. she’s alive! .

Hey loves!

Just popping in with a quick post tonight to let you know that I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. I’m sorry for disappearing without a word, but it was more or less a spur of the moment kind of thing that took me away from the computer for the past 5 days or so. I’ll go into more detail tomorrow, because for now I need some shut eye.

Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments, Tweets, and e-mails. I’m doing just fine, and should be back to posting regularly again

See you guys tomorrow for WIAW!

. winner, winner; soup for dinner! .

Holy smokes, it’s September. And two weeks until I move. And I’m kind of freaking out about it I will start packing eventually, but before I do, I have some good news and some bad news.

The bad news is that Hotmail decided to randomly delete all of the messages in my inbox…

… and it doesn’t look like they’re coming back anytime soon. So, if you sent me an e-mail within the last little while and I didn’t respond, chances are it’s because my inbox ate it. I’m doing my best to try and recall what all was in there, but that’s proving easier said then done.

The good news is that today’s the day where I announce the giveaway winner!

Congrats Brittany! E-mail me (runwithspoons@hotmail.com) with your contact info and I’ll be sending out your goodie package ASAP. I honestly wish that everyone could have won, but I had a lot of fun with the giveaway, so there’ll be more chances to win in the future. Just keep an eye out.

For now, though, I have something else to share with you – a recipe for one of my favorite soups.

I know that it’s still technically summer for a few more weeks, but it’s already starting to feel rather Fallish around here, and I’ve really been craving the comfort of a warm bowl of soup as the days become cooler and darker. The combination of warming spices and the seasonal flavors of pumpkin and apple make this soup one of my Fall-time favorites. I hope you enjoy it as well

. – . – . – .

. curried apple pumpkin soup .

Ingredients (serves 1, ~ 2 cups)

• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• ½ apple (any variety), thinly sliced
• ¼ of a white onion, sliced
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. cumin
• dash of ginger, cloves, nutmeg

Instructions

1. Begin by heating a small skillet over medium heat. Add coconut oil. When it melts and becomes hot, toss in the onions and cook until they begin to brown; ~ 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the apple slices. Cook until they begin to soften; ~3 minutes.

3. Add your spices, stirring well to ensure everything is evenly coated.

4. Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet, and continue cooking for ~ 5 minutes.

5. In the meantime, combine broth and pumpkin in a small saucepan set over medium heat.

6. When the broth begins to bubble, add the apple/onion mixture and bring the whole thing to a boil.

7. Once it begins to boil, cover the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow it to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. After 20 minutes, remove the saucepan from the stove and allow it to cool slightly. Pour the contents into a blender and blend until smooth. An immersion blender would also work.

9. Empty into a bowl and enjoy!

. – . – . – .

I absolutely adore this soup, especially when it’s paired with eggs and avocados…

… or almond butter and honey…

Sometimes I even like to toss in some extra veggies, beans, and a random grain (rice, quinoa, bulgur) and use it as a base for a thick and hearty stew.

A part of me will miss summer, especially when all of the melons and berries disappear, but I can’t deny that Fall tastes mighty fine too.

Happy September, loves!

. – . – . – .

What’s your favorite way to eat pumpkin? Breads? Muffins? Cookies? Lattes? Straight up from the can? Any recipes that I need to try out?

What was the best part of your summer? Are you sad to see it go?

. WIAW … snacking the night away .

What’s up my fellow cereal lovers!  Happy Wednesday to ya!

Before we start celebrating the deliciousness that is WIAW, I need to make one more brief cereal mention because, as of today, I have a new favorite to add to my list, all thanks to a package that I received this morning from the ever so sweet and generous L…

 

She surprised me with a baggie of my newest addiction after hearing me lament about the fact that I wasn’t able to find it in any of the stores near me…

Obviously, I had to dig in stat…

 

… and… Ohhhhh.mi.gosh. I’m in love. Both with L and Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Crunch granola. The chocolate. The crunch. The kindness. EeeeEEEEeee. I’m smitten…

… and now I’m ready to party…

When it comes to extremely serious and life-altering cereal vs. oatmeal debate, most people tend to agree that oatmeal wins at breakfast time…

Eggy bananafied steel cut oats topped with almond butter and pudding.

While cereal wins at snack time…

Blueberry Greek yogurt, Kashi Honey Sunshine, puffed wheat, cocoa ginger snaps.

 

… and sometimes even at lunch time. But today, I was feeling a but more savory when the clock struck noon, so I decided to go with something that I haven’t had in a while…

Tofu stir fry!

All I did was saute some pressed tofu and veggies (bell pepper, celery, mushrooms, broccoli) in toasted sesame seed oil and soy sauce, add in a spoonful of sunflower seed butter (this is key) when it was done, and plopped the whole shebang over a bed of noodles. Speedy. Scrumptious. Satisfying.

