Piel de Sapo Melon

Our family LOVES melon. It seems we always have diced melon in the fridge ready to devour. Usually it's a simple cantaloupe or seedless watermelon; however, recently we tried yellow watermelon - our conclusion was that it was good, but not as yummy as traditional red watermelon.

A couple weeks ago I picked up this bad boy at the local Kowalski's...

Piel de Sapo Melon

Piel de Sapo translated means toad skin, which is exactly what the skin of this melon resembles.

  

The interior flesh was very soft and delicate with the sweet smell of cantaloupe but the taste of an extremely ripe and flavorful honeydew melon. It kind of reminded me of the Galia melon that I tried last year, but with a much smoother texture - almost melt in your mouth.

In other news, we will be visiting Santa Monica because Allan is shooting a commercial in South Pasadena and would love suggestions on fun places to visit and great (healthy) places to eat - preferably within walking distance of the Miramar hotel.

What fun new Summer foods have you tried this year?

Celebrate Eat Local Month

August just so happens to be Eat Local Month. So, in honor of this wonderful occasion Allan and I enjoyed the following delightful salads for supper. Not all of the ingredients were local to MN, but some of the veggies were grown by our friends and in our own backyard.

A yummy summer salad

This salad was a mixture of baby lettuce, japanese cucumber, orange bell pepper, red onion, baby carrots, tomatoes, avocado, grilled chicken breast and long grain brown rice all drizzled with Annie's Lite Raspberry dressing (Maria) and Drew's All Natural Rosemary Balsamic dressing (Allan).

If you enjoyed my What It Means to Eat Clean post from earlier this week, you should check out my guest blog post on Wellness Daily: 5 Simple Ways to Clean Up Your Diet.

Are you participating in the Eat Local Challenge? If so, what fun things have you been eating lately?

Have a fabulous weekend!

What does it mean to eat clean?

I am often asked what I did to lose weight successfully. When I answer that the secret to my body transformation is simply clean eating and vigorous exercise I am greeted by three distinct reactions:

The honest and inquisitive, What exactly is clean eating?

The judgmental and know-it-all, Really? That’s it.

The well-intentioned and interested, I would really like to eat clean, but don’t know how to start. Do you have any advice?

Today I will address the question, What does it mean to eat clean?

Cantaloupe and Blueberries

Clean eating is a thoughtful way of nourishing your body. Our bodies are designed to consume foods that are whole, natural and bursting with nutrients; however, most of us do not consume foods that respect these needs. Clean eating replaces processed, refined, toxic and nutritionally devoid foods with those that are as close to nature as possible. This creates a diet that will transform you into your best self: healthy, vibrant and lean.

By combining natural, whole foods into 5-6 small meals a day, each consisting of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, clean eating will transform your body into an energetic powerhouse.

Grilled Chicken on Bibb Lettuce topped with Almond Butter

Eating clean is also good for the World. It is a preservationist approach to making smart food choices that respect the land, animals and your health. The core values of clean eating focus on making local, sustainable, eco-friendly choices that minimize waste and conserve resources.

Eating close to nature translates to shopping the outer aisles at the supermarket, especially the produce, bulk bin, dairy and meat departments, visiting farmer’s markets and making contact with local farmers and suppliers using sites like localharvest.org.

Quinoa Mango Salad

The following are some examples of easy swaps that you can make to clean up your diet, please note that this is not a comprehensive list:

