iheartwellness.com

Cheesy Corn That Pops

Posted on 24. Jul, 2010 by kris.

Happy Saturday Everyone!

How are you?

Ugh, I am sorry for missing my post yesterday.  I had this video all prepared to show you on my Twilight Creeping (I googled and found the Cullen’s house here in Vancouver! Michelle and I found the house ) and I can’t convert the video to work on my mac  I will keep at it and see if I can post it!

Besides that, I have been enjoying the sun!  Michelle and I went to West Vancouver for another Whole Foodies lunch and blogging at S’Bucks.

OH!  I finally got to the grocery store to get the Vega Health Optimizer (for $11 cheaper than WH’s) so I can breath again.  I had to go 2 breakfast’s without it.  I never thought I could do it, but I did  And I survived…..sort of.

Last night was a wonderful night in watching a movie and eating snacks  We watched “She’s Out Of My League” and it was freaking hilarious.  They do claim that this was supposed to be just as funny as The Hangover, not even close. Is there any movie funnier than the Hangover?! NO WAY!

But there were a few scenes in Shes Out Of My League that had me crying.  Ummm like the bathroom scene – with the razor.  Enough said folks!

Our snacks consisted of:

Cheesy Popcorn:

Drizzle of coconut oil with nutritional yeast (thanks for the idea here Averie)

and

Chocolate covered Goji’s that I scored at WH’s!

With some tea for sipping

Hudson always seems to curl up nicely between Ryan and I when we are watching movies.  A big happy family!

Tonight is a very special night!  Ryan and I are meeting up with Kate (ConsciousDivas.com) and her husband for some Indian food!  Kate and I instantly hit it off the last time we met up and can’t wait for our dinner

I am off to make a healthy beverage concoction that I can’t wait to share!  Until tomorrow my friends

What has been your Favourite snack item so far this weekend?  Do you indulge on the weekends?  Anyone out there do video editing on mac’s???

To Your Glam Life,

xxoo

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Becoming Aware of the Difference Between the Heart and the Mind

Posted on 04. Jun, 2010 by kris.

Happy Friday Everyone!

I Looooove all the emails I get from people who love the posts on personal development!  It is a huge passion of mine and I love studying it, following it and writing about it

I woke up this morning and checked my inbox to find a beautiful email from the Life Coach!  It was about really becoming aware of the difference between the heart and the mind.

In the email there was this amazing write up from oprah.com:

Treat your heart like a tired, hurt child: Accept its tantrums, revenge fantasies, and pity parties, but don’t get stuck in them. Say kind things to yourself: “It’s okay that you love your goldfish more than your in-laws” or “Of course you want to stab Billy’s third-grade teacher with a meat fork—all the moms do.” When you acknowledge your forbidden feelings calmly, you’ll find that you actually have more control over your actions. It’s when feelings are repressed that they burst out in dangerous, unhealthy ways.

The more you tune in, the deeper the truths your heart will tell and the more intense your emotions will become. You may feel great pain about times others have hurt you—and, worse, times you have hurt others. But as this pain flows through you and begins to dissipate, you’ll find something beneath it, something astonishingly powerful, something one philosopher called the “all-pervading radiant beauty” of your heart of heart”

I believe in what Ann had explained in this email and that is to really go into the pain you maybe feeling in that glowing heart of yours and allow yourself to feel

Food!

All right I tweeted last week that I had FINALLY made the best Kale Chips I personally have ever made.

Normally my kale chips are either too burnt or too soggy. Not these ones, they were so beautiful.  I actually think angels were signing when I lifted these out of the oven

Mmmm they were salty, crunchy and delightful!

Kale Chips sans Dehydrator:

1 bunch kale – stems removed
1 tbsp evoo
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp mrs. dash seasoning

Directions:

Pre Heat oven to the lowest setting.

Wash Kale and pat dry with a paper towel

Toss Kale with evoo, sea salt and spice.  Lay kale on parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake for 3 hours.

Remove and crunch away!

I am off to continue the Summer Shape Up and then move onto recipe #2 of the Get Naked Fast book!

