How’s it going? I’m so glad to say that I am OFFICIALLY out of high school! I’m so excited to be able to catch up on all of your blogs (and mine for that matter).

Anywho, Nature’s Hand Granola was so kind to send me two bags of their granola (and a cute little bowl) to review for you guys!

Of their six flavors (French Vanilla Almond, Cranberry Delight, Wild Blueberry, Raisin Hazelnut, Cinnamon Apple, Maple Pecan), I chose to try the Wild Blueberry and the Raisin Hazelnut. Being a Love Grown fan, myself, I was excited to see what else was out there for granola and Nature’s Hand was for sure no disappointment! I LOVE this granola!

Wild Blueberry

Crunchy oats, honey, sunflower seeds, natural flavors, and delicious blueberries.  Contains only 4 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fats, 0 grams of trans fats, 0 mg of cholesterol, 0 mg of sodium, and only 6 grams of sugar.

[source]

Raisin Hazelnut

Crunchy oats, wheat, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts combined with plump and plentiful raisins and natural flavors.  Contains only 120 calories per serving, 3.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fats, 0 mg of cholesterol, 0 mg of sodium, and only 7 grams of sugar.

[source]

I think the wild blueberry was definitely my favorite of the two. Ever since my new found love with blueberries (thank you, Emerald Breakfast To Go), I can’t resist them. But I can’t say the Raisin Hazelnut wasn’t great either.. both were so yummy!

Nature’s Hand also shared some great info with me when we chatted which I think would be great to pass on to you!

CHICAGO, IL  - For the first time in the Company’s 40-year history, Nature’s American Co. is bringing something new to the table.  While many granolas are loaded with preservatives, sugar, sodium or trans fats, Nature’s Hand granola was created for health-conscious consumers who still love the taste of authentic granola, and uses only the world’s finest ingredients.

The new product, which features an improved texture and more clustered blend, is made with roasted oats and wheat, tasty nuts and seeds and delicately sweetened with caramelized brown sugar and honey.  Nature’s Hand uses only premium all-natural ingredients like soy oil, which is full of fiber, protein and antioxidants.  The brand is low in sugar and contains no artificial colors or flavors, preservatives, cholesterol, trans fats or sodium.

Nature’s Hand provides a delicious and nutritious breakfast, especially served with yogurt; is convenient for on-the-go snacking; and serves as an ideal baking ingredient in your favorite recipes, including cookies, pie crusts and more.

Outward Bound

Nature’s Hand is proud to be the official granola of Outward Bound U.S.A., www.outwardbound.org.  In addition, Nature’sHand gladly donates more than 10,000 lbs of granola annually to local shelters.

I’ve been SO busy these past few days trying to get everything in and what not for the last day of school. I only have one more day of classes left (aka one more day of high school..AH!) so I cannot WAIT until I have all the time in the world to commit to my bloggy

Aside from skipping out on posts, I’ve also skipped out on WIAW pictures. Which makes me so sad cause it’s for sure one of my favorite days of the week!

I did manage to snap one pic though… my froyo from last night… YUMMMM. A few friends and I went to Orange Leaf (regardless of the fact that I’ve been trying to cut out froyo lately) and I om nommed on this bad boy.

It was basically $4.98 of toppings…muhaha. Yes, I sprung for the gummy worms this week… I just can’t resist frozen gummy treats on ice cream. But I also topped it off with some delish strawberries, blueberries, granola, pineapple, and walnuts! Super super yummy!

That’s all for today. Sorry for being super lame! But before I go, I’ll leave you all with this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byS1dWmJoW0

Picture me, running on the treadmill in a full gym, watching this on Ellen, laughing so hard that I actually have to stop the treadmill. Yes, it happened.

How’s everyone’s week going?! 

PS!! Keep an eye out for bunches of reviews and giveaways coming your way!

Hoppy Easter!!

Anywho! Easter is one of my FAVORITE holidays! Why? Who knows. My family isn’t very religious so maybe I just really like bunnies and eggs? Or could it be the mix of springtime and good foods? Like these for example…

My house is currently a baked goods paradise. My mom went on a spree yesterday and made probably enough goodies to feed half of America. She clearly wants me to tack on a few pounds or something because along with these treats, she certainly did not go easy on the candy either… uh oh…

All I can say is, I can’t wait for my run tomorrow. If all of today’s food doesn’t load me with energy, I don’t know what will.