Category of food	Conventional choice	Clean choice
Sweetener	Refined, white sugar Corn Syrup High Fructose Corn Syrup Dextrose Artificial Sweeteners (Splenda, Aspartame, etc.) Sugar Alcohols (Xylitol, sorbitol, etc.)	SuCaNat (Sugar Cane Natural) Agave Nectar Raw Honey Maple Syrup Maple Sugar Flakes Dates
Grains/Flour	Enriched White Flour White Rice Flour Unbleached white flour White Rice Quick Cooking Oats Semolina (white) Pasta	Whole Wheat Flour White Whole Wheat Flour Brown Rice Flour Kamut Flour Spelt Flour Brown Rice Wild Rice Rolled Oats Steel Cut Oats Whole Grain Malt O Meal Whole Wheat Pasta Brown Rice Pasta Multi-grain Pasta
Produce	Conventionally Grown Produce	Organic Produce, specifically those you intend to eat the skin of and the “Dirty Dozen”: Apples Cherries Imported Grapes Nectarines Peaches Berries Peppers Celery Spinach Kale Potatoes
Dairy and Eggs	Milk from cows treated with rBST Conventional Cheese Conventional Yogurt Conventional Eggs	Organic Milk Cheese that is free of hormones and antibiotics Organic Yogurt Cage-free or Organic Eggs
Meat	Conventional meat from animals treated with hormones and antibiotics Processed, cured and preserved meats (bacon, hot dogs, brats, deli meat)	Meat from animals not treated with hormones and antibiotics, preferably allowed to roam in their natural environment Uncured meats that do not contain added nitrates, nitrites, preservatives and sodium

In future posts I will explore the topics of how to start eating clean, the importance of reading nutrition labels, and how to shop each grocery store department. Also, check out a previous post that gave you a glimpse into my Simply Clean Fridge.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Quality pure vanilla extract is a clean eating kitchen staple. I personally use it several times a day. Vanilla extract adds a distinct dimension of flavor to my morning oatmeal, post-workout smoothies, mid-morning greek yogurt, homemade protein bars, the list goes on and on. However, at $7.60 per 4 oz bottle, this fabulous kitchen staple can really put a dent in our clean eating grocery budgets. So, when my dear friend, Melissa, told me that she was making her own homemade vanilla extract for a fraction of the cost of store bought I was all ears.

Vanilla Extract one of those items that never occurred to me could be so simple to make at home. I feel slightly embarrassed even calling this a recipe. Had I known that I could easily make my own vanilla extract I would have started saving money years ago!

Vanilla Extract


1 cup good quality organic vodka (I use Phillips Organic Prairie Vodka)
2 organic vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise


Combine the vodka and vanilla beans in a glass mason jar. Cover and shake vigorously. Store in a cool, dark place to steep.


Give the mason jar a good vigorous shake daily for 1 week. Vanilla extract will be ready to use.


At this point you can remove the vanilla beans; however, I let them steep until I use up all of the vanilla extract and it is time to make a new batch.


Tip: Look in the bulk spice section of your local co-op for BIG savings on vanilla beans. Local grocery stores usually charge upwards of $7 a piece for pre-packaged organic vanilla beans; however, I can pick up 2 vanilla beans at Valley Natural Foods for $3-$4 total. In addition, I have found that the bulk vanilla beans are softer and have more flavor than the pre-packaged vanilla beans.

Which kitchen staples do you make at home to save money?

Cold Busting Smoothie

Monday morning Matt woke up with his very first cold and fever. I also woke up feeling under the weather. We toughed it out at daycare and work yesterday, but are laying low at home today. For second breakfast I made the following Cold and Fat Busting smoothie...

In the VitaMix went 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/2 banana, a handful of strawberries, spinach, 1/2 an avocado, an orange, water and ice.

This meal in a cup is filled with Vitamin C, natural decongestants, flavonoids, enzymes, and essential minerals to not only ward off my sniffly nose but also help me in my pursuit to loose the baby weight.

In addition to eating lots of fruits and veggies, I have been loading up on clear fluids, especially water, Acai Pomegranate Coconut Water, Tazo Zen Green Tea and Traditional Medicinals Mother's Milk Tea.

Matt has been taking lots of naps with his frog cool mist humidifier, cuddling, feeding frequently to keep his fluids up and using saline nasal drops along with a bulb aspirator.

