jacket I got for Christmas, bondi band, and compression socks (review soon). Lately, my calves have been so sore for the first 10 minutes of outside running - it happened again today. Mile 2 the pants came off - shorts underneath and I tied my favorite running pants around my waist for the next 8 miles. Mile 3 I was thinking, a 5k would have been a perfect distance, good enough! And by mile 5 I really thought, 5 miles would have been nice. I was hanging in there until around mile 8 when I got a side stitch that was killer! It was so windy and I wanted to be done! I had to walk on and off to the finish. All in all, it was a nice day, I was able to get in a run that I wouldn't have been motivated to do alone, and it was my third OD10 in a row : )

For me, when I am not racing, I tend to enjoy things that I don't notice otherwise - the scenery, the atmosphere, the fans. It is a decent but very quiet course that is mainly on streets through the shore towns. The last 1/2 mile was on the boardwalk - wish there was more boardwalk running! The marathon course is really flat, but you are on your own! There are not many fans out, and it would be hard to motivate. Last year I did 20 miles of it and it was definitely a nicer day and more people were out, but I'm not sure if I could run the full marathon after experiencing today. Some guy turned to another runner and said "I can't believe I paid for this" - he was doing the marathon.

All in all, it was a good experience, I am a little sore but feel good.

Nick and I post race:

good eats

Thanks for the advice on the fall/what next. I think my best plan of action is to combine what different people said - don't rush into a marathon and focus on shorter races. I think the half in September (I do it every year so it was not negiotiable) with be a fun race. I won't do a fall marathon. I'll see how things are going and maybe do a spring one or start checking out triathlons! Shorter and I already do most of the training, I would just have to start biking. I think my body would like the change.

Well, the weather was blah so far this week, so we focused on trying some new things:

Pancakes are my go to food for Nick's lunch - not normal pancakes but Averie's banana/apple/oat ones. I mean, he's getting oats and fruit + flax in a yummy pancakes. It doesn't get much easier. Each week I try to make different ones but always ending making them in the end anyway!




Today, since we are out of bananas and apples, I tried these Coconut Ones, but had to make substitutions since I don't keep half the things around the house. I'd guess the original are way better, but these were pretty good.


Last night with 2 rotting bananas, I tried this recipe that Danica had posted for Bananaberry muffins but made it into bread. I also added more sugar and a crumb topping to make sure Bill would eat it :)





I made spinach balls for Nick for dinner one night, they turned out great!

1 bunch fresh spinach, cooked!
1 cup cooked couscous
1/4 cup bread stuffing
4 T. butter
1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg

Food process and cook for 8-10 minutes or till browned on the bottom.

And honey wheat germ balls from Super Baby Food:

adapted from Super Baby food:
1 cup whole wheat floud
1/2 c wheat germ
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1 T. flaxseed
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all together and cook about 8-10 minutes

I've been making quesadillas or sandwiches for lunch - this with guac and humnut sauce!




I totally bombed on my food bill this month, after going shopping today. I saved $13.50 in coupons but made it close to $500 for this month. Oh well - there's always next month.

Bondi Band Review!

BONDI BAND

I had contacted Rebecca at Bondi Band to try out and review their bands after I saw them on other blogs and went to visit their site.

Bondi Band sells headbands for running and biking, swim caps, ponytail and pigtail hats, wraps, and wicking items. They have products for men and women, babies, toddlers and dogs!

The story

Around 5 years ago, Rebecca was visiting Bondi Beach in Australia (I've been there too!) and thought about making a headband out of bathing suit material. She returned home and tried it out and it worked! She made wide headbands to cover her bangs and ears for warmth and started wearing them around. People started asking where she got them, and she was making them for friends and family, so she decided to start selling them. As a runner, she looked for and found a good athletic material to use that stays put and wicks away the sweat. Her whole family helps in the making of the bands! I love this story! And now I understand where the name came from too!

The product
Rebecca sent me 2 headbands to try for myself, one that is floral pink and yellow and white, and one that is black with hot pink with the saying: "Run Like a Mother." My shoes have hot pink in them and I have a pair of black shorts with hot pink, so these both totally match my outfits :) I wore the black one out yesterday in the great weather. It kept my hair out of my face and wicked sweat. I felt stylish wearing it out running, and really liked it!

