Barney Butter... What are you doing to me?! {Review... And giveaway?}

A while ago the very kind folks at Barney Butter were quite generous to send me the most wonderful "care package" (I call it a care package because it came during exam week and immediately brightened up my life!). A 10oz jar of Crunchy Barney Butter and 2 squeeze packets of the Creamy Barney Butter!

Because I still hadn't finished my MaraNatha almond butter, I convinced myself to wait to try Barney Butter... Since my excitement was too high to stay away, I asked my grandma to hide it from me... Good thing she did because I finally had some today, and now I'm seriously worried... It's way too good to be true... And by "way" I mean it's dangerous for me to be near this jar... because it might not be around for much longer...

It's crunchy (which made me realize how much I love and miss chunky nut butters!). It's slightly sweet (a product of natural sweetness of almonds and the addition of evaporated cane juice). And of course, it has a hint of salty...

The texture is phenomenal... Apart from the chunks of almonds, the butter is soooo smooth. And there is something caramel-like about it, too! I want to say it's a whole lot like peanut butter disguised in the healthier version of almond butter! ...oh dear...

And apart from its deliciousness, what some of you may find to be especially notable is that Barney Butter is peanut-free and made in a peanut-free facility! So if you or someone you know is allergic to peanuts, not to worry! Barney Butter has come to the rescue! :)

So after begging my grandma to finally give it to me (I still haven't finished MaraNatha but didn't want to wait any longer), I finally enjoyed this spoonful of heaven atop my fave, one and only, protein muffin...

But not the good ole' banana vanilla protein muffin that started my protein muffin revolution...

Meet the Vanilla-Apple-Hemp seed Protein Muffin!

Dry Ingredients:
1 scoop of SunWarrior Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Nutiva hemp seeds(!!!)

Wet Ingredients:
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water; mix and allow to stand for ~3 min)

Directions: Mix the wet into the dry, and stir until mixture forms batter. Microwave for 3 min in a microwave-safe dish and allow to stand for another few min. Remove from the dish and enjoy with any toppings of choice! I went for that Barney Butter right away. :)

A fantastic, filling, delicious, and healthy breakfast. I was thinking about it as I was falling asleep last night. I wanted something protein-packed because I went running and lifted last night and needed better recovery today.

So while I bragged about this incredible new almond butter discovery, I'm sorry if I made you jealous!

Just take a look at these nutrition facts, and if you weren't impressed before... something tells me you'll want to try Barney Butter now...

[Click on the image for more details!]

So... was I right or was I right? ;)

Tell me: would you like to try Barney Butter, too?

If yes, comment below and I'll see what I can do about a giveaway! :)

I hope your weekend is going well! Thanks for stopping by, as always.

#WIAW New flavors & treats

Hello hello! Long time no blog! I hope you don't think I haven't been eating or exercising in the time I've take off! On the contrary, there have been plenty of culinary experiments in the past few days. That includes both successes and failures :)

For the past week, I've started what hopefully will soon become a habit. Following the advice of a dear blogger friend, Pre, I now start each day with simple sun salutations while I wait for the coffee to brew. These moves awaken my body and get me moving, breathing, and thinking for the day. At the same time, I have noticed I am more focused and calm throughout the rest of the day. Not a bad habit to start, eh? Thanks, Pre! :)

Today's WIAW eats & treats consisted of entirely new concoctions, and all entirely delicious and nutritious!

I am one of those people who goes to the kitchen first thing! I'm always hungry and ready to get creative. It's my favorite meal of the day. But today, I actually started by prepping my lunch because I had no leftovers to bring to class. I recently got a whole case of sweet potatoes from Costco, and was excited to make roasted sweet potatoes and carrots!

And so, I slices up one sweet potato and two carrots, tossed in olive oil, and roasted them at 350F for about 20 min, flipping them over half way through. Once they were in the oven, I did my sun salutations. :)

...And then it was time for breakfast!