Do you love waking up to inspirational emails, quotes, etc?  How do you make your Kale Chips?

xxoo

Kris

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Quinoa Cookies?!

Posted on 25. May, 2010 by kris.

Hey Everyone!

Happy Monday!  It was a glorious holiday here for us Canadian.  WooHoo!

Did everyone have a wonderful weekend?  Mine has been jammed packed since our lunch date on Saturday.  I have been investing a lot of time into learning more social media tips and going through a lot of different programs.  It has been such a wonderful learning experience.  I will be implementing it all very shortly

Today as a nice relaxing day at S’Bucks and then to the mall!  I am on the hunt for the perfect baby outfit for friends of ours who are expecting any day now!  This little outfit needs to be stylish, yet cute and most of the stuff out there I find to be poor quality or just “ok”.  I am picky when it comes to baby clothes and I don’t know why!

We had a super early dinner on the patio this evening – Brown Rice pasta with the super expensive sauce and a nice healthy salad with my favourite dressing right now!

Filled the roars in the belly from not having lunch today quite nicely.

Baking was done over the weekend (What else is new!) and I made some more Chocolate Chip Bars!  I can’t seem to get enough of these suckers!  I add a ripe banana and cut the agave down to half.  Perfection!

I also decided to try quinoa flour in a cookie recipe.  I am really understanding the difference of grains lately and how some are more acidic than others.  Quinoa is alkaline so I decided I should consume more of this super grain when I can in replacement of oats, rice, etc.

Not bad at all I have to say!

Quinoa Almond Cookies:

1 cup quinoa flour (ground up quinoa in the coffee grinder until fine)
1 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp almond butter (I know peanut butter would be divine in these as well!)
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal and 3 tbsp warm water)
1 mashed banana
1/4 – 1/2 cup agave (or sweetener of choice)
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix flax egg and let sit while making the rest

Add all dry ingredients and mix well

Mash banana and add almond butter, almond milk, agave and vanilla.  Stir well.

Add flax egg to the wet ingredients and mix.

Mix all ingredients together.  If batter is dry add more milk.

Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 – 25 minutes.

These cookies are pretty tasty!  They turn out fluffy and soft.  The quinoa flour definitely has its own flavour, but they are good! Plus they are a GREAT source of Protein!

*Sigh* I am also making some more Fruit & Nut Bark as we speak!  This stuff is dangerous to have in the fridge!

I have been on the search for a good, not too red, bronzer.  While out at the mall today I think I found my winner!

Meet my new bronzer by Quo:

She is perfectly shimmery and gorgeous!  I use bronzer on my face, chest and shoulders  I am so stoked!

**Beauty Tip! When testing foundations, powders, and bronzers always place a bit on the inside of your wrists.  This is said to be the area on your body that is closest to your actual hue.  I have streaks up my arm as we speak from testing this afternoon

** I have changed the comments on the Blog as I was getting a few comments saying people couldn’t leave a note for me!  So I have upgraded and all should be good.  Please let me know if you find otherwise  I will also be answering questions to your comments in the comment section, so please check back!

Did you bake this weekend?  What is your favourite bronzer?

XXOO
Kris

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Reconnect With Nature….

Posted on 01. May, 2010 by kris.

Hello and Happy Friday Everyone!

Please tell me, what are your plans for this beautiful weekend?

The weekend seems pretty darn full for me.  I think I might hit up the Wellness Show that is happening her in Vancity this weekend!  I love hitting up these things.  I always walk away with great experiences and some fun, free items!  WOOT!

Let me fill you in on my beautiful evening last night.  We decided that we have been very busy lately and we really needed to take the time to reconnect.  Do you ever get this feeling?  Like you are far from your “easy” state and you just need 1 hour of nature to bring you back?

We decided to pack the dog up, his ball and a fuzzy blanket and hit the beach. I bundled myself up as it is still pretty chilly here in the evening and made it there just in time for the sun to be setting  So beautiful!

The moon was full last night and it was causing the tide to be super high and the waves were outrageous, but we loved it.  We sat on a log right at the lapping water and enjoyed the sights and the feeling of fresh air on our faces.

Wasn’t it choppy out there?