Nick also received a hat to try out! I think it is hilarious, he looks like a little gangster in it. Usually he rips hats off, but he wore this around the house :) They are cute to keep him warm.

These bands go for $8 which I think is a reasonable price. I like the fabric - they are made of lycra and feel good on your hair and skin. They are basically a piece of lycra fabric sewed together and say Bondi Band on the back. I feel that they would not be too complicated to make if you are a seamstress, but I lack in that field, so for $8, I would buy some of these bands! I think they would make a fun gift for a running friend too.

A very cool thing about Bondi Band is that 10% of proceeds go to Dana Farber Cancer Institute (I ran with them at Boston last year!) It is a company who gives back and I love that. Rebecca also sends tons of bands there every year for the patients.

SAVINGS!
Check out the site and score some Bondi Bands, and if you purchase 3, you can get a free water bottle! There are also other savings on promotional items - check here!

Also, just for you, readers:

Buy 3 get one free: ONE

Buy 5 for $25: FIVE

Shipping is only $3.95. What a deal!

Motivated for the fall...

I need to bookmark this page and come back to it in August or September. I'm reading running articles, race reports of you speedy moms out there (Michelle, Allison, Kate), and writing results articles from this weekends halfs and marathons for Examiner, and I just want to be able to train hard, train with other people, and get fast!

I don't have a marathon lined up for the fall, which is probably a good thing. I was thinking of doing MCM until I found out it was halloween weekend - can't miss that one with kids! Maybe the goofy challenge? Or maybe skip a marathon and start doing tris? I can't decide but I know I have to act quickly for goofy since it sells out. My first post-baby race is on the horizon with the Philly Distance Run in September, which will give me 2 months to get in shape and hopefully PR. How about the tris? Are there any in the fall? Where are good sites to look?

It's been 2 years now since I had a fantastic spring and actually dropped all of my times significantly - it was 5ks, 10ks, and 10 milers. I didn't get to do any halfs or full marathons before I got pregnant and see what I could do out there. Fast forward to a couple months after Nick is born, I get by at Boston with a respectful time and burn out a few months later, to be followed by being pregnant again. Gosh, I have to come up with a plan post baby to slowly build up and bring back my old running. I'm just worried with 2 kids I am going to be exhausted. I think I can do it, but I couldn't even get back to my pre-pregnancy weight with Nick and nursing too. I'm nervous about how I am going to manage after #2!

How is running going right now? I am going so slow. After an awesome weather week and tons of running outside (Bill is home for a bit in perfect time!), my run yesterday was a downer. I was out of breath, already running really slow, and had to walk for probably half of the run. I was able to put perspective into it and realize it was beautiful out, I was running, I have my health, I'm still running, etc, but man, I love those runs that feel fantastic, which are decreasing by the day!

Pregnancy - I am just feeling like I'm 2 months further along than I really am because of my size and how my clothes fit. I feel like I have gained weight in my hips, which I didn't do with Nick. Maybe it is a girl this time? Everything else is the same as with Nick except showing quicker which I guess is to be expected when you don't even have a year to get your body back! Another thing I am going to really try hard at is getting ripped when I'm done with this pregnancy! I feel like I'm carrying around extra weight (obv besides the baby inside) and need to incorporate some lifting and figure out a plan for weight loss and toning and follow it!

I feel good, but tired. This morning I just could not get up to go swimming at 5am. When I was working and pregnant with Nick, I slept as long as I could too, but was able to do my workouts after work, and swimming was later in the morning before work.

Last but not least, I think I am going to fail on my food shopping goals this month - I don't think we can make it another week and a half :(

**I am looking for inspiring Philadelphia area runners to feature in Motivational Monday. The last one I wrote was last week.Let me know if you know someone or want me to write about you! :)

Time & Weather

We have had a week of GORGEOUS weather. It has been awesome taking Nick to the park, going on runs outside, and sitting on the back deck. I don't want it to go away! I'm wearing one of the Bondi bands above - they came yesterday and I LOVE them! Stay tuned for a review!