Growing up I always loved Dole Pine-Orange Banana juice. Later today I plan on making a batch of protein popsicles that are a throwback to my summer days of childhood spent sipping that beloved juice. However, my version will soothe my sore throat while being figure friendly and loaded with Vitamin C and protein.

Summer Festivities

Since having Mister Matt, it feels like our free time is spent washing, drying and folding clothing, blankets and cloth diapers. :)

Mister Matt at 5 weeks old

In all seriousness, we are really enjoying our time as a family spent feeding, cuddling and learning. We have also found some time in between loads of laundry to attend a few family events including the family reunion of my father's side of the family, a couple birthday celebrations (Happy Birthday Melissa and Becky!), Father's Day with both Grandpas and the Fourth of July at BBDO.

At the Malcolm Family Reunion

As you know, no family celebration would be complete without food. The Summer is filled with backyard barbeques, parties, and celebrations. Unfortunately, many of these events include foods that are unclean, processed or filled with chemicals. So, how do we keep from compromising our ideals while still enjoying ourselves?

My dad grilling by the Pool during the 4th of July weekend

I recently wrote a blog post on Wellness Daily discussing my tactics for eating clean at Summer parties. Check out the post here.

My parents and I on a walk at Minneopa Falls

Apparently this topic is on everyone's minds lately because the day after I wrote the post for Wellness Daily, I received an Eat-Clean Diet newsletter addressing the very same topic. I hope that you enjoy my spin!

Summer Cravings

When summer rolls around I crave giant Farmer's Market salads topped with canned tuna.

Romaine and spinach topped with tuna, cucumbers, red peppers 

and Annie's Light Raspberry Vinaigrette

Unfortunately due to the mercury content, I cannot enjoy tuna every day. So, some days I swap out the tuna for canned wild caught salmon, grilled chicken, hummus or slivered almonds. Other days I simply accompany my salad with a vanilla or chocolate whey protein shake.

Kale massaged with 1/2 avocado, EVOO, sea salt and lemon juice 

topped with baby carrots, cucumbers, red peppers, salmon and balsamic vinegar

Which summer foods do you crave?

Cool Cucumber Salad

The Farmer's Markets in our area are finally in full swing! Our growing season is significantly shorter than what many of you may experience where you live because I live in the Northern part of the midwest. During the spring months the farmer's markets are filled with produce from Central America (think pineapples, mango, etc.) then as the local crops mature the foreign produce is swapped out for genuine MN delights like lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, beans, and my favorite: cucumbers.

When I see the first of these refreshing beauties I instantly think of the "refrigerator pickles" from my childhood. My family always enjoyed both a creamy and a simple vinegar version of these refreshingly Cool Cucumber Salads. Now, I am not referring to the cute little Kirby cucumbers that many of you use for canning and pickling or the delightful English cucumber. No... no... no... I am talking about the large, bright green, water-filled gems known as the North American slicing cucumber. 

At last week's farmer's market I picked up a few perfectly shaped cucumbers and made this quick, simple and clean version of the refrigerator pickles from my childhood.

Cool Cucumber Salad (aka Refrigerator Pickles)

1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tsp sucanat
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 cucumbers, skin on and very thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced

In a large bowl with a tight fitting lid, combine vinegar, sucanat, sea salt and dill until sucanat and sea salt are dissolved.

Add cucumbers and white onion to the bowl and stir to evenly distribute cucumber and onion. Secure the lid onto the bowl and shake vigorously.

Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving. Enjoy!

For a creamy version of this recipe reduce white vinegar to 1/3 cup and add 3/4 cup plain nonfat or lowfat greek yogurt to the dressing before adding the cucumbers and onion.

Recipe Nut

Recipe Nut is a newly launched site for storing, organizing and sharing all of your favorite recipes into one common "Recipe Box".

According to the site, Recipe Nut is Your Personal Recipe Box... It’s a one-of-kind website that allows you to personally collect and manage all of your recipes, even those you find on other websites. It’s also a community for those who are nuts about food and recipes. So it’s a super way for finding great recipes and sharing yours.