I think because I love Easter so much, my family feels obligated to buy me gifts.. today was literally like Christmas in April! But instead of a full gifty recap let me tell you about one that I loved in particular…

A PANINI PAN! I’ve been DYING for one of these (or anything to make paninis with for that matter). I used it the second I ripped it open to make my lunch for tomorrow. I can’t wait to make all kinds of yummy things with this bad boy

How was your Easter (if you celebrate)?

Any yummy treats today?

What are your panini thoughts? 

XOXO,

Caroline

But anyways! I read this REALLY great article about eggs on Runner’s World. Yes, eggs. Yummy yum yum. If you’ve read my past few WIAWs, you  know that I’ve been loving eggs lately and trying to incorporate them into my diet more often. I love eggs! They’re SO good and good for you! But so many of my friends hate them or just won’t eat them (shoutout to my girl, Lily!) Anywho, I thought I’d share this article with you guys for two reasons… 1) because its super interesting and full of great info! and 2) its almost Easter! AKA the best time of the year to LOVE LOVE LOVE and appreciate eggys!

The article was named Sunny Side Up and talked about why eggs are essential for runners. It started out with 5 reasons runners should incorporate them into their diets…

TO SLIM DOWN

In a study, dieters who had eggs for breakfast achieved a 60 percent greater weight loss compared with those who began their day with a calorie-equivalent bagel. Researchers theorize the quality protein in whole eggs (13 percent of the Daily Value) helps control appetite. What’s more, egg protein is easy for your body to absorb, which makes it a good muscle-repair food after a long run or tempo workout.

TO PROTECT (YES, PROTECT) YOUR HEART

Numerous studies have debunked the link between eggs and heart disease. In fact, research shows that eating several eggs a week results in cholesterol particles that are less likely to spell cardiac trouble. What’s more, a unique protein found in egg yolks blocks platelets (the cells responsible for blood clots) from clumping together inside blood vessels, thereby minimizing heart-attack risk.

TO FIGHT INFLAMMATION

Whole eggs are one of the best sources of the nutrient choline (one large egg has 30 percent of your daily value, mostly in the yolk). Besides playing a key role in brain health, choline helps keep the body’s circulatory system clear of compounds that would otherwise cause inflammation, which can lead to disorders ranging from muscle swelling after a hard workout to diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

TO MAINTAIN BONE STRENGTH 

Eggs are one of the few natural sources of bone-building vitamin D. One egg supplies 10 percent of the Daily Value. Brands like Eggland’s Best have double that amount.

TO KEEP YOUR VISION SHARP

Yolks contain the pigment lutein, which helps prevent age-related macular degeneration (a leading form of blindness). And while spinach and other greens contain higher amounts of lutein, eggs provide a more absorbable form.

[source]

Then they cracked some common, eggs-celent questions! (I crack myself up… hahaha okay no more egg jokes)

BROWN OR WHITE?
Nutritionally speaking, they’re the same.
IS CAGE-FREE BETTER?
For the hen maybe; for your health most likely not.
OMEGA-3 EGGS—WORTH IT?
Yes. One yolk equals one ounce of salmon.
GO ORGANIC?
The nutrition jury is still out, but it’s an earth-wise choice.

[source]

Runner’s World finished off the article with some eggs-celent (last one I promise) recipes!

Fast Food
Pre-and postrun egg dishes in 20 minutes or less

5 MINUTES: Breakfast
Microwave two eggs, scrambled. Serve inside a warmed, blue-corn tortilla and top with crumbled queso cheese, cilantro, and salsa.

10 MINUTES: Egg-drop soup
Bring 14-ounce can chicken soup, 1 Tbsp ginger-peanut sauce, and 2 cups bok choy to a simmer. Stir in 2 eggs, beaten. Top with peanuts and basil.

15 MINUTES: Egg salad
Spread toast with mix of 1/4 cup minced scallions, 1 Tbsp parsley, 2 hard-boiled eggs, and 2 Tbsp yogurt dressing. Top with jack cheese; broil.

20 MINUTES: Skillet dinner
Heat mix of 4 eggs, 2 Tbsp fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup greens until eggs are almost set. Add tomato slices. Cover; remove from heat; stand 2 minutes.

[source]

YUM!

Do you like eggs? Or eat them and notice any difference in your running? 

XOXO,

Caroline

I feel like such a bad blogger, I’ve been so MIA lately. I’ve just been swamped with teachers cramming things in these last few days of school and keeping up with senior festivities! So sorry</3 I miss bloggying everyday!! Just 6 more days of school and I can blog like theres no tomorrow

Anywho! Of course I would never miss WIAW! And it’s the second week that I’ve actually taken pictures! WOO!