After letting that digest for a while, and because I was busy with work this morning and couldn’t get my workout in, I decided it was time to get my sweat on, so I headed to the gym for a full body weight session.

As of last week, I kind of gave up following the NROLFW lifting plan. It’s not that I wasn’t getting results, it’s just that I found myself getting bored and not enjoying my workouts as much. So, I scrapped the plan and came up with my own routines based on whatever I felt like working that particular day.

I made it halfway through, though, which is pretty good considering my issues with commitment. One thing I have no problem committing to, however, is my beloved post-workout snack…

 

1 cup frozen mango, ½ cup almond milk, 1 scoop vanilla whey, 1 tsp. chia seeds.

Apparently, I also have no problem scrapping dinner and snacking the afternoon/evening away…

Greek yogurt, Kashi Honey Sunshine, puffed wheat, Cinnamon Puffins, trail mix.

 

Chocolate chip cookie dough balls

Random craving: steamed broccoli, hummus, ketchup

 

Teeccino. Chocolate pudding spiked with cocoa powder and almond butter.

Eggified spelt flakes with cottage cheese and jam.

Yeah. I don’t know either. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and honor those cravings. Speaking of which, I’m feeling a banana&AB craving coming on, so I’ll end the night on that note.

I hope you’re all having a wonderful [insert whenever you're reading this], and I’ll see you tomorrow with the giveaway winner!

. – . – . – .

Do you always eat set meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Or do you sometimes find yourself snacking the day away instead?

Do you ever experience some bizarre cravings? Some of the weirdest ones I get hit with are ketchup, salsa, mustard, and pickles.

. a soft spot for cereal .

It’s no secret that I love my oatmeal…

Eggy bananafied steel cut oats with cottage cheese…

 

… and a dollop of almond butter…

Mmm mmm good.

And while we’ve been going steady for several years now, and I can’t see our love affair ending anytime soon, I also can’t deny that I have a huge soft spot in my heart for cereal…

Plain Greek yogurt mixed with coconut milk, banana, Kashi Honey Sunshine.

Me and cereal go way back – childhood sweethearts, if you will. I remember spending countless Saturday mornings watching cartoons with a big bowl of cereal in front of me, looking forward to slurping up that last bit of sugary, and sometimes colorful, milk at the bottom of the bowl.

Back then, our relationship was rather playful. Lucky Charms. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Fruit Loops. Cap’n Crunch. Sweet and fun was the name of the game.

Then things started to get more serious. Raisin Bran. Mini Wheats. Cheerios. Fiber One. We were taking our relationship to a whole new level.

And then we broke up.

Just like that, our romance was over. One day I just up and decided that cereal wasn’t worth my time anymore, and it was at that point that I started cozying up to other things… bigger and better things…

This separation lasted for several years, and while I initially thought I was happy, and tried to convince myself that I didn’t miss my beloved beau, the truth was that my heart ached for him.

His sweet crunch. The way he’d get perfectly soggy in milk. The comfort he would provide me with. I began to realize that he was irreplaceable.

So I went back to him, and slowly our relationship began to mend. But it could never be the same as it was. No. Those days were over. We needed to start out fresh, take a different approach.

So we tried new things…

… got a little more comfortable and adventurous…

 

… and I’d like to think that we’re currently in a pretty good [read: tasty] place…

 

I may never go back to being a cereal-for-breakfast kind of girl, but I’m definitely a must-have-cereal-everyday kind of girl. It’s become my snack of choice as of late, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Weetabix soaked in almond milk, with almond butter and wild blueberries.

. – . – . – .

Breakfast: cereal or oatmeal?… or… neither?

What’s your current favorite cereal? What about when you were a kid?

. a day without veggies .

Whereas last Sunday was characterized by one of these:

… this Sunday was characterized by a lot of these….

Soothing fennel tea.

No, our weather didn’t suddenly take a turn for the worse, but my stomach certainly did. I’ve been nursing a bloated/wonky stomach since last night, and I think I know who to blame.

Now, I’m not usually one to point fingers or accuse but…

… squash, I’m looking at you!

Call it a hunch, but I have this nagging suspicion that my stomach doesn’t take kindly to eating vegetables in mass quantity, especially when it’s several days in succession. I had a feeling that I should probably lay off the squash while I was making dinner last night, but like the alluring song of a siren, I just couldn’t resist. And I hit the rocks. Hard.

I spent the rest of the night looking like I was 6 months pregnant, and while it wasn’t exactly agonizing, it was certainly uncomfortable and upsetting… especially because I completely lost my appetite and couldn’t even fathom the idea of eating my bedtime snack. Sad face.