Recipe Nut is a great resource for keeping track of recipes that you would like to try in addition to generating more interest in your own blog and/or recipes through the social media component. I tagged a handful of my Simply Clean recipes and plan to tag my favorite clean recipes from other blogs/websites. Login using facebook to begin sharing your recipes and let's try to fill Recipe Nut with fabulously delicious and nutritious clean foods!

Here are a couple clean recipes that I found on Recipe Nut that I would love to try:
Yogurt Almond Ice Cream
Coconut Oatmeal
Honeydew Kiwi Smoothie
Arugula Pesto

BTW, be sure to check out the adorable squirrel animation!

Wellness Daily

A few weeks ago I was asked to become a regular contributor to the Wellness Daily blog. I happily accepted the invitation and have since written a couple blog posts that have appeared on the site. I plan to make regular posts about clean eating and am working on a piece that outlines what is clean eating. I will still keep up my blog here, but will also contribute posts to Wellness Daily.

So, what exactly is Wellness Daily? According to the website, Wellness Daily is "Wellness content from more than 100 sources in one convenient location... Spend less time searching and more time reading the latest weight loss, healthy eating, exercise and well-being articles."

Matthew's Birth Story

Matthew Lonnie Peters was born May 29 at 11:31 AM at Woodwinds Hospital. He weighed 8lb 8oz and was 20.75 inches long.

I am now three weeks post-partum and am finally starting to feel more like myself. Being a first time mom, I did not know what to expect post-partum and was surprised by the amount of recovery that your body needs to heal after giving birth.

Other mothers and my midwife told me that my body would need time to repair itself after birth, but I wasn’t sure what that restoration would entail. There was part of me that suspected that because I sailed through pregnancy without incident that my labor and post-partum recovery would follow suit. For the most part, this has been true.

Allan and I chose the HypnoBirthing method as our approach to natural childbirth. HypnoBirthing is described on their website as “a unique method of relaxed, natural childbirth education, enhanced by self-hypnosis techniques. HypnoBirthing® provides the missing link that allows women to use their natural instincts to bring about a safer, easier, more comfortable birthing.” We took classes in February at Blooma, practiced affirmations and relaxation techniques nightly before bed, had a weekly Tuesday baby night that included one hour of labor and birthing practice and religiously performed daily perineum stretches. Suffice it to say, we felt completely prepared for delivery.

The following were our goals for labor and delivery:

1. To experience a quick labor and delivery with minimum discomfort and pain
2. To equip Allan with the tools necessary to be an amazing birth companion and partner
3. To bring Matthew into the world without the aid of pain medication or medical intervention
4. To avoid perineum tearing or the medical need for an episiotomy

At my 39 week midwife appointment, just two days shy of my May 19 due date, I was progressing nicely and my midwife suspected I would go into labor soon. The following Saturday, labor-like contractions began (surges to my fellow HypnoBirthing mommas). They were 8-15 minutes apart and lasted 1.5-2 minutes. However, 13 hours later they just went away.

My labor rested for one week and the following Saturday, 10 days past my due date, labor restarted. I awoke at 5:30 AM with a full bladder and upon returning to bed I felt a strong tightening in my lower back. The sensation was very similar to the surges I had felt the previous Saturday, but this time they were even more intense. I woke Allan up and told him that I thought I was in labor. After the previous week’s experience, Allan told me to try to lay down and get some more sleep. I then insisted that he wake up because I was having another surge.

Half an hour later, the surges were still 4-5 minutes apart and lasting 2 minutes. Allan called the midwife on call and she told us we could stay at home a bit longer. Allan quickly gathered the final items that we would need at the hospital and placed our suitcases into the car. At 6:30 AM we decided that it was time to go to the hospital and Allan called the midwife again to let her know that we were on our way. By 6:45 AM we were in the car.