Protein! I've been trying to be conscious of protein and brought back Kashi Go Lean for breakfast - with milk. It is best with almond milk - sweet taste! But skim milk gives an extra protein boost. It's funny that I had to have cheerios for the first 14 weeks or so of pregnancy but now I can go for oatmeal or kashi.

For lunch, I've been having sandwiches with spinach, cheese and hummus +nutritional yeast sauce grilled with olive oil. They have been tasty! For other protein sources, milk + protein powder has been helping at night, bean patties, and cheese. What other sources do you eat that are vegetarian?

I have been thinking about different times of day - the best time of day to run or when I feel the best, the time of day where all I want to do is jam cookies down my throat...the time of day when I feel the most relaxed, most tired, most energized... so I'll ask some questions to you:

What time of day do you feel you have the most productive runs?
For me, it is around 5pm at night. I feel like my energy is good and my legs are quick to warmup. Unfortunately, most of the time I run first thing in the morning or mid-morning and it takes a long time to warm up, and my speed isn't there as much as later in the day.

What time of day do you have cravings?
About an hour after dinner, all I want is sweets. I've been trying to make protein shakes at this time to avoid the call for sugar. It works sometimes!

I didn't make pancakes this morning - but I have a recipe I want to try - maybe later today!
With all the nice weather, I don't want to do anything inside!

Greens! and 5 months

Ate my greens! Broccoli Frittata - yep! Bought eggs today!, Kale and Barley Casserole, Swiss Chard and Bean Inlaw soup! Yum yum!




In other news, following a post by HEAB, I tried making coconut butter. I only used a little bit of coconut to start off. Did not know what to expect because I have never had it. Also, once I had already came home with the Bob's red mill, I saw that HEAB said it didn't work so well. I think the coconut oil worked. Wow. Delicious. Coconut Easter Egg quality? Maybe. Yum. I took bob's red mill coconut and added a TBSP of coconut oil and processed away. I then put it atop Banana/Apple Blueberry Pancakes with blueberries and ground cashews/almonds/agave and coconut oil crumble. This was Nick and my lunch. Delicious!





Dinner was black bean burgers w/ bulgar and cheese and the broccoli frittata. I didn't add enough egg (only 1) so they were falling apart. Still delicious!

5 months:
So at 5 months, I feel pretty good. I feel much larger than with Nick, and more out of breath, and more slow than with Nick. Swimming is going ok. It is hard for me because I am competitive when people that I view as slower than me are beating me, but most days I just get over it!
Running is slow. The band is helping to make it more comfortable. I can't believe I ran to the end with Nick. We'll see if I can do it again. I signed up for a 10 miler next weekend at the shore. I did a half marathon just before 5 months preggers with Nick and it was slow but not terrible. Well, I was still doing long runs at that point, but now the longest run I have done is 6 miles. I don't know why I am doing it and am even wondering if I should do it!

This weekend (21 weeks) I had a wedding - the band was super loud and this is the first time I totally felt tons of movement from the baby, it was pretty cool. I am going to the bathroom every time I stand up, yet haven't had to go in the middle of the night every night which has been awesome. I'm tired at night, doing better getting my veggies, and sometimes feel pressure in the lower ab area. I'm excited for when I feel movement everyday- that was my favorite part.

Finally - beautiful weather!

Sunny weather = park!

This week looks like awesome weather - no rain! The last 4 days were horrendous, and my cousin's wedding was included in the terrible rain drenching weather - yuck. Today was our first nice day. Nick and I went to the park, played outside and went for a jog. So beautiful out!

Tuesdays and Thursdays are my goal 10 mile days (total for the day). I got out of bed and my knee hurt. This morning's run was not beautiful - on the treadmill. My knee was not a problem until the end of the day, but for the morning, I couldn't get above 6.0 mph and wasn't feeling it. It took me 1:05+ to finish 6 miles. I ran a few more miles on the treadmill later on that felt much better, and then went outside in the afternoon with the jogger and didn't want to stop running! It felt great. I finished the day with 11.2 miles, but I can't wait to get outside and run all my miles. I feel like they are more real.

With 5 months hitting tomorrow, I am slowing down both with swimming and running. I am much bigger than with Nick and I hope it tapers off, otherwise I can't imagine the final month how big I will be.

Eggs - Ever since making the switch to organic cage free eggs, I haven't been making as many frittatas or eating as many eggs!

