Cha Cha Cha Chia...obsessed.

Ok, so I just discovered the Chia seed. (yes, it IS the seed from the famous, Chia Pet) 

Seriously, Chia, where have you been all my life? We found a recipe for a "power breakfast" which included the seed, and now we are totally hooked. You guys, these things are amazing. 

The benefits are pretty remarkable. First off, they are said to help weight loss and reduce food cravings.  The seeds absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel; this will leave you feeling full for hours without the added calories! 

Chia seeds are extremely high in Omega 3, Protein and Fiber. By weight, the Chia seed actually has more Omega 3's than Salmon! Skip the fishy taste and add these to any of your favorite dishes and you can get the same health benefits. The Chia seed is also high in anti-oxidants which aids in preventing premature aging. The best part is, a very small amount goes a long way. 

You don't need to grind them like Flaxseed and they really have no taste and will blend in nicely with almost anything. We have been adding them to everything from our Oatmeal in the morning to protein shakes. I just also made some no-bake power balls that I substituted flax seed with Chia seeds instead and they turned out delicious. 

For the entire list of benefits, read HERE.  Is anyone else on the Chia bandwagon too? 

Healthy Snacks 101

Thank you to all of you who commented on my post last week. I love all of your suggestions! I am going to share some of my favorite pickups that are getting me through the hunger pains and then I will share some of the ideas that were given by other friends/bloggers.

1. Edamame Hummus-this stuff is the bomb. I like it so much more than original Chickpea hummus. It has less sodium and is gluten and cholesterol free. We found this at Target and it's been a huge hit!

2. These almonds are like butter, but way healthier of course. They are perfectly salted and I like that they are skinless too! They are a great source of Protein and are perfect around 3:00

3. Looking for a sweet snack? Justin's all natural Hazelnut butter will do it! I will have a tiny spoon of this or I will put it on a banana. yummm.

4. If you are a salty snacker, these Special K Popcorn chips are insanely good and not all that terrible for you...120 calories for 28 chips. They just came out, I got them at our grocery store on special...2 for $5!

We have also been doing a lot of cuties, baby carrots and hard boiled eggs. I have also found hot tea (sleepytime by Celestial Seasonings) at night has kind of curbed my sweet tooth. We have also been making either a chocolate protein shake with banana and peanut butter or a fruit shake with almond milk, ice and frozen berries. Both are fantastic and your kids will like them too!

And here are the comments from other readers/ bloggers with their favorite healthy but satisfying (even for those with a big sweet tooth!)...

"I have been eating spinach, cuties, and strawberries for a mid-afternoon snack lately"

"I eat Trader Joe's dark chocolate almond biscotti for dessert(only 120 calories per cookie and they are big and chocolatey:) and a cup of decaf, very satisfying and it keeps me from eating cupcakes!! "

"34 degrees crackers I eat those alot with a small amount of cheese for a snack. You can eat a ton for no calories. I also like popchips, string cheese, or oddly enough I have been into olives lately. I am way more of a salty than sweet person though. Sometimes an apple with PB can help curb your sweet craving"

"A couple squares of dark chocolate? can you squeeze those in maybe in week 2? And for mid-day cravings....make a fruit and vegetable smoothie! my favorite right now is this: 1 apple, 3 cutie oranges, 2 big handfuls of fresh spinach, 1 banana, 1 cup of crushed ice (cubed works too but crushed is easier on the blender/vitamix), and 8-10 fresh or frozen strawberries. blend and enjoy! Note: fresh strawberries work better, but frozen are fine if you let them sit out for like 15 min before blending..... 