{Breakfast - 6:30am} (1) Omelet (with garlic powder, salt, and pepper = so simple!) (2) Whole wheat flat bread with avocado and a dash of salt and peppa (= wow! ).

I have to admit - the avocado on toast is now a new favorite, and one I could have at any time of day. Why did it take me 23 years to realize this?!

While I love to "compartmentalize" my meals when putting everything on a plate, I usually end up combining everything when eating. The mashed avocado on the flatbread topped with the omelet was a magnificent "breakfast sandwich."

By the time I was done savoring every bite, my root veggies had finished roasting. Just look at these beauties!

P.S. As I'm sure most of you know, sweet potatoes and carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A (they are ranked at top #2 and #3!!!). However, being fat-soluble, you must consume it with something containing fatty acids in order for your body to effectively absorb and utilize it. So please don't fear adding healthy fats! In my case, the olive oil will do the trick! [I'm all for consuming healthy fats in the form of nuts, seeds, and oils! I don't believe in nor promote a low-fat diet.]

...Anyway... Got off-track here :)

{Morning Snack - 10am} - Strawberry Banana 2% CHO! OMG. I've never had this flavor before, and this was theee last one from the assortment pack that Chobani generously provided a few weeks ago. It reminded me of a strawberry banana smoothie. I expected to find chunks of banana, but instead if was more like mashed banana on the bottom, and I loved every spoonful. I actually didn't know Chobani made 2% Greek yogurt (I don't think my local supermarket has it), and I found the texture creamier. Oh Chobani, how I love thee.

{Lunch - 12pm} - Consumed with the besties, N & M! Nothing better than great company and great food!

I knew that the lovely roasted veggies would by no means be enough for lunch, so I created this - a product of three leftovers: cooked wheat berries, hard boiled egg white, white beans, and sauteed onion. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Not bad, actually! I also had a salad.

{Run - 5pm} It was 61 degrees when class finished, and though I was feeling tired, I wasn't going to let such a gorgeous day pass by! I drove home, put on my running gear, did a few stretches, and off I went for my fave 2.8-mile loop. In the middle, I stopped to stretch and did 50 lunges (25 on each leg). Tomorrow is supposed to be a high of 66 degrees, but unfortunately I'll be stuck indoors and/or driving from 7am to 10pm... Yup, that's my typical Thursday!

{Dinner - 7pm} Oh my goodness. This is what happens when I leave my grandma home alone... She watched Russian cooking shows and got creative... without me! [tear] Not only was there this gorgeous salad and side of quinoa, she also cooked pork chops in the juices of sauteed onion, garlic, apple, and prunes! Flavored with salt, pepper, and rosemary. The meat was incredibly tender, and the flavors were dancing on my palate. I went for seconds :)

I decided to have a small cup of decaf coffee with a few crackers for "dessert."

Ah, what a great day of great meals and moves!

Hope your week is going well!

Tell me: Have you tried any new recipes recently? Would love to hear about your inspirations and creations!

This Week's Protein Favorites & Chobani Giveaway Winner!

I recently rediscovered my love for egg white omelets... They bring back so many college memories. While I was there, my university had already begun to make great efforts toward conscientious and sustainable eating by offering farm-fresh & cage-free eggs, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and local organic produce. By the time senior year rolled around, there was an entire vegan salad bar resembling that of Whole Foods! Roasted beet salad with clementines... Merinated mushrooms... Roasted tofu... And even seitan!

In the mornings, I would often let the chef get creative with my omelets. Each time, I would find a different combination of veggies in my omelet and the absolutely best was when there was ooey gooey cheesy goodness. When I gave up meat and then dairy, the chef embraced the new challenge - he would add tofu or smokey tempeh (amazing!). On some mornings, I would bring my own container of Daiya or nutritional yeast, and he would recreate the cheesy goodness. Of course, this was truly special... and happened only because I was one of theee first students to come to the dining hall as soon as it opened at 7am (I was always an early bird, with early lectures, and looked forward to waking up early to start my productive day!)