Goal updates:

Food shopping - is going ok this month. With more and more organic food on my list, it is getting hard to stay under $350/month. The good thing is that I am more aware.

Veggies and fruit- I am doing much better getting them in. The barley/kale casserole has helped, portabellos, soup, and blueberries, grapefruits, bananas, and strawberries. I'm excited for when summer comes and all the berries are in season. They are my absolute favorite!

Bondi band sent me this funny hat for Nick - they are just getting ready to launch a new baby line. Yesterday he would not keep it on. Here he is on the way to go swimming this morning. He looks like a tough guy, doesn't he?


I'll try to do a 5 month post later this week!

Pancake Sunday and Green Cleaning

First, I've been trying to get in touch with Xcountry2.  If anyone else has contact info, please let her know that I need to hear from her or have to redraw a new winner!

This weekend we had my cousin's wedding (awful awful weather) but I made pancakes on Saturday for Sunday's lunch - I made the banana-apple ones with blueberries this time. Yum!!

Anyone else do pancake Sunday?

GREEN CLEANING!

Once I started thinking about the contact Nick and I were having with chemicals in cleaning supplies, I decided to start using chemical free things. I am usually down on the floor cleaning the wood floor with Lysol, and guess who crawls everywhere including the floor?? When I started to think about it, it was scary actually! When I went to the grocery store, I wasn't too impressed with the selection there, especially for All Purpose Cleaners. I picked up Seventh Generation Tub & Tile Cleaner :

I think it cost around $3.99 at the grocery store which wasn't too bad. I liked the smell of cypress and fir, and thought that it did a pretty good job.  I wasn't as impressed with the ingredients as BabyGanics (below) but it is non-toxic and biodegradable.

Ingredients: Aqua (water), polyglucose, coceth-4 and deceth-5 (plant-derived cleaning agents), lactic acid (soap scum and lime scale remover), sodium hydroxide (pH adjuster), peg-15 cocomonium chloride (plant-containing cleaning agent)*, essential oils and botanical extracts** (citrus aurantifolia (lime), abies balsamea (balsam fir), calilistris columellaris (cypress)).



I swapped out the Lysol for Babyganics all purpose cleaner.

Now - this stuff is not cheap, but I think in the end, it is worth it. I used it on the floor, countertops, and some of the bathroom. My only question is the disinfectant aspect. Is it disinfecting like Lysol does? It smells nicely of lavender. I was using Fantastik for a while and my hands would get all dry and smell like it after I used it - now I feel like this stuff is all natural so if I am going to be holding Nick's hand, picking him up - he isn't getting chemicals on him.

Ingredients (Fragrance Free):  Plant Based Cleaning Agents (Coconut, Palm Kernel, Corn and Sugar based surfactants), Soy Ester (Soy based), Filtered Water, Water Conditioning Agent,  Preservative (less than 0.05%)

Next for the bathrooms, I ordered Baby Ganics Tub and Tile Cleaner. 
I used this all around the bathroom and on the floor. It worked well and I felt much better using this than bleach. I don't know that it cleaned as deeply, but it was still clean.  It had a similar smell (a good one) and similar ingredients.

Ingredients - (Fragrance Free): Plant Based Cleaning Agents (Coconut, Palm Kernel and Corn based surfactants), Organic Acid, Naturally Derived Thickener, Filtered Water.

I purchased both of the above products at Diapers.com for $5.99 each. Yes! It is expensive!  In the end, I think it is worth it.


Before purchasing these items, I mixed vinegar and baking soda with water and put it in a spray bottle.  I used this on the countertops and floor. It left a residue, so I really wanted something that was tried and true. I was happy with these products and will continue to use them. I just saw that Baby Ganics also have floor cleaner so I want to try that next.

What do you use? What other green changes have you made in your home?

Winner - baby servingware

And the winner is... XCOUNTRY2... soon to be mama of twins so you might need 2 of these :)

Break out the belly band

So today I decided to use the belly band for my run. I don't think I broke that out until around 6 months last time - I'm not even to 5 months yet! It was a nice run - I took Nick out this morning and ran around town.

Here are some comparison pictures: Me at 20 weeks (last week)

I compare it to this one - me at 24 weeks with Nick.

