Raw Oatmeal!!!

Looks like warm, cooked oatmeal, doesn't it?

This has been one of my favorite meals lately...

Raw oatmeal!

What is Raw Oatmeal?

Raw oat groats soaked in water overnight in the fridge then placed in the food processor with dates/agave and cinnamon, or applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon and raisins then topped with raw almonds and served cold.

Seriously, this stuff is filling and keeps me full for HOURS!!! The other day I had it as my second meal (around 10:30 AM) and was not hungry until about 4:00 PM.

Seriously GOOD food. Allan even likes it. :)

I am working on a Cacao Bliss inspired raw oatmeal, recipe, too.

I'm still here!

Good Evening!!!

I am still here and eating clean. If you follow me on Twitter, you saw that I am keeping my eats clean and getting in my workouts, but have been BUSY! It's crazy how our life gets completely out of control in the summer and to top it off, I have been working longer, more packed hours at work. So, by the time I get home, workout and get supper on the table I am down for the count!

We had a really nice weekend at home with some decent weather for a change. We were even able to spend Sunday at my parent's pool.

Allan and I just picked this up on Sunday at Best Buy and have been playing it every night!!!

My favorite games so far are jet skiing and wake boarding.

I would love to check out this game for the Wii:

Does anyone have it? What do you think?

Sweet dreams!

The Rav4 Has Arrived!

Last night after work we received a call from the car dealership that the Toyota Rav4 that we ordered a month ago arrived! We picked it up last night in Golden Valley and could not be happier with our decision! I will try to post a pic of the black beauty later on tonight!

I'm sorry that I have not posted my eats for a few weeks. I have been staying Cooler 2 strict while integrating some raw foods and eliminating dairy and wheat flour. I found that dairy and wheat flour (even WW) tend to give me belly bloat, so I am trying to limit them as much as possible.

Here are my eats for the day:

Meal 1 - egg whites + chicken sausage + cinn raising sprouted wheat toast

Meal 2 - raw cashew coconut pudding + raspberries (from the farmer's market)

Meal 3 - chicken artichoke spinach pesto w/ brown rice penne + kale + raw orange miso dressing

Meal 4 - banana + raw almond butter (homemade)

Meal 5 - chicken burger + turkey bacon + butter crunch lettuce + green/yellow/purple beans

Last week I went to the Farmer's Market twice to pick up fresh produce and plan on going twice again this week to pick up any additional produce that we need to supplement our CSA share. The weather in MN is finally cooperating and the farmers have been able to start cranking out produce. I read last week that because of the cold and dry Spring/Summer that we have had, several farmers are over 2 weeks behind schedule on their crops. It's nice to see the weather warming up and the rain today to help them out!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hello bloggers!

I hope that you had a nice weekend and are off to a great start on the week!!! We had a fun and event-filled weekend. It was one of our first weekends at home this summer and it was nice to be able to enjoy ourselves around Minneapolis instead of constantly being out of town!

On Friday, Allan and I kept it low key and enjoyed pizza and a red box. We rented Marley and Me, because we had been told that it was a good, uplifting movie and we were in the mood for something lighthearted. I thought that overall the movie was good and it definitely portrayed a more realistic viewpoint on marriage, pets, and kids. Although, I didn't think that it was as good as others had made it out to be... Although, I may be a bit biased, because I am a cat person, not a dog person. It's not that I don't like dogs, I do refer to Mr. Piggie as a puppy because sometimes he acts like a puppy, I just prefer cats. I just don't understand the licking, doggy breath and jumping - so not my style. I prefer this fuzzy lover.

Unfortunately, he prefers to lay on the Wii Fit Balance Board,

as opposed to standing on it and exercising. Oh well...

On Saturday night we celebrated my dear friend, Laura's, birthday at The Sample Room and the NE Palace. Good food was ate. Interesting conversations were had. And Karaoke was enjoyed.

Sunday afternoon was spent on Fountain Lake in Albert Lea celebrating my Aunt Becky's birthday with my mom's side of the family. We visited, went boating and ate.

I have been working on a recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Hummus for my cookbook and brought along the latest version of the recipe for taste testing. The response was positive and I think that this version is ready to go! Overall, it was a beautifully sunny day and I even drove the boat!