Upon arriving at the hospital, I was admitted to the water birthing suite and my initial exam showed that I was already dilated 7-8 cm, but my water was fully intact. After the mandatory 20 minutes of fetal monitoring, I decided it was time to get into the water birthing tub.

Laboring in the water was amazing! The water was very relaxing and the surges were easily managed. A couple hours later, my water had not broken and I was getting anxious to meet Matt. I asked the midwife about our options for getting my water to break. She suggested that I take a bathroom break, have my water sack checked and consider having it broken. I agreed.

Upon her exam, she found that I was fully thinned and opened, but my water was still intact. I asked her to break my water. Upon rupturing my membranes and examining the amniotic fluid, the midwife found that there was meconium in the amniotic fluid, which meant that I could not have a water birth because of the risk of meconium aspiration syndrome.

Soon thereafter, I felt the urge to breathe my baby down. In my opinion, this is one of the elements of HypnoBirthing (and regular delivery) that are the most elusive. I was determined to stick to my HypnoBirthing practice of birth breathing, but at first was not exactly sure how to effectively move baby down the birth path to crowning and delivery.

The midwife suggested that I move from the bed to the toilet and use it as a birthing stool to better engage gravity. Allan stood in front of me and I leaned on his stomach as I bared down while breathing through each surge. It was an amazingly powerful feeling to be held by and to in turn hold my husband as we worked together to bring our baby into the world.

I soon felt a change in my birth path sensations and decided to check the progress myself. To my delight and amazement the head of my baby greeted me.

I quickly moved to the bed to deliver Matt. At this point, my surges switched from lasting 2 minutes each with 1-2 minutes between to lasting 45 seconds each with 2 minutes between. I found this to be quite frustrating because at this point I was super excited to finally see my baby face to face and the switch of the surges delayed the progression of his birth.

However as with most HypnoBirths, time distortion had set in and before I knew it Matt was crowning and entered the world with a vociferous cry. The concern over meconium aspiration syndrome was unnecessary and Matt was moved to my chest immediately for bonding. Our little baby was in our arms at last – the wait was over. The moment that we first saw each other will be fused in my mind for the rest of my life.

By and large, I feel like we accomplished all of our goals for labor and delivery:

1. To experience a quick labor and delivery with minimum discomfort and pain. I was able to manage each surge with peace and grace. My labor and delivery were calm and quiet aside from the occasional midwife encouraged grunt during delivery.
2. To equip Allan with the tools necessary to be an amazing birth companion and partner. Allan was calm, collected and assertive during labor and delivery. He was able to anticipate all of my needs and quickly adapted as labor progressed.
3. To bring Matthew into the world without the aid of pain medication or medical intervention. Through HypnoBirth breathing techniques, an amazing birth companion, and a great medical team I was able to have a natural birth free of pain medication and unnecessary medical interventions.
4. To avoid perineum tearing or the need for an episiotomy. I did not experience any tearing. I walked away from delivery with a small labial abrasion, similar to a rug burn, along with normal post-labor labial swelling that was most likely caused by the birthing of Matthew’s shoulders.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with our labor and birthing experience and would definitely recommend HypnoBirthing to any expecting mommas out there looking for a birthing method.

Tosca Reno on Good Morning America

If you missed Tosca's appearance on Good Morning America this morning, be sure to check out the interview here and her super yummy recipes here. Tosca was warm, vibrant and overall fabulous, as always. She has that je ne sais quoi! Congrats, Tosca, on an amazing interview that truly represents the Eat Clean mission.

Pregnancy Diet Changes

A lot of people ask me how pregnancy has impacted what I eat - Do I have crazy cravings? Is my appetite insatiable? Do I eat things that I did not pre-pregnancy? 