I believe it is very important for all of us to take some time out of our days and weeks and stop to relax and reflect on all the beauty in our lives.  Be thankful everyday!

I just read online that research shows that people who don’t relax on a regular basis tend to gain weight, have a greater chance of depression and have more relational issues.

After our reconnection we headed home and finished Avatar (we have been watching it for 3 nights now….) and of course had some popcorn!

Do you feel the need to reconnect with nature?  Do you enjoy going to the beach at night?  What is your favourite movie night snack?

XXOO
Kris

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Sweet Corn Snack

Posted on 11. Apr, 2010 by kris.

Good Morning Everyone!

Happy Sunday!  Today is a beautiful day again here in Vancity and I am going to take advantage out it!  This morning will be a patio date at S’bucks and then possibly take the pooch for a walk.  I love that spring is finally here.  Can you believe last week our local mountains FINALLY got the snow they needed for the Olympics?  I tell ya, the weather is a tad messed up right now, isn’t it?

I enjoyed such a nice day yesterday out and about.  I don’t know what anyone says, you always feel better tanned  I can tell you this spray tan has me feeling like a million bucks right now.  I look like I just arrived back from a Hawaiian getaway!

As I mentioned I missed my Day 3 of my Bikini Ready Workout that I found on Fitnessista.com so yesterday I rocked out Day 3 and Day 4!  I am a stinking workout Freak lately!  I did 30 minutes of cardio and then the Leg Exercises she outlined for Day 4.

Omg – I am so sore in my legs today, I am not sure if I will be able to rock the ‘mill for another 30 minute cardio session today……yikes!

Onto the Eats!

Yesterday I was craving carbs for some reason and I needed a “fix” so we whipped up some sweet potato fries with dinner.

Easy Sweet Potato Fries

3 medium sweet potatoes
3 – 4 tbsp evoo
dash of sea salt

Wash and Cut your potatoes into strips.

In a large frying pan, heat the EVOO over medium high heat.

When the oil is hot add the strips to the frying pan.  Flip the strips when golden brown!

Enjoy!!  YUMMM

We had a lovely Kale n’ Greens salad to go with our fries

When we got home from our meeting last night I was still craving carbs, we decided to make some Sweet Popcorn!

I found this recipe on Averie’s Site! Oh my goodness…….this was the best popcorn I have ever had!  I normally don’t eat popcorn, but Ryan bought a small bag of organic kernels a few weeks ago so why not try this recipe!

You will love it!

I used this Recipe but altered it a bit

I pop my corn in evoo in a large pot over medium heat.  It tastes so yummy like kettle corn!

I used a bit of coconut oil that I heated up a smidge poured it over the corn and then add some cinnamon and some mini vegan dark chocolate chips!

YUMMMMMMM!!

Do you love popcorn?  Sweet or Salty??

Off to the morning date and then to the beach to go for a walk!  Have a brilliant day ya’ll!

XXOO
Kris

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Beautiful Day and Bikini Ready…..Almost!

Posted on 08. Apr, 2010 by kris.

Hi Everyone!!  Happy Thursday!  Woooo Hooo it is almost Friday, can you believe how fast this extra short week has gone by?

I am just eating a hearty salad and then I am off to the gym to jump on Day 2 of my Bikini Ready Exercises I found on Fitnessista.comr

Yesterday was day 1 which was 30 minutes of Cardio on the good ol’ Treadmill……

I did what was explained on the site and listed out my Workouts and my Eats for each day as I go along!  It is really simple so far

Here is happy me on the treadmill!  Haha, I am only smiling for you guys, I really hate this thing!

My snack yesterday was simple and delicious, an apple with cinnamon and nut butta = YUMMMYYYY!!

Dinner was tasty.  I made the veggie burgers found on OhSheGlows.com with a nice Kale Salad.  I replace the Spelt in the original recipe for Oats and it works so well!  Super filling and very high in protein!

Off to workout! Day #2 here I come.  I can Gina will have me working hard

Are you doing a special workout to get yourself Bikini Weather??

Have a great afternoon!

XXOO
Kris

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Tropical Island Eats

Posted on 17. Mar, 2010 by kris.

Happy St. Paddy’s day everyone!!