It's hard to believe that the summer is already half over. Phew! That was fast! Enjoy the beauty of the season while it is here!!!

Galia Melon

During the summer months, the produce section at the grocery store and the local farmers markets are brimming with interesting produce. I am completely intrigued by unique produce and the Galia melon did NOT disappoint.

Out of the varying types of melons in the produce section, I choose the Galia because it was the most fragrant. The smell alone made me want to sink my teeth into it right then and there. :) Also, the skin of the Galia is completely different than most melons, it appears to have little veins running through it that seemed penetrate into the melon.

I was expecting the flesh of the Galia to be yellow or orange and was surprised to cut it open and find this:

The flesh is GREEN!!!

The taste of the melon was familiar, yet different; sweet and watery, yet complex.

The best way to describe it is if a Cantaloupe and Honeydew were iMated you would get the Galia.

By the way, visit Gina's blog because she is giving away a copy of Sarma Melngailis' new book. I looked at it briefly the other day at Barnes and Noble and would really like to buy a copy.

Steamed Kabocha Squash

Have you tried Kabocha squash yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

I have heard that Kabocha can be a little difficult to come by, but here in Minneapolis, I have seen them in all of the local grocery stores, not just specialty grocers. If you have a difficult time finding one, visit your local Asian market and they will be sure to have one.

Kabocha can be enjoyed in a number of ways: baked, steamed, sauteed, grilled, etc. I chose to cut my squash into bit size chunks, skin and all, and lightly steam it.


It kind of looks like an acorn squash on the inside and it has a distinctly sweet smell.


Allan and I enjoyed our Kabocha drizled with ABU and cinnamon. I was a little wary at eating the squash skin and all, but it actually added a nice chewy mouthfeel to the soft squash. We both really liked Kabocha's unique texture, as it is more "meaty" and not stringy like other squash. It almost reminded me of eating a sweet potato. I also loved the slightly sweet taste that melted in your mouth.

Here is my plate:

And this is Allan's plate:

Sodium Nitrites and Nitrates

This article on sodium nitrites and nitrates comes at no surprise to me. I have avoided cured meats for quite some time now, but I think that it is important to point out, because not many people realize the wide array of foods that are laced with this very toxic ingredient!

Eat This...

Not That...

Holiday Weekend

I hope that you had an amazing long weekend filled with joy, loved ones, and yummy clean eats!

Allan and I spent the long weekend at his parent's cabin near Pine River, MN, near the Brainerd Lakes area of MN. We had a great time "roughing it" - the cabin has electricity but no running water, which is always an adjustment for me, as I am quite partial to running water. :)

Over the weekend we golfed, shopped, saw Public Enemies, watched a parade, swam in Leech Lake with Miss Laura and her family, had a bonfire, and played games. No fireworks, though, which was alright with me. Allan and I will go to fireworks during the Minneapolis Aquatennial later this summer. It was really nice to get away for a few days! However, it feels good to be home.

What did you do this weekend? I hope that you enjoyed yourself.

Clean Cosmetics Pocket Guide

In the past I have discussed my viewpoint on the health and beauty industry and about ensuring that you are using products that are safe, nontoxic and non-carcinogenic. I found this handy pocket guide to choosing clean health and beauty items.

Instead of printing out these guides and having to ensure that they are in my wallet/purse/etc., I visit the websites on my cell phone and download the PDFs directly to my phone's hard drive for reference no matter where I am.

In the past I have posted similar pocket guides including a safe seafood selector and the shopper's guide to pesticides (dirty dozen vs. clean 15).

Also, for parents out there, you can download the Parent's Buying Guide that details how to shop for your little ones.

Phantom Fat

This is a really interesting article about people who loose a great deal of weight and still see themselves as their heavier self rather than their REAL thin self.

Sometimes I feel this way - I am shocked when I look in the mirror and nit-pick at my problem areas. I am working on improving my self image and seeing myself in a realistic light. I am not a fitness model. I don't want to be a fitness model.

I want to be healthy and fit and I am.

I want to be a good example for others and I am.

I want to be able to run up a flight of stairs and not be winded and I can.

I want to go on long walks with my husband and I do.