And of course, thanks bunches to Jenn for hosting!

The poached egg has made another appearance this week. After reading a REALLY great article on eggs and their nutritional value, I think they’re here to stay. They’re definitely becoming one of my go-to weekend breakfasts! (PS. Stay tuned, I’ll be posting more about the article soon!)

MMM! Baked haddock with quinoa, steamed broccoli and carrots, and asparagus wrapped in some mystery meat (my mom was clearly feeling artsy that night, unfortunately I was NOT a fan of the bacony-like stuff. 1. I don’t really like bacon and 2. it was super salty. Needless to say, I stayed away from it). But everything else was good! I consider myself a big fish eater (even though I only like haddock and salmon and refuse to try anything else cause I’m a wimp) so you’ll be seeing more in this post and posts to come!

Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken! This is such a quick and easy meal to make. We only use probably half of the sauce package though (a whole is way way way too much for my taste and just blah) and add TONS of veggies over brown rice!

Pasta dish #1. My family is Italian… we love our pasta. The angle makes it look like this dish was 90% pasta and 10& chicken and green beans… I wish I could stomach that much pasta! I also had to scrape off some of the cheese on the chicken (yay lactose intolerance?) and could have om nommed on those greenie beannies all night long… they. were. so. so. SO. good.

Annnd pasta dish #2. Tortellini and chicken with asparagus, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes. A personal fave in my household. So yummy!

THE OATS ARE BACK! I took a week off of oatmeal cause I was clearly becoming addicted and may or may not have eaten it for 2…or all 3 meals once or twice… I just really love my oatmeal. But no worries, they are back! And only being eaten once a day… for now…

Anywho! This is the usual… oats, vanilla protein powder, raisins, strawberries, and bananas in my tupperware to eat on the go. (Ps. Notice the mess around the tupperware? Yeah… we had a little overflow in the microwave. One thing I did not miss about oatmeal on my week off…)

And for tonight’s dinner! Broiled salmon with quinoa, brussel sprouts, and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Another fish dish and yet another appearance of my tri-colored quinoa (which I LOVE and had a nice little bowl of after my run today!).

And of course, I can’t forget to mention the 2 snacks I’ve been devouring lately…

GRAPEFRUITS

The perfect snack to satisfy a sweet tooth! I’ve been eating them for dessert (mainly because I’m staying away from froyo… which I may have overdone in the past weeks…) and they’ve been hitting the spot!

PB CHEERIOS

(yes, still. I know, you’re probably all wondering when I’ll give it up with these things. But I’m sorry… I’m addicted. And they’re just too good to pass up!)

XOXO,

Caroline

Happy April Fools Day! Anyone get pranked or have any good pranks of your own? I haven’t yet, but got a few up my sleeves! Muhaha.

For me, a new month means new goals! Here are a few of them

SOURCE

1) Incorporate more green smoothies and juices in my diet. At first, I was a little intimidated by the veggie fruit mixtures but after trying a Naked Green Monster and a baby green smoothie sample from Whole Foods, I think I’m hooked! They’re so yummy when done right and SO nutritious.

2) Get back on my running schedule! Aka my pre-frolics running schedule. I miss it. So. So. So. Much. I was running 5-6 miles a day with 1 day of sprinting, 1 long run, and 1 rest day of upper body lifting a week and felt SO great. During my super busy weeks of Frolics, I completely lost my sched. Not only did this affect my running but also my sleeping and eating habits… not good. I feel like my body’s just so confused right now… I just need my planned workouts back!

Couldn't help myself with this picture...

3) Experiment with more recipes! I have about 5 million recipes from my favorite blogs that I’ve screen-shotted and bookmarked on my phone and computer. They’re all SO yummy looking it’s time for me to plow through them! Once I’m out of school (April 13 woooo!) I feel like I’ll have so much time to cook up a storm!

I’m gonna include FINALLY set up my Recipe page! I promise that it’s on my list of things to do! Stay tuned…

4) Cut back on the snacks. It’s bad. Reallll bad. Lately I come home everyday and snack my life away (cough cough thank you PB Cheerios) then the sicky fullness makes it impossible to run (enter reason #2 for the messy running schedule). I just need to cut back on the afternoon/3pm snacking aka run right from school while I still can then run in the mornings once I’m out of school. Hopefully I can keep it up? I also should probably really think about WHY I’m snacking- am I actually hungry? Or just bored? (usually mu hungry is bored-hunger..)