What a beautiful day we are having here today!  I don’t know about you, but these sunny, longer days keep me super excited for the hot weather that is on its way!  To keep my ’sunny’ feeling alive throughout my day I have been indulging in some tropical snacks

This has been my most favourite snack or treat right now:

Fresh organic pineapple, 1 banana, shredded coconut and a sprinkle of vanilla chia vega powder – Hello Hawaii!!

My tropical passion has also blessed my smoothies in the mornings.  I have replaced the usual organic apple I use in my smoothies for fresh pineapple and 1 frozen banana, unsweetened almond milk (my fave!) and a heaping scoop of vega. Woohoo this is paradise first thing in the morning!  Sometimes I even get a little crazier and add a tsp of fresh ginger to my smoothies.

On my quest for more ‘vacation feeling’ eats, I came across these wonderful looking tropical muffins on OhSheGlows.com –  I have yet to bake these puppies up, but I will be greasing my muffin tins for these bad boys very soon!

Here is a tid bit of info on Pineapple – It is full of vitamins and minerals and is a wonderful source of Calcium, Potassium, fibre and Vitamin C. Pineapple is also know for its bone strengthening abilities.  It is super rich in manganese, which is a trace mineral needed to build bone and connective tissue.  Just 1 lovely cup of pineapple gives you 73% of your daily amount of manganese.

Although we all wish we could be eating fresh picked pineapple from the sunny sands of Maui today, for those of us who are not there just yet, good ol Whole Foods can provide your tropical cravings today!

Do you love pineapple?  What is your favourite way to enjoy it?  Do you add it baking?

XXOO
Kris

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Day 1 of my 3 week 7 day vegan meal plan

Posted on 09. Mar, 2010 by kris.

Hello Everyone!

Happy Tuesday to you all!  Today is a very special day as it is my sisters birthday and we are going to enjoy the day together and then the family is heading out to dinner tonight.  I just love birthday celebrations!

Thank you all for the wonderful comments and emails on my last post on the quick and easy red soup and of course Hudson’s new accessory. He loves the attention

I have been lacking these last couple days on the baking.  I am sad about this because baking is my way to escape and relieve stress and I decided for 3 weeks I was going to stick to this 7 day vegan meal plan that I found on the Vega site and commit to it.

My reasons for following this diet was really to see if I noticed a difference in my energy.  Following a vegan diet isn’t just about eating potato chips because there is no meat, but I have noticed over these last few months that it is really important to get variety, proper protein, and nutrients. The vega brand is my favorite and I know they have their stuff together when it comes to a well rounded vegan diet, so I figured heck, I will give it a try and see if they way the food is being combined makes a difference in the way my body absorbs it.

I learned that when you combine pumpkin seeds with a citrus fruit your body will absorb the iron way better! Who knew?!

I am on day 2 today and it feels really great to have all my meals already planned!  On Sunday I made a list of everything I needed and loaded up!

Yesterday was a little difficult as I am such a snacker…..I wanted to eat cookies, and more fruit and I said “No” I am sticking to this so I drank a lot of water and tea’s when I felt my inner snacker appear!  It was hard, I am not going to lie.

The funny thing is through these last 2 days I have noticed that I eat a lot just because it is there and I might not even be hungry at the time. Do you find that with yourself? Being at home is different than when daily office trips were made as my lunch was always set and packed and had no option to add to it.  But now, wow, I could graze all day when I am home!

Day 1 of my challenge:

Breakfast – 3/4 cup of quinoa with almond milk and 1/2 sliced apple sprinkled with cinnamon

Lunch – 1/2 apple, orange, and banana with vega fruit “dip” – 1/2 serving vega meal replacement and 1/2 tbsp hemp seeds.

Snack – 3 (I had 5…shhh) dates with nut butter

Dinner - 3 cups salad with 1/2 cup broccoli, 1/4 cup chick peas. 1/2 avocado.  Dressing was 1/2 tbsp evoo and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.

Snack – 1/3 serving vega with water

Day 1 down and now onto day 2!