I want to bike with my husband across town and we do.

I want to wear a bikini and not feel self-conscious and I will.

I want my future children to be proud of me and they will.

I want to be proud of myself and I am.

Summer Goals

Thank you to everyone for the kind words on in regards to my before and after pics from the Competition. It was a little scary posting pictures of myself in a bikini for the world to see! I am really happy with the visible results that I had and the way that my clothes now fit. To celebrate my achievement, I even picked up a couple pairs of size 6 jeans and a skirt!!!



On to my summer goals. Yes, I know that the summer has been here for a while… but with the weather that we’ve had in Minnesota, it feels like the summer is just beginning. Besides, in reality, summer has only been here for 9 days. So, with the start of the summer, I would like to set some realistic goals for myself for the next MONTH. A month doesn’t seem like a long time, just 4 short weeks, but it definitely is enough time to make progress on some of my long-term goals.

Here are the things that I would like to accomplish in the month of July:

1. Eat clean 95% of the time (cheats will be wine, vodka/soda, or very dark chocolate)
2. Eat all of my meals on time (every 2-3 hours)
3. Workout 4 days per week
4. Vary the types of workouts that I do: yoga, circuit training, biking, running, walking, and heavy lifting
5. Embrace our organic CSA share (that should be getting more bountiful soon)
6. Visit the Farmer’s Market more often
7. Increase my Raw Food consumption and try to eat one raw meal every other day
8. Read Making The Cut by Jillian Michaels
9. Read an average of one Psalm per day, starting with Psalm 31 (I read 1–30 in the month of June)
10. Cut wheat flour out of my diet, as it gives me tummy bloat & headaches (stick to sprouted and grain-based complex carbs)
11. Embrace healthy fats like avocados, nut butters, and coconut oil
12. Get 8 hours of sleep every night
13. Start writing a Cookbook

Yes, you read that right. I have decided to write a Cookbook. I plan on filling the book with both recipes and organization/clean foodie tips, like I have on this blog. You may have noticed that I have not been posting as many recipes lately. This is because I have been busy in the Peters test kitchen experimenting with lots of different recipes, deciding which ones will make it into the book. Rest assured that recipes that do not make the cut will still be posted on my blog along with a few “sneak peak” recipes that do make it into the cookbook.

Do you have any suggestions of recipes that are currently on the blog that I should include in the cookbook? What are your favorites?

12 Week Contest Before and After Pics

If you have been reading my blog for the last couple months, you already know that I participated in a 12 week competition on the Tosca Reno Eat-Clean Diet forum. For more information on the competition, read this blog post.

Here are the goals that I set for myself in this competition and how I did at accomplishing them:

• Pray for strength, courage, and determination every day - I have been praying a lot lately and definitely feel closer to God, reading the Psalms has been helping a lot with this
• Loose 17.5 pounds and at least 18 inches - I lost 14.75 inches and 6.5 pounds, I am starting to realize that inches are much more important than pounds
• Lift weights 2-3 days per week - accomplished, NROL4W is now over... what to do next???
• Run intervals 2 days per week for 20-30 minutes - I faltered at this as the days became nicer, I spent more time outside with Allan and was biking a lot more instead of running
• Follow Cooler 2 strictly, allow myself one cheat per week, usually a glass of red wine - with our busy schedule filled with lots of events, parties, and family outings away from home, I ended up having more cheats than one a week
• Eat more high-water content vegetables instead of fruit - I added a lot more green smoothies to my diet and have been trying some new types of greens and really liking them (kale, chard, etc.)
• Remember to take my multi-vitamin, omega, calcium/magnesium, digestive enzymes and wheatgrass every day - accomplished and added CLA to the list
• Eat a variety of protein sources every day - accomplished
• Stay positive - really working on this one!
• Create an organization area in my kitchen for a vision board and menu planning - accomplished, just need to fill up the vision board a bit more :)
• First note for the vision board: "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." Psalm 55:2

The following are my results from the competition:

Summer Has Arrived!!!

I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but today is going to be HOT and HUMID again! We went from rainy barely 60 degree days to a heat index of 105 in less than two weeks. The weather has been so crazy lately, that this morning that the power was out for over an hour.