(bedtime oat bran ended up spending the night in the fridge instead of in my belly)

It also meant that I decided to pass on my beloved cup of Joe this morning because I was too afraid of upsetting my stomach any further…

… which basically meant that I spent the majority of the day walking around like a four month pregnant zombie and nursing a bad headache (helloooooooo low blood pressure).

My day wasn’t anything exciting in terms of eats either, because the only things that sounded appealing were yogurt messes…

Blueberry Greek yogurt, Kashi Honey Sunshine, puffed wheaties, trail mix.

… smoothies…

 

1 cup frozen mango chunks, ½ cup almond milk, spoonful of coconut butter.

…  rice cakes…

(with almond butter and honey)

… oatmeal…

Baked apple oats with yogurt and almond butter.

 

… and english muffins…

(with blueberry jam)

In a nutshell, lots of carbs, no vegetables – not even a single kernel of corn. And as for my stomach? It feels fantastic. Good as new.

Now, I love my veggies, but they’re not something that me and my stomach always see eye to eye on. I don’t eat nearly as many as I used to, and I no longer try to fool my hunger by loading up on tonnes of carrot sticks, but it seems like even a “normal” amount of veggies can cause me problems sometimes.

I know the general message in the healthy living community is to make sure to eat your veggies everyday, but sometimes I just can’t… not unless I want to spend some time nursing a well-developed food baby and dealing with other less than pleasant symptoms of an unhappy belly… which I don’t.

So, some days have to be veggie-free… and that’s perfectly okay with me.

. – . – . – .

Can anyone relate to my veggie woes?

What foods do you tend to eat when your stomach isn’t feeling too great?

. to gym, or not to gym? .

Remember how I said that when I like something, I really like something?

Well I really like ice cream…

And, apparently, I really like kabocha squash as well. So much so, that I decided felt compelled to go out and pick up another one after finishing mine off with last night’s dinner.

 

In my defense, however, I did need to buy a bit more than just a squash…

… like a couple of cantaloupes and some bananas…

… mushrooms, broccoli, cucumbers, bell peppers, avocados…

… kefir, almond milk, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, rice wraps…

… and possibly the cutest thing ever…

EeeeEEEee!

 

It just brings the mini spoon thing to a whole new level… and makes me crave eggs, which sounded like the perfect addition to the snack plate that I wanted for lunch…

Softboiled egg – Baked lentil chips – Yogurt mess with a peach and cereal – Cottage cheese and salsa.
A whole lot of yum. 

Maybe it was the eggs, or the ice cream, or both, but I found myself with tonnes of extra energy this afternoon. Weekends are usually my rest days, but I felt like I would go crazy if I didn’t get a little bit of movement in, so I decided to throw in an unplanned workout. Hey, if I can take unplanned rest days, then why not an unplanned workout? It’s all about going with how we feel, right? Right.

But the thing was that I did not feel like heading to the gym. It was a Saturday afternoon, meaning the gym would have been packed, and I just wasn’t up for dealing with big crowds.

Solution? The home gym, in all of it’s glory…

Welcome to where I work out when I don’t feel like going out. A little dismal, perhaps, but it gets the job done. Some free weights, a stability ball, a mini rebounder, and a couple of mirrors propped up against a wall so that I can watch my form. Oh, and an unpictured treadmill and yoga mat behind me.

Nothing fancy, but extremely functional.

I don’t believe that you need an expensive gym membership to get a good workout in. Sure, it’s nice to have the extra motivation of the gym environment, and the fancier equipment isn’t anything to scoff at, but it’s not a necessity. My gym membership expires in a few weeks and I’m honestly not sure whether or not I’m going to bother renewing it.

Why?

Well, it’s pricey for one, and not exactly convenient for another. They say that finding the motivation to get your butt out the door is the hardest part of belonging to a gym, which is definitely true for me. Now, try finding the motivation to get your butt out the door when its -24 and your car is buried under half a foot of snow. Yeah. It’s gets quite a bit harder. My gym attendance declined last winter, and I’m assuming that it would do the same this coming one. Besides, the building that I’ll be moving into (in 19 days!!!) has an exercise room with some machines and free weights, and I’ll only have to walk down a few flights of stairs to get to it. Yay!

Finally, I’ve really been loving body weight workouts lately, which you only need, well… your own body for. One site that I’ve been frequenting quite a bit is BodyRock, and what I love about that style of workouts is that you can finish one in the time that it would take you to get dressed and drive to the gym, and still feel like you got a really good workout in.

So I don’t know.

To gym or not to gym, that is the question. And the answer will most likely be not to gym.

. – . – . – .