"I love to get greek yogurt and brown sugar and whip them together and top with berries. My midday snack go-to is carrots with this yummy greek yogurt jalapeno dip http://www.skotidakis.com/en/products/product-dip-jalapeno-24oz.php"

"This is delicious: http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/recipes/997/chocolate-avocado-mousse
When she made it on her show she also added 1/3 cup of almond milk to help it not be so thick, so be sure to add that. I'm not sure why it's not included in the ingredients/recipe online"

"I know you don't want sugar, but I find Skinny Cow dream clusters a good dessert or snack at 120 calories. I eat the dark chocolate and it does take the edge off of my sweet tooth"
1.)Justin's Almond Butter with Maple-on spoon or half a banana
2.)Banana smoothie- blend ice, skim milk, cinnamon and add a little cool whip on top.
3.)Think Thin Bars
4.) 34 Degrees crackers-they are paper thin. 
I also try and eat a ton of almonds, egg whites and fish. A good afternoon snack can be celery stuffed with a tiny bit of cream cheese. That usually works for me. I hear you about the 3:00 hunger pains!
P.S. When you have GD they tell you no fruit before 12pm because it can spike blood sugars! I usually try and stick to that"

"i keep dark chocolate bars in the fridge and just break off a square or two. i figure the antioxidents cancel out the sugar!! but i can justify anything. i also keep 100% fruit pops in the freezer - only 80 calories. "

"I do the dark chocolate thing too, just a square or two. At least dark chocolate is supposed to have health benefits. I recently have been having a cup of hot brewed chai tea, just add a bit of milk and a tiny bit of sugar. It's filling and has a hint of sweetness"

" I would have pudding for dessert...kind of gross, but it definitely hit that sweet tooth craving. Also, hot chocolate! 

Thanks guys for all of your suggestions and ideas, you are the best! 

The Spring Shape Up

How is this for a little inspiration? Insane, right? My husband and I are on a major health kick. I am trying to lose the last of the baby weight (and post-holiday weight) and he's just trying to look like Chris Hemsworth 

He is even doing the Thor workout and diet plan that Chris used in the movie. I wish I was kidding...

Although if he comes home with guns like that, I won't complain!

The first week has been pretty hard core; we haven't touched carbs, sugar or alcohol. I am doing a 5 day workout plan with my Tracy Anderson videos and he's just hitting it hard at the gym. 

We have both taken the approach of eating frequently, having small bites throughout the day which actually works pretty well. I am still hungry, but not as bad as I was the first day I did it. I think I actually had headaches from the lack of "junk". 

My only problem is that I have a major sweet tooth, and the need for something sweet after dinner. I hate it! I have resorted to a spoon of peanut butter, but that still isn't quite doing it. Do any of you have some great healthy snacks that will cure a sweet tooth? 

Also, do you have a favorite healthy snack, the 3:00 cravings are killing me...

share any of your favorite snacks/recipes/food, we are in need of some creative ideas over here! 

It's Bananas...literally...

My husband is the Chef in our house; I on the other hand prefer baking. In fact, it's become a fun activity that me and my 4 year old do together. He loves stirring, adding ingredients and of course licking the spoons after it's all said and done!

Yesterday I tried out a new Banana Bread recipe that got rave reviews on Foodnetwork.com. It's from Flour Bakery in Boston that was featured on one of Giada's Weekend Getaway episodes. You guys, this bread is amazing.

The recipe is spot on, you don't need to make any adjustments. They do suggest either Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche and I happened to use Sour Cream and thought it turned out pretty fantastic. It's really easy, and you may just have all these items on hand in your pantry ready to make it yourself.

And if you are feeling really sinful, just spread some nutella on a slice...OMG, ridiculously good! 

Happy Baking! 

So Easy and So Good

When we were in Naples we went to a fantastic restaurant called Cafe Lurcat. They are a Minneapolis based restaurant and this is their 2nd location. I have been to the one in Minneapolis, so I had high hopes for this one as well.

We were so impressed from start to finish. We had a darling waitress that led us in the right direction for everything we ordered. She suggested we try theApple, Cheese and Chive salad to start, she mentioned it was one of their most popular items. You would think that something so simple would just be OK, but let me tell you it was DELISH.

The salad is made of Apples very thinly sliced, manchego cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh chives. It is absolutely refreshing and the combination of the buttery manchego and the crisp sweet apples (we used honeycrisp) is incredibly good. We decided to duplicate this salad this past weekend and it turned out just like it did at Cafe Lurcat. I had googled the recipe and found THIS as well as the image that I posted.