Now that the 12 week competition is finished, I am working on setting some new short term goals. These goals will also include a new workout plan (as I only have 1 NROL4W workout left), strict Cooler 2 eats, and starting a new food related project, which I will be announcing soon.

Now on to some eats. Last week I made a super yummy pesto dinner. Here some of the ingredients that I used (I also added 1/2 bag of frozen sweet peas and 1/2 bag of frozen california mix):

Unfortunately, my camera died before I could take a good picture of the finished product, but it was delish!

Operation Beautiful!

I just read this post about Operation Beautiful and cannot wait to try it out! Will you join me?

On that same note, this post really moved me!

I <3 Quinoa

Today has been yet another SUPER crazy day! Work has been insane lately and keeping me more than busy.

I have been refueling on this devine Quinoa Mango Salad that I made on Monday. This salad was inspired by the Quinoa Mango Vinaigrette salad that I had at the Birchwood Cafe last Saturday.

Look at all of that wonderful good-for-you stuff that I crammed in this salad. It is definitely a meal in a bowl!

Also, has anyone else seen this? It's the first ever Raw Mom Summit featuring interviews with several knowledgeable speakers spanning topics from conception to parenting. I thought that some of you might be interested in signing up. The summit start on Monday and best of all it's FREE!

Some Very Yummy Food

After a week off from NROL4W I started up where I left off on Stage 7. I remember Stage 7 being difficult, but not THIS difficult. The circuit style of the workouts is completely different from the other stages in the program and my body is taking a little time to adjust to the pace... I can definitely feel the burn in my muscles while performing the exercises!

I thought that I would share with you one of my new favorite meals... I could eat this all day, every day!

nonfat plain yogurt cheese + Polly's almond butter granola + raspberries = heaven!

Speaking of Polly, she plans on sending out the first batch of her Yoga is Yummy DVD's this week! I am super excited to receive my copy. If you haven't pre-ordered a copy of Polly's DVD, click here to find out how!

Last night I purchased the Women of Faith version of The Message Bible and have been working on reading the foreword and introduction. I then plan on re-reading all of the Psalms up to this point (1-17) in this fun new Bible written in Contemporary Language. To find out more about The Message Bible click here. In addition, I plan on starting Jillian Michaels' Making the Cut after I finish reading The Eat-Clean Diet for Men.

I have been in the kitchen whipping up a lot of really tasty meals lately, so look forward to pics of those this week!

The Competition is Over

Saturday marked the end of the 12 week competition that I participated in on the Tosca Reno forum. As of last night, all of the contestants' before and after photos are up on the site, feel free to pop over to the forum and check them out. If you are already a member, and have been since April 2009, you can vote for your top 6 contestants (3 for each category). Good luck to everyone!

I plan on posting my before and after pictures and results here once the judging is complete next week. Overall, I am really happy with how I did and hope that I place in the judging!

Allan arrived home on Friday night after a week of fishing in Northern Manitoba with his dad. It is so nice to have him home. It was the longest that we have been apart or not spoken to each other in the 5 1/2 years that we have been together.

We ended up having a really nice weekend together filled with test kitchen eats, my first real cheat meal since the beginning of the competition (pizza at the Leaning Tower of Pizza & homemade sangria by the fire!), a long bike ride, some cleaning, errand running, and a movie. Yesterday we went to a matinee of Up in 3D. It was one of the cutest, heart warming movies that I have seen in a while... I might even dare to say that it was better than Wall-E, which I also loved! It was definitely an all ages show that spanned a wide array of mature topics while still being completely suitable for young children. There were several scenes in the movie that pulled at your heart strings and made me well up with tears. What a treat! Thanks, Allan.

The Birchwood Cafe and a Bike Ride

Yesterday Allan and I ventured out on a 15.6 mile bike ride along the river and to the Birchwood Cafe for lunch where we enjoyed the sun and a very nicely prepared Green meal. Their tagline is "Good Real Food" and it definitely was.

I enjoyed half of a turkey salad pesto sandwich, mango quinoa and hibiscus iced tea. Allan had a turkey burger, blue chips & salsa, and a Naked mighty mango smoothie.

Here are some pics from our outing, Allan gobbled up his lunch before I had a chance to take a picture of it.