Surprisingly I had a lot of energy yesterday and I went to the gym in the morning worked the treadmill out and my weights and then went down to the treadmill AGAIN with Ryan in the evening!  That is a lot of treadmill for me in one day

Have you ever followed a set meal plan?  Do you have any tips for that snacky feeling that pops up between meals?!

XXOO

Kris

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Gluten Free Crackers found my Heart!

Posted on 24. Jan, 2010 by kris.

Hello Everyone!!

Sunday morning and I am at starbucks with Ryan as we both vigorously type on our key boards.  Me writing this post and him doing his facebook connecting

I treated myself to a grande americano today and I am sooo waiting for it to cool so I can sip it!  As you all know I pack my own starbucks snacks and today I brought cookies, sliced mango and a green smoothie.   Sounds like a lot of food for just a bit of time spent at the ‘bucks, but we are going to be taking the dog for a walk in the forest after this.

Last night we decided it was going to be a stay in movie night and I really wanted something crunchy to snack on and I don’t think Mary’s crackers are the best for me (I have an allergy to seaseme seeds) so I made my own!

I made these golden goddesses with a mixture of millet flour and quinoa flour! I just put both of raw grains in a coffee grinder and buzzed them into a flour!  Easy!

Gluten Free Golden Goddess Crackers:

1 cup millet flour
1 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup filtered water
sea salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/4 tsp + sprinkled some on top before baking)

Preheat oven to 350

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place dough on sheet – roll out thin.

Use a knife to create cracker sizes before baking.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes depending on browness level

These crackers were amazingly tasty with the hummus I made the other day and perfect for a movie night!  Great replacement to potato chips

I am going to be trying many different variations of these over the next few days and have them on hand for easy, healthy snacking.

Well we are off for our forest walk and I am praying there is nothing I will feel I need to scream and run from.  I am not a big fan of forests….ugh.

Do you make Crackers??  What do you use as a flour?

XXOO
Kris

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Happy Hummus Friday!

Posted on 23. Jan, 2010 by kris.

Holla! Friday!

Today has been amazing day – a little online connecting, meeting planning, housewives of OC watching, Cooking and “baking”……oh!  Plus a killer workout – all done by 3 pm!

I am now at my parents place visiting and reading blog posts!  You know you guys, I read your posts and comments daily!  I love how I have gotten to know you all!  A blog never lies

I made Hummus!  Ohhhh how I love hummus   As I was “slaving” over the food processor today making a batch, I started thinking of other “partners” that go nicely with veggie slices?

What do you love your sliced veg sticks with:

Hummus
Dressing

Nut Butter???

I love mine with nut butter   I could eat carrots and celery with Raw almond butter all day long…..love this stuff!  I have been adding a bit more Roasted Red Pepper Hummus lately into my diet.  I was cut off of it for a while when I was on the detox diet as canned beans were told to be “toxic”.

Are they? I should google this!  I am just too lazy to cook my own chickpeas – not to say I wont, but today I was

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus:

2 cans organic chickpeas
4-5 tbsp evoo
1/4 tsp – 1/2 tsp sea salt (I don’t use any if my chickpeas are already salted!)
1 fresh lemon
1 roasted red pepper (or 1/2 bottle of pre made roasted red peppers)

Place all in the food processor and blend!

I enjoy mine today with my carrots and celery

Other News!

Ok Everyone!!  I have some GREAT NEWS! You know how I have been blabbing about Goals since the New Year, well it is my pleasure to invite you all to join Ryan and I on a webinar we are hosting which will cover all areas of Success Planning for 2010!

Ryan is a great speaker and motivator who has been trained and mentored by the Best of the Best and will be hosting this 1 hour long webinar where he will go over Goal Setting for 2010!

He normally does this same presentation for the company he works with and there is some great material here to get those goals and 2010 into action. I figured I would spread the invite to you all as we have been discussing goals on iheartwellness.

Here is the link to register for the webinar if you are interested

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/192628609

Date: January 27th
Time: 7:00 – 8:00 pm PST
Where: The comfort of your own home infront of your computer!

Please feel free to email me iheartwellness@gmail.com if you have any questions!

So tell me, do you love hummus?  How do you make yours?  Do you add anything special to yours?

XXOO
Kris

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