Overall, I have not made any significant changes to my eating habits. Yes, sometimes I do tend to indulge a bit more than I did pre-pregnancy - i.e. chocolate, dessert, fancy brunches, etc. However, I think that has more to do with a change in mindset from pre-pregnancy trying to loose fat/build muscle to trying to maintain a healthy weight throughout my pregnancy. The following are some of the changes that I have made to keep myself healthy during pregnancy and ensure that my little one receives the best nutrition possible: 

• Eat when I am hungry - usually 5-7 small meals per day consisting of protein, fruits & veggies, complex carbs and healthy fats
• Add more complex carbs to my diet - 4-5 servings per day during pregnancy, compared to 2-3 servings pre-pregnancy
• Enjoy more organic produce and meats rather than conventional options
• Eat a wider variety of produce and meats
• Add more plant-based fats to my diet, including coconut oil and butter
• Eat at home more frequently while making very healthy choices when away from home

One thing that I have been craving recently is crudites with Cayenne Tahini Dressing from Kristen's Raw. This yummy, creamy, and spicy dressing is perfect when paired with cucumbers, red pepper and baby carrots.

Spring Fever: Spring Has Sprung!

The Minnesota winters are so long (Oct-Mar) that by the time April rolls around and the weather starts to get nice (50°-60° daily highs), I long for fresh farmer's market produce, perfectly grilled meats, blooming flowers, green grass, trees with leaves, and warm, sunny summer evenings biking with Allan. It's days like today that bring me back to reality. In typical Minnesota Spring fashion, it is rainy and 53°. Quite a shock from the above average sunny weather that we have been experiencing lately - one day last week it topped out above 80°!

As many of my longtime followers know, one of my favorite pastimes is biking with Allan. We spent a fair amount of last Spring and Summer on our bikes. Since most morning lows have been in the 40°s, Allan has begun commuting by bike to work, which made me yearn to feel the wind on my face. However, being the cautionary pregnant mama that I am, I figured it would be best to ask before riding down the parkway with AP. At my last midwife appointment, I was told that even though I could physically handle biking, it was probably not a good idea because if something happened and I fell off of the bike or hit my pregnant belly on the handlebars it could do some pretty significant damage to my little one. So, the Trek Lime will just have to wait until June to come out of storage.

One of the other Spring activities that I get really excited about is the annual Spring opening of the many local Farmer's Markets. My favorite Farmer's Market, the Eagan Market Fest, does not open until June; however, there are several Farmer's Markets that open the first week of May with cold-weather crops like asparagus, onions, spinach and rhubarb. A handful of the Farmer's Markets do stay open all year long offering local artisan creations, honey, maple syrup, and meats; and if I get antsy enough, we may visit one of these in April - just for fun. However, I love the Farmer's Market for the produce and flowers, most of which will not be available until May.

Here is a glimpse into the MN growing season, compliments of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Minnesota Grown website:

As the weather gets nicer, which Spring activities do you look forward to the most? Have you been able to indulge your Spring fever yet?

Young Thai Coconuts

During my pregnancy I have been LOVING coconut water! I usually purchase it at the co-op in 34 ounce containers, but was looking for a change so I decided to pick up TWO young thai coconuts and enjoyed every last sip.

Coconuts have been generating a TON of buzz lately for their multitude of health benefits, some of which include:

• Helps with heart disease prevention
• Contains anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties
• Promotes weight maintenance (some people boast that daily consumption of 2-3 TB of coconut oil generates noticeable fat % loss)
• Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage filled with electrolytes (think nature's Gatorade!)
• Coconut meat is an excellent source of medium chain fatty acids, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals

At first, opening a young thai coconut might seem a little intimidating, but they are much easier to open than a regular, brown-husked, coconut. Below you will find the steps to getting at the delicious raw coconut water and meat. Also, check out on this a great video by Kristen at Kristen's Raw.

It is important to note that it can be very difficult to find organic young thai coconuts at a local grocer and the best way to obtain them is to purchase them in bulk online. Most of the conventional young thai coconuts that you will find at your local grocer have traveled a long distance to get there and have most likely been dipped in a preservative to keep them fresh during their long voyage. The verdict is still out on whether or not the preservatives can actually penetrate the hard husk of the coconut making its way into the flesh and water. Needless to say, it is a good idea to enjoy young thai coconuts in moderation.