My yummy meal!

Quinoa with mango vinaigrette, grapes, onions, green onions,

dried blueberries, dried cranberries, and carrots

Turkey salad sandwich with pesto

We waited to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the magnifent weather!

Even the To Go boxes were sustainable!

Challenge Yourself!

"There is only one success—to be able to spend your life in your own way."
—Christopher Morley

Isn’t the gift of choice amazing? I know that, at times, the overabundance of choices can seem overwhelming, but can you imagine living without them? God is so very good!

I bring this up, because this week I have chosen to make sacrifices in my diet in order to be successful. It has been challenging, but I am already half way there! I am glad that I can lean on God to help me through this season and make me the best that I can be!

How have you been tested in your life? Have you chosen your tests or have they been laid out before you? Know that with hard work and dedication YOU can accomplish anything through God who gives you strength! Keep your chin up, push forward and anything your heart desires can happen!

In my life, I have found that I am the most successful when I have a plan of attack. With one goal in mind, I can set milestones and prepare myself to rise to the challenge. This requires organization and dedication. Preplanning is the key to my weight loss journey and many of the other things that I have accomplished in my life. How are you organizing yourself to succeed?

Today is an excellent day to set goals and define achievable milestones along the way. Where do you want to be in 5 years? What will you do in the next week, the next month, and the next year to work towards this goal? How will you measure your success in the short and long term? What tools will you need in place in order to be successful?

Congratulations on your accomplishments so far and good luck in your future endeavors!

Spaghetti Squash

Today is Day 3 of Cooler 1 and I am feeling a little light headed, but not that hungry... mostly I have been really thirsty and have not had a difficult time drinking a gallon of distilled water each day. In addition, I am drinking 4 cups of dandelion tea per day. Dandelion tea is a natural detoxifier and diuretic and will help me with shedding water weight before I take my "after" pictures this weekend!

I have been doing a lot of reading on Contest prep and the different ways that people manipulate their diets and workouts prior to a competition. The plans are completely varied and it seems that what works to "pump up" the muscles of one person may leave another person "flat". The plans vary from carbohydrate depleting then increasing to a "high fat" day prior to the competition to eating sugar right before stepping on stage.

What to do? Well, here is my plan: I am sticking to Cooler 1 for the week and trying to get all of my carbs (oatmeal/quinoa, sweet potato and pear) into Meals 1-4 (I work out between Meals 4 and 5), I am especially concentrating on doing this near the end of the week. Also, I will start to deplete my water intake on Wednesday and increase my intake of dandelion tea. On Friday, the only liquid that I will consume is dandelion tea.

I will take pictures on Saturday morning after having a regular Cooler 1 day on Friday. The pictures will be taken before I eat or drink ANYTHING. Then I will have a regular Cooler 2 day on Saturday (5 veggies and 1 fruit) to add back in some more complex carbs/fats and take another set of pictures in the AM on Sunday. Then I can compare the two sets of photos to see if there is a difference in my pictures. Any suggestions?

I am also going to Mystic Tan twice this week (once on Wednesday and another time on Friday) to help get a coveted bronze glow on photo day. I am hoping that my new bikini's will show up before I take my pictures so that I do not have to wear a suit that is too big for me.

Here are my planned Cooler 1 eats for the day:

Meal 1 - 1/4 c oatmeal (dry) + 2 tbsp chia seeds + 2 tbsp wheat germ cooked in 1 c water + 3/4 cup egg whites + spinach + chicken sausage

Meal 2 - pear + 3 egg whites (one of my egg whites was water logged, so I didn't get to eat all 4 that I had planned to eat)

Meal 3 - spaghetti squash + tomatoes + tomato paste + extra-lean grass-fed beef (rinsed with boiling water) + fresh basil + oregano + chives

Meal 4 - Cooler 1 quinoa broccoli frittata + raw salad: cucumber + tomato + chives + sprouts + red lettuce + mescaline mix + fresh mint + lemon juice + balsamic vinegar

Meal 5 - brown rice protein powder + amazing grass greens + spinach + 1 tsp maca + 2 tbsp flax

Meal 6 - lemon thyme pepper chicken + sweet potato + green beans