Here's at 20 weeks with Nick.

What do you think? Boy? Girl? I like hearing guesses and reasoning.
I can't tell if I am carrying higher or lower so far. I like the speculation for sure.


Those of you that have 2 kids, did you have similar pregnancies and have different genders?
So far everything is like Nick - it's easy, I'm tired at night, I just feel huge for how far along I am as compared to Nick. The only other thing is that I don't remember having so much heartburn at this point. It's early!

On Monday, Bill found out that he got laid off at work.
The way everything was handled was very poopy and it stinks.
We are hopeful that he will find something better, but for now,
it is nice having him home to spend time with Nick and I.

Today I got my first facial in about 7 years.
I had a gift card to a local spa and my skin has just been awful.
I have blemishes everywhere and dry skin, oily skin.. it's just terrible.
The facial was nice and relaxing.
Then they recommend products at the end that are overpriced.
I would definitely do it again if someone gave me a gift card, but otherwise - damn!
So expensive!

I've still been thinking about the strollers. I don't have a normal stroller,
so I'm thinking about getting one of those first, then deciding on the bob revolution dualie.
I do have to say that I wish I bought the Bob Revolution instead of the ironman.
I want the swivel!!

BOB REVOLUTION DUALIE

Product Reviews: 365 Products

I am a fan of whole foods on Facebook, and they were looking for people to review their 365 everyday value products, so I signed up! I went to the store and a bag of fun products was waiting for me - Organic Macaroni and Cheese, Organic Double Chocolate Chip cookies, and Organic Soy Milk. Out of the three products, the only one that I would normally think about purchasing would be the soy milk so it was good to try a few different things.

1 - ORGANIC Mac and Cheese



I have not purchased store bought Macaroni & Cheese in a very long time. It was an easy process just like Kraft Mac & Cheese - boil water, add the pasta, cook the pasta, add the sauce mix with milk and butter. The directions were fool proof.

How did it taste?
The taste was similar if not the same as what I remember Kraft to be. It was creamy and cheesy. I made it ahead of time so it was sitting for a while, so reheating it lost some of its creaminess, so I would recommend eating it right away. The bonus here is that it is all organic, so although still not the healthiest meal addition, it would be great for a quick one that isn't processed.

Would I purchase it?
This is great if you are looking for a quick side dish in 15 minutes or less. I do prefer to use whole wheat pasta, and add in my own healthy additions - beans, flaxseed, and vegetables with fresh cheese.



2- Organic Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

The packaging was similar to other store bought non organic cookies, which I have not had in my house since I was growing up. Each cookie has 75 calories which was definitely on the higher side.

How did it taste?
These cookies are thicker than other store bought ones I've had in the past, but not as hard - though not soft. I found them to be dry or lacking something. Given that they are organic, they were ok - I feel better giving these to my family over non organic cookies, but, if I were going for a sweet treat, I would want something more tasty than these (currently all natural (but not organic) 365 brand Duplex cookies (pictured below)). I think they would be a good choice if you are lookingfor a replacement for processed cookies - but they did not satisfy my sweet tooth.
Would I purchase it?
No. I will definitely continue to buy my duplex cookies**- these are better than oreos without any crap in them, AND!! you get half vanilla and half chocolate. I love them! They are so sweet.



3 - Organic Vanilla Soymilk

This comes in a container that does not have to be refrigerated. I started buying almond milk in these containers and recently, soy milk but in the past I was kind of turned off by the non-refrigeration! Being a vegetarian, soy is definitely a part of my diet. I was purchasing soy milk for a while, but decided to cut back on soy and stopped buying it. In general though, I do like soymilk.

How did it taste?
The taste was sweet and creamy. I like the vanilla flavor. It stacks up at 90 calories and 6g of protein. I drank it after dinner for a sweet treat. Paired with the Duplex cookies - yum.


Would I buy it?
If I was purchasing soymilk, yes, definitely! It was tasty, it's organic, and I suspect it is cheaper than name brands but tastes just as good, if not better.



**Duplex cookies - just a quick note on them - I find them to be super sweet, yet not too sweet, and love the combination of vanilla and chocolate with vanilla cream. They come in at 65 calories per cookie.