I recently shifted my focus from cardio (mainly in the form of running) to strength-training (all done at home with resistance bands! I'm dreaming of a gym membership because I'm getting bored of working out at home), and have been trying to make some appropriate changes in my diet, too.

I have always loved eggs, and you know I'm especially obsessed with runny yolks! (Check out all of my Happyolks posts!). The yolk unfortunately has a bad rep because of its cholesterol content, but I surely hope ya'll don't think that it's bad for you! The egg as a whole is the perfect source of complete protein, folate, B vitamins, and lecithin (one of my fave bloggers, Sarah, just wrote a wonderful post on the incredible, edible egg yolk), and the cholesterol is actually good for for blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels! So, don't fear the happyolk! Embrace it :)

Because I always do, it's important that I don't over-do on my happyolks, and on some days I do choose to go with the egg white only. However, I don't believe in letting the beautiful egg yolk go to waste. Instead, I've invested in liquid egg whites!

Today's egg white omelet was filled with fresh veggies - my fave combo from the college days: broccoli, cauliflower, and red pepper.

A side of ketchup is a must.

My other recent protein-licious creation, as you may have noticed, is the protein muffin, inspired by the very awesome Chelsey. I've been making one nearly every day, and now that I've got the hang of it and know the recipe by heart, I decided to get creative with the flavors...

Today's protien muffin: {Chocolate - Almond Butter Swirl Lava Protein Muffin}... okay, that's too long...

Swirl? Because it has two layers - bottom is the regular vanilla, top is chocolate, but it came out swirled!

Lava? Because it has an almond butter center!

Yup, I'm proud of this one :)

Ingredients: (Serves 1)

• 1 scoop Sunwarrior Vanilla protein powder


• 1/8 tsp. salt (helps to balance the "chalkiness" of protein powders! works like magic!)


• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon


• 1/8 tsp. baking soda


• 1/4 tsp. vanilla


• 1/4 cup fruit puree (i.e. banana, pumpkin, apple, pear, carrot - in fact, you can use baby food!)


• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp. ground flax + 3 tbsp. warm water, left to sit for ~3 minutes)


• cooking spray


• 1 tsp. cocoa powder


• 1 tbsp nut butter

Directions:

1. First combine the dry (except the cocoa powder), and then add the wet ingredients.


2. Stir until you have a "batter" - it will be sticky and thick!


3. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray.


4. Scoop 1/2 of the batter and spread to cover the bottom of the baking dish.


5. Make an indent in the middle and scoop the spoonful of nut butter.


6. Stir in the cocoa powder to the remaining 1/2 of the batter, and add to the baking dish to completelyy cover the nut butter.


7. Microwave for 3min and allow to stand for a minute or so.


8. Use a butter knife to loosen the muffin away from the edges.


9. Enjoy! I love to top my protein muffin with more nut butter or fruit preserves, or to crumble it on top of Greek yogurt for even more protein!

Last but definitely not least, the Chobani Champions has also made it to the Top 3 Protein Favorites of the Week! Indeed, Chobani Champions is the first Greek yogurt for kids, but who says an adult can't enjoy this delicious and healthy goodness? I'm a total fan!

These are smaller than the "adult" Chobani - 3.5oz instead of 6oz, and contains 8g (16% DV) of protein, about 100 calories. Creamy, smooth, and sweet (but not too sweet), they are a perfect afternoon snack. I've only tried the Vanilla Chocolate Chunk and the Orange Vanilla flavors. You can actually see the chocolate and the orange zest. Yup - that's what I call real food with real ingredients! Looks like there are also 2 other flavors! Honey Nanna and Verry Berry. YUM!

...Speaking of Chobani... Thanks to everyone for entering the Chobani Giveaway! The lucky winner will be getting an assortment case of Chobani Greek Yogurt!

...AND THE WINNER IS...

PARISA!

Congrats, girl! With just one comment entry, you're one lucky duck! Please check your email!