It is SO easy to make and our toddler loved it too! It will definitely be a staple for us this summer.

A match made in heaven

My husband and I are big "foodies".  I wouldn't say we are food snobs, we just really love good food...whether it is a hole in the wall diner, or a 5 star restaurant. And really, you can't talk about food without mentioning wine. They really go hand in hand.

We pretty much hit sensory overload on our Napa trip when it comes to all of the tastes that we encountered. I won't discuss every meal, just highlight a few of our faves and one BIG disappointment.

picture via Bistro Jeanty

High on our list was Bistro Jeanty . A classic french restaurant with a cozy bistro feel and an incredible menu that leaves you pondering what to order because there are just so many great things to choose from. It was our last dinner on the trip and at that point we had really indulged ourselves. I made the mistake of ordering a tomato soup that comes served in a puff pastry and Jonathan started with the steak tartare which was enough for 6. Our first courses were so delicious and filling, it was hard to finish our entrees (which were also outstanding). If you love French food, this is a MUST.

Lunch at Redd

When we first arrived in Yountville, we were starving. We somehow ended up in a small tasting room, where the girl recommended Redd  for lunch. Little did we know, it would end up being one of our favorite meals! Richard Reddington is a renowned chef who focuses on a creative, seasonal menu with influences from all over the world. We shared the most flavorful Tuna Tartare and an unbelievable proscuitto, fontina, arugula and parmesan pizza. Their pastry chef also just won the James Beard award, so I can imagine their dessert menu is pretty spectacular as well!

home made mozzarella and Tomato salad at Bottega

We shared a wonderful meal with our friends at Bottega , chef Michael Chiarello's restaurant. From start to finish it was all very good. You could just tell that the ingredients were so fresh and nothing felt like "heavy" Italian. I had a homemade potato gnocchi with fresh vegetables that was to die for. I wish I would have had the caprese that my husband enjoyed (pictured) it was so delicious and that homemade mozzarella...amazing!!!! Definitely sit outside if you go there. The patio has great ambience and good energy. Our waiter there was one of the best...he was able to deal with our "high maintenance" table (who had a few too many drinks...)

look at how happy Jonathan is!!! Home made doughnuts at Boon Fly Cafe 

the best thing I ever ate...Green Eggs and Ham

I am a HUGE breakfast fan. I could eat it every meal, that is how much I love it. So when we nestled in to our booth at the cozy  Boon Fly Cafe , I got pretty pumped when I saw all the goodness on their menu. I had a very hard time deciding, but ended up going with the Green Eggs & Ham. It was seriously, one of the best things I have ever eaten. The ham was super thin, the poached eggs were perfectly cooked little pillows and the sauce....oh my....And if you go there you MUST try their doughnuts as a side item. Light and sugary and perfect dunked in coffee. Can you hear my stomach rumbling? I would go back in a heartbeat!

Macarons at Bouchon Bakery

I just can't say enough about Bouchon bakery . I went there 2 times just for "snacks". If you are a sweet lover, these are some of the best pastries you will ever have. You can sit outside and enjoy your treats with coffee and just people watch. It's a lovely little spot. Oh and the Macarons even traveled home with me in my carry on :) 

view from the Terrace at Auberge 

 The biggest disappointment of the trip was our dinner at Auberge Du Soleil .  Auberge is a gorgeous resort set up in the hillside of the Napa Valley. With breathtaking views, it is definitely a must-see. Dinner on the other hand was not a good experience for us. It was insanely expensive, our waiter was very stuffy and impersonal and truthfully the dinner was just so-so. Maybe our expectations were too high? Drinks on the terrace were lovely, but save your money and go somewhere else for dinner.

One tip...you can bring wine to any restaurant in Napa for a small corkage fee. We would pick up bottles at our tastings and bring them to dinner! It will save you some money and that way you can enjoy the wines that you have tasted throughout your trip!!!