Do you prefer working out at home or in the gym? If you work out at home, what kind of equipment do you keep on hand. And do you use DVD’s, magazines, the Internet, your own routines, etc?

Have you done any BodyRock workouts? Do they whoop your butt like they do mine?

. fun foodie facts .

Happy Friday, friends!

Sorry to have stood you up last night, but I was more-or-less indisposed…

Yep. I went there. I ventured into Ikea-land, and it took me a good 3 hours to find my way back out. Happens. every. single. time. Popping in for “a quick visit” quickly becomes “Omigosh look at all the neat stuff they’ve got!“, and before I know it, 3 hours gone. Just like that.

But that’s okay, because I know I’m not the only one who has an obsession with Ikea… and I came home with some pretty sweet goodies to boot. What kind of goodies? That’s a secret that I’ll share with you in exactly 20 days, which just so happens to be the amount of time left until my big move. EeeeeEEEEee!

Ahem. Aaaaanyways…

So I came home, did the dinner thing…

Roasted kabocha squash with cottage cheese and almond butter. Broccoli and hummus.

… and by that point all I wanted to do was plop myself onto the couch, watch some Gossip Girl, and read some blogs. So that’s exactly what I did. And it. was. blissful… which may or may not have been due to the fact that the wonderful Alexa and Kate tagged me with the following award…

… which requires me to share 7 facts about myself and pass it on to 7 other bloggers. But since I’ve currently got food on the brain (helloooooo crazy lifting appetite), I’ve decided to share 7 foodie facts instead. Hope you enjoy

. – . – . – .

1. Last night’s dinner was the first time that I ever tried kabocha squash. Usually, when I’m craving me a hefty dose of vitamin A and beta carotene, I go for sweet potatoes, butternut, or pumpkin; but that darned kabocha has been sitting on my counter for ages now…

… and enough was enough…

 

I’d had my fill of its incessant taunting, and decided it was time to snuff it out. Best. decision. ever.

Big fan.

. – . – . – .

2. I finally found Oikos in the grocery store. I saw the sign ad that made me squeal like a little girl informed me that they were going to be bringing it to Canada exactly one week ago, but each store I went to either didn’t have it, or was out of stock. Until today…

Verdict? Big fan. Might have just climbed to the top of my list. Maybe eventually we’ll get Fage and Chobani too. Fingers crossed.

. – . – . – .

3. After a lengthy and rigorous process of experimentation, I can say with 99.99% confidence that I prefer eating ice cream in a cone over having it out of a cup/bowl.

 

I’m sorry cup/bowl lovers. Toppings and spoons are fun and all, but there’s something so satisfying about the simplicity of licking ice cream off a cone. And that last bite?

Yeah. You just can’t beat that…

. – . – . – .

4. I had my first taste of almond butter at the ripe age of 24.

Funny story. I have a severe allergy to peanuts, but I grew up thinking that I was allergic to all nuts. Apparently, my parents were worried that I would get confused as a young child and end up eating peanuts by mistake, so they made it easy on me by just raising me to believe that I was allergic to all nuts in general. Uhm. Thanks, Mom and Dad?

Two years ago, I found out from the doctor that this wasn’t the case, but why my parents never bothered to tell me the truth is beyond me. I guess maybe it was an oversight on their part. Or maybe they started believing it themselves. Heck, even I still have a hard time shaking off the idea that I’m not allergic to all nuts. I’m comfortable with almonds…

 

 

… but the rest of them? Still a little anxious when it comes to experimenting with those…

. – . – . – .

5. I eat slowly and really like to savor my meals whenever I can.

A little taste of this…

 

A little taste of that…

A little time to take it all in. Note: this only works if I’m not too hungry, otherwise you can bet that I’m wolfing down my meals in 2.2. Oh, and you guys already know that I’m a plate licker

. – . – . – .

6. I have no idea why, but my appetite has been off. the. charts lately. It seems to be especially bad between the hours of 1:30 – 5 where I seem to be constantly nibbling on something…

 

… with “something” usually being yogurt or trail mix. I’m trying to embrace it as best as I can, but it definitely takes some getting used to.

. – . – . – .

7. I’m completely obsessed with the combination of chocolate, bananas, and almond butter.

 

… and I don’t see it going away any time soon

. – . – . – .

Tag! You’re it!

1. Tori @ Fresh Fruition
2. Nicky @ Kabochafasion
3. Sarah @ Feeding Brain and Body
4. Lindsay @ In Sweetness and In Health
5.  Alexis @ Pumped for Pumpkin
6. Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance
7.  Emma @ Sweet Tooth Runner

. – . – . – .

Do we have anything in common? If not, any foodie facts you want to share?

Do you have any food allergies/intolerances?