Ps. not even gonna bother counting how many times the PB Cheerios have made an appearance in my posts in the past week. Update on those: Monday’s box was finished off tonight by me… yes, I single handedly om-nomed an entire box of cheerios in a week… it is an addiction, I think I need help.

5) Read more! My Kindle wish list is depressing. It’s literally like 8 pages long cause I keep finding more and more books that I want to read, but never have time to read them! I LOVE to read (yep, I’m a total nerd and am okay with it). I think I like to read more in the summer/nice weather though. Probably cause I read like it’s my job when I’m at the beach… The little taste of summer from a few weeks ago is making me miss my book-days!

What are your goals for April?

XOXO,

Caroline

Helloooo!!

Anyone a Foodie Penpal? If not, please consider joining the fun!

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions. -You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! -The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination! -You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!) -Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. -Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada! If you’re interested in participating for April, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. You must submit your information by April 4th as pairings will be emailed on April 5th!

This month was my first time participating in Foodie Penpals and I LOVED it! For sure doing it again in the months to come. Here’s a little review of the wonderful package I got from Jen! And be sure to check out Ashley’s review of the package that I sent her!

SO many great goodies!

Chocolate PB Pie

Everything was SO great but this probably lasted the least amount of time! A Chocolate PB Pie from X’s to O’x vegan bakery…YUM. This was so freaking good I don’t even know what words to use to describe it. The most delicious mix of chocolate and peanut butter mushed between 2 yummy cookies.. to die for!

Maple Rosemary Granola

This was so good!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

I’m a complete sucker for chocolate, peanut butter, and granola so this definitely hit the spot for me!

Carob Joy with Banana Chunks of Energy

So good! and a great pre run snack for an extra boost of energy

Homemade Blueberry Muffin

This was so yummy! Inspired me to make a blueberry muffin batch of my own

Halfmoon Cookie

Another delicious treat from X’s to O’s bakery! So yummy! And a great little taste of NY that I’ve never experienced befroe. A sugary cookie with half vanilla, half chocolate frosting. SO good! My favorite part was probably the frosting overlap in the middle!

Coconut Water and 2 Dagoba chocolates

For someone who’s not the biggest fan of coconut water, I actually didn’t mind this! I’ve only really tried the flavored ones so maybe that was why I wasn’t a fan. LOVED these chocoaltes too! The lavender blueberry is such a different and interesting flavor, I really enjoyed it!

Thanks Jen for the great penpal package! and a special special thanks to Lindsay for making Foodie Penpals happen!

XOXO,

Caroline

Hugs to Jenn for hosting! Xox

Anywho, on to my FAVORITE day of the week! WIAW! And I love it even more this week because I actually remembered to take pictures…woooo! Hereeee we gooo!

White Naan Pizza with chicken, asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, and cheeses! And green beans on the side, of course. This is becoming one of my favorite means lately. It’s so quick, yummy, easy!

Dessert after the naan pizza was a de-popped Yasso strawberry froyo pop.. with blueberry granola…yummm. I really like the Yasso froyo but in moderation. I feel like it’s not really something you can just have all the time, I find it to be creamy tasting and really rich so I kinda have to be in the mood for it. But when I am, it’s so good!

YUM. Post workout breakfast on Sunday… poached egg on toast with a little strawberry jam on the side… completely hit the spot!

The flash made this look completely unappetizing, but trust me this was good! My mom tested out a recipe for homemade parmesan chicken tenders and they turned out pretty good! My favorite part of this was for sure the roasted veggies though. We made a huge bowl of them the other night and I feel like I’ve been eating them non stop! I’ve also been weirdly craving brussel sprouts lately so these veggies hit the spot!

And of course…the peanut butter multi grain Cheerios… Thee have been haunting me all week. I bought a box Monday afternoon and it’s already more than half gone… I’m addicted. They’re just SO good, I can’t stop eating them!

Another favorite meal of mine! Rigatoni Abruzzi… rigatoni pasta, sausage, peppers, and black olives in a almost-kinda spicy sauce. Probably not the healthiest of meals, but mannn it’s good.

Random fact: whenever we have this, I eat the leftovers cold…. is that super nasty of me? I feel like it almost tastes better!