Step 1: Selecting you delicacy

Which one should I choose? For me, this is the most intimidating step of the process. In general, all young thai coconuts look very similar and only vary slightly in shape and size. The exterior size of a young thai coconut does not directly relate to the interior size nor water content of the coconut. So, my advice is not to fret and simply pick one that is free of cracks, mold, and soft spots, as these are indications of spoilage. 

Step 2: Prep the coconut for opening

Using a sharp chef's knife, remove the white outer flesh from the top "cone" of the coconut. The idea is to remove as much of the soft, white flesh as possible without cutting into the hard brown husk. I do this by running my knife from the tip of the coconut out towards the edge of the cone shape.

Step 3:  Open the coconut!

Do not use your chef's knife for this step - you could ruin it! Using the but end of a cleaver assertively pound the cleaver straight down into the husk of the coconut that you exposed in Step 2. Do this working in a circle formation around the tip of the coconut's cone, about an inch or two from the outer edge of the coconut's cone. Ensure that you keep your other hand clear of the cleaver, as you probably want to keep all of our fingers! Also, be forewarned that if your coconut contains a lot of water, it may spit at you as you complete this step. 

Step 4: Enjoy!

Gently peel open the top of the coconut and dump the yummy water into a glass measuring cup. As you can see in the photo from Step 3, my young thai coconut yielded 2 cups of delicious coconut water. Use a large spoon or fruit scooper to remove the young thai coconut meat.

Please note that young thai coconuts are highly perishable and it is possible that even though your coconut did not show any external signs of spoilage, it could be bad. The best way to check for spoilage is to look at the coconut water and see if it has a purplish tint. Coconut water should be clear or slightly cloudy. If in doubt, try a sip! Your mouth will let you know.

I quickly drank my coconut water and used the meat to make a wonderful tropical smoothie and some hazelnut ice cream.

Food Journal...

It's been a long time since I have posted my food intake for the day and figured that today would be a fun day to give you an update on what I have been consuming as a pregnant clean eater!

Today was an interesting food day because I am working from home and have choir practice tonight...

Pre-breakfast: 1 scoop Amazing Grass Chocolate SuperFood + 1/2 c homemade unsweetened vanilla cashew milk + 1/2 c water

Iced Vanilla Americano: 1 shot espresso (made with my new Nespresso Citiz) + cold water + splash vanilla cashew milk

Breakfast: 3 egg whites + chicken sausage + 1/3 c oats cooked with 1 1/4 c water + 1 T chia seeds + 2 T ground flaxseed + 2 T wheat germ + 1 tsp cocoa powder topped with 1/2 T homemade coconut butter

MidMorning Snack: 1 slice Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin toast + homemade raw almond butter + 1/2 c chocolate pudding

Lunch: Fridge clean out smoothie - I rummaged through the fridge and grabbed everything that looked like it needed to be eaten soon and threw it into the VitaMix: 1 small orange + 1 small mushy apple + brownish banana + leftover young thai coconut meat + leftover young thai coconut water + spinach + vanilla protein powder + ice

This made a HUGE smoothie... I drank 3 cups of it and put 2 cups in the fridge to have with my MidAfternoon snack. Look at how BRIGHT green it turned out!

MidAfternoon Snack: No Bake Nut Butter Energy Bar (from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook) + the rest of my fridge clean-out smoothie from lunch

Supper: I will be eating around 7 PM when I get home from choir practice and will most likely have 3 scrambled egg whites + chicken sausage + 1 slice of Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin toast - this tends to be our go-to meal when I have choir and we don't have leftovers in the fridge

Evening Snack: I usually get hungry around 8:30 PM and have a small snack. I made raw Hazelnut Gelato from the Ani's Raw Food Kitchen cookbook and will most likely have 1/2 c of it before HypnoBirthing practice, which we do nightly