Did you enter my baby feeding giveaway? Enter before Friday!
Look out for some Green cleaning product reviews soon!

Review and Giveaway: baby products

I was contacted by Jason of CSN stores to do a review and giveaway and to check out their kids furniture website. I tried out these 2 baby/toddler food products with Nick. I was happy with the service from CSN - everything arrived within a few business days and in perfect condition.

1 - Kidco serving plate with spoon




This serving plate goes with the Kidco serving trays - this is a very convenient item for any mom making purees and traveling. When I was traveling with purees when Nick was a little bit younger, I would usually put them in tupperware and carry a spoon separately. This enables everything to travel together and everything fits nicely! At $6.95, I thought it was a good deal.

picture from CSN website

2- Skip Hop Mate Stay-Put Plate

Right now I just put all of Nick's food on his high chair tray, so I thought this looked pretty cool so that I had a plate to put it on. As far as staying put, he could easily slide it, and/or flip it if he wanted to, but it stayed put pretty well. Nick isn't feeding himself yet so the spoon and fork were just for him to hang onto and play with, but I liked being able to separate the food. I think this will come in handy when Nick is a little bit older. The fun thing is when you remove the plate to put the food on it, they can be entertained by the smiley face :) This plate sells for $19.98. I think the price is a little high, and would maybe pay up to $10. It comes in various colors.




You can check out these products at the CSN stores website and you can also win both products here!

WIN IT!
To enter, leave a comment to tell me what you would pay for each of these products and if you find them useful. What serving ware do you use for your child or what have you seen that looked neat? Winner will be selected at random on Friday, March 12 at noon EST.


Amazing Grass is also having a promotion for 40% off their berry flavor powder. With the $11 shipping, you might want to compare to your local health store, but this is a pretty good deal (w/o shipping!) Use the code BERRY10 through this week.

pancake sunday, food, and outside running

Pancake Sunday this week was inspired by Abby's recipe! Here is the recipe and below what I used.

2 c. flour

1 tbsp. soy flour

3 tbsp. corn meal

2 tbsp. toasted wheat germ

1 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

2.5 cups milk

1+ cup berries/bananas/chocolate chips/unsweetened canned pumpkin/diced apples/etc...
vanilla and cinnamon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I did half the recipe and changed a few things:
1 c ground oats
1 T. flax
1 T. corn meal (should have used more)
1 T. wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
berries and greens + berry powder

Ok the batter was green from the powder but these were good!

"Syrup" was cream cheese, yogurt, and agave. Mmmm..
Thanks for the recipe Abby!

Ok, then here are a bunch of eats from a day when I was taking pictures


Eggplant bake with mushrooms and humnut sauce (2 T hummus, 1 T nutritional yeast and water)

Mushrooms, bulgar, black beans and cheese

green beans and potatoes

My all new cupboard. Thanks for the suggestions!

blueberries and oatmeal baked!

Berry smoothie w/ Greens Plus!

Peanut butter granola bars by May

Next up - Mini Clif Bars! This was a treat that came in the mail from Brian and they came just in time. I go in and out of "bar" phases where I just want to grab a bar and not make a meal. Now these are minis and at 100 calories, they are perfect for pre-workout, post-workout or for a snack. My favorite one is the oatmeal raisin walnut, but I go through phases of flavors too :)

These 3 are the new flavors that are out:

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut - like an oatmeal raisin cookie!
Chocolate chip peanut butter - you can't go wrong with this combo
Blueberry Crisp - like blueberries and oatmeal in the morning.

They also have chocolate chip, crunchy peanut butter and chocolate brownie (mmm). I've bought these before at Target, they also have them at Wegmans. Have you tried them? Yum.

Size - pretty small - next to my HD :) but filling.

Popcorn success -Bill made it for me. High heat, moving the pan around on top of the burner but not touching it. Yum.



Thank you for the greens suggestions! I am going to pick up a few items for cleaning, I would feel better about what I am using and feel like it is always on my hands. I also found this site and will try to make my own things!

I went running outside today! whew! It had been a while since I ran up hills and outside for a while (just over an hour). It felt really good once I was warmed up. The first 15-30 minutes were tough. From there, it flew by. I love this weather!

Do you have a pancake recipe that you think I would like? Pass it along! :)