GRAPEFRUITS! up. the. ying. yang. Not only are these babies super super delicious but they’re SO good for you. I’ve been having them for breakfast, snacks, and dessert…love them!

Chobanis fo dayzz. I cut out oatmeal this week… I know, it’s partially ruining my week and I miss it so much. But my mom was starting to get concerned with how much I ate it and thought it would be best for me to take a little break… I kinda agreed with her… being completely okay and semi-excited to eat oats 3x a day is a warning sign for addiction. But hey, at least it’s oatmeal and not drugs or something though, right mom? Anywho. On my little break from oats, I’ve swapped my usual breakfast with Chobanis and granola (aka my old “usual”). I’m actually okay with it, I love Chobanis so at least they’re helping me cope with this week’s lack of oats!

Anddd yet another picture that looks strange and unappetizing. This was SO good though! Pasta with pesto, chicken, and veggies! Yummm. The pasta is all natural and handmade from Whole Foods so it was super fresh.

Clearly my family loves pasta.

And last but certainly not least… CHOBANI CHAMPIONS! I mentioned these in my things I wanted to try post and am SO glad I bought them. They’re. So. Freaking. Good. I got the vanilla chocolate chunk flavor and have been having it some nights this week for dessert… so so so so so so so good! And sweet enough to satisfy the sweet tooth without guilt. Loving them! Can’t wait to try all the other flavors. Especially the vanilla orange..mmmmm.

How were your eats this week?

XOXO,

Caroline

I think it’s safe to say that I’m one Peanut Butter Cheerio from becoming one myself. As predicted, I bee-lined it straight to the grocery store after what seemed like the longest school day ever to get the suckers… mannnn are they good. But SO ADDICTIVE and crazy filling. No joke… hours later and I can still feel them in my stomach…

I was literally in a Cheerio-coma after and found myself curled up in a ball napping through my usual workout time because of it. Luckily I scrounged up a little motivation and went to the gym at around 7…I was actually surprised I even moved off the couch. Knowing I would not be able to run because of my little PBC (trying out some new lingo?) overdose, I decided today would be a good cross training day and hit the bike and elliptical. I left feeling so much better. Pretty decent workout considering the circumstances? I’d say so. At least that sickly full feeling is starting to die down thanks to my little workout and plenty of water.

But aside from the little overdose issue, I really liked them. They’re delish in milk (soy of course, gotta love the lactose intolerance) or just by the handful…and handful…and handful. I think my next victim will either be the dulce de leche ones or banana nut… yummm.

I also picked up some Chobani Champoins (along with a few random regular Chobanis of course) and I’m so so so excited to try them! I got the chocolate chunk flavor and am planning on having it for a post-run snack tomorrow? We’ll see. I’ll keep you all posed on those!

So that’s two of 6 things off the “things I’m dying to try list” and so far, so good!

Any new goodies that you love lately?

XOXO,

Caroline

PS. I found some great recipe ideas in the gym mags today that I can’t wait to try! (and by try I mean pretend that I’m following the recipe but actually end up doing my own thing which may or may not turn out edible?) Keep an eye out!

I’m ALWAYS seeing things that I absolutely need to try on my favorite blogs, in the stores, on tv, etc. Because I love my lists (yes, I’m that girl…) I thought I’d bring them all together… here we goooo!

Peanut Butter Cheerios. My mouth waters at the thought of them… every time I see them I want them more and more. Chances are I’ll have them by the end of the week tomorrow.

Eos hand lotion. I’m obsessed with Eos chapstick (or should I say chap-egg?) and have a really good feeling I’d be just as in love with this. I just can’t find it anywhere!

Click photo for source

Protein pancakes. I could drool over Bess’s protein pancakes from the Tone It Up program! They look SO delicious and are so nutritious, I need to try these pronto!

Sunflower Seed Butter. I’ve been making an effort to mix up my nut butters lately. So far so good! I’ve heard great things about sunflower seed butter so I think this is next on my experimentation list!

Chobani Champions. Not only do I think that these are the cutest things to hit the dairy section but they look SO good! (Yes, I know that they’re intended for little kids and I’m 100% okay with that). With flavors like chocolate chunk, honey-nana, and orange vanilla…how could I possibly resist?

Spinning. I feel like I’d die during a class but would have the best time leading up to my death. I think the intensity of the classes draws me to them and I’ve heard from so many people that they were hooked after just one session! It for sure has to make my list of things to do.

What are some things that you have been dying to try? Any overlaps?

Hope everyone has a great week!

XOXO,

Caroline