TGIF! Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

xoxo. Veronica

P.S. Please share your favorite sources of protein! Would love to hear from you! 

#WIAW with Ancient Grains

...and I'm back with my WIAW Numero TRES! I miss photographing every single one of my eats... I still find myself trying to make all of my food "look  pretty." I guess that's just a little joy in my life. Oh the love life of a foodie...

So let's recap today's eats & treats!

{Breakfast - 6:30am} Ancient Grains Oats

Stir together:

• 1/2 cup Instant oats


• 1 scoop SunWarrior Vanilla Protein Powder


• 1 tsp Chia seeds


• 1/8 tsp Salt


• 1 cup Hot water

Topped with (& ultimately stirred in):

• 1/4 cup Cooked wheat berries


• 1 tbsp Popped quinoa (yes! popped! here is how - be sure to cover the skillet or else you'll have quinoa everywhere!) >>> LOVED the crunch!

{Morning Snack - 10am} 1 Hard-boiled egg + 1 Egg White, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and garlic powder

How do you hard boil your eggs? Here is how I do it, and it couldn't be easier! Comes out perfect each time. The egg is such a wonderful nutritional source for anythingarians! Don't fear the yolk, please. It's packed with omega-3s and folate, which are not found in the egg white, by the way. And just like the beloved egg white, it's loaded with protein.

{Lunch - 1pm} Mixed green salad with salmon, steamed string beans, and a little bit of more popped quinoa for more crunch!

{Afternoon Snack - 4pm} Borsht and whole wheat flat bread with a slice of Lite Swiss. I love this cheese. All natural and with 50 calories, 7g of protein, and 4% total fat (8% DV saturated) - you can't get much better than that!

...and last but not least... {Dinner - 7pm} Mixed salad, pasta with grass-fed beef, onions, and mushrooms, and Russian Salad "Vinegret" (made of cooked beets, potatoes, dill pickles, and sour kraut)... I admit to helping myself to probably 3x the pictured portion of Vinegret... I never put a limit on my veggie intake :)

And a litt bite to satisfy a sweet craving... I made these chocolate chip cookies the other day for my friend's birthday! I followed Liz's recipe, and yes, I used my CHO, too! These cookies were wonderful. My modification: I added chopped toasted almonds!

P.S. How do you like my new nailpolish? It's actually dark brown, bu turned out burgundy in these photos (and my skin looks red?!?!).

P.P.S... speaking of CHO... There is just a few hours left to enter my Chobani giveaway! Hope you did it already! There is nothing better than a company that makes good quality, good-for-you products... or perhaps there is! A company that does both and is super kind, supportive, and generous! Chobani donates 10% of its profits to charity, and constantly sponsors events. The reasons to love Chobani seem to be endless. :)

P.P.P.S. Today's strength-training featured the following:

• 3 sets of 12 squats


• 50 alternating lunges


• 3 sets of 12 wide-armed pushups (2 sets done on knees... I'm getting there!)


• 3 sets of 25 sec wall squats (these really made my thighs burn!)

And that's a wrap, my dears! Hope your week is going well! And thanks to everyone for your support of some of the changes that I (and my blog!) am going through. You da best! ;)

Things are changing... again?!?!

YUP... but not in my dietary journey kind of way (that's already been done!)! Rather, in my blogging style kind of way!

I want to expand my horizons, explore the vast and exciting world of blogging, to challenge my writing style, and to learn more about living, breathing, exercising, and experimenting... with food, fitness, fashion, beauty... all the fun things in the life of a 20-something gal.

Will ya join me?

Why are you doing this, you may ask? Because I recently hit a new milestone in my blogging life... I posted my 100th post. That's right... I've written ONE HUNDRED POSTS... Each and every one documenting every. single. meal. -AND- every. single. workout. Does this make my attempts at blogging kind of official? :) I sure hope so! I've loved every moment of it, and I'm ready to make more great blogging memories.

One of the (many) reasons why I enjoyed blogging over the past two months is because it served as my daily food and fitness journal. It allowed me to take a look at my daily habits and patterns. Over time, I've begun to pay attention to my protein intake. I also noticed the formation of a bad bad habit (though nothing new in my 20-some years of life!) - I've been indulging in way too many sweet treats. That's what happens when you have tea and coffee dates every single day with the two most fun girls (my mom and grandma). Oops? Nah, no regrets. I've enjoyed them all, and will continue to do so, just will less sugar.

I would also like to incorporate more strength-training and muscle-building in my exercise routine. These aspects are so important, especially for women, and particularly for women like me with hormonal imbalances. My blog/journal has clearly shown that I rely way too much on running as my prime form of exercise. That's what happens when you can't afford gym membership... But it surely doesn't mean I can't do indoor workouts in the comforts of my own home. I need more yoga, pilates, jump rope, and the simple push-up in my life! So here is a warm and official welcome to them all! :)

For those of you who enjoyed my daily meal recaps... Don't you worry! I will continue to share my fave experiments/recipes (don't be surprised if they are mostly of breakfast, since as you know - I'm obsessed with breakfast) and to recap a day's worth of meals for the "What I Ate Wednesday" (WIAW) event! They will accurately represent my day-to-day food choices and evolving dietary habits in my attempts to listen to my body and its needs.

I will also continue to share with you my favorite finds (both edible and not) and hopefully host giveaways to keep it fun for ya'll!

Thanks to everyone for stopping by each day! I hope you continue to support and enjoy my blogging endeavors!

...and now I must stop typing because my arms hurt... Yes, this girl just did some push-ups! Looks like that's another milestone to celebrate ;)

xoxo. Veronica

Very Berry & Sweet Saturday {Wheat Berry Cereal}

Those leftover wheat berries had to be eaten, and quite promptly (and deliciously) they were! I loved today's creation - totally delicious, totally original, totally healthy!

Blueberry Wheatberry Cereal

• 1/2 cup Wyman's Wild Blueberries (give time to defrost - I did so overnight!)


• 1/2 cup cooked wheatberries


• 1 tsp chia seeds


• 1 tsp brown sugar


• 1/8 tsp salt


• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract


• 1/2 cup milk


• Adorned with Honey Nut Cheerios for sweetness and light crunch :)

Lunch was wonderful! Do you notice my usual arrangement - a bowl of soup on on my fave square plate? I like plating all of my food rather than serve as I eat. It's helpful to visualize the portions (and it looks totally pretty!). Of course, this doesn't mean I don't go for seconds...

Lunch included cauliflower potato soup with fresh herbs; sauteed zucchini, eggplant, red bell pepper, onion, and carrot (with a squirt of ketchup - adds amazing sweetness and creaminess to the mix!); and "imitation crab meat" (Alaskan pollock) cooked with onion, celery, and leek.

...Now, what was consumed the rest of the day was (unfortunately) a picture-less but a sweet bliss...

Afternoon snack included my fave CHO, 1/2 of mini whole wheat bagel, and coffee.

We had family friends over for dinner, for which we made mixed salad (with cranberries and walnuts = love), mashed potatoes, and "мясо по французски " (pork chops a la French... though I don't actually think the French make this...). Pork chops are beaten until tender, rubbed with salt + pepper, and then topped with red onion, a small dallop of mayo, and grated cheese. Baked at 350F for ~20min, until done. This is a treat that we only make for special occasions (my family rarely makes pork), and oh my goodness, it was delicious! I haven't had it probably in... 4 years... Oh, and we also had freshly made crepes with tea for dessert.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had special plans to meet up with my girlfriends to attend a gymnastics competition! It was so fun! I was in awe, and there were so many times when I felt like my heart had stopped as I watched the gymnasts do crazy flips and jumps. I have so much respect for professional athletes... And these were not only full-time athletes, but also full-time students! Incredible.

We then went out for dessert at Old Man Rafferty's to celebrate one of my friend's birthday! Being indecisive and clearly in love with sugar, we ordered FOUR pieces of different cakes... Exact names escape me, but one was topped with salted caramel, another was infused with bailey's espresso, another had apples, and the last but not least was a chocolate blackout cake. To say we were sugar high does not do it justice...

It was so fun to finally spend time with my girlfriends. We are all so busy and stressed out with our studies, that these moments are always truly special!

I hope you all find the time to spend with your friends and loved ones, no matter how busy life is... At the end of the day, it's the moments with the people you care about and those that care about you that truly make life worth it. Stress isn't worth it, however.

More fun get togethers are planned for Sunday! Gosh, I'm such a social butterfly this weekend (for once...)

No more lemons!

[...for some reason this post didn't publish last night, so I apologize for the delay!]

A mah-velous mornin' to you! Last night I prepared a batch of wheat berries, but when I woke up this morning, all I wanted was the original good ole' whipped banana oatmeal that I haven't had in ages.

And so, whipped banana instant oats it was!

• 1/4 cup instant oats


• 1/4 cup boiling water


• 1/2 mashed banana


• 1 tsp chia


• 1 tsp chocolate PB2


• dash of cinnamon and salt


• sprinkled with a few wheat berries for extra chewiness


• and colorful strawberry slices to beautify and brighten!

voila!

...and because my stomach warned me that it wasn't satisfied just yet, I had a teeny tiny piece of whole wheat flat bread with a tsp of MaraNatha Creamy Almond Butter, sprinkled with coconut flakes and chia. And then tummy was pleased.

A few hours later (during class) I snacked on a cutie - gosh darn they are so sweet and juicy! A perfect (and easily portable) snack.

Lunch came on the earlier side because (1) I came home earlier than expected since lecture got out early, (2) my stomach was ready for it, and (3) grandma had it all made already!

Russian Dill Pickle Soup "Rassol'nik" and sauteed vegetables with more wheat berries! (I rarely cook a batch of anything ahead of time. I prefer to make things on the spot. But since my wheat berries were made and ready to be eaten, I rather consume them as soon as possible to keep them fresh!)

They are so cute and round. Love their chewiness! And the nutrition facts are a-mazing | 7g protein, 6g fiber (22% DV!), and 10% DV iron! AWESOME.

Just as I was wrapping up my lunch and ready to leave the table, grandma pulled out roasted sweet potato from the oven. Sweet potatoes. One of my many foodie weakness. So in went a few slices. No regrets. There was still room. Ah, the beauty of leaving a table feeling 90% full :)

But just an hour later, and incredible sweet + chocolate craving kicked in... and for better or for worse, I had one recipe on my mind that clearly I couldn't get rid of... Chocolate-Covered Katie's Cookie Dough.

It looks like cookie dough. It takes like cookie dough... But it's actually chocolate chip hummus! haha. I love Katie's chocolate creations - she always adds a unique and healthy spin to the classic.

Among my mom, grandma, and me, it was devoured in its entirety... Looks like I'll have to make it again ASAP. No problem ;)

The cookie dough was consumed with a cup of tea... I made the mistake of not only infusing my tea with lemon, but also eating the entire lemon slice... Surely you recall that I love lemons and do eat them whole... My poor teeth, however, paid the price... I couldn't chew anything non-soft for the rest of the day... So that gorgeous salad you see right there... only the soft veggies (tomatoes and beets) were consumed... Instead, I had to rely on additional servings of the other dishes, which I didn't mind because they were delicious... Fried potatoes with mushroom, more sauteed veggies, and a teeny tiny pork cutlet (pasture raised!)

Late night snacking featured fresh pineapple - my favorite tropical fruit! Teeth were still sensitive, but I suffered through it. The pineapple was so worth it. :)

Happy Friday Night!

Tell me: Do you have any exciting travels, get-togethers, eats or treats planned for the weekend? Tomorrow night I'm going to a gymnastics meet with my friends from school!